In the Gospel reading for the third Sunday in Advent, Luke’s presentation of the final preparation for Jesus’ ministry began with a summary of the ministry of John the Baptist (Lk 3:7-18). The lesson is, ‘those who dare to lead will be judged based on the kind of fruit their leadership produces.’ John the Baptist, rather than seducing people with easy, cultural, moral therapeutic Christianity and ecumenism rebuked the religious leaders to do the missional hard work of naming sin for what it is and calling people to repentance. Telling people what they want to hear is a lot easier, secure job, and more lucrative, but ministers of the Gospel are called to prepare people for the coming Christ, the hard work of sorting the wheat from the chaff in their own lives.
Prophets can pierce through false exteriors and discern true nature. McVann states that as “the greatest of prophets… John saw through the masquerade of evil which hides its true nature. He read the hearts of those approached: “Brood of vipers…” (3:7). John tells the people that they are in a rotten condition – a brood of vipers, same as saying sons of the devil causing damage and denial to the coming of Christ (Jn 8:43). The ‘brood of vipers’ is a fitting metaphor for the religious leaders like the Pharisees deceitful hearts just like their father, the devil (the Serpent) who was a liar and murderer from the beginning, causing calamity to their victims. A ‘brood,’ the multiple eggs birthed by the mother viper after emerging, searches for prey just as the Pharisees were doing with Jesus, trailing and attacking Him and attempting to refute His character, mission and works. John the Baptist, the first to call them ‘vipers’, warned them to repent and flee from the coming wrath. Are you a viper, trailing, attacking, and refuting Jesus’s mission and work? The coming Christ warns you to repent and receive the gift of salvation before it is too late. Remember, the spiritually dead person resembles a dead tree with no fruit and a viper with poison under his tongue. When you receive Christ, you become a new creation and tree with good fruit.
John’s message is an indictment of his listeners, people in Satan’s grip and nature. John’s preaching is not a ‘feel-good’ message; it is not just loving another message or believing and growing a rich message. Unlike preaching today, we are tempted to emphasise the positive and gloss over the reality of sin, hell, and heaven. In preparing for the coming of Christ, John provided a missional message model, which included both bad and good news. The bad news is that the “axe…lies at the root of the trees” (v. 9)—that “he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (v. 17). The good news is that fruitful repentance is redemptive (v. 8)—that even tax collectors and soldiers are welcome (vv. 12-14)—that one is coming who “will baptise you in the Holy Spirit and fire” (v. 16)—that Christ will “gather the wheat into his barn” (v. 17).
John’s ministry was a fulfilment of messianic prophecy as written by Isaiah: as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God’ – Lk 3:4-6.
Salvation is offered to all flesh. John the Baptist calls people to repentance and points to the need to level the hills and valleys to make a smooth road for Christ’s coming. John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Lk 3:7). Christianity is beyond crowd gatherings. Christianity is not just a ceremonial observance or just about coming out to be baptised. Baptism is important but must be based on genuine repentance and commitment to God’s laws.
John the Baptist was not subtle nor the type to hold back from speaking truth to the people. The multitude coming to hear him seek to be “baptised,” a term transliterated from the Greek word baptizō. This means “immersion or submersion,” usually with ‘an emphasis on cleaning. Those who made major spiritual decisions or joined religious groups would often be publicly baptised to demonstrate their commitment.’ John was concerned by the people’s attitude and expectation of baptism as just the physical act that would make them right with God.
John’s ministry is about repentance, and he explained that a person who performs a baptism ritual without sincere repentance is subject to God’s wrath (vs 8-9). John did not fear the people and the religious leaders. Beyond the liturgical formula of some preachers’ sermon introduction, John called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (bearing satanic heart and qualities), the same term Jesus would later use when talking to the Pharisees (Matthew 12:34). This name’ brood of vipers’ connects the pharisee to the deceiving and cunning Serpent in the garden of Eden. John asks them who warned them to flee from God’s impending wrath. The coming Christ with impending wrath for unrepented sinners points to the eschatological expectation and the urgency to escape from the wrath.
Sadly, “Good people” are the hardest to convince of their need for a Saviour, hence the harshest warning. John the Baptist comes face to face with the most respected people of his day, and they will not be easy to convince. The essence of Christmas is to warn the people to flee from God’s impending wrath. The coming Christ is coming as a judge. Just as John’s hearers needed genuine repentance that produces the fruit of a changed life, the church today needs genuine repentance, bearing in mind that no church membership, religious positions or titles are sufficient for our salvation. Sadly, the axe is laid. God will judge those who refuse to repent. The coming of Christ warns the church against complacency.
Our response today relates to the response of the multitude 2000 years ago. The multitude asked, “What should we do then?” What John told the multitude about what types of fruit their repentance should bear resonates and applies to us today. John exhorted the people to be generous, tax collectors to be honest, and soldiers not to take advantage of their authority by oppressing others.
The summary of John’s preaching concludes with his announcement of the Messiah and His ministry. Christ will baptise not with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire (v.16). This baptism would cleanse the believer from sin, as fire cleanses physical impurity. The coming Christ warns that the unbeliever faces the judgement of unquenchable fire. John answered the multitude, “I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (v.17).
When Christ comes, your societal, financial, or religious status does not matter. The coming Christ warns that you, me, everyone reading, and everyone in the world need a Saviour. Nobody will witness the coming of Christ through lies like, “It is loving others that matters.” You need not repent of your sin but go on living however seems right in your own eyes. Remember, the one who hates correction will die (Prov. 15:10).
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