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<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman">In Jesus’
parable, the rich man is tormented in Hades (Luke </FONT><FONT color=#000000
size=4 face="Times New Roman">16:19-31). Likewise in his warnings to the
unrepentant cities, </FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=4
face="Times New Roman">Hades is not a place for all of the dead, but only for
those </FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman">who do evil (Luke
10:13-15; Matthew 11:20-24).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman"><A
href="http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/HeavenHellstudyguide4.pdf">http://www.baylor.edu/christianethics/HeavenHellstudyguide4.pdf</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman">Robert B.
Kruschwitz, 2002</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman">- - - -
-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman">A further
theme in this passage is the presentation of John's humility, knowing there
would be the One who comes after him whom he knows he is not even worthy of
being the household servant of (the task of unlacing the sandals was left to the
household slave). Notice, as well, the contrast between John's baptism and that
of Jesus' in verse 11. So far as we know, Jesus never baptized anyone (see the
clarification in John 4:1-2), though even his earliest disciples, perhaps
especially those who had previously followed John, did. Jesus, according to
John, would baptize people with the far more potent and life changing Holy
Spirit. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=4><FONT
color=#000000><FONT color=#000000 size=4
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT color=#000000 size=4 face="Times New Roman"><A
href="http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=12/5/2010">http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=12/5/2010</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=4><FONT
color=#000000><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=4><FONT
color=#000000><FONT color=#000000 size=4
face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><FONT color=#000000 face="Times New Roman">
<DIV><FONT size=4>Ben Witherington</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Let’s all just admit it: nobody likes prophets. We pastors try
to be reasonable about this by explaining that it’s hard when someone shoves our
bad choices in our faces — even though it’s probably good for us. Sometimes,
this is true. But let’s be honest. We don’t like prophets because they are
</FONT><A
href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jco/lowres/jcon2602l.jpg"
target=_self jQuery1291517389937="2"><FONT color=#2b2b2b
size=4>jerks</FONT></A><FONT size=4>. They are horribly pessimistic. They have
the remarkable ability to be simultaneously pompous <EM>and</EM> whiny, which is
an ungodly level of annoying. And they are almost always RUDE. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://thehardestquestion.org/yeara/advent2gospel/"><FONT
size=4>http://thehardestquestion.org/yeara/advent2gospel/</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Danielle Shroyer, 2010</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>How does John know what they're thinking? "Do not presume to
say to yourselves . . ." He has an insight into their hearts and the fact that
they are complying outwardly but inwardly their hearts are not repentant. He
believes that their sense of entitlement has soured the core of their religion.
He contrasts what they do (flee from the wrath to come, 3:7) with what they
should do (bear fruit that befits repentance, 3:8). They are motivated by a fear
of punishment rather than by a desire to turn toward God and love their
neighbor. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Fear-of-Punishment.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Fear-of-Punishment.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Alyce McKenzie</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>A winnowing fork is used to separate the wheat from the chaff.
A winnowing shovel is what you use on wheat and chaff that have already been
separated to clear the threshing floor, putting the wheat into the granary to be
stored and the chaff into the fire to be destroyed. John says that the one
coming after him will come with a shovel to clear the threshing floor.
That brings a different dimension to John's saying that the coming one will
baptize with "the Holy Spirit and with fire": those who receive John's baptism
get to be wheat, and will receive the Holy Spirit, while those who don't receive
John's baptism, regardless of who their parents or children are, are chaff, and
will be destroyed in fire. And the agent of this terrible judgment, John teaches
in the gospels, is Jesus.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2004/11/second_sunday_o.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2004/11/second_sunday_o.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Sarah Dylan Breuer<BR>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The rituals and rites of baptism must have their origins
“somewhere,” and “the somewhere” seems to be the Dead Scroll community of
Qumran. From this community, we have recovered the Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts
and the stories about the Teacher of Light and other ancient Jewish
manuscripts. From the community, we also received the idea and practice of
baptism. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>For the Qumran community and for John the Baptist, baptism was
being washed and purified in water. In Qumran, the community practiced daily
baptismal or washing rituals as symbolic of internal cleaning. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_john_the_baptistGA.htm">http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_john_the_baptistGA.htm</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Edward F. Markquart</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">With verse 7, Matthew switches from Mark to Q as
his primary source. Luke is word-for-word the same, except that, in Luke,
John addresses "the multitudes," while in Matthew, John addresses the "Pharisees
and Sadducees." In Luke, John's "shape up" message is for everybody.
In Matthew, it's focused on the religious leadership. </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2010/11/lectionary-blogging-matthew-3-1-12.html">http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2010/11/lectionary-blogging-matthew-3-1-12.html</A></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>John Petty</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - -
-</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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