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7 When he saw that many Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Bear good fruit as evidence of your repentance. 9 And do not dare say to yourself, ‘We have Abraham as an ancestor,’ for I tell you that God can make descendants for Abraham from these stones! 10 The axe already lies at the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire! 11 I am baptizing you with water as a symbol of repentance, but someone one is coming after me who is far greater than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 The pitchfork is in his hand to clear the threshing floor. He will gather his wheat in his barn, but the chaff he will burn in unending fire.”

Comments

The Sadducees and Pharisees were first century Jewish sects. The Sadducees (whose name means “followers of Zadok,” i.e. the high priest in David’s court) were an association of conservative Temple priests, Jerusalem aristocrats, and their allies. They only accepted the Torah as canonical, and did not believe in any form of resurrection or afterlife. Pursuing a policy of collaboration and accommodation with the Romans to preserve their own status, they looked with suspicion on any popular or revolutionary movements. They were not looking for a Messiah. The current status quo already worked rather well for them.

The Pharisees were a religious movement focused on encouraging ordinary Jews to live lives of holiness. They accepted not only the Torah, but also the Prophets and the Writings (basically what a Christian would think of as the OT) as canonical, and also looked to extra-biblical traditions for guidance. They did believe in and look forward to a resurrection and an afterlife. They were known for being moral, but also had the reputation of being rigid and judgmental. Their name, which means “separate ones,” alluded to their tendency of holding themselves aloof from anything and anyone they deemed as sinful.

The Sadducees and Pharisees were not only religious movements, but also political parties of sorts, and competed for control of the Sanhedrin, the governing council in Jerusalem. John is unimpressed with both groups. Their games and power plays are irrelevant in light of the coming Messiah, and their Abrahamic descent will be of no help unless they reform their lives.