3:17
There is a dual purpose in Christ’s coming, and this verse would seem to apply more to the second coming than the first (though there is application there). Jesus will gather the wheat into the barn, and the chaff will be thrown onto the fire. Any notion of “gentle Jesus meek and mild” finds precious little support in the Bible! There is a serious element of judgement in Christ’s mission. Nor can these words be put down to John the Baptist somehow being out of step with Jesus. It was Jesus who told the parable of the sheep and the goats, where there is an equally sharp separation. Moreover, this is entirely consistent with the whole of Jesus’ teaching.
3:18-20
The words we have here are just a small sample of John’s teaching and preaching. He exhorted the people to repent and look to the Messiah. Note that Luke says John “proclaimed the good news”. This is the same Luke who gives us the gospel of Jesus and who wrote the book of Acts. Judgement and warnings have an important part to play in evangelism, and anyone who says otherwise is at odds with the Bible.
However, preaching the truth is a dangerous business for the world does not like the truth that much. John was consistent in his message. He preached the same message to the rich and powerful as he preached to the common people. Herod had married his brother’s wife, along with many other evil things, and John told him he had sinned. Herod’s response was not to repent, but to lock John up. He wanted to silence the truth, though this would not change the truth.
In the same way, the world wants to shut the church up when it speaks the truth on homosexuality and gender. The truth remains the same. Sadly, the church often speaks a load of rubbish.
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