In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Matthew 3:1 Now in those days Luke 3:1. And in the fifteenth year It could not be gathered from Matthew and Mark in what year of his age John began to preach: but Luke shows sufficiently, that he was about thirty years of age. The ancient writers of the Church are almost unanimously agreed, that he was born fifteen years before the death of Augustus.
The fulness of time had come for the gospel to dawn. Christ and John both lay hidden in obscurity through their childhood and youth, not recorded, not remarkable, to teach us that God often hides Himself even while He works, and that our faith must look to Christ's office and undertaking, where His power truly shines.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 3:1-6
MATTHEW CHAPTER 3 Verse 1. In those days. The days here referred to cannot be those mentioned in the preceding chapter, for John was but six months older than Christ. Perhaps Matthew intended to extend his narrative to the whole time that Jesus dwelt at Nazareth; and the meaning is, "in those days while Jesus still dwelt at Nazareth." John began to preach.