In Matthew 3:4ff John is immersing those in the river Jordan who come to him confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance,” (Matthew 3:7-8).

What kind of preacher would try to discourage people from being baptized? Only the best kind if repentance hasn't occurred yet. John is not concerned with statistics to impress others. John is concerned with making straight the way of the Lord (John 1:23). The popular approach today is for churches to make seekers feel welcome and good about themselves. It’s fine to make folks feel welcome. But as F.M. Green wrote, “The problem comes when we never get around to talking about the hard part of the Good News. The problem can even be that we start forgetting it ourselves, and start believing that consolation is the main reason Jesus came. But what's wrong with us required much more than a hug; it required the Cross. It doesn't seem this way; we too, have been catechized by the world and reflexively think of ourselves as needy, wronged children. We'd rather feel as if we're victims of a cruel world than admit we are contributors to the world's cruelty, lost sinners who perversely love our lostness, clinging to our treasured sins like a drowning man to an anvil.” John is concerned with people being forgiven by God. And he knows that God has forgiven no one unless they repent. Vine's Dictionary defines repentance as "to change one's mind or purpose". And John knew that in this particular case such a change had not taken place. Apparently for these Pharisees and Sadducees to be baptized by John would be nothing more than a publicity stunt to stay in good stead with the commoners, like a politician kissing babies. But John would have no part of it. If he was going to baptize them it would be because they believed his message and turned their minds sincerely to God. Since the day of Pentecost, recorded for us in Acts 2, John's baptism has been replaced by baptism in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:1-7). But it still requires repentance to be valid (Acts 2:38).

But the place of repentance is not isolated to before baptism. Simon the magician was commanded by Peter to repent of his wickedness (Acts 8:22). Paul commended the church in Corinth for their repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9,10). Jesus called the wayward churches of Asia to repent (Revelation 2,3). Anytime a Christian gets out of step with the will of God, repentance is necessary. God calls us to be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:15). To do that we must constantly be realigning ourselves with the righteousness of God revealed in the Bible.

Like the Pharisees and Sadducees of old many people today commit the same hypocrisy of trying to use the demonstration of conversion without the reality of conversion. While others may congratulate them on their "decision" make no mistake: if the heart and mind have not been turned toward God and doing his will there has been no conversion.

Come to Jesus to be washed, to be redeemed, and to be forgiven. God says, "This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word," (Isaiah 66:2).

God bless you,

Brad Fry