Snakes

 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Luke 3:7 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.3.7.ESV

Talk about how to lose friends and alienate people! Crowds flocked to be baptised by John, and this was his response. Nowadays, in the West at least, if even an individual asks for baptism, church leaders rejoice!

So why the frosty reception from Christ's forerunner? He knew the people's hearts. He knew they were fickle, jumping on the latest bandwagon.

The common understanding of the Messiah at the time was of someone to kick out the Roman occupiers. It seems even John himself bought this lie when he became disillusioned with Jesus himself from Herod's prison. Yet his warning of wrath to come was prophetic not just of hell, but of Roman destruction of Palestine around forty years later.

Hell is real, and we will go there unless we are reconciled to God. Being sprinkled with or dunked in water isn't going to wash away our sins. We need the blood of Jesus to do that.

'Lord our God, thank You for the honesty and forthrightness of the likes of John the Baptist to warn us of the wrath to come. Please deliver us, in Christ's name we pray, amen'

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