John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Why was John the baptist offering baptism in the wilderness. Well the dead see scrolls give us the answer. In john bergsma’s book he explains in great detail why he was doing what he was doing and why it matters. It is believed that John was part of the Essene community. A group of monks that lived celebate lives and they were cloistered from women and all other people. They made many vows to be part of the community, a few are relevant to this reading. First they wore camel hair out side their communities, becuase ishaia said that elijah would herald the coming of the lord, and that is what elijah wore. the essenes believed that the messiah was coming and that they had proclaim this news. Second the essenes to a vow to not eat any food that was prepared outside the community, and so when baptising he would only eat from the land, meaning locusts, and wild honey. So why was he baptising. The essenes believed that the pharisees had corrupted and desecrated the temple, and that they could not longer offer sacrafice, and get forgiveness at the temple, so John was offering a similar service for the holy jews that agreed with him. This is why john called the pharisees vipers when they came out to see what he was doing. Vipers killed there mother, and just like these pharisess were killing the mother church. All of these scenes make so much sense when you know that context of what is going on, and that is the point of bible study to find your way to the true meaning of its teachings.

Oh lord, help me today in my studies to find the true meaning of your word, so that I can share it with others.