1. In the world’s eyes, such things as being born into a famous, wealthy, or influential family can be measures of greatness simply by heritage.

2. Earning a great deal of money is another mark of the world’s greatness, as are academic degrees, expertise in some field, outstanding athletic ability, artistic talent, high political or military office, and other such things.

3. It is interesting that by those standards , even Jesus Christ was not great.

1. He was born into an ordinary family, Joseph being a simple carpenter.

4. Even after He was grown, Jesus did not own a business, a herd of cattle or sheep, a house, or even a tent. He said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head"

5. He had little, if any, formal education, no political office, no artistic accomplishments

1. In reality he did not bear any of the marks of what the world considers greatness.

1. Yet Jesus called John the greatest man who had ever lived until that time: "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matt. 11:11).

B)John was greater than Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph; greater than Moses, Elijah, David, or any of the other Old Testament men of God.

3. He was greater than any of the kings, emperors, philosophers, or military leaders of history.

1. John was the greatest man who ever Lived!

Now we have noted already that there had not been a Prophet in Israel for 400 yrs ! ( 400 yrs the voice of the Lord was silent)

1. But now we read the word of the Lord came .

2. And I find it interesting that when the Spirit of God was looking for a voice to be the messenger - His herald/ Who He passed over

1. He passed by the Political realm - / Didn’t go to Caesar - Pilate or Herod .

3. And He also passed by the religious realm - Annas or Caiaphas / wicked men / who were ripping off the people w/ their temple business.

1. Israel wasn’t suppose to have 2 High Priest - but Annas fell out of favor w/ the Romans who appointed Caiaphas in his place. Together

1. Caesar = One cut out - Implies that he was a man’s kind of man. Cut out

of that worldly mode - kind of person people would follow

1. Cut out to be a leader.

2. Pilate his name means one armed w/ a dart. The name implies one who is

sharp & cunning / one who is manipulative!

1. One who is good at elevating himself in the eyes of the people. Always seeking ways to make himself look better in peoples eyes

C) Herod - the glory of the skin - implies beauty - implying Handsome

1. Philip means warrior - strong - a conqueror
2. Lysanias - One who drives away sorrow - Happy guy Jokester

1. Caiaphas = One who has questions
1. Annas = One who has the answers

1. And the Lord passes by all of them & goes to John who’s name means the Jehovah is gracious.

2. In John the Lord found a person That He could pour out His grace upon.

3. I also think it is note worthy where the Lord found John. He wasn’t in the Palace - He wasn’t in the political office / not in the temple

1. John was in the wilderness

4. It is interesting that almost every man in scripture who is used by the Lord in a great way - were men who had their time in the wilderness.

1. Abe / Moses / Elijah / David / Paul - 3 yrs in the desert / Even Jesus himself

5. Wilderness usually viewed as a barren place - place of trial & difficulty

1. Yet in several places in 1Sam. In ref. To David it is referred to as a stronghold. Place of strength.

6. And the wilderness can be that in our lives if we see them as the training ground of God forming & molding our lives .

1. Their names mean God remembers his oath or Promise ! John’s coming was to announce that the promise was here.

2. We have noted that John’s father was a Priest & his mother was from a priestly line as well .

1. So the priesthood was in John’s blood - yet seeing the corruptness of the current priestly system & leaders - & being led by the spirit - wilderness

C) Also Told in Luke 1 filled w/ the Spirit in the womb - Meaning the H.S. was upon John in a special way - anointed - directed

D) Matt. & Mark give us some insight into what he looked like - clothes

1. Dressed in Camels hair - diet - locust & wild honey

E) So here is this man living out in the desert/ at this point it is believed he was in the desert for 2-10 yrs /somewhere close to 30 yrs of age at this point

1. And people were coming out in droves to hear what he had to say.

1. Baptism was familiar to the Jews because it was required of any gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism / but John was baptizing Jews -odd
1. See John’s Baptism was for Preparation. He was the voice crying in the wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord.

1. Spiritually speaking the nation of Israel was in a wilderness of unbelief & spiritual despair.

Bb)So John’s baptism was for Preparation - get ready for the Lord to come -

make His paths straight

1. The Word Preaching in v. 3 means to Herald

3. In ancient times it was common for a herald to precede the arrival of the monarch, or King to announce his coming

1. and to prepare for his safe and proper travel.

4. The herald would make sure that the roadway was as smooth and uncluttered as possible.

1. Holes would be filled, rocks and debris would be removed, and unsightly litter would be burned or hidden.

5. As the group traveled along and worked, the herald would proclaim the king’s coming to everyone he encountered.

1. His twofold duty was to proclaim and to prepare.

6. That was John’s ministry but as the herald of the King of Kings & Lord of Lords - he wasn’t clearing the road ways & highways of obstacles

1. But He was pleading w/ men to clear the obstacles from their hearts that would keep them from coming to the King.

7. So Johns ministry was Baptism - Baptism of preparation - make hearts ready to receive the Lord.

1. Baptism today is for Proclamation - Proclaiming I am a follower of Christ.

1. Quite the introduction - actually in Matt. Gospel he tells us that these words were directed at the Pharisees & Sadducees ( religious leaders)

2. brood) may also be translated "offspring," signifying descendants or children of someone.

1. Jesus used the same words (brood of vipers) to describe the Pharisees on several occasions.

1. Like the desert viper, they often appeared to be harmless, but their brand of godliness was venomous and deadly.

therefore from salvation and spiritual life.

7. And in John 8:44 He specifically charges that their true spiritual father

work. Kill / Rob / Destroy

1. They were killing the spirit of men / robbing men of their joy /

1. In those days when there was a brush fire or a farmer was burning the stalks in his field after the harvest

1. It would cause vipers and other creatures to flee before the flames in order to escape.

2. It was a common sight in many of the Mediterranean and Arab regions, and one that John the Baptist doubtlessly had seen many times.

1. John looks at these religious leaders & says you brood of vipers - you snakes - who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

Bb) The implication is that the Pharisees and Sadducees were expecting

1. giving protection from the flames of the wrath to come.

1. It could have been looked at as the " in thing to do"

4. Cool - crowds emotion - maybe clapping -Maybe these guys were thinking lets go check it out/ more curious than anything

1. So John says to these guys & to the whole crowd Bear fruits worthy

1. In the context of salvation - means to turn from sin & turn to God.

2. It means to Change my mind concerning the way that I am living -

1. To see it for what it is Sin & rebellion - confess it & turn towards following after God’s word.

3. Fruits worthy of repentance would be that which would be indicative of that Change.

1. Fruit is always seen in the scriptures as manifested behavior

4. It will be seen in your actions & heart toward God - as well as in your behavior people.

1. True repentance is 1^st vertical - between you & God / it is a change of Heart - Turn from sin & to God / Running from to running to Him

5. But true repentance will affect your horizontal relationships as well.

1. It will affect the way that you treat people. A man can’t be right w/ God & wrong w/ people.

6. 1 JN. Man can’t say I love God yet hate his brother !

A man who gets convicted by the fact that he is not treating his wife the way that he should - if he repents it will be seen in his behavior w/ her

1. Too often what we see in counseling is what the bible calls worldly sorrow

B) A person gets caught in some sin - there is sorrow & embarrassment

1. they are exposed - the exposure brings sorrow - bummer my rep. Is ruined - Problem is There is sorrow but no repentance - no change

7. But True repentance not only should but will have correspondingly genuine works, demonstrated in both attitudes and actions. Change

2. It is not just saying we are sorry for certain actions but it is getting to the root cause of those problems / getting below the surface issues

1. Sins of pride / selfishness / rebellion /

3. On the surface these guys thought that they were ok because they were descendants of Abe -

1. But John blows that notion out of the water in v. 8 when he says that the Lord could raise up children of Abe from the stones.

4. What John was basically says is that your pedigree - who you are related to or married to who your parents are doesn’t mean a thing.

1. That is all surface ! But what is at the root of your life - that is what really matters

5. And The Ax is at the root - in other words if we tear down this tree - if we dig up the root - what are we going to see.

1. See if the root is good the rest of the tree will be good too - if the root is good the fruit will be good.

1. But if we could - look into the very core of your life - if we could get to the root issue - discovering who you are & what you are about - what find?

2. The root speaks of that which goes down deep : The root is where the nutrients are received - where the nourishment takes place.

1. What are you rooted in today ? From where are you gathering your nourishment? Is it from God’s word or someplace else?

3. What is below the surface of Your life -where the nutrients are being gathered - is what will determine if your fruit / pleasing & lasting.

The prophet Isa. Writing during a time when Israel had forsaken the Lord & His word - Pronounced this Judgement. - true of our Country

2. Isa. Their root will be as rottenness - because they have rejected & despised the word of the Lord.

1. And since the root is full of rottenness - so is the fruit.

3. The writer of Heb. Warned in Heb. 12 of a root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

1. Some people are rooted in bitterness because of something that someone said about them.

4. That is what is below the surface - & the fruit that comes forth is defiling - not only to them but also to those who are around them.

5. Paul warned in 1 Tim.6 : 10 That the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

6. People rooted in the love of money - & the fruit that results is evil - greed & sorrow.

1. if you don’t like what you see - take hope because Jesus told a story in Luke ch. 13 - that indicates what he desires to do in your life today. Turn

1. Jesus says - let me dig - let me get below the surface - let me expose the root & pour in some fertilizer

3. Jesus wants to expose those areas of our lives that are not right - to dig them up & pull out & replace w/ Himself

1. Question is are you willing to let Him do that in your life today.

4. That is what true repentance is - It gets below the surface - gets to the root

1. Again Isa. 37:31 mentions what Jesus desires to do in our lives Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward. Back Luke 3

1. John gave a practical message that to these people who came from different classes and conditions

2. But your money where your mouth is - or your actions where your profession is !

1. If you are really coming out here because you want to repent & change then - treat others rightly

3. Someone in need give them your coat - extra one. Tax collectors - collect only that which is appointed to you.

1. How made living - collect way more

4. Soldiers - don’t intimidate people - and be content w/ wages

1. W/ out even knowing it what John was really telling them to do was to live a lifestyle that was a whole lot like Jesus.

1. It would mean they were merely seeking some fire insurance to escape the fires of Hell - but hey lets not focus too close on my life.

2. So John called challenged them to allow their Baptism to affect their life.

1. Bible teachers & commentators are divided - concerning meaning.

2. Some suggest fire at Pentecost - cloven tongues of fire - baptism of H.S.

1. Others suggest it is the fire of purification - that after we come to Christ the H.S. begins that work of Purification.

3. And still others suggest - he is talking about the fires of Judgement - basically saying you have a choice

1. Come to Christ & be baptized w/ the spirit or reject Him & experience the fires of Hell & Judgement

4. Which is it ? I think it is both. You see I think v. 16 - can speak of a fire that - that causes you to blaze ! Burn bright for the Lord

1. Yes that is the result of the H.S. in your life.

5. But in v. 17 John says that Jesus has a winnowing fan or fork in His hand - what is a winnowing fork used for ?

1. It is used to divide the wheat from the chaff! Wheat is gathered into the barn - the chaff is thrown into the fire.

6. The choice is up to us ! John was calling those people who were standing right in the balance to make a choice !

1. Follow the Lord - get ready for His coming - get the obstacles out of your life that are hindering you from drawing near

7. Sink your root down deep into Him ! So that you might - bear fruit / lasting fruit - upwards fruit - pleasing to God.

(Revision 19971209)