3 And he went into all the country round about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance (of hearty amending of their ways, with abhorrence of past wrongdoing) unto the forgiveness of sin.
He is not preaching a gospel of forgiveness of sins, rather he is preaching a gospel of repentance that will lead to the forgiveness of sins. If you are left behind you will definitely have to focus on repentance before anything else.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert]: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten paths straight.
During the tribulation the genuine believers will be “in the wilderness”. They will only have a short time, around 3 years, so John is going to be “making their paths straight”.
5 Every valley and ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be leveled; and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough roads shall be made smooth;
This is what organized Christianity has become. There are crooked places, there are those who have a puffed up opinion of themselves and will be leveled, there are some churches that are a deep ditch, that will need to be filled in. And in general all of their roads are “rough roads”. The narrow way that leads to life, they didn’t find it, so it has become a rough road.
6 And all mankind shall see (behold and [c]understand and at last acknowledge) the salvation of God (the deliverance from eternal death [d]decreed by God).
This is the point. Suppose all the believers had been raptured right up front, the unbelievers and the rest of mankind would not have seen anything. But now they will see the rapture, and they will hear the witnesses, and who knows what the mercy of God will do.
7 So he said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You offspring of vipers! Who [e]secretly warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
We were born in sin, our flesh is sinful, and in our tongue we have poison. All of that will be on display immediately after the rapture. Those that go to the Witnesses will know that there is a coming wrath. The same one who warned them of that also told them to watch for the Lord’s coming and also told them what they should be doing while He was away.
8 Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with [your] repentance [that is, [f]conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin]. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham.
Can you believe this? The flesh is deceitfully wicked, who can know it? You were in a church perhaps Thyatira or Sardis, where Satan’s throne was, you thought you were all high and mighty and then the rapture takes place. Now the synagogue of Satan comes and realizes that God was with Philadelphia, a church with a little strength. That is a really massive rebuke, you would think there is no way I boast again. No, tail between my legs I go to the very end of the table, ashamed. Yet John realizes that in a short order they will begin to say to themselves again “We have Abraham as our father”. Abraham had two sons, one of the flesh and one of faith. You
need faith to be pleasing to God.
9 Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. This is what will be taking place during the tribulation, not only will the angels be gathering the wheat into the barn, they will also be taking up the tares and tossing them into the fire. 10 And the multitudes asked him, Then what shall we do?
Exactly, what is someone who is left behind supposed to do?
11 And he replied to them, He who has two tunics (undergarments), let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do it the same way.
The tribulation will be a very tough time, yet that is an opportunity. If everyone learns to be one and care for each other with brotherly love, they can make it through.
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?
The tax collectors work for the imperial power. There is a very big difference between the holy people of God and the Roman empire. Perhaps the Roman empire despised many NT teachings as being “prejudicial”. Perhaps they legalized abortion and all kinds of lasciviousness. Now what are you supposed to do if you are working for the government?
13 And he said to them, Exact and collect no more than the fixed amount appointed you.
Be a testimony of the Lord and do not be conformed to this evil age.
14 Those serving as soldiers also asked him, And we, what shall we do? And he replied to them, Never demand or enforce [g]by terrifying people or by accusing wrongfully, and always be satisfied with your rations (supplies) and with your allowance (wages). 15 As the people were in suspense and waiting expectantly, and everybody reasoned and questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he perhaps might be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 16 John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
We need to be immersed. Immersed in the word, immersed in the fellowship, immersed in the move of God. Ultimately you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit with the Holy fire of God.
17 His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.
The tribulation will be a time of winnowing. You take the pitchfork and throw a shovel full of the wheat into the air and the wind blows the chaff away while the grains of wheat fall straight back down. Some people are light weights in their faith, easily to be blown about by every wind. You need to repent of that. How? Immerse yourself in the
word, in prayer, in fellowship.
