After exposing false refuges and calling for genuine repentance, John points to the only true refuge: the One who is coming after him. John’s baptism was with water, a symbol of repentance. But the One coming would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He would...
John called for repentance, but what does genuine repentance look like? One helpful definition describes it this way: “The penitent man has a sense of the filth and danger of sin. True repentance looks inward at one’s sinfulness and outward at the harm...
The Pharisees and Sadducees had a trump card they thought would guarantee their standing before God: they were descendants of Abraham. They were part of the chosen people. They had the right bloodline, the right heritage, the right pedigree. Surely that counted for...
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to John’s baptism. They showed up. They went through the motions. They were willing to participate in the religious ritual. But John saw right through them. He said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” In other...
We live in a time when people do not like to talk about God’s wrath. We prefer to focus on His love, mercy, and grace. And those are absolutely true and essential aspects of who God is. But if we are going to be honest with Scripture, we cannot ignore the...
