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1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' " 4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:1-12 NRSV)
I don't imagine I had many sins at the age of eight, at least that I was aware of, but I had not had many theology classes by that time, but when my pastor said, in his eloquent Spanish, that I should invite Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior, it made sense, and I did. I did not hear any angelic choir singing nor did a bright light blind me, but I knew that I belonged to Jesus at that moment. Someone had prepared the way for that to happen, and I said yes, thanks to the WayPaver. He may have been the same one who talked to someone who talked to you. But imagine the people hearing, for the very first time in their lives, someone talking about their need to repent. Repentance was not a part of Jewish theology in the sense we understand it. The Jews celebrated acts of atonement and the need to be made right with God, but overall their birth as Jews was seen as a purifying event. The cleansing waters of baptism were not for them; it was for those born non-Jew. Repentance involves a complete turning away from sin and turning towards God, and as an outward symbol, they would present themselves for baptism. In a river no less; the Jordan River. And the why behind repentance was that God's Kingdom has come near. And John takes them back to what the great prophet Isaiah had spoken; "Straight paths for God," and from a man dressed as an Old Testament prophet in camel's hair with a leather belt and who ate locusts and wild honey; and the people responded in record numbers. The WayPaver hit a nerve! People felt it for years but did not know what to do about it; that nagging dull sensation that something was present that shouldn't be. Something inside of them was making them feel like they were dying and they wondered how much more oxygen do I have with this thing in me? That thing was sin. The WayPaver urged confession and repentance and baptism. You must do this, he urged, so that you can be a part of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Heaven is not a destination or a coming reality; it's right now and it's right here. It is the embodiment of the reality of God's presence in us, molding us into what could be; people filled with love and grace and compassion for others. It's the salvation from the coming wrath of God that John warns about; it's the tools present in us that allow us to bear good fruit, helping us do our part in helping bring about the transformation of the world. And the only way in is through Jesus coming in us and making us new. The invitation from John was so good that even Pharisees and Sadducees presented themselves for baptism, but John warns them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" The Pharisees and Sadducees—the theological experts and religious elite—come to observe John's baptism, but he sees through their pretense. He calls them a "brood of vipers," language Jesus will later use, indicating that their religious pedigree means nothing if their hearts are unchanged. They're coming to the baptism as spectators or to protect their religious credentials, not as penitents needing forgiveness. John demands: "Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham." This is shocking—telling Jewish people that their Abrahamic lineage doesn't guarantee salvation. God doesn't need their religious heritage; He could create Abraham's children from rocks if He wanted. What matters isn't who your ancestors were but whether your life shows evidence of genuine transformation. "Fruit worthy of repentance" means changed behavior, transformed priorities, a life that demonstrates that your repentance is real, not just religious words.
John then issues a sobering warning: "Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Time is running out. Judgment is imminent. Trees—whether individual lives or religious institutions—that don't produce fruit are marked for destruction. This isn't about earning salvation through good works; it's about authentic repentance producing visible transformation. Dead religion, performance without heart-change, credentials without character—all of it will be exposed and removed. John concludes by pointing beyond himself: "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." John's water baptism is preparatory; Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire is transformational and judgmental. The Spirit brings new life and power; the fire purifies and judges. Jesus comes with a winnowing fork to separate wheat from chaff—authentic faith from religious pretense, genuine disciples from mere spectators, transformed lives from empty profession. The wheat is gathered and preserved; the chaff is burned. This passage confronts our tendency toward comfortable, culturally acceptable Christianity that requires no real repentance, produces no fruit, and costs us nothing. John calls us to examine whether our faith is authentic or just religious veneer, whether we're bearing fruit worthy of repentance or relying on heritage, attendance, or theological knowledge. The kingdom of heaven is still near, and the call to repentance is still urgent. But it is still open!
PRAYER: Holy God, send Your Spirit to search our hearts and expose where we've relied on religious credentials rather than genuine repentance, where we've substituted heritage for transformation, where we've produced religious activity without spiritual fruit—help us prepare the way for Jesus by clearing the obstacles of pride, self-righteousness, and comfortable religion, turning our whole lives toward You in true repentance, in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, ask God to reveal one specific area of your life where you've been substituting religious activity for genuine repentance, and take one concrete step to "bear fruit worthy of repentance" by changing your behavior in that area, not to earn God's approval but to demonstrate that your turning toward Him is real.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! As we start Advent, let us travel together in faith towards what could be!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
