When John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruit, then, in keeping with repentance..." (Matt. 3:7-8).
Typically, calling people “a bunch of snakes” doesn’t go over well. I doubt John ever read “How to Win Friends & Influence People,” nor would he have an inclination to. The Holy Spirit cares little for currying the favor of an audience, or courting their feelings; His primary concern is unvarnished Truth. So when sinners come within range, He’s not going to miss.
For those who stuck around long enough to hear the rest of John’s sermon, he told them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:7-8). They bothered to show up at least, but John was unimpressed—and surprised even to point of asking “WHO told you to flee the coming wrath?” In other words, which truth-teller finally convinced you?
Like all faithful preachers of old, he revealed what needed to be done. Regardless of how or why the Pharisees came to him, he told them exactly what they needed to hear—repent and bear fruit. Behind these words is the assumption that even a bunch of snakes can change and be right with God. Does that give you hope?
Ancient preachers, men of the Word, prophets filled with the Spirit, refused to blunt the edge of the Sword for fear of cutting too deeply. It’s not that they weren’t gentle, never used any tact, or shot from the hip—quite the opposite. They simply had a different understanding than we do of what it means to be gentle. Jesus is no different.
When Isaiah said He would not “break a bruised reed” or “extinguish a smoldering wick” (Is. 42:2-3), he didn’t mean Jesus would never hurt anyone’s feelings or offend anyone! The opposite plays out in the Gospel. He meant the Messiah would teach, heal, and restore without seeking acclaim (Matt. 12:15-17). His compassion toward the weak did not mitigate His ferocity toward sin and error. Two things can be true at once. He is “meek and lowly, humble in heart,” yet this didn’t stop Him from calling Peter "Satan" when he acted sinfully (Matt. 16). He can be your best friend AND have zero tolerance for sin in your life (and tell you as much). In fact, He is your best friend precisely because He hates sin! His hatred for sin and death run just as deeply as His love for you. He would not see you destroy yourself.
That’s why He doesn’t just rebuke sin, He provides the solution for it—Himself. "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed" (1 Pet. 2:24). This He did to demonstrate His love, and lead you to repentance. "Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Rom. 2:4).
So we come back to John’s teaching...bear fruit in keeping with repentance. He means there must be evidence of repentance in your life. Produce the fruit that repentance demands. So ask yourself, “What fruit have you borne for Him lately?” John followed His exhortation with a warning, one that Jesus repeated in Jn. 15… "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matt. 3:10).
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