January 6 (Tivet 10) ~ Matthew 3

Tivet is the Biblical month.

FRUITS OF REPENTANCE

S - Scripture: Matthew 3:1-17

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance ... Matthew 3:8

O - Observations:

• Who are the characters? John (Yochanan) the Immerser, Jesus (Yehoshua) and the Pharisees & Saducees with Yochanan addressing the issues of repentance, Baptism and Yehoshua's Baptism taking place in the Wilderness of Judaea, Yerushaliym (Jerusalem), all of Judaea and the region around the Jordan in "those days" while Yochanan preached the message of "repentance and preparing the way of the LORD".

John (Yochanan) was a simple fellow with simple clothes and simple food.

A - Application for today: Ask the question:What does it mean?

Our families and our ancestry is not our salvation. Our salvation comes from TRUE repentance (teshuva) represented in our baptisms (immersions) and in receiving of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) as our example Yehoshua (Jesus) did in verse 16:

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him ...

Ask the question:What does it mean to me? In verse 9 John preaches that we are to bring forth (i.e., to produce, bear, shoot forth, to make, to fashion) fruits of repentance. This word is also used in verse 3 and 10 referring to "making his paths straight" and the trees that are cut down that are not bringing forth good fruit.

If you plant a tomato seed you expect to yield tomatos, right? Simple ... so if you truly planting repentance in your life then you should have some kind of "fruit" (work, act, deed, that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result) of that repentance. We should be changed, right? This word for fruit is the same as the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 starting in verse 22. The Bible also references Fruits of Righteousness which comes through chastening which eventually bring glory and praise to God. The word for fruit here is also defined as "praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering".

Let's talk about repentance for a minute. First the definition "a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done". It involves a turning with contrition from sin to God.

Is there something to thank God for or rejoice in in this passage? Yes ... that a) we can repent and be changed and b) we have an example in Yeshoshua (Jesus) of humbling ourselves. In a message I recently heard the Pastor addressed the issue of acquiring change in our lives and he said it all starts with baptism. Not that the water has the ability to change you, but that by the act of immersing that it represented a cleansing in your life and a new beginning. This is not a new line of thinking. Immersing or as it is called in Hebrew "mikvah" was something that was not just done once on a Sunday evening in a baptismal, it was something that was done on a ritualistic basis for cleansing. Women for instance did it after every monthly cycle to represent she was clean (this is what Bathsheva was doing on her rooftop when King David saw her).

What is the main thing the Lord would have me do as a result of studying this passage? Look for areas in my life that are not yielding the fruit of repentance.

In what ways does the Lord want to change my life? He wants a total change. He wants a heart change, unlike the Pharisees and Saducees coming out in the days of John to do some legalistic act. I give them the benefit of the doubt (although John does not really he addresses them pretty harshly) but perhaps there were some of them who came out truly seeking repentance. For others it was just an act or show or to see what was going on, but hopefully there were some true seekers trying to do things differently than just legalistically following the letter of the law.

Is there a command to obey? Repent and bring forth the fruit of repentance.

P - Prayer:

It's not enough to just say I repent LORD and go on my merry way ... I know that you are the only One who can convict my soul and to bring me to the place of true repentance. I have been in these places before and I know what it feels like to be shown the right way and yes, sometimes it is just a matter of conviction towards obedience. I think down deep I desire true repentance and yet I know there are areas in my life where I am not bringing forth those fruits so I ask you to not give up on me and others with the desire to change an area(s) of their life. Keep drawing us to the straight path, keep "Johns" in our life to preach the message of Repentance so we can hear it until the seeds are planted deeply and watered by time in the WORD alone with you and basking in your Sunlight we can bring forth those fruits that bring you all the praise and all the glory ...

Amen and Amen

... a voice crying in the wilderness ...

... prepare ye the way ...