Matthew enters a new character onto the scene of John the Baptist. He shows John as preparing the way for God, Yahweh himself, to come and reign as king. The character who enters onto the scene as an answer to this, is Jesus. In other words, Jesus is not only the Messiah but Yahweh in the flesh.
But there are others who stand by watching. They believe they are the chosen ones of God and put their hope in their heritage. But John tells them that the true children of Abraham aren't necessarily genealogically descended from Abraham but those who "bear fruit in keeping with repentance."