Matthew 3:7-10

Matthew 3:7-10

[7] But  many  of the Pharisees  and  Sadducees  come  to  his  baptism,  he said  unto them,  O generation  of vipers,  who  hath warned  to flee  from  the wrath  to come?  [8] Bring forth  therefore  fruits  meet  for repentance:  [9] And  think  not  to say  within  yourselves,  We have  Abraham  to our father:  for  I say  that  God  is able  of  stones  to raise up  children  unto Abraham.  [10] And  now  also  the axe  is laid  unto  the root  of the trees:  therefore  every  tree  not  forth  good  fruit  is hewn down,  and  cast  into  the fire. 

What does Matthew 3:7-10 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This verse contains Matthew"s first reference to the Pharisees ("separate ones") and the Sadducees ("righteous ones"). Significantly, John was antagonistic toward them because they were hypocritical, a trait that marks them throughout the Gospels. Matthew lumped them together here because they were Israel"s leaders.
"After the ministry of the postexilic prophets ceased, godly men called Chasidim (saints) arose who sought to keep alive reverence for the law among the descendants of the Jews who returned from the Babylonian captivity. This movement degenerated into the Pharisaism of our Lord"s day-a letter-strictness which overlaid the law with traditional interpretations held to have been communicated by the LORD to Moses as oral explanations of equal authority with the law itself (cp. Matthew 15:2-3; Mark 7:8-13; Galatians 1:14)....
"The Sadducees were a Jewish sect that denied the existence of angels or other spirits, and all miracles, especially the resurrection of the body. They were the religious rationalists of the time ( Mark 12:18-23; Acts 23:8), and were strongly entrenched in the Sanhedrin and priesthood ( Acts 4:1-2; Acts 5:17). The Sadducees are identified with no affirmative doctrine, but were mere deniers of the supernatural." [1]
"Vipers" is a word Isaiah used to describe God"s enemies ( Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6). John"s use of it associates him with the former prophets and reflects his prophetic authority.
"The first major appearance of the religious leaders in Matthew"s story occurs in conjunction with the ministry of John the Baptist ( Matthew 3:7-10). The importance of their appearance here has to do with the fact that John is the forerunner of Jesus. As such, the attitude that John assumes toward the leaders is predictive of the attitude that Jesus will assume toward them." [2]
John"s question ( Matthew 3:7) amounted to, "Who suggested to you that you would escape the coming wrath?" [3] The behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees should have demonstrated the genuineness of their professed repentance, but it did not. Fruit is what people produce that other people see that indicates their spiritual condition ( Matthew 13:21; cf. Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14; John 15:1-6). The fruits of repentance were absent in the case of these leaders. There was no external evidence that they desired to draw near to God in anticipation of Messiah"s appearance.
Many of the Jews in the inter-testamental period believed that if one was a descendant of Abraham he would automatically enter Messiah"s kingdom. [4] They counted on the patriarch"s righteousness as sufficient for themselves. However, God had often pruned back the unrighteous in Israel and preserved a remnant in its history. As Matthew continued to point out in his Gospel, many of the Jews refused to humble themselves before God and instead trusted in their own righteousness. The Pharisees and Sadducees were doing that here. Josephus placed the origin of both of these groups in the time of Jonathan, the son of Judas Maccabee (160-143 B.C.). [5]
John"s reference to "stones" ( Matthew 3:9) was a play on words with "children" in both the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. If stones could become God"s children, certainly Gentiles could.
Matthew 3:10 gives the reason the Jews needed to repent. Divine judgment would precede the establishment of Messiah"s kingdom (cf. Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 4:4; Isaiah 5:16; Isaiah 13:6-19; Isaiah 42:1; Jeremiah 33:14-16; Daniel 7:26-27). The Jews connected the concepts of repentance and the messianic age closely in their thinking. [6] John announced that this judgment was imminent ( Matthew 3:10-12). Any tree (better than every tree) that does not bear good fruit, regardless of its roots, will suffer destruction. Probably John had individuals and the nation of Israel in mind.
The reference to fire in Matthew 3:10 pictures the judgment and destruction of those who fail to repent (cf. "wrath," Matthew 3:7, and "winnowing fork," Matthew 3:13). For individuals this judgment would involve eternal destruction ( Matthew 3:12), assuming there was no later repentance. For the nation it would involve the postponement of the kingdom and its attendant blessings.