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Intermediate Sunday School Lesson 11 : The Ministry of John the Baptiser II

Text: Matthew 3:7-10
13 March 2022

INTRODUCTION

1. There was a great response to the preaching of John the Baptiser

2. There were some who were genuinely repentant

3. There were also others who were not genuine at all

TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE SINGLED OUT FOR MENTION

1. The Pharisees Matthew 3:7a

2. The Sadducees Matthew 3:7b

A STRONG WORD GIVEN TO THEM

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10 And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:7-10

1. Brood of vipers

a) This was a very strong term of reference
b) Vipers:
i) They are deadly snakes
ii) They are poisonous
iii) Their bites can kill

2. Why were the Pharisees and Sadducees addressed in this way?

a) Some features that were characteristic of the Pharisees:
i) They were haughty
ii) They despised people
iii) They judged and condemned people
iv) They see themselves as righteous but were in fact hypocrites
v) They think they know a lot about the Scriptures but do not keep them
b) Some features that were characteristic of the Sadducees:
i) They did not believe all of the Scriptures
ii) They did not even believe in the Resurrection
iii) They were the ones who controlled the Temple businesses
iv) They were collaborators with the Romans
v) They used their influence in the Sanhedrin Council badly

3. The wrath to come

a) John believed that God was angry with them
b) He believed that they would face God’s wrath one day
c) Who had warned them of God’s wrath?

4. Fruits of repentance

a) John would not baptise them
b) They must be able to show that they had truly repented before baptism
c) They must produce fruits worthy of repentance

THE FALSE CONFIDENCE OF THESE TO GROUPS OF PEOPLE

1. They believed that they were descendants of Abraham
That was true

2. They believed that since they were descendants they were God’s children automatically
That is not true!

3. God is able to raise true children of Abraham

a) Not from the stock of the Pharisees
b) Nor from the stock of the Sadducees

A SERIOUS WORD OF WARNING

1. The axe is laid to the roots of the trees

a) Local idiomatic expression
b) It means that the tree would be chopped down soon

2. Why were these trees to be chopped down?

a) They have not been bearing fruit
b) They are trees that are unfruitful

3. The Pharisees and Sadducees

a) They dominated the Sanhedrin Council
b) They were supposed to lead the nation spiritually
c) They were very poor religious leaders
d) They caused many of the people much harm
e) They were despised and hated by many
f) But many were afraid of the authority and power they wielded
g) Few dared to speak against them
h) They were as John described them:
i) Vipers
ii) Unfruitful trees
iii) Dead trees awaiting the day when they would be dealt with by God

CONCLUSION

1. Understanding John’s ministry

a) He is to prepare the way of the Lord
b) He has to preach against sin
c) He is not just there to baptise everybody

2. Appreciating John

a) His character
b) His courage
c) His consistency
d) His commitment