The Application of John’s Message
Matthew 3:7-12
Thousands were coming into the wilderness to hear what John was preaching, were repenting and being baptized in the Jordan River. This was an usual thing for the Jews to do. Among those who came into the wilderness were the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were two of the three noted sects among the Jews at that time the third were the Essenes, whom we never read of in the gospels. The Pharisees emphasized the ritual, ceremonies and the traditions of the elders. The Sadducees denied the existence of spirits and a future state. It was strange that they came to John’s baptism. It was their curiosity that brought them to come where John was preaching and baptizing believes. It is possible some of them repented and were baptized by John, but unlikely. In Luke 7:29-30 it is written, when all the people and the tax collectors heard what Jesus had said in verses 24-28 “they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.” There are many who hear the gospel message in this present age but don’t accept it as they did in John’s day.
When John saw the Pharisees and Sadducees he does not call them Rabbi or applaud them. He addressed them as “a generation of vipers.” He told them they were like a viper, venomous and poisonous, and full of malice and enmity to every thing that was good; they were a viperous brood, the seed and offspring of vipers, their malice and enmity was bred in them. They gloried in the fact they were the seed of Abraham, but John told them they were the serpent’s seed (Genesis 3:15), their father the Devil (John 8:44). They were a viperous gang. They were all alike; though enemies to one another they joined together to do evil.
John’s question, “Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come” is a warning that they were in danger of the wrath to come; and that their case was so desperate, and their hearts so hardened in sin, the Pharisees by their pride in their religion, and the Sadducees by their arguments against religion, that it would take a miracle to effect anything hopeful among them. John wanted to know what influenced them to come into the wilderness where he was preaching and baptizing those who repented and turned from their evil deeds and ways. The priests and Levites that came to the place where John was preaching and baptizing believers wanted to know if John was Elijah, the prophet Moses predicted would come (Deuteronomy 18:15). They wanted to know by what authority he was preaching and baptizing.
There is a wrath to come, besides the present wrath, that is being poured out but there is a future wrath that is being stored up. It is a wrath we are to flee from. God, who does not delight in the pouring out His wrath, has warned by the written word, by ministers, and by conscience to flee from this wrath. These warnings sometime startle those who seemed to have been hardened in their security and good opinion of themselves. There are more people who ignore the warning than heed it. John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees and we have been warned to flee from the wrath to come and to bring forth the fruits of repentance. Because the warning has gone out the terrors of the wrath should persuade us to live a holy life.
The evidence of repentance is rooted in the heart. As a root it brings forth the evidence of the forsaking all sin, and cleaving to that which is good. Those who merely say they are sorry for their sins are not worthy of the name of penitents, or their privileges. Repentance involves more than mere sorry. It requires a complete turning from our ways and the ways of the world toward God. Repentance requires the humbling of self and avoidance of all appearances of sin.
In verse 9 there is a word of caution, “do not suppose that you can say to yourself, we have Abraham for our father.” They are warned not to trust in their external. There are hundreds of excuses and vain thoughts the sinful use to override the convincing, commanding power of the word of God. God takes notice of what we say and the thoughts which we believe are hidden in the darkest recesses of the heart. Thoughts we dare not speak out, and the false rests of the soul, and the lies with which it deludes itself. Many try to hide the lie that ruins them because they are ashamed to admit it.
The Pharisees and Sadducees pretense was like the pretense of many today. Claiming Abraham was their father the Pharisees and Sadducees were claiming they were not like those who repenting and being baptized by John. They were not like the Gentiles, it was fitting that they should repent and be baptized, but they are Jews, a holy nation, a peculiar people there was o reason why they should repent and be baptized by John. Like the Pharisees and Sadducees the word of God does us no good, when we will not take it as it is spoken to us, and response to it as those who were repenting and being baptized in the wilderness.
John told the Pharisees and Sadducees because they were the seed of Abraham was no reason why they didn’t need to repent. Their need to repent had nothing to do with their relationship to Abraham, and the covenant God made with Abraham. Their relationship with Abraham and the covenant God made with Abraham didn’t make them so holy that there is no occasion for them to change their mind or way. There were many instances when father Abraham had to repent. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not to think this relation to Abraham will enable them to escape the wrath to come.
It is a vain presumption to think having good relationship with those who have a good relationship with Jesus will save us, though we are not good ourselves. Although we have descended from godly parents, have been blessed with a religious education; have our lot cast in families where the fear of God is uppermost and have good friends to advise us, and pray for us; what will all this avail us, if we do not repent, and live a life of repentance? Multitudes, by resting in the honors and advantages of their visible church-membership will fall short of heaven.
This pretense of the Pharisees and Sadducees was foolish and groundless. They believed they were the only people God had in the world, and if they were cut off, He would not have a church; but John showed them the folly of this conceit. He told them God was able to rise up children to Abraham from the stones. It is not unlikely that he pointed to the stones on the river bank. God could rise up these stones to be the seed of Abraham for nothing is impossible for God. It is encouraging to know that, whatever comes of the present generation, God will never want a church in the world; if the Jews fall off, the Gentiles shall be grafted in.
Like many today, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the other Jews gathered in the wilderness didn’t know the signs of the times, or the day of their visitation. Judgment has come upon the nation and they didn’t recognize it. They were marked for destruction and can only avoid it through a speedy and sincere repentance. The declaration the axe is already laid at the root of the trees is to show God means what He has said. Judgment had come to Israel. The evidence is the occupation of the Roman army and a king who has been appointed by Rome. No matter what might be their gifts and honors, their external professions and performances, if they do not produce good fruits, like a tree that does not produce good fruit they will be cut down and become a people like a tree that does not produce good fruit is unworthy to have a place in an orchard there is no place for them in the kingdom of heaven. A tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and burned. If the Pharisees, Sadducees and the rest of the people do not produce good fruits they will face the wrath of God.
God has called us to produce good fruits in this world. If we don’t we will not find a place in His kingdom. As it was in the days of John the production of good fruits require repentance, a turning from the ways of the world to the ways of the Lord.
