Pride and Put Down – Matthew 3:8-9

 As I was thinking about these Pharisees and Sadducees coming to John, I noticed that their approach was different from the way that they later came to the Lord Jesus. With Christ, it was always adversarial – they came attacking – with arguments and accusations. I realize that was later, and perhaps it wasn’t until John started rebuking them that they realized what mortal enemies they were. But they were vipers – snakes – and John was proving to be a mongoose who delights in killing and eating poisonous snakes. At this point in their relationship, some of those vipers were under conviction and were willing to surrender to their superior enemy.

But John knew the hearts of the majority of that elite religious crowd. He exhorted them to repent, and to give a bit of time to prove that their repentance was genuine. To the unrepentant he attacked again from a different angle – he struck against their pride and pedigree. “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Let’s consider briefly what John was saying.

Abraham.Abraham was a great man of God. There can be no doubt about that, because that is the testimony of both the Old Testament and the New. By the grace of God, Abraham put his trust and worship upon Jehovah, when almost no one in his society did. Then he followed the Lord in obedience and service. His faith is lifted up as one of the highest of all human examples. And later it is said that if anyone is saved from their sin and out from under their idolatry, it is because of the same grace that Abraham received, and because their faith is of the same variety. For that reason some people like to call Abraham “father.”

The Jews had good reason to study, follow and to emulate Abraham. But at the same time, I wonder if they also saw the sins and failures of their great forefather? Did they recognize that in their emulation of Abraham, they might have been following the wrong points?

Whether we directly intend to do so, we often associate ourselves with other people. Yesterday a man, who was looking for a church to join, called me. We passed the first few questions that he had, and things were looking good. But I knew from his attitude that the big question was still coming, and sure enough it did. “Do you believe in Calvinism?” I told him that we believe in sovereign election, but I didn’t answer with the name “John Calvin.” Nevertheless, because of what we believe, that association was made. Similarly, by often quoting Charles Haddon Spurgeon, someone might assume that we are Spurgeonites. And with my frequent references to John Gill, it might be assumed that I accept his every word. It is pretty common that we become identified with other people. But to be a fan of the hockey team which wins the Stanley cup doesn’t make us, personally, winners. And to be a member of the political party which puts our candidate in office doesn’t make us President. These Jews were right to study Abraham, but they needed learn from both his positives and the negatives. And in that they were physical descendants didn’t give them any more advantage than to have no relationship at all.

Only in one very special relationship to one very special Person, is there any real and eternal advantage. And that was what the ministry of John was all about. “The King and his kingdom are coming, repent and prepare. Throw aside all your earlier alliances and relationships; they are meaningless.”

Stones.It wasn’t until I did a little background reading that I realized that there was any question about these stones. I suppose that the differences all depend on the interpreter’s background and on the general direction of his mind. For me, I always pictured John standing on the edge of the river, with stones scattered around, carried there by the spring floods. Then someone suggested that his pulpit was on some sort of beach, made up of small polished stones. I’ve never pictured anything other than John pointing to some of the rocks around him, when he said that “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

But then I read someone who suggested that John was somewhere around Jericho, and that he was pointing to either or both of Israel’s stone memorials. When the nation crossed the Jordan after the Lord dried the riverbed, two cairns of stone were made – one in the river, and the other on the western shore. If John was pointing to those stones, the meaning might have been that God could raise up a new generation of believing Israelites. Just as it was suggested in the days of Moses, the Lord could raise up a new nation, this time out of Abraham, the ancient man of faith. But of course Moses was alive at the time that this thought was first raised, and Abraham was now dead. But of course, nothing is impossible to God. I suppose that this might be the interpretation for the stones from a man who was excessively pro-Israel.

And then on the other hand the excessively pro-Gentile, might take another tack. Some have said that John was pointing to a few heathen who had come to hear him preach. “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” That miracle is undoubtedly a possibility as well, but I really don’t think that is the correct interpretation. John was pointing to some nearby rocks, when he made that statement.

There are two basic Greek words which are translated “stone” or “rock,” and then they have a few variations. The most famous of the four is “petra” – “Thou art Peter (petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The other major Greek word, and the far more common word, is “lithos” (lee’-thos). This is what John uses here, and unfortunately it isn’t able to tell us anything about the intent or meaning of his comment. But I see no reason to think that he was saying anything more than that God is able to turn river rocks into servants and believers.

God and His omnipotence.“God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” How did man originally appear on earth? Did he evolve over a few billion years time? Did God speak him into existence? Didn’t the Lord take some of the dust of the earth – dirt – perhaps with a rocks for to use for brains, and from these things formed the body of Adam? I realize that it’s not the same thing, but John is implying the possibility of a repeated creation.

As a Bible believer, John was not an evolutionist – he was a Creationist. He possessed and believed what the Bible teaches in Genesis 1, about the original creation. John’s God was capable of doing the unthinkable – the impossible – and He still is. Jehovah has not lost a single iota of His strength – His omnipotence. God is able to raise up or remove mountains. He is capable of solving any problem which might arise in our lives. “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

Resurrection.“God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Some form of the words “raise up” or “rise up” are found pretty often the New Testament, and they come from the same basic Greek word with slightly different forms. We read about “raising up” children, such as what a brother might do in the case of an untimely death in the family. Joseph was told to “rise up” and take his family to Egypt. Peter’s mother-in-law “rose up” after her healing, and she served the Lord Jesus.

I’m not going to try to put words in John’s mouth. I don’t know exactly what he was trying to say, and maybe it really isn’t important. But there are several scriptures which use this same word to speak of resurrection. “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.” “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” “Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly.” “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Was John speaking of raising of children to spiritual adulthood? Was he talking about bringing children into the world on behalf of a deceased relative? Or was he talking about bringing life out of death? I suppose that it doesn’t really matter.

What was meant to be a rebuke to the Jews for their pride, eventually became praise to the Lord. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could do the same sort of thing? Wouldn’t the Lord be pleased if we simply praised Him more often and more openly?