In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
those.
Luke 3:1,2 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, …
John.
Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matthew 14:2-12 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him…
Matthew 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
preaching.
Isaiah 40:3-6 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God…
Mark 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
the wilderness.
Matthew 11:7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
Joshua 15:61,62 In the wilderness, Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah, …
John the Baptist
John is a pivotal figure in the New Testament, known for his role as the forerunner of Christ. He is the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, whose miraculous birth was announced by the angel Gabriel. John is often associated with the prophet Elijah due to his ascetic lifestyle and powerful preaching, fulfilling the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6. His title "the Baptist" highlights his central role in baptizing those who repented, preparing the way for Jesus.
came
The verb "came" indicates John's arrival on the scene as a divinely appointed messenger. His coming was prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, which speaks of a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. John's emergence marks the beginning of a new era in God's redemptive plan, as he calls people to repentance and readiness for the coming Messiah.
preaching
John's primary activity was preaching, emphasizing the need for repentance and the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. His message was direct and urgent, calling people to turn from their sins and be baptized as a sign of their repentance. This preaching laid the groundwork for Jesus' own message and ministry, as seen in Matthew 4:17.
in the wilderness of Judea
The wilderness of Judea is a rugged, desolate area east of Jerusalem, symbolizing a place of spiritual renewal and encounter with God. This setting is significant as it recalls the Israelites' journey through the wilderness and their preparation to enter the Promised Land. John's choice of the wilderness for his ministry underscores the need for spiritual purification and readiness to receive the Messiah. The wilderness also serves as a backdrop for the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, highlighting the transformative power of John's message.
• The phrase grounds the event in real history, not myth. Luke pinpoints it “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1–2), reminding us that God moves within verifiable time.
• It also signals the close of a long, silent stretch since Malachi—about four centuries. Now the story picks up exactly where the prophets said it would.
• Galatians 4:4 affirms that God’s timing is perfect: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son.” John’s appearance is a vital part of that fullness.
• God raised up a real man with a specific name and calling. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John” (John 1:6).
• He is the promised forerunner: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’” (Isaiah 40:3, quoted in Matthew 3:3).
• Malachi 3:1 had foretold, “I will send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me.” John fulfills that literally, proving again that every prophetic word stands.
• John doesn’t drift onto the scene; he arrives with purpose. Mark 1:4 says he “appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance.”
• His coming is divinely orchestrated—just as the angel said at his birth (Luke 1:13–17).
• The verb reminds us that God still sends people—missionaries, pastors, everyday believers—at just the right moment to point others to Christ (Romans 10:15).
• John’s ministry centers on proclamation, not personal charisma. He heralds God’s message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2).
• Preaching has always been God’s primary tool for awakening hearts (1 Corinthians 1:21).
• His bold words prepare people to meet Jesus, echoing Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away.”
• The setting is stark, free from city distractions, perfect for heart-searching. Israel met God in a wilderness before entering the Promised Land (Exodus 19:1–6).
• Hosea 2:14 pictures God luring His people into the desert to speak tenderly to them—John’s location matches that imagery.
• The wilderness also recalls the Exodus, stirring hopes of a new deliverance now that Messiah is near.
• This is the historic heartland of God’s covenant people (Joshua 15:20). John’s ministry begins right where Israel’s story began, calling the nation back to its roots.
• By locating the event in Judea, Matthew underscores that the gospel comes “to the Jew first” (Romans 1:16) yet will soon overflow to all nations.
• Being south of Galilee, Judea is closer to Jerusalem, the religious center, ensuring John’s message reaches the very leaders who most need to hear it (John 1:19).
Matthew 3:1 introduces John as God’s long-promised messenger, stepping onto the stage of real history, arriving at God’s appointed moment, proclaiming repentance with Spirit-fueled urgency, and doing it in a rugged desert that demands undivided attention. Every detail—timing, identity, action, method, place—fits prophetic expectations and readies hearts for the imminent arrival of Jesus the Messiah.
III.(1) John the Baptist.--For the birth and early life of the forerunner of the Christ, see Notes on. Luke 1. The manner in which he is mentioned here shows that his name was already well known to all readers of the Gospel. So, in like manner, Josephus names him as popularly known by the same title (Ant. xviii. 5, ? 2), and describes his work as that of a preacher of repentance in nearly the same terms as St. Matthew. The symbolism of ablution as the outward sign of inward purification was, of course, derived from the Mosaic ritual. It was ordered for the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6), for the purification of the leper and other unclean persons (Leviticus 14:8; Leviticus 15:31-32). It had received a fresh prominence from the language of Isaiah 1:16, of Ezekiel 36:25, of Zechariah 13:1, and probably (though the date of the practice cannot be fixed with certainty) from its being used on the admission of proselytes, male or female, from heathenism. The question asked by the priests and Levites in John 1:25 implies that it was expected as one of the signs of the coming of the Messiah, probably as the result of the prophecies just referred to. That which distinguished the baptism of John from all previous forms of the same symbolism was, that it was not for those only who were affected by a special uncleanness, nor for the heathen only, but for all. All were alike unclean, and needed purification, and their coming to the baptism was in itself a confession that they were so. The baptism was, as the name implied, an immersion, and commonly, though not necessarily, in running water. . . .
Verses 1-12. - THE HERALD. (Parallel passages: Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18.) His public appearance and proclamation (vers. 1, 2), as foretold by Scripture (ver. 3). His Elijah-like dress (ver. 4). He is listened to by multitudes (vers. 5, 6). His faithful warning to typical Jews, and his pointing not to himself, but to the Coming One (vers. 7-12). The date at which he appeared is stated, in Luke 3:1, to have been "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar; i.e. between August, A.D. 28, and August, A.D. 29" (Schurer, I. 2, p. 31). Verse 1. - In those days; and in those days (Revised Version). Probably merely contrasting those past days of the beginning of the gospel with the present, when the evangelist wrote (cf. Matthew 24:19, 22, where the days yet future are contrasted with those present). In Mark 1:9 the expression is used directly of the Lord's baptism. And (Revised Version); δέ; Hebrew usage taking up the narrative (cf. Joshua 1:1; Judges 1:1; Ruth 1:1; Esther 1:1). Came; cometh (Revised Version); historic present (cf. Matthew 2:19); παραγίνεται, here equivalent to "come forward publicly," make one's public appearance (cf. especially Luke 12:51; Hebrews 9:11; also especially 1 Macc. 4:46; also infra, ver. 13 and Matthew 2:1). John; Johanan. The name occurs first as that of a high priest in, apparently, the days of Rehoboam (1 Chronicles 6:9, 10, Authorized Version). "The Lord is gracious" was a fitting title for one born by the special grace of God, and sent to be the herald of his grace to all men (Titus 2:11). The Baptist.(1) The Jews were far from having attained the simplicity of our present system, by which each person has both a family and a Christian name, and is thus designated with sufficient exactness for all the ordinary purposes of life. Their custom of name-giving was, and still largely is, as follows:
(a) A Hebrew name is given to the child at circumcision. This is the holy name, and is used at all strictly religious ceremonies; e.g. when called to read the Law in the synagogue.
(b) Each person has a name whereby he is known among the Gentiles. This is, at the present time, the name used for business and social purposes, and may be either Hebrew or of some ether language. It is usually connected, either in sound or meaning, with the holy name. So Paul and Saul, Didymus and Thomas (for numerous examples, cf. Hamburger, 'Real-Encycl.,' vol. 2. pp. 831-836. Lowe, 'Memorbook of Nurnberg,' pp. 18-28: 1881). . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...