Connected Christianity

I’m going to start picking up speed in my Bible blogging again. I wanted to go slowly through the first two chapters of Luke since they’re so important to Christianity. I won’t take time to write about every verse, but I’ll stop to reflect about every few chapters. Today’s chapter: Luke 3.

The truth hurts, and John the Baptist has a lot of truth to tell. Since I just read through Jesus’ birth story in Luke 1-2, I couldn’t help but think of the Christmas song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” while I read Luke 3. The song’s warnings fit remarkably well with John’s message: “You better watch out…I’m telling you why…. He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice…. So be good for goodness sake.” Jesus is coming to town.

John doesn’t pull any punches, even with the people who have made a decision to be baptized. He doesn’t say, “Welcome, brothers and sisters, into the loving family of God.” Instead he calls them a “brood of vipers” and asks why they think they have the right to escape judgment (3:7). It would be like someone walking down the aisle to make a commitment in church and the minister saying, “Who do you think you’re kidding? Sit back down.” Not the most welcoming and affirming message, but neither is John’s.

He seems harsh at first, but John’s really saying, “You’re not getting out that easy, thinking you can waltz out here, get splashed, and then go back to your self-serving ways. Sit back down. The sermon’s not done yet.” That’s probably a message we all need to hear. Too often we live however we please then go to church, offer up some prayers for forgiveness, and think everything’s fine. If John were here today, he might tell us, “Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Jesus as our Lord and Savior.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up disciples for Jesus” (v. 8, paraphrased).

So what should we do then? John provides some tips in verses 11, 13, and 14. We need to stop living for ourselves, building lives that are worthless to God and others. Instead, we need to produce real spiritual fruit by giving and loving others sacrificially. Then we will be like nourishing, healthy wheat that God grows and gathers (v. 17).