Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:7-9 – Vipers, Repent!

Luke 3:7-9 – Vipers, Repent!

LK3:7 So John told the crowds that came out to be baptized by him: “You offspring of vipers,[1] who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?[2] LK3:8 You had better produce fruitage worthy of repentance.[3] Do not start to convince yourselves: ‘Abraham is our father!’[4] For I tell you that The God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these rocks![5] LK3:9 Even now the ax is about to chop the root of the trees.[6] And so every tree not producing good fruit[7] will be chopped down and hurled into the fire.”[8]

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[1] You offspring of vipers: Or, generation of vipers, brood of snakes. John does not speak well of the Jews of his period. [Isaiah 59:5] Jesus does the same. [Matthew 23:33]

[2] The coming wrath: Likely including the period of Great Oppression between 66-70 AD.

[3] Fruitage worthy of repentance: True repentance – a feeling of regret for past thoughts, words, and conduct – must be accompanied by visible evidence of such repentance. [Matthew 3:8]

[4] Abraham is our father: Compare John 8:33. A claim relied on by some Jews to this day.

[5] Raise up children to Abraham from these rocks: Merely relying on a genealogical connection with Abraham is of no value.

[6] The ax is about to chop the root of the trees: The claim of Abrahamic roots is worthless now if one is lacking the faith of Abraham. [Matthew 3:10]

[7] Every tree not producing good fruit: Compare Matthew 7:19 where Jesus teaches the same.

[8] Hurled into the fire: The analogy is to the brush fire resulting from burning up pruned limbs. Compare Luke 3:17.

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John the Baptist preaching repentance – polychrome, Amiens cathedral (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Preceding articles:

Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:1, 2 – Factual Data

Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:3-6 – John Preaches Baptism of Repentance

Connecting articles:

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:1-6 – A Wilderness Baptist Prepares the Way

Nazarene Commentary Matthew 3:7-12 – Opposition and Two Baptisms

Nazarene Commentary Mark 1:1-8 – The Beginning of the Good News

Next: Nazarene Commentary Luke 3:7-9 – Vipers, Repent!

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Find also to read:

1. God’s promises
2. With God All Things Are Possible
3. Exceeding Great and Precious Promise
4. God’s promises to us in our suffering
5. Apple of Gods eye
6. A “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham
7. Creator and Blogger God 9 A Blog of a Book 3 Blog about Prophecy
8. Story of Jesus’ birth begins long before the New Testament
9. Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham
10. Jesus begotten Son of God #20 Before and After
11. Another way looking at a language #3 Abraham
12. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
13. Men of faith
14. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
15. Jeruzalem Gods city
16. True riches
17. Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience
18. God receives us on the basis of our faith
19. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
20. Invitation to all who believe

In Dutch:

1. Broeders en Zusters in Christus door de eeuwen heen. #1 Abraham de aartsvader
   where is written that early in the 2nd millennium before the Common Era, the first Hebrew patriarch was born.
   In the history of humankind we can see that the Almighty God, Jehovah used his power to overcome any obstacle that the fulfillment of his promise, to Abraham, might prevent to come in fulfilment. The father of Isaac was to be the patriarch for God’s People. In time, Abraham was indeed the father of the Israelites and had not only to be seen as the father or patriarch of the Jews, but also of the Christians as well as Muslims. They all should believe in the promise of a great posterity which would come when a great empire would be inherited by the People of God. We should all look forward to the time when the world would come to see the promised land.  From the trunk of the patriarch of the people of Israel a large earthly king would come (David) from which the Messiah (Jeshua/Jesus Christ) would be born, which would be a greater king because he should rule over the Kingdom of God.
2. Het begin van Jezus #7 Een Nieuwe Adam, zoon van Abraham
3. Het begin van Jezus #8 Beloofde Gezalfde zoon van God

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