PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 3:10-20
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“What should we do then?” (Luke 3:10)
John is not the messiah, but he represents the messiah.
He points to the way of the messiah, what the messiah will do.
Notice what he (and the messiah) wants them to do?
He calls them toward compassion, mercy, justice, integrity, contentment.
As a representative of the messiah, he calls for the same as Jesus does.
And both are representatives of God – this is what God wants people to do.
Not just the Jews but all people, including soldiers and tax collectors.
These are not just ‘tickets’ to enter the kingdom of God.
Good and gracious deeds are the kingdom life, the good life Jesus brings us.
The assumption is that we want this good life, because it is a God-like life.
Do I want this kind of life, the life the messiah lives and saves us for?
If so, does how I think and choose and live reflect that I want this?
The Spirit of God and Jesus is burning this life into our souls.
This is the expected fruit of those who sincerely want God’s kingdom life!
PRAYER
Lord, do I want this? Do I want to be compassionate, generous, fair, honest, kind and content? To want you is to want this; to seek you is to seek this!
John saw through the hypocrisy -he saw false piety – and he called his listeners to live honest and fair lives in keeping with repentance. He didn’t call them to stop their jobs but to do them honestly and fairly! He warned though that the Messiah would come and that there would be a time of accountability: “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Lord, help me to serve as a follower of you – may I make a difference for the Kingdom!
Do this and live.
Both John and Jesus said the same.
I need to live the fruit of the Spirit and in that way, live for Jesus. And when I do others may see Him by my words and deeds that I am His and He is mine. Love God. Love one another.
1. Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
2. Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
3. Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross.
4. Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.