Monday after the Second Sunday after Christmas
Posted on January 3, 2022 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 3:1-12 (NKJV)
1:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching bin the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’”
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Devotion
In Advent, we heard John the Baptist prepare the way for the Lord, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” When Jesus begins His public ministry He says the same words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” These are important words. In fact, it is the number one topic of Jesus’ preaching. The phrase “kingdom of heaven (or kingdom of God)” shows up in the New Testament 103 times. “Repent” and “repentance” show up over 100 times in the Bible. John warns the Pharisees and Sadducees who are coming for Baptism to flee the wrath to come and bear fruits worthy of repentance. God’s “wrath” shows up in Scripture over 300 times! John clearly points out that judgment is coming.
He also proclaims the Messiah is coming, and His coming is going to bring judgment. This judgment is a dividing between two groups: wheat and chaff. The faithful “wheat” will be gathered and kept, but the impenitent “chaff” will be burned with fire. That is the warning that John gives the impenitent. But for us, the faithful, we also hear a promise: The Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit. This means that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, is so anointed with the Holy Spirit that the Spirit will overflow from Him, and He will share that Anointing with us.
Prayer: Almighty and Everlasting God, direct our actions according to Thy good pleasure, that in the Name of Thy Beloved Son, we may be made to abound in good works; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
