[00:00:06] You're listening to Theology and Apologetics with Thomas Fretwell, bringing theology to life.
[00:00:12] If you remember last time we read the introduction to Mark's Gospel, it started very quickly and succinctly.
[00:00:19] It said the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
[00:00:23] Very quick and to the point, describes the identity of Jesus Christ clearly,
[00:00:27] and the fact that this is the good news, this is the Gospel about his life.
[00:00:32] And then remember we went over to Luke's introduction, which was a little bit different.
[00:00:37] He began now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
[00:00:40] when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
[00:00:44] his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Etrua and Troconitis,
[00:00:48] and Licinius was tetrarch of Abilene.
[00:00:50] In the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
[00:00:56] Remember, very long, giving us all those historical markers.
[00:00:59] Remember, we went through and I proved that all of those people are confirmed by archaeology.
[00:01:04] So it gives us a very good reason that this Gospel is grounded in history.
[00:01:09] And then Matthew, remember, simply just begun with the easier phrase,
[00:01:13] in those days is all he said, in those days, and that's how he began.
[00:01:17] One thing they all did mention was that the preaching of John the Baptist focused on repentance.
[00:01:23] Remember, we looked at that.
[00:01:24] It focused on the need for repentance.
[00:01:27] That is a changing of your mind towards sin and a turning towards God for forgiveness.
[00:01:32] That is what repentance means.
[00:01:34] That was the message of John the Baptist.
[00:01:37] And Matthew also said,
[00:01:39] Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[00:01:42] You remember that.
[00:01:43] So we put all three together,
[00:01:44] and we summarized the message of John the Baptist,
[00:01:47] which was,
[00:01:48] be baptized for the repentance,
[00:01:50] a baptism of repentance, sorry,
[00:01:52] for the forgiveness of your sins,
[00:01:54] to prepare for the coming kingdom.
[00:01:57] This was the good news that was being preached at this time,
[00:02:00] and it is a vital and necessary truth,
[00:02:03] even for us today.
[00:02:04] Repentance, of course,
[00:02:05] was the first thing that was emphasized by all three of them.
[00:02:09] And we spoke briefly about the dangers of a type of Christianity
[00:02:13] that tries to have all the trappings of religion,
[00:02:17] but without repentance,
[00:02:18] more of a sort of feel-good therapeutic religion.
[00:02:22] Without repentance and the confrontation of sin,
[00:02:24] you don't have salvation,
[00:02:25] and it is not the good news.
[00:02:27] It is just that,
[00:02:28] a motivational feel-good religion,
[00:02:31] which is not really what we're in the market for.
[00:02:33] Of course,
[00:02:34] true Christianity is motivational,
[00:02:36] and it does make you feel good,
[00:02:38] because the grace of God is amazing,
[00:02:40] but you have to get it in the right order.
[00:02:43] We noted also,
[00:02:44] if you remember,
[00:02:45] that all three of the Gospels quoted from the book of Isaiah,
[00:02:49] that messianic prophecy about John the Baptist.
[00:02:51] I'll read it for you from Luke's account in Luke chapter 3,
[00:02:55] verse 4,
[00:02:55] it says,
[00:02:56] As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
[00:02:59] the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
[00:03:01] make ready the way of the Lord,
[00:03:03] make his path straight,
[00:03:04] every ravine will be filled,
[00:03:06] every mountain and hill will be brought low,
[00:03:08] the crooked will become straight,
[00:03:10] and the rough roads smooth,
[00:03:11] and all flesh will see the salvation of God.
[00:03:15] I explain to you the background.
[00:03:17] Remember in this time,
[00:03:18] when a visiting king would enter the region of another monarch,
[00:03:22] or another dignitary,
[00:03:23] that was not his own territory,
[00:03:25] the people receiving the king,
[00:03:27] would send out their workers to clear the roads,
[00:03:30] to do up the buildings,
[00:03:32] to make sure everything looked nice,
[00:03:33] and that the entrance and the journey,
[00:03:35] that the king would have into your town was nice.
[00:03:39] So it was smooth for travel,
[00:03:41] is what it means in Isaiah,
[00:03:42] filling in the holes in the roads.
[00:03:44] The visiting king,
[00:03:45] would also send his forerunner ahead,
[00:03:48] to make sure that all of this had been done,
[00:03:50] and to herald the fact that the king is coming,
[00:03:52] make sure you're ready.
[00:03:53] That's the idea.
[00:03:54] So you had both of those two things going on,
[00:03:56] and I hope you can see that that's just a wonderful picture,
[00:03:58] of the ministry of Messiah.
[00:04:00] And what the gospel writers are doing now,
[00:04:03] is referring that imagery,
[00:04:05] to the mission and ministry of John the Baptist.
[00:04:07] His role was,
[00:04:08] as that forerunner,
[00:04:10] to go to the earth,
[00:04:11] to Jerusalem particularly here at this time,
[00:04:13] and say,
[00:04:14] the king is coming,
[00:04:15] are you ready?
[00:04:16] But he wasn't talking about making the roads straight,
[00:04:18] he was talking about getting your heart ready,
[00:04:20] by repenting,
[00:04:20] and receiving the king.
[00:04:22] And that's the analogy,
[00:04:23] it's a really wonderful picture,
[00:04:25] of a way we should prepare our hearts,
[00:04:27] for the king.
[00:04:29] And then,
[00:04:29] if you remember,
[00:04:30] we just kind of left it,
[00:04:32] after that passage,
[00:04:33] and we're going to pick it up now today,
[00:04:35] and look at the response,
[00:04:37] to John the Baptist's preaching.
[00:04:39] So we'll start off,
[00:04:40] in the Matthew account.
[00:04:41] So turn with me,
[00:04:42] to Matthew chapter 3 please,
[00:04:43] and then we'll combine it with Luke,
[00:04:45] to get the full picture,
[00:04:46] of this event.
[00:04:47] So Matthew chapter 3,
[00:04:50] let's pick it up just in verse 4.
[00:04:52] It says,
[00:04:53] Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair,
[00:04:55] and a leather belt around his waist,
[00:04:58] and his food was locusts and wild honey.
[00:05:01] And then Jerusalem was going out to him,
[00:05:03] and all Judea,
[00:05:04] and all the district around the Jordan,
[00:05:06] and they were being baptised by him,
[00:05:08] in the Jordan River,
[00:05:09] as they confessed their sins.
[00:05:12] So we see here,
[00:05:13] John is dressed in a garment of camel's hair,
[00:05:15] with a leather belt around his waist.
[00:05:18] Now if you're familiar,
[00:05:20] you might slightly recognise that description.
[00:05:22] The idea is,
[00:05:23] it's supposed to make you think of Elijah the prophet.
[00:05:26] Remember,
[00:05:27] John's ministry was said to be,
[00:05:29] in the spirit and power of Elijah.
[00:05:32] And when you read about Elijah,
[00:05:33] I'll give you a description,
[00:05:34] in 2 Kings 1 verse 8,
[00:05:36] it says,
[00:05:37] He was a hairy man with a leather girdle,
[00:05:39] bound about his loins.
[00:05:41] This is Elijah the Tishbite.
[00:05:43] And that girdle,
[00:05:44] that sort of leather girdle,
[00:05:45] that was obviously distinctive in some way,
[00:05:47] compared to the regular things that people would wear,
[00:05:50] became associated with the prophets.
[00:05:53] So when people see John the Baptist,
[00:05:55] and he's once again,
[00:05:56] after this massive 400 year gap,
[00:05:57] where Israel has had no prophets,
[00:05:59] this man emerges from the wilderness,
[00:06:01] this kind of strange guy,
[00:06:02] that people have heard about,
[00:06:03] this prophet,
[00:06:04] and he's wearing this prophet's garb,
[00:06:06] this gets the attention of the nation,
[00:06:08] at that time.
[00:06:09] He's going to be again,
[00:06:10] speaking in the power,
[00:06:12] spirit of Elijah.
[00:06:14] So you have that connection.
[00:06:15] The rough hair,
[00:06:17] the garment of camel's hair,
[00:06:18] is elsewhere,
[00:06:19] it's the same word actually behind it,
[00:06:21] described as sackcloth.
[00:06:23] And if you read the Old Testament,
[00:06:24] you might be familiar,
[00:06:25] when you see someone putting on sackcloth and ashes,
[00:06:29] you find that expression quite a lot.
[00:06:31] It's usually at a time,
[00:06:32] when something terrible has happened,
[00:06:34] or at a time,
[00:06:35] when they're repenting of sin.
[00:06:37] And that's the idea,
[00:06:38] it's supposed to be uncomfortable,
[00:06:39] you see,
[00:06:40] that's the idea,
[00:06:40] to repent,
[00:06:41] remind you of sin.
[00:06:42] And that's why the garment,
[00:06:44] became typical,
[00:06:45] among the prophets,
[00:06:46] because what were the prophets,
[00:06:48] generally there to do?
[00:06:49] They were called forth,
[00:06:51] to bring the nation to repentance.
[00:06:53] We're studying Isaiah,
[00:06:55] on Wednesday nights.
[00:06:55] One thing you may notice,
[00:06:56] about Isaiah,
[00:06:57] is that he always turned up,
[00:06:58] when the kings,
[00:06:59] were doing something wrong.
[00:07:00] The Lord would use him,
[00:07:01] to bring a correction,
[00:07:03] a rebuke,
[00:07:04] to ask them to repent.
[00:07:06] And this is interesting.
[00:07:07] If you look around the Christian world today,
[00:07:10] particularly on Christian television,
[00:07:12] you may see that most people,
[00:07:13] who claim the title,
[00:07:14] of prophet or apostle today,
[00:07:16] they seem to wear very expensive suits,
[00:07:18] don't they?
[00:07:19] Not camel hair.
[00:07:20] And this tells you something,
[00:07:21] about the makeup of their ministry.
[00:07:23] It is most likely,
[00:07:24] not a ministry of repentance.
[00:07:25] It is usually a ministry of,
[00:07:28] give us your seed blessing,
[00:07:30] and I will bless you.
[00:07:31] Which again,
[00:07:32] is totally unbiblical.
[00:07:33] Stay away from all of that stuff.
[00:07:35] It says,
[00:07:36] all the districts of Jerusalem,
[00:07:37] and around,
[00:07:37] were going out to John.
[00:07:39] Again,
[00:07:39] why?
[00:07:40] This is because,
[00:07:41] he came with this prophet's dress,
[00:07:43] and prophet's girdle.
[00:07:44] They considered him,
[00:07:45] to be a prophet.
[00:07:46] Even the Pharisees,
[00:07:47] and the Sadducees,
[00:07:47] remember,
[00:07:48] know that the people,
[00:07:49] considered John,
[00:07:50] to be a prophet.
[00:07:51] So they had to tread,
[00:07:52] very carefully,
[00:07:52] with how they treated him,
[00:07:53] at this time.
[00:07:54] But the impact of John's ministry,
[00:07:56] was actually pretty large,
[00:07:58] considering.
[00:07:58] People were flocking to him,
[00:08:00] from Jerusalem,
[00:08:01] and all the surrounding districts,
[00:08:02] to hear the word of God.
[00:08:04] Which I find interesting,
[00:08:05] because we're going to see here,
[00:08:07] that some of those people,
[00:08:08] that flocked to him,
[00:08:09] were not there,
[00:08:11] because they wanted to repent,
[00:08:12] and get right with the Lord,
[00:08:13] and were coming for the Messiah.
[00:08:15] A lot of those people,
[00:08:16] who attached themselves,
[00:08:17] to his ministry,
[00:08:18] were there with their own purposes,
[00:08:19] that were going against,
[00:08:20] what John was actually preaching.
[00:08:22] And that's a good lesson,
[00:08:23] for us today,
[00:08:23] because if you study,
[00:08:25] the history of movements,
[00:08:27] like this in the church,
[00:08:28] very quickly,
[00:08:29] you will always notice,
[00:08:30] that people attach themselves,
[00:08:31] to those ministries,
[00:08:32] that have nothing to do,
[00:08:33] with the actual foundational message,
[00:08:35] of the person,
[00:08:35] who's preaching usually.
[00:08:37] And they are usually there,
[00:08:38] to distract,
[00:08:39] to co-opt,
[00:08:40] to take over,
[00:08:41] or to try and get some of the glory,
[00:08:42] that's coming from that.
[00:08:43] We'll see that happening here now,
[00:08:45] with the Pharisees.
[00:08:46] So let's pick it up,
[00:08:47] in verse seven.
[00:08:49] It says,
[00:08:50] but when he saw,
[00:08:51] many of the Pharisees,
[00:08:52] and the Pharisees,
[00:08:53] and Sadducees,
[00:08:54] coming for baptism,
[00:08:55] he said to them,
[00:08:56] you brood of vipers,
[00:08:58] who warned you,
[00:08:58] to flee from the wrath to come.
[00:09:00] Therefore bear fruit,
[00:09:01] in keeping with repentance.
[00:09:03] And do not suppose,
[00:09:04] that you can say to yourselves,
[00:09:05] we have Abraham,
[00:09:06] for our father.
[00:09:07] For I say to you,
[00:09:08] that from these stones,
[00:09:09] God is able to raise up,
[00:09:10] children of Abraham.
[00:09:12] The axe is already laid,
[00:09:13] at the root of the trees.
[00:09:14] Therefore every tree,
[00:09:15] that does not bear good fruit,
[00:09:17] is cut down,
[00:09:18] and thrown into the fire.
[00:09:20] You see,
[00:09:22] religious leaders,
[00:09:22] and politicians,
[00:09:23] get very unhappy,
[00:09:24] when someone outside,
[00:09:25] of their own group,
[00:09:26] comes along,
[00:09:28] and starts taking their attention.
[00:09:29] You still see that,
[00:09:30] in politics today,
[00:09:31] don't you?
[00:09:31] It's exactly the same sort of thing.
[00:09:34] However,
[00:09:34] you notice here,
[00:09:35] the Pharisees,
[00:09:36] and the Sadducees.
[00:09:37] It's one of the first mentions,
[00:09:38] of them here actually,
[00:09:39] but we dealt with their history,
[00:09:40] in our introductory studies.
[00:09:42] They're not to be outdone here.
[00:09:44] They know that the people,
[00:09:45] perceive John to be a prophet.
[00:09:46] So you can imagine,
[00:09:47] at this time,
[00:09:47] they're thinking,
[00:09:48] right,
[00:09:48] we have to handle this,
[00:09:49] very, very carefully.
[00:09:51] I'll tell you what we do.
[00:09:52] Let's go down,
[00:09:53] and we'll get baptised too,
[00:09:55] to show that we're on board,
[00:09:56] with the message,
[00:09:57] but yet we don't lose,
[00:09:58] respectability,
[00:09:59] and we maintain our place.
[00:10:01] That's why,
[00:10:01] you may read,
[00:10:03] that text,
[00:10:04] and think,
[00:10:04] well they were coming for baptism.
[00:10:05] Why does John turn to them,
[00:10:06] and say,
[00:10:07] you brood of vipers?
[00:10:08] That seems a little harsh.
[00:10:09] Was not he there,
[00:10:10] inviting everyone,
[00:10:10] to come and get baptised?
[00:10:12] But John the Baptist knows,
[00:10:13] what is going on,
[00:10:14] in these people's,
[00:10:15] hearts,
[00:10:15] and he's really having none of it.
[00:10:17] He doesn't allow this at all.
[00:10:19] John the Baptist is very bold,
[00:10:20] in his message,
[00:10:21] in his preaching.
[00:10:21] We'll see that today,
[00:10:22] and as we go through.
[00:10:23] He knows,
[00:10:24] you see,
[00:10:25] he says,
[00:10:25] who warned you to flee,
[00:10:27] from the wrath to come?
[00:10:28] This is the point he's focusing on,
[00:10:29] because he knows,
[00:10:30] the Pharisees,
[00:10:31] and the believers,
[00:10:31] the religious leaders,
[00:10:32] at this time,
[00:10:33] they didn't think,
[00:10:34] the wrath was for them.
[00:10:35] You see,
[00:10:36] this is the point.
[00:10:37] So they weren't coming,
[00:10:38] to flee from the wrath,
[00:10:39] through repentance.
[00:10:40] They already thought,
[00:10:40] the wrath wasn't for them.
[00:10:42] The wrath was for the pagan Gentiles.
[00:10:44] They believed,
[00:10:45] because of their ancestry,
[00:10:46] that they were already safe.
[00:10:47] They were Jewish,
[00:10:48] you see,
[00:10:48] at this time.
[00:10:48] That was the prevailing belief.
[00:10:51] So he calls them on it.
[00:10:52] He says,
[00:10:53] you brood of vipers,
[00:10:54] who warned you to flee,
[00:10:55] from the wrath to come?
[00:10:56] Now being called a brood of vipers,
[00:10:58] is pretty insulting.
[00:10:59] You know,
[00:11:00] snake,
[00:11:00] Jewish thought,
[00:11:01] snake,
[00:11:01] and Christian thought,
[00:11:03] snake is always associated,
[00:11:04] with deception,
[00:11:05] isn't it?
[00:11:05] So he comes to them,
[00:11:06] he calls to them,
[00:11:07] you deceiving religious leaders,
[00:11:09] right now,
[00:11:09] who warned you to flee,
[00:11:10] from the wrath to come?
[00:11:11] He knows they're not here,
[00:11:13] to repent.
[00:11:14] And he then goes on,
[00:11:16] if you were here,
[00:11:16] to repent,
[00:11:17] your life would bear fruit,
[00:11:19] and he uses that phrase,
[00:11:20] in keeping with repentance.
[00:11:22] Bear fruit,
[00:11:22] in keeping with repentance.
[00:11:24] It's a very interesting phrase,
[00:11:25] that we would all do well,
[00:11:27] actually to spend some time,
[00:11:28] dwelling on,
[00:11:29] in our own lives,
[00:11:30] because it tells us something.
[00:11:31] You should be able,
[00:11:32] to tell repentance,
[00:11:34] in someone's life,
[00:11:35] by observing what they do.
[00:11:37] Now we don't want to get,
[00:11:38] into a legalistic trip here,
[00:11:40] but there is a truth,
[00:11:41] to that statement,
[00:11:42] that a transformed life,
[00:11:44] a life that has gone through,
[00:11:45] the process of repentance,
[00:11:47] should change.
[00:11:48] There should be things,
[00:11:49] that you do and don't do.
[00:11:50] And I'm not talking about,
[00:11:51] tripping up and falling,
[00:11:52] and repenting,
[00:11:52] and confessing your sins.
[00:11:53] I'm talking about,
[00:11:54] as a pattern,
[00:11:55] as a way of life.
[00:11:56] Remember when we said,
[00:11:57] repentance,
[00:11:57] it was a change of mind,
[00:11:59] but it was also,
[00:12:00] a change of direction.
[00:12:01] It was both,
[00:12:03] mental and physical,
[00:12:04] if I could say it like that.
[00:12:06] Not just empty words.
[00:12:07] And this is why,
[00:12:08] when you get back to that,
[00:12:09] sort of massive swath,
[00:12:11] of religious type Christianity,
[00:12:13] that is based on a,
[00:12:14] based on no repentance,
[00:12:16] you're not going to get this.
[00:12:18] And then the works,
[00:12:19] become everything.
[00:12:20] And they're trying to prove,
[00:12:21] to each other,
[00:12:21] very much like the Pharisees,
[00:12:22] were doing here,
[00:12:23] that we are,
[00:12:24] you should be able to tell,
[00:12:25] the difference to this.
[00:12:26] The Christian life,
[00:12:27] should be a changed life,
[00:12:28] and there should be evidence,
[00:12:29] to prove it.
[00:12:30] And unfortunately,
[00:12:31] we see this problem,
[00:12:32] even in the church today.
[00:12:33] How many times,
[00:12:34] have you met someone,
[00:12:35] who said they were baptized,
[00:12:36] when they were young,
[00:12:37] or they were confirmed,
[00:12:38] and they kind of have,
[00:12:39] this vague understanding,
[00:12:40] that that makes them,
[00:12:41] a Christian.
[00:12:42] And when you hear that,
[00:12:43] you're like,
[00:12:44] that's not what we mean.
[00:12:45] And it actually is quite hard,
[00:12:47] it's a bad witness,
[00:12:48] to actually what the gospel is,
[00:12:50] because it doesn't represent,
[00:12:52] Christ accurately,
[00:12:53] when they do that.
[00:12:54] There's been no repentance often,
[00:12:55] and there's no salvation,
[00:12:56] experience there.
[00:12:57] Which is the kind of same point,
[00:12:59] that John the Baptist,
[00:12:59] is getting at here.
[00:13:01] You Pharisees,
[00:13:02] you're a brood of vipers,
[00:13:03] because you're coming here,
[00:13:04] with deceptive purposes.
[00:13:05] You haven't repented,
[00:13:07] the wrath is coming,
[00:13:08] but you don't believe it's for you,
[00:13:10] so I'm going to call you on that.
[00:13:11] And the idea he's getting at,
[00:13:14] actually about the Jewish people,
[00:13:15] believed that,
[00:13:16] because they were sons of Abraham,
[00:13:18] they automatically had a place,
[00:13:19] in the kingdom.
[00:13:20] That was the belief,
[00:13:21] passage from the Mishnah,
[00:13:22] it's a little bit later,
[00:13:23] but it still represents,
[00:13:24] the same belief.
[00:13:25] It says the disciples,
[00:13:27] of Abraham our father,
[00:13:29] inherit the garden of Eden,
[00:13:30] and the world to come.
[00:13:31] That was the prevailing belief,
[00:13:33] that's why you see Jesus,
[00:13:34] address this two or three times,
[00:13:35] throughout the gospels.
[00:13:36] That is what he was up against.
[00:13:37] But John here,
[00:13:39] even before Jesus,
[00:13:40] John here,
[00:13:40] is the first one to remind them,
[00:13:42] that no,
[00:13:43] your ethnicity,
[00:13:44] your heritage there,
[00:13:45] is not going to be enough.
[00:13:46] Just because you're related to Abraham,
[00:13:49] and the patriarchs of the faith,
[00:13:50] and the matriarchs of the faith,
[00:13:52] that's still not enough.
[00:13:53] You must repent yourself.
[00:13:54] And that's kind of the same message,
[00:13:56] we give people today.
[00:13:57] You grew up in a Christian family,
[00:13:58] that's great.
[00:13:59] But you still have to have that moment,
[00:14:01] where you repent yourself,
[00:14:02] and come to salvation.
[00:14:04] He then goes on,
[00:14:05] with that little expression,
[00:14:05] the axe is laid at the root of the tree.
[00:14:08] If you read that there,
[00:14:09] this isn't a woodsman,
[00:14:11] if you can imagine,
[00:14:12] like a lumberjack kind of illusion,
[00:14:13] that we have here.
[00:14:14] It's quite easy.
[00:14:15] The basic meaning is that,
[00:14:17] without repentance,
[00:14:18] the axe is already at the bottom of the tree.
[00:14:20] Judgment's going to come.
[00:14:21] It's going to strike that tree,
[00:14:22] and the tree will fall.
[00:14:24] Now, if you're in the Matthew account,
[00:14:26] this is where synoptic studies become quite interesting.
[00:14:29] If you're in the Matthew account now,
[00:14:30] and you look at the next verse,
[00:14:32] it moves straight on to that passage about,
[00:14:36] the one who is coming will baptize with spirit and fire.
[00:14:39] And it moves on to the next section.
[00:14:41] But if you turn back over to the Luke account now,
[00:14:43] in Luke chapter 3,
[00:14:44] there's a whole other paragraph about this dialogue,
[00:14:47] that is missed out in Matthew.
[00:14:49] It's not part of his purpose,
[00:14:50] so we're going to turn to Luke,
[00:14:51] and we're going to finish off this dialogue,
[00:14:53] that we read,
[00:14:54] going on with the Pharisees and John.
[00:14:56] So it's Luke chapter 3, verse 10.
[00:14:59] We're given more of this interaction.
[00:15:01] After he has just accused the Pharisees,
[00:15:04] he said, brood of vipers,
[00:15:06] he said that bit.
[00:15:07] It then says in verse 10,
[00:15:08] And the crowds were questioning him,
[00:15:10] saying,
[00:15:11] Then what shall we do?
[00:15:12] And he would answer and say to them,
[00:15:14] The man who has two tunics
[00:15:16] is to share with him who has none,
[00:15:17] and he who has food is to do likewise.
[00:15:20] And some tax collectors also came to be baptized,
[00:15:23] and they said to him,
[00:15:24] Teacher, what shall we do?
[00:15:26] And he said to them,
[00:15:27] Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.
[00:15:29] Some soldiers were questioning him,
[00:15:31] saying,
[00:15:32] What about us?
[00:15:32] What shall we do?
[00:15:34] And he said to them,
[00:15:35] Do not take money from anyone by force,
[00:15:37] or accuse anyone falsely,
[00:15:38] and be content with your wages.
[00:15:41] So this is an important part of the dialogue,
[00:15:43] that we get in Luke here.
[00:15:45] I believe it's recorded for us in Luke,
[00:15:47] because Luke is writing to a broader audience,
[00:15:50] than just the Jewish people.
[00:15:51] The Jewish people probably had a better understanding,
[00:15:53] of the moral commands in the Old Testament,
[00:15:55] but we have it spelled out,
[00:15:56] this little interaction here going on in Luke.
[00:15:59] And the context is that word,
[00:16:02] bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
[00:16:05] He just said that to them.
[00:16:07] If you knew about the wrath,
[00:16:08] you'd bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
[00:16:10] And now the crowds are coming to him,
[00:16:11] saying,
[00:16:11] Well, what are these works,
[00:16:13] these fruits that you're asking us to do,
[00:16:15] in keeping with repentance?
[00:16:17] They ask for clarification.
[00:16:18] And you may notice,
[00:16:19] his answer is actually really simple.
[00:16:21] Kind of issues of what we would call,
[00:16:23] just basic integrity.
[00:16:24] Be generous,
[00:16:25] share,
[00:16:26] take care of those in need,
[00:16:27] don't steal,
[00:16:28] don't extort.
[00:16:30] And then we think,
[00:16:31] that sounds very legalistic,
[00:16:32] but you have to put your mind,
[00:16:34] this is,
[00:16:34] the Old Testament has many passages,
[00:16:36] to do with justice,
[00:16:37] to do with loving your neighbor.
[00:16:38] They all come from the Old Testament.
[00:16:39] This really is a summary of Micah 6.8.
[00:16:42] You ever heard that famous verse?
[00:16:43] It says,
[00:16:44] He has told you,
[00:16:45] O man,
[00:16:45] what is good.
[00:16:46] What does the Lord require of you,
[00:16:48] but to do justice,
[00:16:49] to love kindness,
[00:16:50] and to walk humbly with your God?
[00:16:52] That's the kind of summary,
[00:16:53] that's the message that he's saying there.
[00:16:54] He's summarizing some of these passages.
[00:16:56] And notice,
[00:16:57] the examples that John the Baptist gives,
[00:16:59] have to do with two things really.
[00:17:02] Possessions,
[00:17:03] and money.
[00:17:04] They're the two things.
[00:17:05] That's what people are asking about,
[00:17:07] and they're the examples he's given.
[00:17:08] I find that interesting.
[00:17:11] And it's kind of related to how you use these things for the Lord.
[00:17:15] Now ask yourself,
[00:17:16] why does he highlight these things?
[00:17:18] I would probably say,
[00:17:19] quite simply,
[00:17:20] because these are the things that people usually make an idol out of,
[00:17:23] or they're the things that people actually have trouble letting go of,
[00:17:26] or they're the things that people actually end up sinning,
[00:17:29] in order to gain more of.
[00:17:31] Put all three of them in the mix,
[00:17:32] and you've probably got your answer of why he's saying that.
[00:17:36] To the crowds,
[00:17:38] notice it says first the crowds asked him,
[00:17:40] then the tax collectors asked him,
[00:17:41] and then the soldiers asked him.
[00:17:42] Three different groups of people here,
[00:17:44] and he gives three slightly different answers.
[00:17:45] To the crowds,
[00:17:46] he simply says,
[00:17:47] be generous and share with those less fortunate.
[00:17:49] That's love your neighbor,
[00:17:50] basically,
[00:17:51] is what he's saying there.
[00:17:52] To the general populace of the people,
[00:17:54] who were probably not asking within sincere motives,
[00:17:56] because they were the ones who were coming to actually be baptized by John.
[00:18:00] Now to the tax collectors,
[00:18:02] when they ask,
[00:18:03] he says,
[00:18:03] do not fleece the people,
[00:18:05] basically,
[00:18:05] is what he's saying.
[00:18:06] Stop stealing for people.
[00:18:08] I'll explain to you how the tax system worked in a minute.
[00:18:10] And then to the soldiers,
[00:18:11] he says,
[00:18:12] do not profit by illicit means,
[00:18:14] basically,
[00:18:14] violence or intimidation.
[00:18:16] Now tax collectors were hated.
[00:18:20] I mean,
[00:18:20] they were really hated.
[00:18:22] They had a complete racket,
[00:18:23] very much like the priesthood at this time,
[00:18:25] going on.
[00:18:26] The way it would work
[00:18:27] is the Roman governors
[00:18:28] would sell
[00:18:29] a district or a portion
[00:18:31] to a family
[00:18:33] or a leading person
[00:18:34] who was
[00:18:35] a publican,
[00:18:36] they would call it,
[00:18:36] who would buy,
[00:18:37] basically,
[00:18:37] a postcode district.
[00:18:38] That's how we describe it.
[00:18:39] And he would be in charge
[00:18:41] of getting taxes
[00:18:42] from that district.
[00:18:43] And the Roman government
[00:18:44] would say to him,
[00:18:45] well,
[00:18:45] I want this amount
[00:18:47] of money
[00:18:48] and that's all
[00:18:49] I care about.
[00:18:51] So he had the contract
[00:18:52] with the government.
[00:18:52] He had to get that amount
[00:18:54] of money for the government.
[00:18:54] But then,
[00:18:55] of course,
[00:18:55] also,
[00:18:56] he wasn't going to do
[00:18:56] his work for free.
[00:18:57] So he had the right
[00:18:59] and he could basically
[00:19:00] exhort as much
[00:19:01] on the top of that
[00:19:02] as he wanted.
[00:19:03] And they did.
[00:19:04] Because quite often,
[00:19:05] it was quite a big thing to do.
[00:19:07] The soldiers were involved
[00:19:08] because they would actually work
[00:19:10] with the people
[00:19:10] who had the contract
[00:19:12] as collectors.
[00:19:13] You can see how this works.
[00:19:14] Very much like
[00:19:15] when you see in the movies
[00:19:16] some protection rackets
[00:19:17] where people go in and say,
[00:19:18] you pay us for protection
[00:19:20] or else we're going to
[00:19:21] mess you up.
[00:19:22] That was kind of the idea
[00:19:22] that you had here.
[00:19:23] So the contractors
[00:19:24] got the district
[00:19:26] from the Romans.
[00:19:27] As long as the Romans
[00:19:27] got their set amount,
[00:19:28] the contractors could do
[00:19:30] whatever they wanted
[00:19:30] and exhort as much
[00:19:31] as the people could give
[00:19:32] at that time.
[00:19:33] And if people didn't give,
[00:19:34] they'd send the soldiers
[00:19:35] around to collect.
[00:19:35] That was the idea.
[00:19:36] This is what Jesus
[00:19:37] is addressing.
[00:19:38] You can see how that
[00:19:39] is just rife for abuse,
[00:19:41] basically,
[00:19:41] at that time.
[00:19:42] And it was.
[00:19:42] And this is why
[00:19:43] tax collectors were hated
[00:19:45] because a lot of the time,
[00:19:47] well, not a lot of the time,
[00:19:48] but we see it
[00:19:49] in the Gospels
[00:19:50] at least with one person,
[00:19:51] don't we?
[00:19:51] A Jewish tax collector.
[00:19:53] You can imagine
[00:19:54] what a Jewish tax collector
[00:19:55] would be thought of
[00:19:56] by his own people.
[00:19:57] He's extorting money
[00:19:58] out of his own people
[00:19:59] and giving it to the Romans
[00:20:00] and making himself
[00:20:01] very rich in the process.
[00:20:02] He was hated above all.
[00:20:04] And this tells us something.
[00:20:05] Think about when Jesus
[00:20:07] invited that tax collector
[00:20:08] into the intimate group
[00:20:09] of his disciples.
[00:20:10] What the other disciples
[00:20:12] must have thought
[00:20:12] about that right there and then.
[00:20:14] He was hated above all else
[00:20:16] really at that time.
[00:20:17] He was an absolute traitor.
[00:20:18] But he got the message
[00:20:20] at that time.
[00:20:21] But that is tax collecting.
[00:20:22] It was a dirty business
[00:20:23] in the Roman Empire
[00:20:24] at this time.
[00:20:26] Let's pick it up
[00:20:26] in verse 15.
[00:20:29] It says,
[00:20:29] Now while the people
[00:20:30] were in a state of expectation,
[00:20:32] we're in Luke's Gospel here still,
[00:20:34] a state of expectation
[00:20:35] and were all wondering
[00:20:36] in their hearts
[00:20:37] about John
[00:20:37] as to whether
[00:20:38] he was the Christ,
[00:20:39] John answered
[00:20:40] and said to them all,
[00:20:41] As for me,
[00:20:42] I baptize you with water,
[00:20:44] but one is coming
[00:20:45] who is mightier than I
[00:20:46] and I am not fit
[00:20:47] to untie the thong
[00:20:48] of his sandals.
[00:20:48] He will baptize you
[00:20:50] with the Holy Spirit
[00:20:51] and fire.
[00:20:52] His winnowing fork
[00:20:53] is in his hand
[00:20:54] to thoroughly clear
[00:20:55] his threshing floor
[00:20:56] and to gather the wheat
[00:20:57] into his barn,
[00:20:58] but he will burn up
[00:20:59] the chaff
[00:20:59] with unquenchable fire.
[00:21:02] John's preaching
[00:21:03] and message
[00:21:04] was so powerful
[00:21:05] that it had people
[00:21:06] wondering about him.
[00:21:07] Is this the Messiah?
[00:21:09] He's got that sort
[00:21:10] of messianic vibe.
[00:21:11] You could imagine
[00:21:11] this prophet coming
[00:21:13] and preaching repentance,
[00:21:14] people flocking to him.
[00:21:15] It must have stirred up
[00:21:16] a lot of messianic expectation.
[00:21:17] Is he the anointed one?
[00:21:20] However,
[00:21:21] John's answer
[00:21:22] is a very good example today.
[00:21:24] I love this little passage
[00:21:25] about John.
[00:21:25] He sees that people
[00:21:27] are wondering
[00:21:27] and asking this question,
[00:21:29] but John knows very well
[00:21:31] he is just the forerunner.
[00:21:32] So what does he do?
[00:21:33] He then immediately
[00:21:34] gives the attention
[00:21:36] to Jesus Christ.
[00:21:38] He does not want
[00:21:39] any praise from the people
[00:21:41] for who he is
[00:21:42] or what he is saying.
[00:21:43] He sees himself
[00:21:43] simply as a messenger,
[00:21:45] as a forerunner.
[00:21:46] But think,
[00:21:47] John did have reason
[00:21:48] why people would look up to him.
[00:21:49] Remember the whole
[00:21:50] birth narratives.
[00:21:51] He was,
[00:21:51] he had like this miraculous story
[00:21:53] to do with his birth,
[00:21:54] with his mother Zacharias
[00:21:55] being made mute
[00:21:56] in the temple
[00:21:56] and the angel appearing.
[00:21:57] There was sort of legend
[00:21:58] built up,
[00:21:59] not legend,
[00:21:59] there was history
[00:22:00] that must have gone
[00:22:01] into legend
[00:22:02] around the town.
[00:22:03] So he was a very
[00:22:04] mysterious figure.
[00:22:05] You could understand
[00:22:06] why people were thinking this.
[00:22:08] He was the last
[00:22:09] of the great prophets.
[00:22:10] He was there
[00:22:10] in the spirit
[00:22:11] and power of Elijah
[00:22:12] with the leather girdle
[00:22:13] around his waist.
[00:22:14] People were flocking to him.
[00:22:16] Yet John did not take
[00:22:17] any of that
[00:22:17] as credit to himself.
[00:22:19] He was the forerunner.
[00:22:20] He knew he was simply
[00:22:21] preparing those roads.
[00:22:22] He had no desire
[00:22:23] for earthly praise.
[00:22:25] He was living
[00:22:26] in the wilderness.
[00:22:27] I think that probably
[00:22:27] prepared him for this.
[00:22:28] He'd spent his life
[00:22:29] living,
[00:22:30] eating honey and locusts,
[00:22:31] living in sackcloth
[00:22:32] and ashes.
[00:22:33] By this point in his life
[00:22:34] he really probably
[00:22:35] had no desire
[00:22:35] for the temples
[00:22:36] and palaces
[00:22:37] of this world.
[00:22:37] He was there
[00:22:38] for one thing,
[00:22:39] his life preparing him
[00:22:40] probably for this moment,
[00:22:42] for this ministry
[00:22:43] that he had.
[00:22:43] He turns his attention
[00:22:45] to Jesus.
[00:22:46] And this is a very good
[00:22:47] model for us today too
[00:22:48] I would say.
[00:22:49] We are not the person
[00:22:50] that our lives
[00:22:52] should really point to
[00:22:53] or focus upon.
[00:22:53] We are the messengers
[00:22:55] about that person.
[00:22:56] It's a very similar
[00:22:56] relationship in many ways
[00:22:58] that we have.
[00:22:58] And it is very easy
[00:23:00] to get that confused
[00:23:01] in if I could say
[00:23:02] maybe a celebrity
[00:23:03] adoring culture
[00:23:04] that we have.
[00:23:05] It just happens
[00:23:06] kind of naturally
[00:23:06] before we even notice it.
[00:23:08] But it's a good lesson
[00:23:09] for us.
[00:23:10] John the Baptist here
[00:23:11] we are going to see
[00:23:12] he just turns it
[00:23:12] straight back to Jesus.
[00:23:14] Now in the context
[00:23:15] of this dialogue
[00:23:16] it is again referring
[00:23:17] to behaviour
[00:23:18] fruits of repentance
[00:23:19] and words basically.
[00:23:21] Again think of this
[00:23:22] the words
[00:23:23] and your life
[00:23:24] should point people
[00:23:25] towards Jesus.
[00:23:26] That's basically
[00:23:27] what he is summing up here.
[00:23:28] That is as a messenger
[00:23:30] that is what we do.
[00:23:31] John the Baptist
[00:23:32] as the forerunner
[00:23:33] his words
[00:23:34] his preaching
[00:23:34] but also his life
[00:23:36] was pointing people
[00:23:37] towards Jesus.
[00:23:38] Jesus.
[00:23:38] And that's really
[00:23:39] quite a question
[00:23:40] for us to ask.
[00:23:42] You remember
[00:23:42] I shared with you
[00:23:43] Tim Keller died recently.
[00:23:44] I know Keller
[00:23:46] you either agree with him
[00:23:47] on some things
[00:23:48] or you don't.
[00:23:48] But I saw
[00:23:49] he did one final teaching
[00:23:51] for his church
[00:23:51] before he knew
[00:23:52] he was imminently
[00:23:53] going to die
[00:23:54] but it was the last
[00:23:55] recorded video
[00:23:56] that he did
[00:23:57] for it was a teaching
[00:23:58] thing for the leaders
[00:23:59] of his church network
[00:24:00] that he started.
[00:24:01] And he gave three
[00:24:02] basic points to them
[00:24:04] and it's a very
[00:24:05] powerful clip
[00:24:05] because as he's
[00:24:07] filming this
[00:24:08] you can see him
[00:24:08] and he's quite
[00:24:09] emaciated from the cancer
[00:24:10] and he knows
[00:24:12] he's been battling
[00:24:13] cancer for years
[00:24:13] at this point
[00:24:15] but he just says
[00:24:16] the first thing he says
[00:24:18] he just looks at the camera
[00:24:19] he takes a long pause
[00:24:20] and he just says
[00:24:21] forget about your reputation
[00:24:23] it's all about Jesus.
[00:24:25] And you can tell
[00:24:26] he's being genuine
[00:24:26] at that point
[00:24:27] like a man who is
[00:24:28] he knows he's going to
[00:24:28] see his Lord
[00:24:29] fairly soon
[00:24:29] I'd imagine
[00:24:30] at that point
[00:24:30] but it's a very
[00:24:31] powerful little video
[00:24:32] and it made me
[00:24:33] as I was studying this
[00:24:33] it made me think about it
[00:24:34] John the Baptist here
[00:24:36] there's everyone
[00:24:37] flocking to him
[00:24:37] he has every reason now
[00:24:38] just to be a little bit
[00:24:40] impressed with how well
[00:24:41] he's doing at his mission
[00:24:42] and he turns and he says
[00:24:43] the one who is coming
[00:24:44] is mightier than I
[00:24:46] I am not fit to untie
[00:24:48] the thong of his sandals
[00:24:50] I love that expression
[00:24:51] it's a wonderful statement
[00:24:52] it shows the humility of John
[00:24:54] he's basically saying
[00:24:55] I'm nothing
[00:24:55] the one coming
[00:24:56] is everything
[00:24:57] this was his role
[00:24:59] this was
[00:24:59] and this should be
[00:25:00] the same with us too
[00:25:01] Jesus gives us
[00:25:02] a similar lesson
[00:25:03] I must decrease
[00:25:04] you must increase
[00:25:05] well John the apostle
[00:25:06] writes that
[00:25:07] I must increase
[00:25:07] you must decrease
[00:25:10] untying the sandals
[00:25:11] that was a
[00:25:12] very low job
[00:25:14] it was the slave's job
[00:25:15] usually
[00:25:15] or the servant's job
[00:25:16] as someone would
[00:25:17] enter the room
[00:25:18] and he's using
[00:25:19] that expression
[00:25:19] to basically say
[00:25:20] I don't even consider
[00:25:21] myself worthy
[00:25:22] to do that
[00:25:22] for our Lord
[00:25:24] there's such a chasm
[00:25:25] between me
[00:25:26] and God
[00:25:27] and Jesus the Messiah
[00:25:28] that's what he's
[00:25:28] basically saying there
[00:25:29] it's a wonderful picture
[00:25:32] John is the person
[00:25:33] for this role
[00:25:34] that is the spirit
[00:25:34] and power of Elijah
[00:25:35] in him
[00:25:36] he says he will baptize
[00:25:38] you with the Holy Spirit
[00:25:39] and fire
[00:25:41] now boys
[00:25:42] this is a debated passage
[00:25:44] I'll give you
[00:25:46] my views on it
[00:25:47] it's one of those ones
[00:25:48] where you could read
[00:25:49] 20 commentaries
[00:25:51] and you'll come away
[00:25:52] pretty much a 50-50 split
[00:25:54] between what's going on here
[00:25:56] the conflict is
[00:25:58] what is this talking about
[00:26:00] is it one or two
[00:26:01] baptisms
[00:26:02] if we could say
[00:26:03] is it a Holy Spirit
[00:26:04] baptism
[00:26:04] and then a baptism
[00:26:05] with fire
[00:26:06] now what some people
[00:26:07] do is they say
[00:26:09] the Holy Spirit
[00:26:10] was often
[00:26:10] like on Pentecost
[00:26:11] appeared as tongues
[00:26:12] of fire
[00:26:13] so it's both
[00:26:14] just referring to
[00:26:15] one baptism
[00:26:16] of spirit
[00:26:17] and the fire
[00:26:17] is used there
[00:26:18] that's one group
[00:26:19] a lot of people
[00:26:19] hold that
[00:26:20] the other view
[00:26:20] is that
[00:26:21] it's Holy Spirit
[00:26:22] baptism
[00:26:23] that's one thing
[00:26:24] for blessing
[00:26:25] for salvation
[00:26:26] and then it's
[00:26:27] a baptism of fire
[00:26:28] which is something else
[00:26:29] that happens later
[00:26:30] that is for judgment
[00:26:32] okay
[00:26:32] and that's the second
[00:26:33] main view
[00:26:34] now my own personal view
[00:26:35] is that it is speaking
[00:26:36] of two different things
[00:26:37] it's not
[00:26:38] I don't like to phrase it
[00:26:40] two different baptisms
[00:26:41] because the baptism
[00:26:42] in this context
[00:26:43] the Jewish mind
[00:26:44] it's mainly just talking about
[00:26:45] identification with the message
[00:26:47] and the result
[00:26:47] remember the message
[00:26:49] of John the Baptist
[00:26:49] was repentance
[00:26:50] okay
[00:26:51] and that's the point
[00:26:52] a repentance
[00:26:53] if you hear the message
[00:26:54] and you repent
[00:26:55] you're going to be
[00:26:56] baptized with the spirit
[00:26:57] when the body of Christ
[00:26:58] the church is born
[00:26:59] you'll receive blessing
[00:27:00] you'll receive the kingdom
[00:27:01] in the Jewish mind
[00:27:02] repentance
[00:27:03] was always associated
[00:27:04] with the kingdom
[00:27:04] if you do not receive
[00:27:06] the message
[00:27:06] that John the Baptist
[00:27:07] is preaching
[00:27:08] like these Pharisees
[00:27:09] didn't hear
[00:27:10] it's likely
[00:27:11] that you're one day
[00:27:12] going to come
[00:27:12] under judgment of Lord
[00:27:13] you will not
[00:27:14] enter the kingdom
[00:27:14] and I get that
[00:27:16] the reason why
[00:27:17] I'm pushed towards
[00:27:17] that view
[00:27:18] is because
[00:27:18] of the very next verse
[00:27:19] where it says
[00:27:20] in verse 17
[00:27:22] his winnowing fork
[00:27:23] is in his hand
[00:27:23] to thoroughly clear
[00:27:24] his threshing floor
[00:27:25] and to gather the wheat
[00:27:27] into his barn
[00:27:27] but he will burn up
[00:27:28] the chaff
[00:27:29] with unquenchable fire
[00:27:30] that is judgment language
[00:27:32] that's Old Testament
[00:27:33] language to do
[00:27:34] with judgment
[00:27:34] the separation
[00:27:35] between the believers
[00:27:36] and the non-believers
[00:27:37] and this is the key difference
[00:27:38] what's the difference
[00:27:39] between a believer
[00:27:39] and a non-believer
[00:27:41] one has repented
[00:27:42] one hasn't
[00:27:43] yes
[00:27:43] that's it
[00:27:44] if you want to be
[00:27:44] very simplistic
[00:27:45] and that's the whole point
[00:27:46] John the Baptist's message
[00:27:47] and his baptism
[00:27:48] was a baptism of repentance
[00:27:49] i.e. it separated
[00:27:51] believers from non-believers
[00:27:52] the wicked from the righteous
[00:27:53] and this agricultural imagery
[00:27:55] we get of the threshing floor
[00:27:57] is something we see a lot
[00:27:58] in the Old Testament
[00:27:59] i think it's actually
[00:28:00] pointing us back
[00:28:01] to Psalm 1 here
[00:28:02] that wonderful psalm
[00:28:03] that begins the Psalter
[00:28:04] i'll read it for you
[00:28:04] it's only eight verses
[00:28:05] but think of the theme
[00:28:07] the threshing floor
[00:28:07] the wicked and the righteous
[00:28:08] and the contrast there
[00:28:10] Psalm 1 reads
[00:28:11] how blessed is the man
[00:28:12] who does not walk
[00:28:13] in the counsel of the wicked
[00:28:14] nor stand in the path of sinners
[00:28:15] nor sit in the seat of scoffers
[00:28:17] but his delight
[00:28:19] is in the law of the Lord
[00:28:20] and in his law
[00:28:21] he meditates day and night
[00:28:22] he will be like a tree
[00:28:24] firmly planted by streams of water
[00:28:25] which yields its fruit
[00:28:27] in its season
[00:28:27] and its leaf does not wither
[00:28:29] whatever he does
[00:28:30] he prospers
[00:28:31] so that's the righteous
[00:28:32] it goes on
[00:28:33] the wicked are not so
[00:28:35] but they are like chaff
[00:28:37] which the wind drives away
[00:28:39] that's the same imagery
[00:28:40] going on there
[00:28:41] that we have
[00:28:41] therefore the wicked
[00:28:42] will not stand in judgment
[00:28:43] nor sinners in the assembly
[00:28:45] of the righteous
[00:28:45] for the Lord knows
[00:28:46] the way of the righteous
[00:28:47] but the way of the wicked
[00:28:49] will perish
[00:28:50] i.e. they'll get the fire
[00:28:52] at the end
[00:28:52] because they didn't repent
[00:28:53] that's the point
[00:28:55] i believe that john the baptist
[00:28:56] is making
[00:28:56] that's what that verse
[00:28:57] is really referring to there
[00:28:59] and of course people
[00:29:00] want to get into deep discussions
[00:29:01] about what is the baptism
[00:29:02] of the spirit
[00:29:03] and all the stuff
[00:29:04] that goes with that
[00:29:05] most of that comes later
[00:29:06] i don't believe
[00:29:07] they would have been thinking
[00:29:08] about how the church
[00:29:09] has historically interpreted
[00:29:10] baptism of the spirit
[00:29:11] at this time
[00:29:11] i believe that's the context
[00:29:13] the old testament context
[00:29:14] is how they naturally
[00:29:15] would have received
[00:29:16] that passage there
[00:29:17] let's look at verse 18
[00:29:18] the last few verses
[00:29:19] 18 to 20
[00:29:20] and then we'll leave it there
[00:29:22] it says so with many
[00:29:23] other exhortations
[00:29:24] he preached the gospel
[00:29:25] to the people
[00:29:26] but when herod the tetrarch
[00:29:28] was reprimanded by him
[00:29:29] because of herodias
[00:29:30] his brother's wife
[00:29:31] and because of all
[00:29:32] the wicked things
[00:29:32] which herod had done
[00:29:33] herod also added this
[00:29:35] to them all
[00:29:35] he locked john up
[00:29:37] in prison
[00:29:37] so verse 18
[00:29:39] is a very simple summation
[00:29:40] of john's ministry
[00:29:41] wonderful summation
[00:29:42] he preached the gospel
[00:29:43] to the people
[00:29:44] it's like a gravestone
[00:29:45] thing that you have there
[00:29:46] he preached the gospel
[00:29:47] to the people
[00:29:48] wonderful summary
[00:29:49] of his life
[00:29:50] and he did this
[00:29:51] with exhortations
[00:29:52] for them to repent
[00:29:52] and believe
[00:29:54] and it shows us really
[00:29:55] that someone
[00:29:56] who is a proclaimer
[00:29:57] of the word
[00:29:58] and i say john the baptist
[00:29:59] was uniquely
[00:29:59] but christians are
[00:30:01] in a broad sense
[00:30:02] required to be
[00:30:03] proclaimers of the word
[00:30:04] too
[00:30:04] the preacher must bear
[00:30:05] good news
[00:30:07] as well as the news
[00:30:08] that exposes sin
[00:30:09] the two things go
[00:30:10] together remember
[00:30:12] and it's interesting
[00:30:13] if you go back
[00:30:14] into the past
[00:30:14] you may find preachers
[00:30:15] who in the past
[00:30:16] probably tended
[00:30:17] to emphasize sin
[00:30:18] so much
[00:30:18] that one wondered
[00:30:19] whether there was grace
[00:30:21] at all
[00:30:21] or what grace was
[00:30:23] however today
[00:30:24] the problem
[00:30:24] is kind of reversed
[00:30:26] there seems to be
[00:30:27] no mention
[00:30:28] of repentance
[00:30:29] clearly
[00:30:29] in most people's
[00:30:30] gospel messages
[00:30:31] and therefore
[00:30:32] you have a problem
[00:30:33] just flipped
[00:30:34] and reversed
[00:30:35] but john
[00:30:36] gets this exactly
[00:30:37] right
[00:30:38] because he knows
[00:30:40] exposing darkness
[00:30:41] will come at a price
[00:30:42] but john was bold
[00:30:43] enough
[00:30:44] to direct his message
[00:30:45] we see here
[00:30:46] towards herod
[00:30:47] you remember
[00:30:47] the fun we had
[00:30:48] with herod
[00:30:49] now this is
[00:30:49] herod antipas
[00:30:50] herod the great
[00:30:51] was around
[00:30:52] during the birth
[00:30:53] narratives
[00:30:53] he was kind of
[00:30:55] evil cruel
[00:30:56] and crazy
[00:30:57] but he was also
[00:30:58] had that stroke
[00:30:59] of genius
[00:30:59] in him too
[00:31:00] now if you could
[00:31:01] imagine
[00:31:01] this is the son
[00:31:02] the spoiled son
[00:31:03] of herod the great
[00:31:04] so he's got all
[00:31:05] of the cruelty
[00:31:05] and the lavishness
[00:31:06] and been able to do
[00:31:07] whatever he wants
[00:31:08] his whole life
[00:31:08] but he's got none
[00:31:09] of the genius too
[00:31:09] so this guy is just
[00:31:11] straight up cruel
[00:31:12] but what he had done
[00:31:14] why john the baptist
[00:31:16] was preaching
[00:31:16] against him
[00:31:17] he was reprimanded
[00:31:19] it says
[00:31:19] because of herodius
[00:31:20] his brother's wife
[00:31:21] so the family tree
[00:31:24] of the herod
[00:31:24] from this
[00:31:25] it's very complicated
[00:31:26] at this stage
[00:31:26] and it's not
[00:31:27] particularly fun
[00:31:28] to read
[00:31:28] basically she was
[00:31:30] his sister-in-law
[00:31:31] so philip
[00:31:32] was the brother
[00:31:33] and so they were
[00:31:34] sister-in-laws
[00:31:34] but if you trace
[00:31:35] it back enough
[00:31:37] she was also
[00:31:37] his niece
[00:31:39] because she was
[00:31:39] the daughter
[00:31:40] of another brother
[00:31:40] a half-brother
[00:31:41] that he had
[00:31:42] so this was
[00:31:43] his sister-in-law
[00:31:44] and his niece
[00:31:45] and he went
[00:31:46] to his brother-in-law
[00:31:47] philip
[00:31:47] and said
[00:31:48] you know what
[00:31:48] you need to divorce her
[00:31:49] I want to marry her
[00:31:50] and I'd imagine
[00:31:51] he didn't really
[00:31:51] give philip much option
[00:31:52] he was in charge
[00:31:53] at this point
[00:31:54] he said
[00:31:55] you are going
[00:31:56] to divorce her
[00:31:56] and I'm going
[00:31:57] to take her
[00:31:57] for myself
[00:31:58] and that is
[00:31:59] what basically
[00:31:59] happened
[00:32:00] bring in
[00:32:01] john the baptist
[00:32:02] into this situation
[00:32:02] now most people
[00:32:04] might be
[00:32:04] oh you can't
[00:32:04] preach against
[00:32:05] herod
[00:32:05] he'll have you
[00:32:06] killed
[00:32:06] but remember
[00:32:07] john the baptist
[00:32:08] was in the spirit
[00:32:09] and power
[00:32:10] of elijah the prophet
[00:32:11] I don't think
[00:32:12] this was a problem
[00:32:13] for him
[00:32:13] and he obviously
[00:32:15] quite directly
[00:32:16] preached against
[00:32:17] what herod
[00:32:18] was doing
[00:32:20] he confronted him
[00:32:21] with his sin
[00:32:22] by preaching
[00:32:23] the gospel
[00:32:23] directed towards
[00:32:24] herod
[00:32:25] and again
[00:32:26] I think this is
[00:32:27] following on
[00:32:28] remember from the
[00:32:28] context
[00:32:29] the baptism of the
[00:32:30] spirit
[00:32:30] or the baptism
[00:32:31] of fire
[00:32:31] there are the two
[00:32:32] responses to
[00:32:33] john's mission
[00:32:34] we've seen people
[00:32:35] respond well
[00:32:36] and be baptized
[00:32:37] by him
[00:32:38] here herod
[00:32:39] chooses fire
[00:32:40] if I could put
[00:32:41] it like that
[00:32:42] he chooses
[00:32:42] the second one
[00:32:43] because he's
[00:32:44] unwilling to
[00:32:44] repent of the
[00:32:45] sin that he's
[00:32:45] done even when
[00:32:46] john has very
[00:32:47] obviously pointed
[00:32:47] it out for him
[00:32:49] and this again
[00:32:50] is a challenging
[00:32:51] text actually
[00:32:51] when you just
[00:32:52] step back a minute
[00:32:53] put it into our
[00:32:54] cultural context
[00:32:54] because it's a
[00:32:55] good reminder
[00:32:55] for us
[00:32:56] because we may
[00:32:57] well as
[00:32:58] christians be
[00:32:58] entering a time
[00:32:59] of history
[00:33:00] where all of us
[00:33:01] will need to
[00:33:01] consider the cost
[00:33:03] of exposing
[00:33:03] darkness
[00:33:05] it's something
[00:33:06] that we're going
[00:33:06] to see more
[00:33:06] and more
[00:33:07] i believe
[00:33:07] it may cost
[00:33:08] us things
[00:33:08] like our
[00:33:09] jobs
[00:33:09] or our
[00:33:10] security
[00:33:10] or our
[00:33:11] financial
[00:33:12] security
[00:33:13] whatever it
[00:33:13] may be
[00:33:14] i don't have
[00:33:15] to give you
[00:33:15] too many
[00:33:15] examples
[00:33:16] it's already
[00:33:16] happening in
[00:33:17] some places
[00:33:18] that may
[00:33:19] increase more
[00:33:19] as time
[00:33:20] goes on
[00:33:21] yet we know
[00:33:22] that proverbs
[00:33:23] promises us
[00:33:24] the fear of man
[00:33:25] brings a snare
[00:33:26] but he you
[00:33:27] trust the lord
[00:33:27] will be exalted
[00:33:29] but yet we
[00:33:30] don't always
[00:33:30] look for
[00:33:30] exaltation in
[00:33:31] these times
[00:33:31] do we
[00:33:32] we know
[00:33:32] ultimately
[00:33:33] the exaltation
[00:33:33] belongs to
[00:33:34] a future
[00:33:35] time
[00:33:36] only boldness
[00:33:37] from the spirit
[00:33:38] i believe will
[00:33:38] do that type
[00:33:39] of proclaiming
[00:33:40] and if you
[00:33:41] think about
[00:33:41] the church's
[00:33:42] mission
[00:33:42] to be salt
[00:33:43] and light
[00:33:45] yes salt is
[00:33:46] preservative in
[00:33:47] that air
[00:33:47] but light
[00:33:47] is what exposes
[00:33:48] darkness
[00:33:49] isn't it
[00:33:49] this is exactly
[00:33:50] what john the
[00:33:51] baptist was doing
[00:33:51] here
[00:33:52] standing up for
[00:33:53] truth
[00:33:53] and exposing
[00:33:54] darkness
[00:33:55] and he got put
[00:33:56] in prison
[00:33:56] for it
[00:33:58] now
[00:33:59] you can look
[00:33:59] around much
[00:34:00] of the church
[00:34:00] today
[00:34:01] and i put it
[00:34:02] all of us
[00:34:03] we admit
[00:34:03] these things
[00:34:04] are hard
[00:34:04] decisions
[00:34:04] we don't know
[00:34:05] how we would
[00:34:06] fare in some
[00:34:07] of these
[00:34:07] situations
[00:34:08] do we
[00:34:08] it may be
[00:34:09] that we will
[00:34:09] have to make
[00:34:10] some choices
[00:34:10] going forward
[00:34:11] in our lives
[00:34:12] how do we
[00:34:13] do that
[00:34:13] let's just
[00:34:14] look at the
[00:34:14] last verse
[00:34:14] and then i'll
[00:34:15] get into
[00:34:15] that
[00:34:16] it says
[00:34:16] herod also
[00:34:17] added this
[00:34:17] to them
[00:34:17] he locked
[00:34:18] john up
[00:34:19] in prison
[00:34:21] now just
[00:34:21] by way of
[00:34:22] a side
[00:34:22] that's obviously
[00:34:23] not immediately
[00:34:24] chronologically
[00:34:24] happening
[00:34:25] because we
[00:34:25] know
[00:34:26] john's
[00:34:27] going to
[00:34:27] baptize
[00:34:27] jesus
[00:34:28] in the next
[00:34:28] chapter
[00:34:28] so it's
[00:34:29] something that
[00:34:30] happened to
[00:34:30] him at some
[00:34:31] point
[00:34:33] herod did not
[00:34:34] repent
[00:34:35] therefore herod
[00:34:36] wanted to remove
[00:34:36] this preacher of
[00:34:37] righteousness
[00:34:38] and he had john
[00:34:39] put in prison
[00:34:40] and if you know
[00:34:40] the story
[00:34:41] ultimately john's
[00:34:42] end was not a
[00:34:43] good one
[00:34:43] he got killed
[00:34:44] in prison
[00:34:45] john chose
[00:34:46] truth however
[00:34:47] over silence
[00:34:49] regardless of
[00:34:50] the cost
[00:34:50] he knew
[00:34:52] it was his
[00:34:53] whole life's
[00:34:54] mission
[00:34:54] it was his
[00:34:55] purpose for
[00:34:56] existing
[00:34:56] to proclaim
[00:34:57] that message
[00:34:58] and prepare
[00:34:58] people's
[00:34:59] hearts
[00:34:59] for messiah
[00:35:01] now let's
[00:35:01] turn this
[00:35:02] on ourselves
[00:35:02] as we
[00:35:03] close
[00:35:03] as if i
[00:35:04] could say
[00:35:04] we are the
[00:35:05] messengers of
[00:35:05] messiah in
[00:35:06] this age
[00:35:07] do we have
[00:35:08] such boldness
[00:35:09] now we can
[00:35:10] all say
[00:35:10] no probably
[00:35:11] at some
[00:35:11] points
[00:35:11] can't we
[00:35:12] let's be
[00:35:13] honest
[00:35:13] we can
[00:35:14] but we
[00:35:15] can still
[00:35:16] read this
[00:35:16] and be like
[00:35:17] the cooling
[00:35:17] is still
[00:35:18] there
[00:35:18] and there's
[00:35:19] probably two
[00:35:19] things that
[00:35:20] we need
[00:35:20] to focus
[00:35:20] on if we
[00:35:21] do want
[00:35:21] to operate
[00:35:22] as the
[00:35:22] church
[00:35:22] in boldness
[00:35:23] when you
[00:35:23] read church
[00:35:24] history
[00:35:24] many of
[00:35:25] these times
[00:35:26] where these
[00:35:27] little revival
[00:35:27] movements start
[00:35:28] usually outside
[00:35:29] the church
[00:35:29] it's one or
[00:35:30] two group
[00:35:31] of people
[00:35:31] at a prayer
[00:35:32] meeting that
[00:35:32] goes on
[00:35:33] people operating
[00:35:33] in the
[00:35:34] boldness
[00:35:34] what is it
[00:35:36] that they have
[00:35:37] that a lot
[00:35:37] of the time
[00:35:38] we probably
[00:35:38] don't feel
[00:35:38] like we have
[00:35:39] when we're
[00:35:39] operating in
[00:35:40] this world
[00:35:41] i think this
[00:35:41] story highlights
[00:35:42] two things for
[00:35:43] us from
[00:35:43] john the
[00:35:44] baptist
[00:35:44] the first
[00:35:44] thing is
[00:35:46] we need
[00:35:46] to have a
[00:35:46] correct vision
[00:35:47] of ourselves
[00:35:47] in light
[00:35:48] of the
[00:35:48] messiah
[00:35:49] because
[00:35:50] too often
[00:35:50] we're very
[00:35:50] self-sufficient
[00:35:51] in our
[00:35:52] world
[00:35:53] but remember
[00:35:54] john said
[00:35:54] i am unfit
[00:35:55] to even
[00:35:55] loose his
[00:35:56] sandals
[00:35:56] i'm not
[00:35:57] even a
[00:35:57] slave in
[00:35:58] comparison to
[00:35:59] the messiah
[00:35:59] he is the
[00:36:00] messiah
[00:36:00] he is the
[00:36:01] king
[00:36:01] he is the
[00:36:02] lord of
[00:36:02] life
[00:36:03] our own
[00:36:04] efforts and
[00:36:05] intellects are
[00:36:06] on their own
[00:36:06] ultimately
[00:36:07] insignificant
[00:36:08] i'm not going
[00:36:09] to say the
[00:36:09] lord doesn't
[00:36:10] use them
[00:36:10] he does
[00:36:10] use people's
[00:36:11] different
[00:36:11] personalities
[00:36:12] and skills
[00:36:13] however what
[00:36:14] john had was
[00:36:15] the anointing
[00:36:16] of the spirit
[00:36:16] to have that
[00:36:17] boldness
[00:36:18] one of the
[00:36:19] things that
[00:36:19] was brought
[00:36:19] out by
[00:36:20] jack
[00:36:20] hibbs at
[00:36:21] the conference
[00:36:21] yesterday is
[00:36:22] one of the
[00:36:22] main manifestations
[00:36:23] of being
[00:36:24] anointed with
[00:36:25] the spirit
[00:36:25] through the
[00:36:26] book of
[00:36:26] acts
[00:36:27] is that they
[00:36:28] were proclaiming
[00:36:29] the word of
[00:36:30] god boldly
[00:36:31] and it's that
[00:36:33] spirit of
[00:36:33] boldness that
[00:36:34] we find in
[00:36:35] the new
[00:36:35] testament
[00:36:35] too paul
[00:36:36] talks about
[00:36:36] it you see
[00:36:37] when we
[00:36:37] speak of
[00:36:38] the spirit
[00:36:38] we want to
[00:36:39] focus on
[00:36:39] who's getting
[00:36:40] the miracles
[00:36:40] and who's
[00:36:41] speaking in
[00:36:41] tongues
[00:36:42] the emphasis
[00:36:42] in the
[00:36:43] book of
[00:36:43] acts
[00:36:43] is they
[00:36:44] were given
[00:36:44] the boldness
[00:36:45] to expose
[00:36:45] darkness
[00:36:46] through the
[00:36:46] preaching of
[00:36:47] the word
[00:36:48] by their
[00:36:48] not just
[00:36:49] by the
[00:36:49] words from
[00:36:50] a preacher
[00:36:50] in a
[00:36:50] pulpit
[00:36:50] but by
[00:36:51] remember
[00:36:51] like john
[00:36:52] their words
[00:36:53] and their
[00:36:54] life out
[00:36:55] there with
[00:36:55] the people
[00:36:56] all of us
[00:36:57] you see
[00:36:58] that is how
[00:36:59] we do it
[00:36:59] i believe
[00:36:59] a correct
[00:37:00] understanding
[00:37:01] of who
[00:37:01] messiah is
[00:37:02] an adoration
[00:37:03] of his
[00:37:03] of how high
[00:37:04] and lofty
[00:37:05] and exalted
[00:37:05] he is
[00:37:05] how much
[00:37:06] he loves
[00:37:06] us
[00:37:07] but then
[00:37:07] also a
[00:37:08] reliance
[00:37:09] on the
[00:37:09] anointing
[00:37:09] of the
[00:37:10] spirit
[00:37:10] in our
[00:37:11] lives
[00:37:11] for that
[00:37:12] boldness
[00:37:12] and that's
[00:37:13] what i believe
[00:37:13] we focus
[00:37:14] on here
[00:37:14] and we
[00:37:15] need each
[00:37:16] need to come
[00:37:17] to the lord
[00:37:17] and pray
[00:37:18] that for
[00:37:18] ourselves
[00:37:18] now ask
[00:37:19] yourself
[00:37:20] in the
[00:37:21] final analysis
[00:37:22] when that
[00:37:23] winnowing fork
[00:37:24] comes upon
[00:37:25] the threshing
[00:37:25] floor
[00:37:25] which it
[00:37:26] will
[00:37:26] is prophesied
[00:37:27] in the bible
[00:37:28] would you
[00:37:29] rather be
[00:37:29] herod
[00:37:29] or john
[00:37:30] the baptist
[00:37:31] it's a
[00:37:32] question
[00:37:32] easy answer
[00:37:33] to that
[00:37:34] but it's
[00:37:34] probably
[00:37:34] a little
[00:37:34] bit
[00:37:35] harder
[00:37:35] in
[00:37:35] in a
[00:37:36] practical
[00:37:36] sense
[00:37:37] to make
[00:37:37] sure
[00:37:37] that
[00:37:37] that
[00:37:37] is
[00:37:38] the
[00:37:38] case
[00:37:38] so i'll
[00:37:39] leave that
[00:37:39] thought
[00:37:40] with us
[00:37:41] and next
[00:37:41] week
[00:37:42] we'll look
[00:37:43] at the
[00:37:43] baptism
[00:37:43] of jesus
[00:37:44] and i
[00:37:45] think i
[00:37:46] mentioned
[00:37:46] before
[00:37:46] i have a
[00:37:47] unique
[00:37:47] view on
[00:37:48] the
[00:37:48] baptism
[00:37:48] of jesus
[00:37:49] so i'll
[00:37:49] share
[00:37:49] something
[00:37:49] with you
[00:37:50] that you
[00:37:50] don't really
[00:37:50] find in
[00:37:51] any
[00:37:51] commentaries
[00:37:51] but i'll
[00:37:52] share it
[00:37:52] for what
[00:37:53] it's worth
[00:37:53] so that's
[00:37:54] spoiler
[00:37:55] for you
[00:37:55] let's pray
[00:37:56] you've been
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