Scripture: But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:7-10 ESV
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Observation: Recapping yesterday’s Daily Focus, having concluded Jesus’ birth story, Matthew turns to Jesus’ adult ministry, beginning with John the Baptist preparing the way for those receptive to his Gospel. Seeing himself possessing the spirit of Elijah, John mirrors this great prophet’s outward persona by wearing a camel’s hair garment and leather belt (2 Kings 1:8). And four centuries after Malachi pronounces the last recorded prophecy of the Old Testament, John the Baptist breaks the silence of the inter-testimonial period, announcing “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In response, the crowds confessed their sins and received immersion baptism in the Jordan.
For today’s reading, having radically called all God’s people to confess their sins, repent, and receive water baptism, John now turns his attention to the religious leaders. Seeing the many Pharisees and Sadducees spying on his baptism mission, John boldly confronts them, addressing their duplicity: their outward piety belies their hardened hearts toward God. But he does not dismiss them. Instead, with no holds barred, John challenges them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance and not rest on the laurels of their forefather Abraham. Indeed, as John contends, there is no room in God’s heavenly kingdom for pretentious, self-righteous people who see no need to repent. And their end of life will not go well, for eternal misery separated from God awaits them.
Takeaway: As mentioned in prior Daily Focus devotions, the Pharisees and Sadducees possessed control of Israel’s theocracy (religious rule). Even though they were at odds over theological tenets (only the Pharisees believed in miracles and the resurrection), they united over national security matters. During the centuries of Rome’s occupation of Israel, the religious leaders were most concerned about zealots who would stir the crowds to insurrection. They knew Rome would strike hard against any insurgency and further oppress Israel. So, as the guardians of peace, they traveled to this remote region of the Jordan River to assess the risk under the pretense of seeking baptism.
Still, like most Israelites, the religious leaders hoped for a military Messiah to lead Israel to world prominence, as in the glory days of David and Solomon. So, perhaps part of their reconnaissance mission aimed to assess whether John is the voice calling in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord. But his caustic confrontation that exposed their hypocrisy settled the matter in their minds: he’s just one of many delusional troublemakers who have come and gone through the decades of Roman rule. So they miss the opportunity to repent and slither away like a brood of vipers who will poison the minds of those who follow their leadership.
Our takeaway? Not everyone who preaches the Gospel knows and loves Jesus. Paul talks about this when he says some preach Christ from envy and rivalry motivated by selfish ambition (Philippians 1:15-17). So, how do we discern a Christian leader’s intent and whether we should follow them? As John the Baptist contends, look for fruit in keeping with repentance. (See yesterday’s Daily Focus for an in-depth discussion of repentance.) But what constitutes fruit in keeping with repentance? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit, which aligns with John’s life and message: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Our part? Undoubtedly, some personalities excel at impression management and can feign the above attributes of a maturing Christian. Still, the light of Christ will expose their true nature over time. Meanwhile, we would do well to focus on our spiritual growth in keeping with repentance. Just as the Treasury Department’s counterfeit investigators spend countless hours studying authentic currency to spot counterfeit money quickly, we will more readily discern pretense fruit as we mature in our faith. And, as children of Abraham who walk by faith, we can count on the Holy Spirit to graciously bear fruit in keeping with repentance in us.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who perfectly produced fruit in keeping with repentance, even though he never needed to repent. Notably, we are grateful for his fruit of sacrificial love revealed in bearing our sins in his body. So, please help us express our gratitude by cooperating with your Holy Spirit in heeding his correction that leads to confession and repentance so that we might mature in bearing his fruit. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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