But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his 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. And do not presume 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. Even 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. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. 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 gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Pharisees - "The Pharisees were the most influential of the Jewish sects at the time of Christ. Though holding orthodox doctrines, their zeal for the Mosaic Law led them to a degenerate, though strict, outward observance of both the law and their equally authoritative (in their own eyes) interpretations of it. They knew the Scriptures (Matt 23:2), tithed (Lk 18:12), fasted (Matt 9:14, and prayed (Mark 12:40); but they were also hypocritical (Matt 23:15), self-righteous (Lk 18:9), and the foremost persecutors of the Lord (Matt 9:3)." (Ryrie)
Sadducees - "The Sadducees, whose membership came largely from the priesthood and upper classes, were the anti-supernaturalists of Christ's day. They denied the truth of bodily resurrection, of future punishment and reward, and of the existence of angels (Acts 23: Though they upheld the written law of Moses, they were opposed to the oral traditions observed by the Pharisees. They were the party of the high-priestly families of Jerusalem with direct interests in the apparatus of Temple worship and generally collaborated with the Roman rulers. They opposed Christ as vigorously as the Pharisees and were condemned by Him as severely, though not so frequently (Matt 16:1-4, 6)." (Ryrie)
"Many were baptized unto repentance by the forerunner. But now for the first time we meet with the two great religious classes and leaders among the Jews, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who came out to John. These two classes play an important role in the Gospel. The Pharisees (the name Pharisee means a Separatist; one who says: 'I am holier than thou.') were the strictly religious, orthodox-ritualistic class. They were well versed in the traditions of the elders, and occupied themselves with creating new commandments and strange interpretations of the law. They are the fathers of the talmudical Jews of the present day and typical of ritualistic Christendom, having the form of godliness and not the power. The Sadducees were the rationalists, the unbelieving class. They were much given to reform. Their offspring today are the reformed Jews, who reject the greater part of the Word of God, and in Christendom they are remarkably reproduced in the 'Isms,' though they call themselves 'Christian' (as the Sadducees called themselves Jews), who reject portions of the Word, who do not believe in the inspiration of the Bible. 'Offspring of vipers!' thus the Holy Spirit declared through the forerunner their true character. What a strong and cutting word it is, which applies not alone to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but to all ritualistic-religiousness and unbelieving criticism. They are the offspring not of God but of vipers. But still they were the proud boasters of being the seed of Abraham and as such entitled to the promised blessing. They believed that they were to be saved from the wrath of God connected with the establishment of the kingdom, and the wrath would fall entirely upon the Gentile nations. One only needs to peruse some of the tracts of the Talmud to find the reflection of their proud, self-righteous belief. When they came, they were far from taking that true position in repentance, in death." (Gaebelein)
"The crowd seemed to be divided into two parts. On the one hand, there were the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to where John was baptizing (Matt 3:7). These religious leaders in their self-righteousness considered themselves acceptable to God. They denied having sin that needed to be confessed or unrighteousness that needed to be forgiven. By virtue of their physical birth, they saw themselves as Abraham's children, as acceptable to God, and as already members of His kingdom." (Pentecost)
We have Abraham as our father - "The common teaching of that day said that the Jews participated in the merits of Abraham, which made their prayers acceptable, helped in war, expiated sins, appeased the wrath of God, and assured a share in God's eternal kingdom. Consequently, the people were startled when John and Jesus preached the necessity of personal repentance." (Ryrie)
Even now the axe is laid - "Time is running out; judgment is near." (Ryrie)
Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire - "John demanded repentance of the religious leaders. Asking them to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance, he exhorted, 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (Matt 3:8). Once again we see a note of urgency in John's message, for when he called for repentance, he told them that judgment was at hand. He said, 'The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire' (v. 10). This was in keeping with the Old Testament revelation that the Messiah would come as a Judge and remove the sinful from His kingdom. David in Psalm 24:3 asked rhetorically, 'Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?' David meant, Who will be accepted in the Messiah's kingdom when He comes? The answer is then given: 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false' (v. 4). Ezekiel 20:34-38 describes this judgment in detail." (Pentecost)
I baptize you with water for repentance - "Baptism is a form of identification. John's baptism was a sign of an individual's acknowledgment of his need of repentance for the remission of his sins. When Jesus was baptized by John (v. 15) He identified Himself with John's message of righteousness (though, being sinless, He Himself needed no cleansing from sin)." (Ryrie)
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire - "Let us understand in the first place that the words spoken refer to the first and second coming of our Lord. Let this be clearly fixed in our minds, and all will be plain. The promise connected with the first coming is, He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. The second coming of the Lord will bring the baptism with Fire, as it is seen at once in the words which follow, which speak clearly of judgment and fire unquenchable. It may appear strange at the first glance that John says in one breath: 'He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'—that the Holy Spirit should refer to His first coming and the fire to His second appearing, but let us take into consideration that John still belongs to the Old Testament, and he expresses himself in a way as many of the prophets did, who frequently spoke in one clause of the Lord's first and second coming. However, the fifth verse in the first chapter of Acts puts into our hands the key. The Lord said then to His disciples, 'John, indeed, baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.' That our Lord speaks of what John said in our passage here is evident, yet He does not mention baptism with fire. If He had added, and with fire, it would clearly prove that the baptism connected with his first coming is a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. But He leaves out the fire because it stands in connection with his second coming. Thus it is seen in the entire prophetic Word, which speaks of the day of wrath and vengeance a being a day of burning and fire." (Gaebelein)
winnowing fork - "A wooden shovel used for tossing grain against the wind after threshing so that the lighter chaff would be blown away, leaving the kernels to settle in a pile." (Ryrie)
Pharisees - "The Pharisees were the most influential of the Jewish sects at the time of Christ. Though holding orthodox doctrines, their zeal for the Mosaic Law led them to a degenerate, though strict, outward observance of both the law and their equally authoritative (in their own eyes) interpretations of it. They knew the Scriptures (Matt 23:2), tithed (Lk 18:12), fasted (Matt 9:14, and prayed (Mark 12:40); but they were also hypocritical (Matt 23:15), self-righteous (Lk 18:9), and the foremost persecutors of the Lord (Matt 9:3)." (Ryrie)
Sadducees - "The Sadducees, whose membership came largely from the priesthood and upper classes, were the anti-supernaturalists of Christ's day. They denied the truth of bodily resurrection, of future punishment and reward, and of the existence of angels (Acts 23: Though they upheld the written law of Moses, they were opposed to the oral traditions observed by the Pharisees. They were the party of the high-priestly families of Jerusalem with direct interests in the apparatus of Temple worship and generally collaborated with the Roman rulers. They opposed Christ as vigorously as the Pharisees and were condemned by Him as severely, though not so frequently (Matt 16:1-4, 6)." (Ryrie)
"Many were baptized unto repentance by the forerunner. But now for the first time we meet with the two great religious classes and leaders among the Jews, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who came out to John. These two classes play an important role in the Gospel. The Pharisees (the name Pharisee means a Separatist; one who says: 'I am holier than thou.') were the strictly religious, orthodox-ritualistic class. They were well versed in the traditions of the elders, and occupied themselves with creating new commandments and strange interpretations of the law. They are the fathers of the talmudical Jews of the present day and typical of ritualistic Christendom, having the form of godliness and not the power. The Sadducees were the rationalists, the unbelieving class. They were much given to reform. Their offspring today are the reformed Jews, who reject the greater part of the Word of God, and in Christendom they are remarkably reproduced in the 'Isms,' though they call themselves 'Christian' (as the Sadducees called themselves Jews), who reject portions of the Word, who do not believe in the inspiration of the Bible. 'Offspring of vipers!' thus the Holy Spirit declared through the forerunner their true character. What a strong and cutting word it is, which applies not alone to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but to all ritualistic-religiousness and unbelieving criticism. They are the offspring not of God but of vipers. But still they were the proud boasters of being the seed of Abraham and as such entitled to the promised blessing. They believed that they were to be saved from the wrath of God connected with the establishment of the kingdom, and the wrath would fall entirely upon the Gentile nations. One only needs to peruse some of the tracts of the Talmud to find the reflection of their proud, self-righteous belief. When they came, they were far from taking that true position in repentance, in death." (Gaebelein)
"The crowd seemed to be divided into two parts. On the one hand, there were the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to where John was baptizing (Matt 3:7). These religious leaders in their self-righteousness considered themselves acceptable to God. They denied having sin that needed to be confessed or unrighteousness that needed to be forgiven. By virtue of their physical birth, they saw themselves as Abraham's children, as acceptable to God, and as already members of His kingdom." (Pentecost)
We have Abraham as our father - "The common teaching of that day said that the Jews participated in the merits of Abraham, which made their prayers acceptable, helped in war, expiated sins, appeased the wrath of God, and assured a share in God's eternal kingdom. Consequently, the people were startled when John and Jesus preached the necessity of personal repentance." (Ryrie)
Even now the axe is laid - "Time is running out; judgment is near." (Ryrie)
Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire - "John demanded repentance of the religious leaders. Asking them to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance, he exhorted, 'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (Matt 3:8). Once again we see a note of urgency in John's message, for when he called for repentance, he told them that judgment was at hand. He said, 'The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire' (v. 10). This was in keeping with the Old Testament revelation that the Messiah would come as a Judge and remove the sinful from His kingdom. David in Psalm 24:3 asked rhetorically, 'Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?' David meant, Who will be accepted in the Messiah's kingdom when He comes? The answer is then given: 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false' (v. 4). Ezekiel 20:34-38 describes this judgment in detail." (Pentecost)
I baptize you with water for repentance - "Baptism is a form of identification. John's baptism was a sign of an individual's acknowledgment of his need of repentance for the remission of his sins. When Jesus was baptized by John (v. 15) He identified Himself with John's message of righteousness (though, being sinless, He Himself needed no cleansing from sin)." (Ryrie)
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire - "Let us understand in the first place that the words spoken refer to the first and second coming of our Lord. Let this be clearly fixed in our minds, and all will be plain. The promise connected with the first coming is, He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. The second coming of the Lord will bring the baptism with Fire, as it is seen at once in the words which follow, which speak clearly of judgment and fire unquenchable. It may appear strange at the first glance that John says in one breath: 'He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'—that the Holy Spirit should refer to His first coming and the fire to His second appearing, but let us take into consideration that John still belongs to the Old Testament, and he expresses himself in a way as many of the prophets did, who frequently spoke in one clause of the Lord's first and second coming. However, the fifth verse in the first chapter of Acts puts into our hands the key. The Lord said then to His disciples, 'John, indeed, baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.' That our Lord speaks of what John said in our passage here is evident, yet He does not mention baptism with fire. If He had added, and with fire, it would clearly prove that the baptism connected with his first coming is a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. But He leaves out the fire because it stands in connection with his second coming. Thus it is seen in the entire prophetic Word, which speaks of the day of wrath and vengeance a being a day of burning and fire." (Gaebelein)
winnowing fork - "A wooden shovel used for tossing grain against the wind after threshing so that the lighter chaff would be blown away, leaving the kernels to settle in a pile." (Ryrie)
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