Matthew 3

In verse 10 John the Baptist says "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 in to the fire."

John certainly has a way with words. Makes me glad that I'm not a tree.

Except, according to John I am a tree. We are all trees. This is a warning to us, that we must live good lives and produce good fruit.

Or else.

The good news is that we don't proclaim the gospel of John the Baptist. Instead we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John's message is one of following the rules. He has an important message, the same message we preach when we proclaim the law. We are called to point out sin... Our sins and the sins of another.

But it is Jesus' message that transform lives. That is the message of radical forgiveness.

Our fruit is not always good. But our lives are not dependent on our own tree. They are dependent on Jesus' tree.

And he has the best fruit the world has ever tasted.