(1) “And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, (2) Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (3) For this is He that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make His path straight.
(4) Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan; (6) and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: (9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (10) And even now the ax lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (11) I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: (12) whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor; and He will gather His wheat into the garner, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
Golden Text.—“Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Verse 2.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Where did John the Baptist take up his ministry? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What was the burden of his message? Verse 2. Note 2. (3) What prophet had spoken of John? In what striking language? Verse 3. Isa. 40:3. Note 3. (4) What is said of John’s raiment? Of what did his food consist? Verse 4. Note 4. (5) Who were attracted by his preaching? Verse 5. (6) What was the effect of his stirring appeals? Verse 6. (7) What notable classes attracted the prophet’s attention? How did he address them? Verse 7. Note 5. (8) What did he demand of them? Verse 8. (9) In what were they enjoined not to trust? Of what could God supply a more natural seed to Abraham? Verse 9. (10) How did John illustrate the thoroughness of Christ’s judgment? And what would be the result? Verse 10. Note 6. (11) What did the prophet say of his own baptism? How did he compare his work with that of Christ? Verse 11. Note 7. (12) How did he illustrate the judgment work of Christ? Verse 12. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. “In those days.”—That is, six months before the baptism of Jesus. Led by the Spirit, John began preaching in the country, and the same Spirit moved the people to go out from the city of Jerusalem and other places to hear him. He did not have to seek or to drum up audiences. He was sent of God with a definite message, and the people were drawn, not by any artifice of the preacher, but by the power of his message. This was also the experience of Christ, who had difficulty in finding rest from the throngs of people, even when he so desired. See Mark 6:30-34.
2. The message, “Repent ye,” was just what the people needed; because they had become estranged from the Word, and were wrapped up in their own selfish interests. Through carelessness of the true import of the prophecies regarding the Messiah’s approach, they did not realize that they were utterly unprepared for the great event. Although they were expecting His advent, they were ignorant of His character and of the manner of His coming. And it will be so at His second advent. Matt. 24:36-44. It is significant that, notwithstanding John’s apparent success, Jesus began His ministry with the same message, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Ch. 4:17. And the same message is due to-day, to the last stage of the professed church. Rev. 3:14-22. In no age of the world did the professed people of God have greater need of repentance than to-day; “for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8), and the preparation for it is universally neglected, even by those who are professedly looking for Him.
3. The wilderness of Judea, in which John began to preach, was typical of the spiritual condition of the people. Much labor of a heroic character was needed in order that the way of the Lord into their hearts might be prepared. There was truly a wilderness of sin, just as there is in the church to-day. See 2 Tim. 3:1-5.
4. John’s raiment was not the costly cloth made of the fine hair of the camel, but a coarse fabric made of the long, shaggy hair shed every year. It is used only by the poorest of the people. The leathern girdle was of simple untanned leather, and in conspicuous contrast with the costly embroidered girdles in which the people of that country take great pride.
5. “Who hath warned you?”—Why should the Pharisees and Sadducees, who deemed themselves so good, want to make a show of repentance? John did not miss the mark when he addressed them as the “offspring of vipers.” Jesus called them “hypocrites” (Matt. 23:23, 25, 27, 29), and their subsequent denial of their professed faith showed that His judgment was correct. So John’s comparing them to “vipers,” as also does Jesus (verse 33), shows the mind of the Spirit concerning this numerous class. The hypocrite of to-day springs from the same progenitor as did his prototype in the times of John and Jesus. The Lord said of them that they were of their father the devil.
6. The ax.—If the coming of the Lord the first time was as laying the ax to the root of the tree, what will be His coming in the final judgment? Is not this pre-eminently a time for making “straight paths,” for making our peace, calling, and election sure?
7. The baptism of water was the outward sign of repentance, to which John was calling the people; but the One who should come after him could alone give the new life signified by the baptism of the Spirit. John 6:63.
8. The comparison of the unregenerate to chaff implies their utter annihilation. The fire of judgment is unquenchable, no power can put it out till that on which it feeds is consumed; but when the chaff is burned up, the fire dies out of itself. Impenitent man is always likened to the most flimsy, destructible materials, such as grass, chaff, the fat of lambs, a vapor, ashes, etc.
