LOOKING FOR FRUIT
MATTHEW 3:5-8 NKJV
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
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,
Before Jesus began His ministry, there was a revival that started with John the Baptist. John was the biggest thing to appear in Israel, from a spiritual standpoint, in hundreds of years. Yes, hundreds of years of very little being said by God. Hundreds of years with no prophets coming on the scene. About four hundred years of spiritual silence. And then along came John.
John was definitely a different breed. He lived out in the wilderness and was rocking the clothes of camel hair and leather belts. He had his own diet of locusts and wild honey. If John had a similar ministry today, he might have been selling camel hair robes and his own branded diet. But I digress.
Despite the unusual lifestyle, God used John to spearhead a spiritual awakening in Israel. People were coming to John to be baptized in water, which signified cleansing. And they were baptized while confessing their sins. This was more than a religious show; this was genuine repentance. John’s ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus. The hearts of the people would be stirred so that when Jesus showed up, the people would be ready to receive Him.
Repentance means to change. In the spiritual context, repentance indicates turning from one’s old sinful ways to God’s right ways. So as people were being baptized, they were also confessing the sins that they were turning away from. This truly was a genuine revival.
And everyone was doing it. This baptism movement caught on to the place where even the religious leaders were getting in on the action. But John wasn’t having it.
When John saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming out to be baptized, he did not necessarily rejoice. Instead, he called them the offspring of snakes; poisonous snakes, at that. And this is where we see John’s very poignant truth. John called these religious leaders to do more than get in on a popular trend. He called on them to produce actions congruent with their repentance. In other words, John did not want them to go through the motions in order to look good to people. He wanted their hearts to change. He knew a changed heart would produce good fruit. That a genuine heartfelt repentance would be visible in their actions. John was not about the religious imagery of that day. John was about change and the fruit real change would bring.
APPLICATION:
I have often gone to verse eight as a guideline. Over the years, I have seen people who claimed they were sorry for their actions. Too often, they were sorry that they got caught. Genuine repentance produces genuine fruit. If someone is claiming to be remorseful for their actions, there should be some tangible change in their behavior.
Bearing fruit worthy of repentance means more than just saying sorry. It means that serious attempts to change and make amends will be evident.
So, the next time you are in a situation where you or someone you know has repented. Make sure you look for the fruit.
PRAYER:
Lord, may my life be one where my words and actions line up. Thank You for Your forgiveness and for the strength to change.