Advent 3 (2)

(NIV): 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize 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 baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

One of the dynamics of public speaking is that the one who is speaking can have a wide variety of people in the audience. This can make it difficult to do public speaking.

-2Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

Because there are different types of people in an audience, the one who is speaking can expect different reactions.

Cheering and applause.

Booing and cursing.

Devotion.

Hatred.

Sleep?

Even Jesus experienced those who believed his message and those who were so incensed that they plotted to kill him. Even the most tactful of politicians today know that they will be scrutinized and the reactions to their words and policies can be welcomed or rejected. Those to whom the word of the Lord came in the Old Testament experienced this as well.

John the Baptist was the first person to whom the word of the Lord came in four decades. Undaunted, he carried out his calling to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He did this to prepare the way for Jesus so that people would be prepared for his public ministry and for him to come into their hearts so that they would be saved.

Did John the Baptist experience a wide variety of people in his audience? Of course he did. But instead of letting them silence him or to limit his ministry, he boldy proclaimed to the word of the Lord to them and carried out his calling to prepare the people for Jesus. This section of Luke teaches us that . . .

John the Baptist Prepares us for Jesus

Context: This is a continuation of our sermon from last week as we were given a summary of the ministry of John. Here Luke goes into more detail.

(NIV): 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The reference to “the crowds” here refers specifically to those who came out of curiosity and were so confident in their heritage that they did not think it was necessary for them to listen and repent.

They excused their lack of action with the phrase “We have Abraham as our Father.” What does this mean? (research)

Parallel

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

John warns them that God is not impressed with their sense of entitlement.

Application: Even today some may excuse their lack of involvment or refusal to repent with such phrases like “I was baptized Lutheran” or “confirmed Lutheran” or “My ancestors founded this church.” while they themselves do little or nothing to support that same church or change their sinful actions. There is still this sense of entitlement which acts as though God owes them something based on the past with no responsibility or accountability for the present. Those with such an attitude would rather “rest on their laurels” than put their faith into action.

What did John the Baptist say to this? He does not hold back. He calls them a “brood of vipers” (what does this mean?) and calls on them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance and uses the parable of what happens to trees that do not produce fruit.

Fearlessly John brought his testimony against them. “You brood of vipers!” he began. John’s meaning can be illustrated by our usage. “You snake!” one man says to another who has proved to be deceitful and treacherous. So here “vipers,” which are small, poisonous serpents, designates men whose conduct was deceitful and hypocritical. John called them the “offspring of vipers,” and so he accused them of being like their forefathers. Like them, they were practicing the sins of religious deceit and hypocrisy.

Can people expect that God would treat them any differently?

What does it mean to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”?

John stressed the positive side, the honest use of the Means of Grace, when he continued: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (v. 8). They were to give evidence of genuine repentance by doing those things which naturally flow out of repentance and are in keeping with it. These “fruits” are not like the products of a superficial repentance, such as a sigh or two, or a few tears, or a casual word or act expressing mere regret.

The next section gives some practical examples.

(NIV): 10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

These examples cover some general areas.

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

Sharing

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be conten

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Greed, theft.

False accusations.

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be conten

Contentment.

Application: How might John teach us to produce fruit in keeping with repentace in our lives? (Look for examples)

In the next section, Luke moves us forward to John’s testimony about Jesus. After all, John didn’t just come to teach us how to be good people. He teaches us to trust in Jesus as the one who saves us from our sins and inspires us to godly living.

(NIV): 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize 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 baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 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.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

The Jewish religion of ceremonial laws including a special diet, sacrifices, and religious holidays were a shadow of things to come, but the body was of Christ. They helped people look ahead to the coming of the Messiah who would deliver them from their sins. When the word of God came to John for the first time in 400 years, many wondered if he were the Messiah and not just the forerunner who would pave the way. John (later described by Jesus as the most humble man whoever lived) did not for a moment accept praise that did not belong to him. He did his work of forerunner and taught them that he was not the Messiah but that he was coming soon.

John describes the ministry of Jesus as being even more powerful than his own. He would come to fill people’s hearts with a fire for the Lord (baptize with the Holy Spirit) but he would also come to judge (baptism of fire). He used a common parable to illustrate this.

John’s ministry is then summarized with these words: “18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.”

How long did the ministry of John the Baptist last? Most agree that it was quite short and that it concluded shortly after Jesus was baptized. So about six months. But his message continues even to this day. Now it isn’t so much to prepare us for the past historical event of Jesus’ ministry but to prepare our hearts to trust in the Good News of Jesus. Even though this has already happened, we in a sense relive this in our worship services. There is a reason the standard liturgies of our worship services begin with a call to confession and the assurance of forgiveness. Just as the people at the time of John could respond to his message with hope and joy, we too can respond to this weekly announcement of forgiveness of sins through Jesus with the joy of believing we are forgiven and the hope we have of seeing him forever in heaven.