Luke 3:2-18

During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
    and the rough places shall become level ways,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

What then shall we do? God’s Law preached faithfully by one of His servants, utilized powerfully by the Holy Spirit, has fulfilled its purpose if that reaction is the result: What then shall we do? An unhappy (but important) conclusion has been reached, then. Desperation has been accomplished in people who now realize they aren’t in a position to negotiate. This sort of realization doesn’t come from people hearing good things about themselves, only bad. It’s a hopeless situation. Their only recourse is to reach out for whatever help might possibly come.

Previously, the people to whom John speaks in our text have had a self-image that includes a certain association that seems to stack the cards in their favor: they have Abraham as their father. It’s not what you know, but who you know; they’re putting their trust in the reliability of that old phrase. They know somebody. They’re connected to somebody.

That association is substantial if we’re looking at it in human terms. Abraham is prominent among God’s people. Their being God's people began with Abraham, with God selecting him as the father of their nation. Nobody didn’t know Abraham. As elderly people he and his wife Sarah had begotten their son Isaac, who then begat Jacob, who begat the heads of the Twelve Tribes in Israel. The story of their people had begun with Abraham. There’s no kind of about it; he was a big deal. And John’s hearers, Abraham’s descendants, evidently figured that made them a big deal (including, in God’s kingdom). So, for them to have been brought, now, to a point of saying, What then shall we do?—clearly, they have encountered quite a revelation about themselves (and about how much significance they should put in being connected to Abraham).

In St. Peter’s ministry there’s an account similar to this. It’s in the book of Acts, Chapter 2. Peter has confronted his listeners with their having crucified Jesus, Whom God has made both Lord and Christ. It says about them, that hearing this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do (Acts 2:36-38)?”

Notice that John, in our text, is preaching the same sort of message in a way. He comes as the Christ’s forerunner—the one preparing His way (“The voice of one crying in the wilderness” and all that, from Isaiah chapter 40, quoted in our text). His message is that the Christ is coming to make them righteous before God. They need to put their hope in Him, not in their own holiness, not in having Abraham as their father. What good is that going to be if they’re still in their sins? Abraham can’t believe in God’s mercy and salvation for them. God considered him righteous because he believed His promises (Genesis 15:6). Everyone else can have the same; but they have to believe in it themselves. They have to adhere themselves through faith to the same Savior to Whom Abraham did—Jesus.

John doesn’t pull any punches, does he? “You brood of vipers!—he says. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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.”

It couldn’t matter less, that they’re Abraham’s sons. God could make the stones into that. The thing they should be thinking about that’s significant is the fruits that they bear before God. They should be concerned that when God looks at them He sees sinners who aren’t fit for His kingdom. That’s what matters; not whether or not they are Abraham’s (or anyone else’s) offspring. What’s gonna be the solution to that? What’s gonna be the solution to the fact that God requires perfection of them that they cannot deliver? How’s the problem gonna be solved, that the axe is laid to the root of the bad fruit-bearing trees so that they might be cut down and thrown into the fire?

If John were preaching to you, he would be preaching the same message. The tone of the Law would be equally as stern. It’s present in our Old Testament lesson, in Malachi’s prophecy. Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? —related to the Psalmist’s words: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? John would preach the Law to you about the same things he says to audience in our text, a message about selfishness, a lack of love toward your neighbor, greed, a tendency to be ungrateful for what God has given; it would be preached so as to bring about an unhappy conclusion, a desperate one. He wouldn’t be telling you good things about yourself, only bad. He would be preaching to bring about the same conclusion that comes from his hearers in our text this morning: the situation is absolutely hopeless. I must reach out for whatever help might possibly come.

But he wasn’t just preaching the Law to them. He was proclaiming, Luke says, a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He was preceding the One Isaiah is talking about in the quote, the one whose way is prepared so that sinful hearts can receive, can see the salvation of God. John was preaching the Law in all of its severity to people who needed to recognize their situation, so that he might follow with joyful news. They could be connected to the One Who really could do them good—the one Abraham himself was connected to through faith—Jesus. They could stop putting their hope in being Abraham’s descendants, and recognize that God’s forgiveness for their sins comes from the One Who accomplished for them what they could never accomplish for themselves.

They ask, What then shall we do? We have to be a little bit careful in how we look at this text. It can seem like John is prescribing better behavior as the solution to their problem of sin. He isn’t. It would go against his entire purpose. He is preaching and baptizing into the Name of the Christ. John points out the various way in which his hearers have been failing to fulfill God’s requirements. He has also been preaching Jesus’ righteousness that solves their problem. God has put Him forth as the One Who takes their burden. Them being associated with Him through faith means that God considers Him the one who refused to share His bounty with the needy. God considers Him the one who has stolen from, and extorted from, and falsely accused His neighbor. God considers Him the one who has been ungrateful before God. God considers Him the one instead of the real sinners, instead of you, and instead of me.

You are connected to Him through faith. Your sins are forgiven for the same reason Abraham’s were: you believe God has been merciful to you in the one He sent to live perfectly in your place, and die to make your payment. You don’t need anything else. When you share generously with your neighbor, you do it out of love for God, out of gratefulness to Him, not because you think you have things to make up for. Jesus has taken care of everything. Give joyfully, then. Give as one privileged to do so because God’s grace is yours in Christ. Amen.

Malachi 3:1-6

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

1 Corinthians 4:1–5

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

St. Matthew 11:2-10

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way before you.’