Mat 3:7 | KingComments | STEP | The religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees, also come to the baptism of John. The Pharisees are orthodox. They add to the Word of God. They are the most influential and want to hold firmly to what they see as truth. The Sadducees are liberal. They break apart the Word of God and believe only what they can reason intellectually. John puts them all on the same level when he calls them a brood of vipers. The religious leaders see the enormous power of John’s preaching and also how crowds flock to him. They don’t want to stay out of it. They think they can participate without conversion. They are only interested in their own honor. They want to keep their influence over the crowds. John does not want to baptize them. He sees through their cunning intentions. By calling them ‘brood of vipers’ he declares outrightly that they are descendants of the devil. He asks them how they can imagine of escaping the coming wrath. This question must touch their conscience so that they will truly come to conversion. John does not explain how a sinner can be saved or how God forgives sins. He simply points out that someone who says that he is in relationship with God must prove it by showing deeds that are in keeping with God. If there is true and living faith, this will be evident from the works ( ). He tells them that they don’t have to point to their descent from Abraham either, because it’s completely useless. God does not look at our parents or ancestors, but at our hearts. It is not our origin that counts for Him, but whether we have gone to the Lord Jesus in repentance for our sins. God can give life to dead stones. He did so spiritually, for believers are called “living stones” ( ). The religious leaders must clearly think that judgment is near. The axe of judgment will soon cut down the tree of their pride, on which there is no fruit for God. Then that tree will be thrown into the fire of hell, so that they will be separated forever from the God with Whom they never shared part.

‏ Matthew 3:7

Preaching of John

The religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees, also come to the baptism of John. The Pharisees are orthodox. They add to the Word of God. They are the most influential and want to hold firmly to what they see as truth. The Sadducees are liberal. They break apart the Word of God and believe only what they can reason intellectually. John puts them all on the same level when he calls them a brood of vipers.

The religious leaders see the enormous power of John’s preaching and also how crowds flock to him. They don’t want to stay out of it. They think they can participate without conversion. They are only interested in their own honor. They want to keep their influence over the crowds.

John does not want to baptize them. He sees through their cunning intentions. By calling them ‘brood of vipers’ he declares outrightly that they are descendants of the devil. He asks them how they can imagine of escaping the coming wrath. This question must touch their conscience so that they will truly come to conversion.

John does not explain how a sinner can be saved or how God forgives sins. He simply points out that someone who says that he is in relationship with God must prove it by showing deeds that are in keeping with God. If there is true and living faith, this will be evident from the works (Jam 2:14).

He tells them that they don’t have to point to their descent from Abraham either, because it’s completely useless. God does not look at our parents or ancestors, but at our hearts. It is not our origin that counts for Him, but whether we have gone to the Lord Jesus in repentance for our sins. God can give life to dead stones. He did so spiritually, for believers are called “living stones” (1Pet 2:5).

The religious leaders must clearly think that judgment is near. The axe of judgment will soon cut down the tree of their pride, on which there is no fruit for God. Then that tree will be thrown into the fire of hell, so that they will be separated forever from the God with Whom they never shared part.