“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.” Matthew 3:7-8
John was going around preaching repentance to the people. As soon as a person repented of their sins he would baptize them in water. As he did this he also pointed out that he was only preparing the way for someone greater than himself.
While doing these baptisms, some Pharisees and Sadducees came to him. These were the ruling religious leaders and lawyers of that time. John does not have any good words for them. He calls them a brood of vipers.
Vipers are a very dangerous poisonous snake. They are classified as some of the most dangerous snakes in the world. It was a very demeaning name to call these professional people.
These people knew the Law of Moses inside out, and they knew all of the prophecies of the prophets very well. They looked very good on the outside, but inside were corrupt. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted to look good to everyone else, while being greedy and controlling. They would enforce the letter of the law without living up to it themselves.
Here is where John tells them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Many people will repent of sins and claim to follow Jesus, but will not live the life Jesus tells them to live.
Often one will see no love or forgiveness in their lives. You will not see them following God in everything they do. They live for God on Sunday and in front of the pastor, but outside of that they live for themselves.
If you have repented of your sins and claim to follow Jesus, live that new life God has given you. Be like Jesus in all you do. Do not lead a double life. Do not be like the Pharisees and Sadducees who put on a good show, but really are not living for God. Show the fruits of the Spirit in your life of joy, peace, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love.
I pray today that God will fill you with His Holy Spirit; that you will produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life; that God will use you to spread His Word; that you will be true to God in all that you do; and that you will not live a double standard in life.
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