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Luke 3:7–9
“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” (v. 8).
By applying Isaiah 40:1–5 to the ministry of John the Baptist in Luke 3:4–6, Luke tells us that an upheaval was associated with John’s preaching in the wilderness. After all, filling every valley and bringing every mountain low (Luke 3:5) is a radical restructuring of the created order. This language is a picture of divine judgment. The coming of the Lord in the ultimate return of God’s people from exile is good news for many, but those who are not ready will suffer His wrath as He shakes the cosmos (see Heb. 12:26–29).
In light of this impending judgment, it makes sense that John’s ministry would consist of a strong call to repentance, as we see in today’s passage. John ministered in the wilderness, but his call for the Jews to repent and escape the wrath of God did not remain confined to the wilderness. It penetrated into the cities and towns of Judea, and crowds of people came out to hear the prophet and to be cleansed from their sins (Luke 3:7). Of course, with any incredible religious event and large-scale gathering of people purporting to be interested in spiritual things, there are bound to be some who come for the wrong reasons. To separate those who were sincerely sorry for their sin from those who wanted only to make a show of piety, John asked the crowds, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7). His point was for them to search their hearts and to recognize their offense against God so that they would repent for grieving the Holy Spirit and not simply because they wanted to escape the consequences of sin. John Calvin comments that John the Baptist “summons them to the inward tribunal of conscience, that they may thoroughly examine themselves, and, laying aside all flattery, may institute a severe investigation into their crimes.”
John called for the people to bear the fruits of repentance (Luke 3:8). True repentance begins with a change of mind, an inner acknowledgment that one has gone astray, but it is fulfilled in outward obedience as we seek, however imperfectly, to live according to the law of God. As Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary, “True conversion always, inevitably, necessarily brings forth the fruit of repentance.”
Many Jews considered repentance unnecessary, for they believed that being physical children of Abraham entitled them to all of the Lord’s blessings. The striking thing about John’s preaching was that he called even God’s people to repentance. They had to return to the Lord before it was too late, lest they be destroyed (Luke 3:8–9).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
John Calvin comments, “Repentance is an inward renewal of the man, which manifests itself in the outward life, as a tree produces its fruit.” We will never be perfect in this life, and might even fall back into the same sins from time to time. Nevertheless, the truly repentant will seek to put all sin to death, endeavoring to follow God’s law and avoid sin. If no attempt whatsoever is made to live in holiness, our repentance is likely not genuine.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
- Psalm 7:12–13
- 2 Corinthians 7:10
THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
- Exodus 34–36
- Matthew 23:1–22
- Exodus 37–Leviticus 1
- Matthew 23:23–39