Fruits of Repentance Matthew 3:8

Matthew shared how Joseph after being in Egypt with Mary and Jesus, “came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Matthew continued, “In those days came John the Baptist, and saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”, and in chapter three and verse eight of his book, John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees, “bring forth fruits meet for repentance” where we read:

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

The verse reads, “Bring forth therefore ...” Matthew began with the words, “bring forth” which means “produce, construct, form, fashion and prepare” “therefore” or “accordingly, consequently and these things being so”. Because of John the Baptist's question about who “warned” the Pharisees and Sadducees to “produce”, John the Baptist gave them the following charge.

The verse goes on to say, “... fruits meet for repentance.” Matthew added the word, “fruits” which means “that which originates or comes from something, an effect, work, act, deed and result” “meet” or “having weight, value, worth and merit” “for repentance” which means “for change of mind, purpose formed, compunction, guilt and reversal of decision”. John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees to have “works, deeds and results” that demonstrated their “change of mind”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how John the Baptist did not shun to tell the Pharisees and Sadducees what they were to do if they were really attempting to “repent” and “be baptized”. The “fruit” in someone's life proves what they really believe, and John the Baptist was not convinced that these Pharisees and Sadducees were producing good “fruit”. God desires to save every person through a relationship with His Son Jesus, and if someone really wants to “change their ways and minds”, their attitudes, actions, ways and “fruit” should show evidence accordingly.

Next time John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees not to think, “we have Abraham to our father” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.