7He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."John the Baptizer! He's out there, doing the work of God. A man who was a recluse, living off the land with a diet of milk and honey, never had his hair cut and called by God to be a fore-teller of Christ.
10And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" 11And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." 14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
He told things like they were. He was blunt. When people said, what should be do? He told them plain and simple. No mincing of words. He was also clear with people when they thought perhaps he could be Christ. He wasn't. He made it clear that all he could do was baptize people with water, BUT the one who would come after him... well, his baptism would be through the Holy Spirit and with fire. That the one who would follow him was mightier than he was. And that he (John) was insignificant compared to him (the Christ). The one who would follow John (whom we know is Christ), would be a winnower and gatherer. He will burn off the chaff, and gather in what is good of the crop.
John exhorted the people with many things as he preached the good news to them.
As I await the return of Christ, and to celebrate all the promises of his birth this Christmas season, I am called by this passage to be like John. Ready to lead people to Christ. Ready to tell them what they must do to be saved. Ready to be used of God regardless of where I have been in my past. Ready to answer questions put to me by people wanting to know more of the God I serve. Let me be ready oh Lord, just let me be ready.
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