Trees. Fruit, Axes and Fire – Matthew 3:5-10

 Here is something to keep in mind in regard to John the Baptist – despite the way that he might have appeared to these Pharisees and Sadducees, he really did have their best interests in mind. But unlike the Sadducean priests of the 21^st century, he didn’t cater to their whims and peccadillos. He didn’t sing their kind of music in order to entice them to his brush arbor chapel. He didn’t pat them on the back, telling them that their sins were small and tolerable. He didn’t bribe them to come to the house of God with give-aways, gifts and games. And he didn’t white-wash his message so as not to offend them. “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” The thing which set John apart from his hearers, and from so many modern evangelists, was that he made sure that the Lord was lifted higher than the people that he was trying to win. The potential convert was not more important than Jehovah. The Pharisees’ feelings were never more important than the truth. The holiness of God was never compromised. The message of God was never camouflaged or concealed. If that made his hearers bleed a bit – fine – because a wounded man may actually turn to the Physician. Even verse 10 was uttered in order to meet needs in the people to whom he was preaching.

And this morning I’d like us to examine what it was that John said in this verse. There is absolutely no reason to think of this as an outdated, useless, first-century sermon. It is not parochial or provincial, restricted to a very narrow group of people or to a narrow period of time. In fact, we are nearer to the day of clear-cutting than we have ever been before. And today the divine Logger has laid aside His axe, picking up a far more effective chain-saw.

What is it that John says in this verse?

First, he condemns their foolish imaginations.“Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father…” As I said last Wednesday, Abraham was a great man, but he was not God, and he was not the Saviour. Abraham was in need of a Saviour, just as these, who claimed descendance from him, needed a Saviour.

Rather than review that point, let’s think about John’s reference to “thinking within themselves.” We might call what they were doing “using their imaginations.” The word “imagine” and all its variations is surprisingly common in the Bible. And even though it is not used here in verse 10, we can see that this is the meaning. One of the Greek words translated “imagination” is “dialogismos” (dee-al-og-is-mos’) – to have a dialog with one’s self. “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father…”

As I say, the Bible speaks of the human imagination quite frequently. And usually the scriptures put it an evil context. For example, before the flood, “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Then after the flood and Noah’s sacrifice, “the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” Then at the Tower of Babel, “the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” It’s not that the imagination cannot be used in beneficial many ways. The artist, the scientist, or the writer may use their imaginations to climb out of the box or to expand the envelope. And we love to watch a child with a imagination, going beyond the little person he or she was yesterday.

But here is the thing – the imagination is not limited to anything – to reality, knowledge, experience – or truth. Someone once wrote; “He who has imagination without learning has wings, but no feet.” We might say that he who has imagination, but who refuses to acknowledge truth, has wings but no root. And this is what the Lord was condemning in those verses which we just read – and others – like Psalm 2. “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

When the ancient Pharisees or the more modern Pharisees and Sadducees, cast aside the Word of God and let their imaginations run free, their religions become humanized or “demonized.” Think not to say within yourselves, we will be saved by hanging on to the coat-tails of Abraham. Think not to say that we will wash away our sins by being baptized. Think not to say within yourselves that your little acts of goodness somehow remove your wickedness. Think not to say that church membership, communion and tithing turns God’s wrath into blessing. “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father…” Make sure that your imaginations have their roots in the truth of the scriptures. As the Lord declared in Jeremiah, “This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them … is good for nothing.”

No matter how strong their imaginations might have been – the axe is now laid unto the root of the trees.Is there any special significance in the word “laid” – “laid unto the root of the trees?” When he begins to chop, does axeman “lay” the axe to the tree, or is some other word more appropriate? The Greek word usually means exactly what you’d expect – “to put something down.” For example, in Luke 2 we find this same word in a different form. “This shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” But in the same chapter the word takes on a different meaning and the one used here in Matthew. “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is SET for the fall and rising again of many in Israel…” The word “set” is the same word which we find translated “laid” to the root of the trees. And perhaps the meaning of that Greek word is even clearer in I Thessalonians 3 – “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.” In this verse “appointed” is the same Greek word as “laid” here in Matthew 3.

John was telling those Pharisees that the axe, or saw, which would be used to clear-cut the forest, has been sharpened; it has been tuned-up; honed to perfection; and it is resting next to the first tree – ready to go. That axe wasn’t meant to trim a few branches, to thin the forest or clear the underbrush. That axe was meant for real business – it’s ultimate business.

Removing the allegory and symbolism – judgment is ready; it’s on the horizon. God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” The Lord has appointed a day for judgment – the axe is laid to the root of the trees.

Did you notice the difference between “trees” and “tree“?The whole forest is coming down, every cedar, every pine, and every aspen will be coming down. The number of rings won’t make a difference, or if there are the scars from fires, or the burrows of beatles. Every tree in the forest will be judged. “It is appointed unto every man, (woman and child) once to die and after this the judgment.” “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

But again, notice the difference between “trees” and “tree.” The entire forest shall be brought down and raised again to stand before the Creator/Judge. But every tree will be judged individually. “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

Let’s say that an island rises up out of the Pacific Ocean – for whatever reason. And let’s imagine that a single seed is carried on the wind and dropped onto that island. Let’s call that seed “Abraham,” and from that single seed, over time, the island is populated by trees. A hundred years later every tree is it’s own entity, despite it’s origin in Abraham. If some young tree produces bad fruit, it’s not Abraham’s fault, it is its own.

And please notice that the tree is judged by its fruit.“Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Matthew 7 – “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Isn’t one of the Lord Jesus’ greatest compliments towards John his frequent reiteration of his lessons and illustration?

Matthew 12 – “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

Luke 13 – “He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

Here is part of the confusion that the imagination of some people creates – Some have the idea that if they produce enough good fruit, the divine Grocer will forgive them for all the evil fruit of the past. But a careful examination of these scriptures reveals that fruit is nothing more than an expression of the nature of the tree. “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” The problem with John’s Pharisees and Sadducees was not their fruit, even though it was bad. The problem was that the hearts of these men were corrupt, and that is why their fruit was rotten. “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Psalm 2 applies as much to these Jews as they applied it to the Romans and the Greeks around them. “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Remember John’s primary message? “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Idumean kings, the Saduccean priests, and the Pharisaic legalizers were raging and imagining their own kingdoms, their own religions and their own kind of salvation from sin. When the King of the Kingdom came along, they all shouted in unison, “Away with him, crucify, crucify him. We will not have this man to reign over us.” “Let us break asunder the bands of Jehovah and His Messiah and cast them away.”

But that cannot be done; that is nothing more than an unbiblical, unfounded imagination talking. There is judgment coming, and all the rebels in the Lord’s kingdom shall be cut down and judged. And what follows that judgment?

And with that we come to the fire.“The axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

One area of scriptures where the Sadducees, whether ancient or modern, love to argue is “judgment.” The nature of man, the nature of the sinner, shudders at the thought of judgment, so this is a place where the imagination really loves to dabble. And one way to eliminate the obvious is to shout the words “allegory,” “parable, “fiction” and “symbolism.” For example this reference to “fire,” is obviously an allegory, an illustration of something else. After all, aren’t the references to “trees,” and “axes” just illusions and symbols? Sure they are – but the question is – what do they represent?

When it comes to the word “fire” we are not confined to what John tells us – for its fullest meaning. Often the Lord Jesus warned of “hell fire,” and the meaning couldn’t possibly be anything but literal. In Matthew 13 as Christ was interpreting one of His own parables – He was explaining the meaning of His illustration he said, “So shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” He spoke about “eternal fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Paul spoke about God’s judgment in specific terms, saying that the Lord Jesus shall come, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then there are the unmistakable words of the Book of Revelation. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Despite what someone might assume from Matthew 3, the Bible is quite clear in other scriptures that the fire in these verses will not consume and destroy the wicked, but that it will burn upon the wicked for eternity. Don’t let your imagination make you think that the scriptures say what they don’t say. Scriptures like Matthew 25:46 clearly teach that the unrepentant and unbelieving “shall go away into everlasting punishment…”

Please remember how it was that we first began this message. Remember that John was telling these people these things, even in this harsh and undisguised way, because he wanted to help them. They needed the divine Saviour who was following on the heels of John’s ministry. They needed to repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven was then at hand. And it is still here today, and so is the King. The Pharisees and Sadducees of the 21^st century also need the Saviour We need to repent just as much as they did 2,000 and 10,000 years ago.

How about you? Are you living in faith and repentance before the King of king and Lord of Lords? “Ye must be born again” or the axe will do its ultimate work upon you.