1.

Verses 1 and 2 list the names of political and religious leaders. Yet, the word of God came to John, not to them, for obvious reasons. (cf. Luke 1:13-17,80) What can we learn from John about the way to be used by God for His salvation work?

** Like John we need to dedicate ourselves fully to the Lord, for it is when John dedicated himself fully to the Lord, the Lord found him worthy of being in charge of God’s word. It has been said, “Commitment is the mother of revelation.” When we commit ourselves to God, God reveals His word which is the instrument to get God’s work done. [Commitment has to do with availability, meaning we need to commit ourselves to God in terms of time, energy, etc.]

2.

Compare verses 2 and 3. It was when the word of God came to John that John went out to do God’s work. What does this observation tell us about the way for us to do God’s work?

** We need to study God’s word until God’s word personally touches our hearts. To do this, we need to train ourselves to know how to get into the word of God, so God would speak to us personally. Let us remember that Jesus is the Word which became flesh. This suggests that we need to experience God’s word to personally touch and move our hearts. When this happens, we can then go and do God’s work. This is consistent with the truth that through the word of God He created the universe and everything in it. Genesis 1.

3.

Compare what John preached with what Isaiah had prophesied. What does Isaiah’s prophecy tell us about the meaning and purpose of John’s baptism of repentance? (Isaiah 40:1-5)

** 1) Meaning: repentance means to prepare ourselves for the relationship with the Lord.

2) Purpose: purpose is to create an environment in which the Lord can fulfill within us the kind of work he has in mind, that is, to complete the work of salvation. 

[Note: v. 5 describes the environment called “highway” in which the Lord can come in to do His powerful work.] 

4.

Consider John’s rebuke in verses 7-9. What repentance topics can we find from the following words of rebuke? 1) You brood of vipers; 2) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?; 3) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance; 4) Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”; 5) Out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham; 6) The ax is already at the foot of the trees; and 7) every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

** You brood of vipers

This expression is an idiom for one remaining in an old relationship as descendants of the first Adam. The first Adam became a slave to the devil when he fell for the devil’s temptation and carried out the devil’s will.  He disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is the call for one to depart from one’s unfruitful relationship to a fruitful relationship with Jesus Christ, the second Adam.

** Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

This is a rebuke for going for wrong doctrines about salvation, the doctrines that teach about the way of salvation without addressing the problem of sin. 

** Produce fruit in keeping with repentance

This means that repentance must be real not fake. It must come with a real turn, and the turn must be a complete U turn from an old ways of life to the new way of life in Jesus.

** Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”

This reminds us that one becomes a child of God, not through natural descent or husband’s will, or human decision, but by God’s power.

** Out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham

This means that even if one is as hard a sinner like a stone, still as one looks up to God and rely on God’s power, God can make that person become a child of God.

** The ax is already at the foot of the trees.

Unless we repent and receive Jesus, we are already bound for God’s judgment.

** Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

This means real transformation resulting in truly good fruit is what counts in God’s eyes. 

5.

Think about the questions asked by the crowd, tax collectors, and soldiers.  Also consider John’s answers in verses 9-14. What do John’s responses to each group of people have in common? What does John’s example teach us about the practical way to help people prepare for the Lord?

** They have one thing in common, that is, the call to become a sacrificial person rather than a selfish person. In one’s natural state one only thinks about his own selfish interests, and he does so at the sacrifice of others.  

** Teach people what love is all about. Love is to seek others’ interests first. 

6.

Verses 15-18 indicate that John preached not only a baptism of repentance but also the good news (about Jesus Christ). In what respect is his message about Jesus “good” news?

** It shows us the bad news and then the good news. The bad news is that without Jesus we are bound to fall in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. But with Jesus, we have the means to overcome our sin problem, be changed into the kind of person worthy of the fellowship with God, and thereby escape from God’s impending judgment. 

7.

The seemingly tragic circumstances that John faced (in verses 19 and 20) stands in strong contrast with the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in verses 21-38. What does this transition indicate about the work of: 1) God the Father; 2) Jesus, the Son; and 3) the Holy Spirit? 

** God works through His word (or voice)

** Jesus the Son is so humble that in humility he was baptized by John (not for the sake of the forgiveness of his own sins but for the sake of all sinners), and took over the ministry from John, according to God’s time schedule.

** The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in a bodily form in Jesus Christ.