The Wild One "Part 2"

"But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, "You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God's coming anger? Do those things prove you have turned to God and have change the way yo think and act. Don't think you can say, 'Abraham is our ancestor.' I can guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire. I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into a barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out." Matthew 3:7-12

It seems pretty obvious that the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to John for the wrong reasons. Being religious leaders, I'm thinking they thought that if they were to show the people that they respected John and were baptized, the people would still respect them and continue under their leadership. They really weren't interested in changing their ways or wanting to repent and follow God. It's kind of like it is today within our religious systems. We have leaders that refuse to teach the truth for fear of losing their "flock" losing the position, or losing their "job".

John goes on to tell them that God is about to use His ax to cut out the roots that are useless. Roots that will be thrown into a fire. God was about to bring in a people who desire to follow Him and He was capable of making true followers out of the stones that were laying about! Their physical relationship to Abraham didn't matter...it was about their heart.

Our God is a consuming fire. He will clean the threshing floor of our hearts and burn the husks which does not glorify Him. We will become pure wheat. The One John was foretelling would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. A message that the "religious" could not comprehend.

May we lay down our "religion" and follow Jesus.