Read Matthew 3:1-12

Read Matthew 3:1-12

3  At that time John the Baptist came to the desert of Judea and started preaching. ²“Turn away from your sins,” he said, “because the Kingdom of heaven is near!” ³John was the man the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said:

“Someone is shouting in the desert,

‘Prepare a road for the Lord;

make a straight path for him to travel!’ ”

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair; he wore a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People came to him from Jerusalem, from the whole province of Judea, and from all the country near the River Jordan. ⁶They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan.

7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? ⁸Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. ⁹And don’t think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham! ¹⁰The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire. ¹¹I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals. ¹²He has his winnowing shovel with him to thresh out all the grain. He will gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.” ^[1]

Think

“…the one who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  When I hear that I am not sure whether to be terrified or excited.  But I think we’re supposed to be excited.  Its not a punishing fire, it's a cleansing fire; that burns away our rubbish and restores God’s image in us.

Pray

Lord, soak me in your Holy Spirit and your cleansing fire.  I want to be more like you, I need your help.  Amen.

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² 3.2: Mt 4:17; Mk 1:15

³ 3.3: Is 40:3 (LXX)

4  3.4: 2 K 1:8

7  3.7: Mt 12:34; 23:33

⁹ 3.9: Jn 8:33

¹⁰ 3.10: Mt 7:19

^[1] American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation (2nd ed.). New York: American Bible Society.