Matthew 3:7-10 (NIV): But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, (John the Baptist) said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Much to some modern readers’ surprise, John talked about Jesus first coming in terms of “wrath” and a judgment that was already being prepared (The ax is already at the root of the trees). Many believe and teach that Jesus’ first coming was all about love and mercy, and that it is His second coming that will be about wrath and judgment. But Jesus Himself said, “For judgment I have come into the world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind.” (John 9:39 NIV)
Part of the problem is that when people think of the word “judgment,” they skip ahead to the final judgment before God’s throne. And when they think of “wrath,” they have been conditioned to think in terms of the Revelation judgments, with earthquakes, and plagues, and stars falling from the heavens. But when Jesus came, He came for judgment before He came for sacrifice. His very presence was a means of judging, immediately dividing people into sheep and goats; those whose hearts were bent toward God and His kingdom, and those whose hearts were bent toward themselves and their own interests. And by His presence, He pronounced God’s judgment on both groups. To those whose hearts were bent toward God, He pronounced and delivered His love and His grace, and His hope. But to those who were self-satisfied, who had built citadels of self-righteousness that excluded God Himself, He pronounced judgment and wrath that had already started to fall on them.
There really is no separation between God’s grace and His judgment; between His love and His wrath. They are two sides of the same coin. At every moment, people are placing themselves to receive one side of the coin or the other. And, just as Jesus did then, so He does through God’s people today. By their very presence, and the presence of Jesus in them, they become a means of judging, immediately dividing people into sheep and goats, based on the direction their hearts are bending. And by their very presence, and the presence of Jesus in them, they pronounce God’s judgment on both groups. That is why they tend to be misunderstood, feared, and even persecuted in times when darkness holds the majority in its sway. But God’s people should never lose heart. As long as they are truly in God’s hand, they will not only get to experience His love and His grace for themselves, even in the midst of trouble and persecution, but they will get to be actively involved in the work of Jesus in today’s world.
Father, this definitely puts a different twist on things than I have thought of before. Lord, help me today to so live my life in You, that You can continue the work of Jesus through me. Amen.