Okay, we are in the Gospel of Matthew. Gospel of Matthew 3. I will read verses 1-12 with an emphasis on verses 7-12. Matthew 3 and verse 1. Hear the Word of God. In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. For this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight. Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Brute of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after Me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, that He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Let us ask our Father for understanding today. Let us pray. Father, we just read Your Word, and I pray on behalf of all of us You would open our eyes to see wondrous things in this passage. Cause us to cling to Your testimonies and meditate on Your commands. Especially the command today from John the Baptist to repent and turn to Christ. Not to trust in anything in this world, but only in Christ alone. Only in Christ alone, Your Son. Through His name we pray. Amen. Last Sunday, we were introduced to John the Baptist, the one who was the forerunner, the herald, the prophesied messenger who would come to prepare the way for Christ and His Kingdom. Matthew 3.3, the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight." That is Isaiah. Quoted from Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 3. Quoted to show that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of that prophecy. And he certainly prepared the way by preparing men's hearts and preaching, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. was the first word that came from John's mouth. And repent was the first word out of Jesus Christ's mouth in chapter 4 and verse 17. So accordingly, last Sunday, we spent some time showing that John's message of repentance was the same as Jesus' message. of repentance. It's the same message Jesus preached. It's the same message the apostles preached. This man John, clothed in camel's hair, wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. He must have been some sight. Yet the Jews were coming to him from all over, recognizing that there was something special about this man. And even more so, something special about his message of repentance. They were being baptized and confessing their sins. Don't you know the Lord was working mightily in the hearts of these people to come out to John the Baptist and turn from their former lives and desire righteousness, to go out in the public and actually go down into the water to represent that change of life in cleansing and confessing their sins. We talked last Sunday about the meaning of repentance. What is repentance? It is a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of direction in life. When one truly repents, this change involves the whole person. the mind, the heart, as well as the will and desires, the affections. It is a turning away from God in Jesus Christ. It is a turning away from sin and turning to God. in Jesus Christ. To follow Him. It's not simply a change of mind. It's not simply changing your mind about who Christ is. It's not simply being sorry for your sins. It involves all that. For sure. But it is a change of mind. It is a change of mind about Christ and sorrow over sin that results in a changed life. Repentance is not a one-time act. But rather, a process that continues throughout life. A life that bears the fruits of it. Jesus Christ demanded that. And as we will see shortly, so did John the Baptist. We now pick up where we left off last Sunday at verse 6. where the multitudes were coming to John being baptized and confessing their sins. Matthew writes in verse 7 that John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism. The Pharisees, a religious party of the Jews, prided themselves with their observance of the law as the scribes interpreted it, of course. The Pharisees were always ready to criticize and disapprove of others, the ones they saw as sinners. Remember how Luke shows the basic character of the Pharisees' mindset in Luke 18. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. That is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. And the reason was given for this parable, Luke 18.9. He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Jesus exposed their supposed righteousness in Matthew 23, verses 5-7. All their works they do to be seen by men. They loved the best places at feasts. Best seats in the synagogues. Greetings in the marketplaces. And to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. They were consumed with being lifted up before men And concerning the law, while the desire of the Pharisees to keep the law is commendable, they often put an emphasis on the wrong things and neglected the weightier matters of the law, like justice, mercy, and faith. Matthew 23, 23. The other group with them coming to John's baptism was the Sadducees. They were members of a Jewish group made up of the higher class. They usually came from the noble families, the wealthy families, and many of them were members of the priesthood. However, they didn't care so much for doctrine, even denying the existence of angels, denying the resurrection and other supernatural things. They rejected the oral or written traditions that interpreted the law of Moses. That placed them in direct conflict with the Pharisees, which made for an interesting Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin, the supreme council or supreme court of the Jews, was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. But while they were in constant opposition to each other, they did find common ground in that they both opposed Christ and His followers. This is clearly seen in Matthew 16.1, which states that the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus asking for a sign. Jesus called them hypocrites. and said that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. Then in Matthew 16, verse 5, Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And so here they come to John's baptism. Both groups represented. These were the high class people, the social elites. John the Baptist didn't greet them as such, did he? He didn't say, make room for all these important people. And give them the best seats right up front. And John did not call them rabbi like they want to be called. But rather, John called them, verse 7, a brood of vipers. In case someone doesn't know, a viper is a poisonous snake. Brood can also be translated offspring. So John is calling them an offspring of poisonous snakes. And he's not only calling them snakes, he's saying, you come from a family of snakes. You are sons of snakes. You know, the Apostle Paul uses this imagery of snakes or asps to describe the natural man in Romans 3. Verse 13. Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. We can think all the way back to the description of Satan as a serpent in Genesis 3. And Jesus said to the self-righteous in John 8, if God were your Father, you would love Me. You are of your Father the devil. And the desires of your Father you want to do. On more than one occasion, Jesus called the Pharisees vipers or snakes. Listen to Matthew 12.34. Brood of vipers. How can you, being evil, speak good things? And in Matthew 23-33, he said to the Pharisees, serpents, brood of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell? And that is what John the Baptist is asking these self-righteous people who came to examine what was going on at the river. And maybe some of them actually intended on being baptized as a show, as deceitful as that would have been, But at least the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to check things out. And John says to them, Matthew 3.7, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? This is an important part of John's message, impending, approaching judgment. John wants to know from them, who got you to thinking that you would be able to try and escape God's wrath? These religious leaders must have been greatly offended. After all, they must have been thinking, who is this man dressed like this to come to us, the ones who are above the common man? Us, who follow all the ways of God and have nothing to do with sinners like tax collectors and prostitutes. But John calls them a brood of vipers and lets them know they are in danger of the wrath to come. Doesn't that seem harsh? Doesn't fit his name John. Doesn't seem to. The name John means God is gracious. To many, the message he had for them is not gracious. I like William Hendrickson's explanation. Warning people that doom is impending and will certainly overtake them unless they repent and believe is not this a gracious act? And a bold one at that. John was very direct and did not waver. What did these people expect to see? That is what Jesus asked the multitudes in Matthew 11, verse 8. Speaking of John, what did you go out to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A man in soft garments? The reeds by the Jordan were flexible and lightweight and waved back and forth with the breeze, with the wind. But John the Baptist was not like those reeds. He didn't sway back and forth. He did not waver. He was not wishy-washy. He had convictions from the Lord, and he confronted the Pharisees and the Sadducees and everyone else with the gospel truth. There's one way and one way only to escape God's wrath. Repent. And do not just say you repent. Do not just show up at this baptism ceremony at the Jordan River. But verse 8, Matthew 3.8, bear fruits worthy of repentance. John not only calls them to repent, but to demonstrate their repentance. To show their repentance with their lives. We looked at the Apostle Paul's demand for that last Sunday in Acts 26-20 to the Jews and to the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. You see, the Gospel demands fruit. That is what John is preaching. That is also what the apostles preached. Paul wrote in Romans 6.11, the believer is shown to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Jesus Christ. In Romans 6.17 and 18, Paul describes Christians as slaves of righteousness. and demands that they present their members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. We might think of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.22. What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, self-control. Those who repent unto salvation have the Spirit of God inside of them and the Spirit produces Fruit. The same fruit, or good works, prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2. Back to John and his message. The Gospel of Luke records this account that we're reading here in Matthew. And I'm going to turn to Luke 3, starting at verse 10. Let's do a parallel count here. Luke 3, starting at verse 10. This is right after John tells them to bear fruits worthy of repentance. He tells them right there in Luke in warns of the coming judgment, ok? Verse 10, So the people asked Him, saying, What shall we do then? He answered and said to them, He who has two tunics, Let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise. Then tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? And he said to them, Collect no more than what is appointed for you. Likewise, the soldiers asked him, saying, And what shall we do? So he said to them, Do not intimidate anyone. or accused falsely, and be content with your wages." Luke gives us a picture right here in this parallel account of the kind of fruits that he's talking about. John is calling for, look, it involves generosity, honesty, contentment. John is calling for real fruit that comes from a changed heart. He's letting these people know, and us, that words of repentance mean nothing apart from a changed life. Jesus demonstrated this truth in the parable of the two sons. I'm going to turn to Matthew 21. Matthew 21, starting at verse 28. But what do you think? A man had two sons. And he came to the first and said, son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not. But afterward, he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir. But he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, the first. Jesus said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, the tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. The tax collectors and harlots believed him. And when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. In his book, The Gospel, according to Jesus, John MacArthur comments on this parable. He says, you may wonder why Jesus did not include a third son, who said, I will, and kept his word. Perhaps it is because this story characterizes humanity. We all fall short. Thus, Jesus could describe only two kinds of religious people, those who pretend to be obedient, but are actually rebels, and those who begin as rebels, but repent. Jesus told this parable for the benefit of the Pharisees who did not see themselves as sinners. The Pharisees answered the question correctly. But in doing so, they condemned themselves for their own hypocrisy. Jesus told them that tax collectors and harlots enter the Kingdom of God before them. The Pharisees were like the son who said they would obey but did not. Many today, like that son, professing Christ, but see no need for His commands and pay no attention to what He says. Jesus was preaching, and still is through His Word, a message that repentance is necessary if you are going to enter the Kingdom of God. Imagine the Pharisees' reaction to this parable. Imagine the Pharisees and Sadducees' reaction to John the Baptist as he baptized tax collectors and harlots, implying they are entering the kingdom of heaven. But he calls these self-righteous people looking down on him a brood of vipers who are in danger of God's wrath. There is good news from this scene at the Jordan River. God is merciful to sinners who repent. Just like He was merciful to King David. Just like He was merciful to King Manasseh who killed his own children and set up idols in the temple and later repented. These accounts are recorded for our benefit. The Bible shows us God's mercy and how He accepts those who come to Him in repentance. But the Pharisees and Sadducees came that day with a different idea in their head. And John knew. John knew what was in their head. We are children of Abraham. How dare you talk to us that way? Look at Matthew 3.9. Matthew 3.9. And do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. They expected favor on account of their lineage. They expected favor on account of their great forefather Abraham. They thought no harm could possibly come to them with that kind of parentage or background. Didn't they know Genesis 15-6? Abraham believed in the Lord and He accounted to Him for righteousness. How could the physical offspring of Abraham be right before God in any other way than Abraham was? It is absolutely false that being a Jewish person guarantees that person a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let's take that another step. Apply it to everybody. It is absolutely false that being from any particular race guarantees a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us learn from John's message to the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Our standing before God has nothing to do with our parents or any other part of our family tree. Our standing regarding the Kingdom of Heaven is not dependent on our social status. It does not depend on the ordinance of water baptism. We're about to take the Lord's Supper. That will not bring you into the Kingdom of Heaven. This ordinance, as important as it is, does not place us in the Kingdom. Let's go further. Our church attendance, as important and necessary as that is, does not make us right in the sight of God. Neither does our giving, our Bible reading, our prayers. That is all fruit that comes through true repentance and from Christ and His Spirit. In all cases regarding every human being who has ever lived and ever will live, Repentance is absolutely necessary for salvation. That is John's message. That is Christ's message. And that is the message of the apostles. So John confronts these men. Don't tell me that you're not in need of repentance simply because Abraham is your father. Likewise, some came to Jesus in John 8.39 and said, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But as it was, they did not, nor show themselves to be true children of Abraham. Paul declared in Romans 9, 6-8, they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children, because they are the seed of Abraham. but in Isaac your seed shall be called. That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed." Galatians 3, 6 and 7, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. Galatians 3.29, and if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. That goes for Jews and Gentiles. If you have repented and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are Abraham's spiritual offspring. How dare these self-righteous men come to John at the Jordan thinking they are some gift to God because of their lineage? John says that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Spurgeon writes, Do not imagine that God needs you in order to fulfill His promise to His servant Abraham. For He can make each stone in the Jordan into an heir of grace. I think it's likely that John, while he was talking, was pointing to stones right there in the Jordan River. God made man out of dust. Certainly, He can make stones heirs of grace. And after that rebuke, John speaks to them about the judgment to come in verse 10. And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Sproul comments, do you see the urgency? The Kingdom of God is not going to come in some distant time. The woodsman has penetrated that tree down to its very core, the root, so that one more swing of that axe and the tree will come crashing down. That is how close things are, John is saying. John is stressing the imminence or nearness of the judgment and the certainty of it. that they might repent. Now, final judgment has not even come yet. But everyone must live as though it is near. Live and believe as though your life will be demanded of you tonight. Because if that happens, judgment is as good as now. Because it's over. Now is the time for salvation. Now is the time to repent. The ax is laid. to the root of the trees. What does John say is done to every tree which does not bear good fruit? It's cut down and thrown into the fire. Our Lord Jesus Christ used a similar picture in John 15.6. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. You know, our society, our culture does not like to talk about wrath and judgment. Not at all. People, in general, are more afraid of men than they are of our triune God. We must listen to the Word of the Lord in Matthew 10.28, and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Our Lord speaks much about this subject. I'm going to turn to Matthew 7, starting at verse 15. Matthew 7, starting at verse 15. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, that inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits, Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, You will know then. Fruit is shown to be something very important, is it not? In fact, Jesus uses the picture of being cut down and thrown into the fire with a reference to the absence of fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. This is serious. This is serious for us, and it was serious for the Pharisees and the Sadducees as John was preaching to them. However, John wanted them to know that what he was doing was outward. The inward work was done by someone much greater. See Matthew 3.11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, that he who is coming after Me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." John was baptizing on an outward profession of repentance. And he was delivering a message of judgment for those who refuse. But Christ is coming He is the one who grants repentance. He is the one who changes hearts. He is the one with the power. All John could do is demand they repent. Jesus is the one who works through the Spirit. You know, John the Baptist had every opportunity to lift himself up. Did he not? And to get the approval from the people in high places? Luke 3.15 in the parallel account. says that people all reasoned in their heart whether John was the Christ or not. In the Gospel of John, he denied before them that he was the Christ. In John 3.30, he said, He must increase, but I must decrease. John did not consider himself even worthy to carry the sandals of Jesus Christ. John's calling was a forerunner. To announce the King and prepare hearts for the Kingdom of Heaven, Christ was the one who would baptize with the Spirit and with fire. The reference to the baptism of Spirit must refer to Pentecost in the book of Acts, as the Spirit was poured out. I'm going to read a few verses in Acts. Consider the following. Acts 1. Jesus Himself references John's message when telling His disciples of the coming baptism of the Spirit. Acts 1-5, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts 11, 15 and 16. Here's what Peter had to say. As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, that you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So the baptism of the Spirit is certainly connected to Pentecost. Now the fire, that's a little more difficult. There's not an agreement among Reformed commentators on the meaning of fire here, and I'm certainly not going to go through all that I looked at, which was a lot, but a few words should be said. Some believe that this fire in Matthew 3.11 is connected to the Spirit at Pentecost. You see Acts 2.3. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. We had already placed the baptism of the Spirit at Pentecost. Now we see reference to fire there as well. And so many believe the mention of fire in Matthew 3.11 fits the application to Pentecost. Others view this fire as being connected to the baptism of the Spirit to represent a spiritual cleansing as God purges and purifies us through life. And yet others see this fire as a fire of judgment. And this view fits well with the context of Matthew 3.11 as the verse just before it and the verse just after it speak of the coming judgment. William Henderson even says that the case is strong for fire referring to both Pentecost and the coming final judgment. Regardless of the meaning, the particular meaning of fire in verse 11, which our human minds obviously have trouble discerning, as attested by the 20 commentaries I looked at, one thing is absolutely clear. John's baptism is outward, and Christ's baptism is supernatural and inward and everlasting, whether by the Spirit or by fire. That is why John makes such a distinction between himself and Christ. John baptized on the credible profession of repentance and faith, just like other ministers of the Gospel do. that Christ baptizes spiritually, and He is the only One who can and does baptize with fire. Whether that fire be the fire describing the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, or the fire in the furnace of affliction for our sanctification, or in His righteous judgment at the end of the age. A judgment that plays an important part in John's message as verse 12 makes clear. Matthew 3.12, His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. At harvest time, the wheat had to be threshed by oxen. This would separate the good grain from the husks, but they'd still all be in a pile there. And so the pile was winnowed or sorted with a winnowing fork. This was done with a winnowing fork or shovel as they pick up the stuff and throw it up in the air. And the chaff, which was little bits and pieces of husks and the dust and bits of straw, it was light. And so it took off with the wind and blew away. And the wheat being heavier, it would fall to the ground. And so thus, the wheat and the chaff were separated. And this is a picture to describe the separation of Christ's people and the unbelieving world at the end of the age. Christ's people will be gathered together and the unbelieving world will be tossed to the unquenchable fire just as the chaff goes off with the wind. This judgment is real. And it is certain. That is why John the Baptist described the axe laid at the root of the trees. He told the Pharisees and the Sadducees, don't put your confidence in the flesh. No confidence in their background or anything else, but Christ alone. Let this be instruction and warning for us today. Don't trust in anything in this world, not in being a Baptist or even a Reformed Baptist. Don't trust in your giving. Don't trust in your praying. Don't trust in your kindness. Do not trust in anything else but the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. John calls on his listeners and readers to repent and bear fruits worthy of that repentance. That call goes out to every single human being. There are no exceptions. If you are the Pope of Rome and you do not repent, then you will be like the chaff thrown into the fire. So let us end with a brief summary of Matthew 3, 1-12. The Kingdom of Heaven has come in the person of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to repent in order to enter that Kingdom. This repentance must show forth fruit, or it is a hollow, vain repentance. Those who reject John's message of repentance are those like the chaff that will be burned up. Those who truly repent are like the wheat that will be gathered into His barn. Praise God for saving sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ. May He be glorified in the reading and the preaching of His Word. Amen.