John the baptizer – Matthew 3:1-12
John the baptizer – Matthew 3:1-12
By Pastor Lee Hemen
January 20, 2019
Everyone is known for something. Notice I did not say that everyone is famous, well-known, or publicly recognizable. But each of usually is known for something. When I was in elementary school I was known for organizing all of the younger grades into a force to be reckoned with on the playground. You pick on one of us, we all attacked you. It stopped bullying in its tracks. I was surprised years later when this guy at Portland State University asked me if I was the same Lee Hemen who organized that group because he was one of the younger kids we “rescued”!
Here we discover John, and no, he was not the first Baptist, rather he is known for his baptisms. He should be known correctly as John the Baptizer. We will discover that not everyone follows the normal dictates of social decorum or dress and John was one of these folks. He was not homeless as I have heard some liberal preachers try to emphasize; he was a man with a mission. Therefore, let’s discover this morning John and what his ministry was all about…
READ: Matthew 3:1-12
The Government wants warning labels placed on everything thinking that we cannot understand the dangers we face or that we might be deceived. Often God uses those he calls for a particular purpose to warn the unsuspecting or those who deliberately ignore him. Here we discover that…
I. John came with a spiritual warning! (Vv. 1-6)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
1. “In those days”, meaning during the time of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, “John the Baptist came,” Matthew writes. John was Jesus’ cousin. In Luke’s gospel we learn his mother was Elizabeth and his father was Zechariah who was a priest and had served in the temple in Jerusalem. God fulfilled a promise he had made to Zechariah to give him a son by his barren wife Elizabeth. They were to name their child “John” (Yochanan) meaning God is gracious. John became Jesus’ herald announcing his coming. God had told Malachi “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. (Malachi 3:1 NIV)” John was seen as like the prophet Elijah, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV)” Matthew writes that John came “preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Literally “turn away” from sin because the promised kingdom of God was “now”! John saw the coming Messiah and was given a message by God to prepare the way for him. Matthew sees John’s ministry as that foretold “through the prophet Isaiah”. John was “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s message was different just as his attire and diet: “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” John was a different kind of guy; he was God’s messenger and not the people’s. He lived off the land and was only concerned for his message. In spite of his eating habits, dress, or message “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” John came with a spiritual warning!
EXAMPLE: We have warning labels on just about anything nowadays. It seems as if people are simply too ignorant not to follow directions, take their medications properly, or keep children safe anymore. I suppose some warnings are good to have. Isn’t it interesting that God saw the need to have a warning as well. In fact he had in mind all along to use a specific person, John, to give his warning to the people of Israel. John came with a spiritual warning!
Calling people to turn from their ungodly lifestyles in never popular and recently a Presbyterian pastor was asked to step down after he put on his church’s outside reader board: “Bruce Jenner is still a man. Homosexuality is still a sin. The culture may change. The Bible does not.” The church would rather change the biblical message to fit society’s acceptance of perversion. We discover here that…
II. John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy! (Vv. 7-10)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.”
1. Matthew tells us that John did not filter his message to sooth the ears of either the poor or the potentate. And he knew a hypocrite when he saw one. Matthew writes “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’” Can you imagine our politicians, Hollywood elites, or the general public listening to John’s message? John calls these men snakes, a viperous gang, who had evidently come to have their ears tickled. And you have to understand that these were the religious hierarchy and leaders of the day who came to hear his words. John asks them an interesting question that demanded an answer, who had warned them to flee the coming wrath that was about to happen? We forget that the message of Jesus is one that demands a personal challenge; it demands the individual decide and it demands that the listener understand the consequences of their response! If they chose not to heed his warning, which came from God, they would not be ready for the kingdom and they would reap the consequences of their decision! Ergo the wrath of God! John instructs them to “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This fruit would be apparent both spiritually and psychologically. Paul would teach that this “fruit of the Spirit is” manifested in a person’s “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)” Only real spiritual repentance, turning from one’s sin and turning to God, produces a changed life! Religion or believing there is a God does not hack it. John knew what these men would immediately think: “We have Abraham as our father.” Not good enough! James, Jesus’ brother would write, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. (James 2:19 NIV)” John tells them bluntly, “I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.” True spiritual fruit comes from God and if they could not repent, they would be cut down and condemned! John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy!
EXAMPLE: Acting religious, kind, or even holy does not mean a person knows God personally. One can be close and miss the reality of the gospel. The confusion exists in today’s world because we have begun to think that what we feel is as important as Godly truth. The Apostle John would write that one does not become a Christian by birth; one has to be born again. Born into the world first and then by making the conscious decision to be born of God. Being good, doing good things, or even living a good life does not make one a Christian. John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy!
So many things can get in the way of a person coming to faith in Jesus. Thinking they are “good enough”, that a “good God would not cause anyone to suffer”, or that “as long as I feel good about myself I’m okay” are not spiritual reality. In fact it is so much spiritual fog. And here we discover that…
III. John came to clear the way! (Vv. 11-12)
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
1. John’s message was radical. A lot of others had called the Hebrews to repentance over the centuries but none had told them that they had to repent and be baptized in their faith through the power of God in order to receive the one that was coming! John knew who he was and for whom he cleared the way: the Messiah! John declared, “I baptize you with water for repentance.” Having water poured over you by a teacher, rabbi, or proclaimed prophet signified one’s willingness to confess their sins. It only cleansed the individual for the moment because as soon as they sinned again, and they would, they had to be baptized again to show their repentance. This is why John related, “But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” John could only pour water over a person to signify their repentance; what God required would take much more effort on the part of the recipient. It would take someone with a lot more spiritual pull than John had! And so he warned his listeners that he did not have the means to totally cleanse them, only God does. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Contrary to the heretical teaching that John meant speaking in tongues, what he actually is teaching here is a reference to the burning of the sacrifice in the Temple. One would receive the Holy Spirit, often seen as a flame or fire, just as Jesus promised when a person’s places their faith in him! They would go through the fire of having their sins burned away, so-to-speak, by the presence and power of Holy God! Jesus would later teach that he would send his followers the Holy Spirit who would be with them forever. (John 14:26) and Paul would write that God “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)” John knew the message the Messiah would bring would change things forever. Either folks would repent and live or refuse and die: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” John came to clear the way!
EXAMPLE: In olden times there would be heralds who would walk in front of the king to announce that he was coming and that the people should clear the way. We have seen where new products have used clever commercials in order to get people’s attention ahead of their release. Here we discover that God used a man named John to clear the way for the Messiah Jesus that was coming soon. People needed to realize that John wasn't the one they needed to follow or watch for but rather the one who was coming after him. John came to clear the way!
Conclusion:
John came with a spiritual warning! John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy! John came to clear the way!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2018 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
January 20, 2019
Everyone is known for something. Notice I did not say that everyone is famous, well-known, or publicly recognizable. But each of usually is known for something. When I was in elementary school I was known for organizing all of the younger grades into a force to be reckoned with on the playground. You pick on one of us, we all attacked you. It stopped bullying in its tracks. I was surprised years later when this guy at Portland State University asked me if I was the same Lee Hemen who organized that group because he was one of the younger kids we “rescued”!
Here we discover John, and no, he was not the first Baptist, rather he is known for his baptisms. He should be known correctly as John the Baptizer. We will discover that not everyone follows the normal dictates of social decorum or dress and John was one of these folks. He was not homeless as I have heard some liberal preachers try to emphasize; he was a man with a mission. Therefore, let’s discover this morning John and what his ministry was all about…
READ: Matthew 3:1-12
The Government wants warning labels placed on everything thinking that we cannot understand the dangers we face or that we might be deceived. Often God uses those he calls for a particular purpose to warn the unsuspecting or those who deliberately ignore him. Here we discover that…
I. John came with a spiritual warning! (Vv. 1-6)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
1. “In those days”, meaning during the time of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, “John the Baptist came,” Matthew writes. John was Jesus’ cousin. In Luke’s gospel we learn his mother was Elizabeth and his father was Zechariah who was a priest and had served in the temple in Jerusalem. God fulfilled a promise he had made to Zechariah to give him a son by his barren wife Elizabeth. They were to name their child “John” (Yochanan) meaning God is gracious. John became Jesus’ herald announcing his coming. God had told Malachi “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. (Malachi 3:1 NIV)” John was seen as like the prophet Elijah, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6 NIV)” Matthew writes that John came “preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Literally “turn away” from sin because the promised kingdom of God was “now”! John saw the coming Messiah and was given a message by God to prepare the way for him. Matthew sees John’s ministry as that foretold “through the prophet Isaiah”. John was “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s message was different just as his attire and diet: “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” John was a different kind of guy; he was God’s messenger and not the people’s. He lived off the land and was only concerned for his message. In spite of his eating habits, dress, or message “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” John came with a spiritual warning!
EXAMPLE: We have warning labels on just about anything nowadays. It seems as if people are simply too ignorant not to follow directions, take their medications properly, or keep children safe anymore. I suppose some warnings are good to have. Isn’t it interesting that God saw the need to have a warning as well. In fact he had in mind all along to use a specific person, John, to give his warning to the people of Israel. John came with a spiritual warning!
Calling people to turn from their ungodly lifestyles in never popular and recently a Presbyterian pastor was asked to step down after he put on his church’s outside reader board: “Bruce Jenner is still a man. Homosexuality is still a sin. The culture may change. The Bible does not.” The church would rather change the biblical message to fit society’s acceptance of perversion. We discover here that…
II. John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy! (Vv. 7-10)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.”
1. Matthew tells us that John did not filter his message to sooth the ears of either the poor or the potentate. And he knew a hypocrite when he saw one. Matthew writes “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’” Can you imagine our politicians, Hollywood elites, or the general public listening to John’s message? John calls these men snakes, a viperous gang, who had evidently come to have their ears tickled. And you have to understand that these were the religious hierarchy and leaders of the day who came to hear his words. John asks them an interesting question that demanded an answer, who had warned them to flee the coming wrath that was about to happen? We forget that the message of Jesus is one that demands a personal challenge; it demands the individual decide and it demands that the listener understand the consequences of their response! If they chose not to heed his warning, which came from God, they would not be ready for the kingdom and they would reap the consequences of their decision! Ergo the wrath of God! John instructs them to “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This fruit would be apparent both spiritually and psychologically. Paul would teach that this “fruit of the Spirit is” manifested in a person’s “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)” Only real spiritual repentance, turning from one’s sin and turning to God, produces a changed life! Religion or believing there is a God does not hack it. John knew what these men would immediately think: “We have Abraham as our father.” Not good enough! James, Jesus’ brother would write, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. (James 2:19 NIV)” John tells them bluntly, “I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 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.” True spiritual fruit comes from God and if they could not repent, they would be cut down and condemned! John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy!
EXAMPLE: Acting religious, kind, or even holy does not mean a person knows God personally. One can be close and miss the reality of the gospel. The confusion exists in today’s world because we have begun to think that what we feel is as important as Godly truth. The Apostle John would write that one does not become a Christian by birth; one has to be born again. Born into the world first and then by making the conscious decision to be born of God. Being good, doing good things, or even living a good life does not make one a Christian. John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy!
So many things can get in the way of a person coming to faith in Jesus. Thinking they are “good enough”, that a “good God would not cause anyone to suffer”, or that “as long as I feel good about myself I’m okay” are not spiritual reality. In fact it is so much spiritual fog. And here we discover that…
III. John came to clear the way! (Vv. 11-12)
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
1. John’s message was radical. A lot of others had called the Hebrews to repentance over the centuries but none had told them that they had to repent and be baptized in their faith through the power of God in order to receive the one that was coming! John knew who he was and for whom he cleared the way: the Messiah! John declared, “I baptize you with water for repentance.” Having water poured over you by a teacher, rabbi, or proclaimed prophet signified one’s willingness to confess their sins. It only cleansed the individual for the moment because as soon as they sinned again, and they would, they had to be baptized again to show their repentance. This is why John related, “But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” John could only pour water over a person to signify their repentance; what God required would take much more effort on the part of the recipient. It would take someone with a lot more spiritual pull than John had! And so he warned his listeners that he did not have the means to totally cleanse them, only God does. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Contrary to the heretical teaching that John meant speaking in tongues, what he actually is teaching here is a reference to the burning of the sacrifice in the Temple. One would receive the Holy Spirit, often seen as a flame or fire, just as Jesus promised when a person’s places their faith in him! They would go through the fire of having their sins burned away, so-to-speak, by the presence and power of Holy God! Jesus would later teach that he would send his followers the Holy Spirit who would be with them forever. (John 14:26) and Paul would write that God “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)” John knew the message the Messiah would bring would change things forever. Either folks would repent and live or refuse and die: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” John came to clear the way!
EXAMPLE: In olden times there would be heralds who would walk in front of the king to announce that he was coming and that the people should clear the way. We have seen where new products have used clever commercials in order to get people’s attention ahead of their release. Here we discover that God used a man named John to clear the way for the Messiah Jesus that was coming soon. People needed to realize that John wasn't the one they needed to follow or watch for but rather the one who was coming after him. John came to clear the way!
Conclusion:
John came with a spiritual warning! John came to expose spiritual hypocrisy! John came to clear the way!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2018 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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