“Walking With Jesus”

Lesson Commentary

LOC – 012 REPENT YOU SINNERS!
How to Confront Wrongdoers!

A preacher contracted a painter to paint the church. Unfortunately, the painter tried to save some money by pouring paint thinner into the paint to make it go farther. After the job was done, the pastor noticed the shoddy work and called the painter. He told him to, “Repaint you thinner.”

There was once a time when “hell, fire and damnation” was considered the way to preach. The preacher would tell the people in very strong language that if they didn’t repent and stop their sinful behavior, they were going to Hell! This would cause many people to repent of their sins and follow God. Unfortunately, some simply dismissed the warning and did not change. At the same time, other people flock to hear someone yell at them about their sinful behavior and tell them to stop that sinning and do what is right in the eyes of God.

We continue John the Baptist’s remarks in Matthew 3:7-12; Mark1:7-8; Luke 3:7-18. Would you be willing to travel for days to spend a couple of hours listening to a weirdly dressed man call you a “snake in the grass?” We do not consider that as a way to win friends and influence people, yet on more than once, God used this tactic to call His followers to repentance!

Confront Sin Head-On – Matthew 3:7-10, Luke 3:7-9

John is preaching by the Jordan River when some Pharisees and religious leaders come to hear what he is saying. He tells them that sin is WRONG! He calls the religious leaders a bunch of snakes in the grass. This is a serious insult! Pharisees and Sadducees pride themselves on being religious and “holier than others.” John is telling them that their “holiness” is like the venom of a viper. Vipers in Judea and Galilee are very poisonous snakes. The Pharisees act the most “pious,” yet are the most sinful of the Jewish people, making their followers into hypocrites!

Reader’s Digest once made a comment that most preachers are against sin, don’t know what it is! That was true with the Pharisees and it is still too true today! Before we can be healed of our sinful past, we must first admit that we are sinners. We will not be able to fight temptation until we admit that we are being tempted! You want to always keep your moral behavior right with God.

We sometimes bash other Christians because they do not conform to our interpretations or pet doctrines, not realizing that we are as wrong before God (if not more so) than they are. John tells the people that they have been hypocritical in their behavior. As Christians, we must fight temptation, say “No” to sin and live a life that reflects the presence of Jesus!

There is a Heaven and a Hell. You and I are going to determine where we spend eternity by our love for and obedience to Jesus Christ. When the Pharisees and Sadducees come to inquire of John, he is wise to their intentions and spares no sympathy in confronting them with their sin.

Instruct the Repentant in Righteousness – Luke 3:10-15

The people are convicted of their sin by John’s preaching and ask him how to show repentance! He tells them to share their worldly goods with those in need and don’t cheat their customers or clients. Soldiers are told that they are not to extort money or accuse the people falsely. They should not be ruthless with their power! (He doesn’t tell the soldiers to quit the army or that it is wrong to fight!)

Righteousness is right living. A righteous person is someone who does what is right in the eyes of God. There is absolutely no substitute for honesty, integrity, dependability, truthfulness, punctuality, reliability, moral purity and right behavior! Being honest in our work and relationships with other people, regardless of the outcome is evidence that we have repented. Righteous acts are not limited to what you do in church or for the church, but include how you do your job, how you relate to your neighbors, etc. Using our talents to help others is what matters. Sin is selfishness and must be suppressed.

Point People to Jesus! – Matthew 3:11-12, Mark 1:7-8, Luke 3:16-18

John the Baptist knows who he is and who he is not! He tells his audience that he is not the Messiah (Christ).In fact, he does not consider himself even worthy of carrying the sandals of the Messiah. Handling one’s shoes or feet was a very humbling task. Compared to Jesus, John the Baptist considers himself to be like a candle shining one mile away from the surface of the sun!

John cites that Jesus has a baptism that is far more significant than just for repentance. Jesus will reward those who live a righteous life with an eternal reward and punish sinners and hypocrites with a punishment far worse than being called a snake in the grass.

Jesus’ judgment will separate the lost from the saved! The lost will be burned (Hell), but the saved will be gathered into “the barn” (heaven). This isn’t the only time that we will be warned of the presence of an eternal burning hell that is reserved for those who reject Jesus. This message is a real admonition to persuade us to choose to follow Jesus. Some people are loved into heaven. But there are also some who have to be scared out of hell. Which one are you? Either way, it is coming to a belief in Jesus that brings about a positive change in your life. We prefer to reach people through the promise of eternity in heaven, but we should not ignore the threat of hell.

This embodies much of John’s message. We must repent and live a life that is right before God or we will receive a punishment that we rightly deserve. We cannot continue sinning and be pleasing to God. In like manner, we can’t be witnesses for Jesus if we continue in ungodly behavior. We must show by how we live, that Jesus has changed our lives. When others see our changed lives, they will be more motivated to want to let Jesus come in and change their lives.

CONCLUSION

There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. We determine which one we will spend eternity in by what we decide about Jesus.

NEXT WEEK: We are going to have a very special baptism. Bring a friend and come and see who gets baptized (and why)!