[Jessica Jagerson]

MATTHEW 3 – SPIRITUAL FRUIT

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Matthew 3:7

Israel was a blessed nation and shared an extraordinary relationship with the Jewish people and in doing so, the nation of Israel became a blessed country. God’s love would be demonstrated by providing Israel the Torah, the law of God.

This Law would disclose God’s expectations, a manner to live, as well as provide many prophecies that would eventually unfold before the nation of Israel. In return for obedience to God’s law, the Lord would ascribe righteousness and blessings to them.

Although God was patient and gracious, the Hebrew people would eventually depart from the law of God and would begin to depend on their righteousness. Paul would painfully say that although the Hebrew people had a zeal for God, they did not have it according to God’s way. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness” went about “to establish their righteousness” while “not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Sadly, The result was “spoiled fruit”.

CHALLENGE

Sadly, self-righteousness and independence from God, continue to be the trend in many religious circles. The disciple Matthew warns us that unbridled self-righteousness eventually leads to spiritual calamity. Only true dependence on God and repentance in Jesus Christ leads to the fruits of eternal salvation.

[Teisha Nolen]

Matthew’s warning is sobering. Heritage, religious status—even growing up in church—are no substitute for repentance. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to baptism with pride, but were called a “generation of vipers.” God desires transformation, not tradition. Over time, zeal for God can quietly morph into self-righteousness. It’s a slippery slope.
Pursuing righteousness isn’t wrong—but doing so apart from God’s grace is futile. True spiritual fruit comes from surrender, not self-effort. We have to ask: are we bearing fruit that reflects repentance and dependence on Christ, or are we clinging to credentials and control?
I’ve been there. As a worship leader, it was easy to point to ministry as fruit. But when I leaned on planning and performance, things fell flat. Only when my heart was surrendered did the work bear Kingdom impact. Anything done in my own strength? Just glorified entertainment

[Misty Stewart]

Matthew 3 presents a sobering call to examine the authenticity of our spiritual lives. When John the Baptist confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees, he exposes the danger of relying on religious heritage and outward appearances rather than genuine repentance. His warning “bring forth fruits meet for repentance” reminds us that true faith is not inherited or performed but lived out through transformed character and obedience to God. Israel, though richly blessed with the law and promises of God, drifted into self-righteousness, trusting in their lineage and rituals rather than submitting to God’s righteousness. Paul later echoes this concern, lamenting that zeal without submission leads to spiritual ruin. The metaphor of fruit is powerful: just as a tree is judged by its produce, so are we known by the evidence of our repentance and dependence on Christ. Today, this challenge remains urgent. Religious activity without heart change is hollow. The fruit God desires humility, love, obedience, and faith can only grow from a life rooted in Him. Let us not settle for spoiled fruit born of pride, but seek the Spirit’s work in us, producing fruit that reflects true repentance and leads to eternal life.

[Carlos Martes]

Pursuing righteousness from God indeed would lead to spiritual calamity. It is written that in the Bible, it warns us against this mindset because human righteousness alone is like filthy rags. We see this in the world currently where it is displayed and then leads to comparing others and setting pride in the center of it. This attitude can lead to spiritual blindless, like the pharisees who trusted in their own law keeping instead of seeking mercy. True righteousness comes from only through faith in Christ alone. We have to remind ourselves that it’s not about what we do, but what Jesus did for us on the cross. Entrusting in him constantly can help us from falling into self righteousness and helps us walk in genuine love and dependance on Him.

[Trae Johnson]

Matthew 3 really struck a chord with me because I myself have wrestled with periods of self-righteousness, periods when I felt like I was “doing enough” to please God by my own efforts. As the Pharisees and Sadducees, I have sometimes comforted myself by measuring myself against others instead of checking myself within. But God has a way of humbling us and reminding us that fruit that is good does not come from the work of humans, but from a heart that repents and trusts completely in Him.

I have found that when I stop trying to control and really let go in surrender to Christ, then true transformation is possible. Fruit in my life, patience, humility, and compassion, only emerge when I am planted in God and not pride or habit. This verse reminds me daily that true faith is not being seen as righteous; it is God working from the inside out to shape me.

[Derrick Adams]

Matthew 3 reminds me that real repentance shows up as real fruit. It’s not about my background, my church label, or trying to look righteous. John’s warning is direct. God wants a changed heart that leads to changed habits: honesty, humility, mercy, and obedience.
The challenge hits home too: self-reliance spoils the fruit. I don’t need to prove myself; I need to depend on Jesus. Today I want to keep a soft, repentant heart and let the Spirit grow visible fruit in my life.

[Mjulius513]

Matthew 3 reminds us that true faith shows through our actions and hearts, not just our words or background. John the Baptist challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance,” meaning that real repentance must produce visible change. From a Sabbath day view, this passage calls us to pause and reflect on our spiritual condition. Just as the Sabbath is a time for rest and renewal, it is also a time to examine whether our lives show the good fruit of obedience and humility before God. We should not depend on tradition or self-righteousness but on a living relationship with Jesus Christ. God desires hearts that turn toward Him, bearing fruit through love, kindness, and faithnfulness. As we keep the Sabbath, we can renew our commitment to walk in repentance and allow the Holy Spirit to grow in us the fruits that honor God and bless others.

[Addison West]

This passage really reminds me about the difference between just being religious and truly following God. When John the Baptist spoke in Matthew 3, he called out the Pharisees and Sadducees because they were proud and thought that being descendants of Abraham made them right with God. John made it clear that God doesn’t care about titles or family lines, He cares about what’s in our hearts and whether our actions show true repentance.

The example of the tree and its fruit shows that God expects His people to live in a way that produces good fruit. That means showing kindness, love, and obedience that come from a real relationship with Him. If I try to depend on my good works or think I’m righteous on my own, my “fruit” becomes spoiled, just like what happened with Israel.

This challenges me to look at my own life and ask if I’m producing the kind of fruit God wants. It’s easy to act like I have it all together or to think going to church or doing good things makes me right with God. But real righteousness only comes from trusting Jesus and letting Him change me from the inside out. When I rely on Him and turn away from my sins, my life begins to show true spiritual fruit that honors God and helps others see His love through me.

[Willy Vazquez]

This passage tells us that not relying on God and being self righteous can be dangerous. Matthew tells us that self righteousness can lead to “spoiled fruit” and this means that their faith is not genuine and lacks actual repentance. It is a good warning that we must keep our faith in God and our repentance in Jesus. God blessed Israel but some were unable to see that and took it for granted or for personal gain. This would also lead to more spoiled fruit. I feel a lot of people do the same thing. They use people’s faith in God to take advantage of other or some people just go through the motions with no real belief in The Word of Godor the resurrection. I myself was a said person raised catholic only going through the motions because it was something my parents wanted. Now was an adult I wanted to explore religion and see what it entailed not by my parents influence but of my own volition.

[Isabelle Tubbs]

God first established the Law with the Israelites as a way to let them know what is the right thing to do and what is wrong to do. However, like the Pharisees in Matthew 3, it can seem like the way to be righteous is to follow the Law as well as other regulations to be righteous. Although seeking righteousness is a wonderful thing, doing it in a legalistic way like this is not what being righteous means. God created human beings to be in a relationship with Him, not just to say the right things and go through certain motions. He longs to be with us and loves us, and He gives us commands in His Word out of love. As a result, He wants us to pursue righteousness but from a motive of receiving something back from God but rather from a relationship with Him. To truly live more like Jesus, we need God’s help and guidance. We can only receive His help with this if we come to Him sincerely and ask for His help in living more like Jesus in relationship with Him. I am grateful that God is willing to help and be patient through this process and that He continues to show love.

[Caleb Kiser]

Matthew 3 reminds us that real faith shows up in how we live. When John the Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming, he called out their fake religion and warned that claiming Abraham as their ancestor wasn’t enough. God wanted repentance, not rituals. He wanted hearts that were changed, not just people who looked the part. The image of the axe at the root is a clear warning about what happens when our lives stop producing good fruit. Like Israel, we can easily rely on our own goodness instead of God’s grace. True repentance means turning from self-reliance and letting the Holy Spirit bring real change. Spiritual fruit like love, humility, and obedience naturally grow from a heart surrendered to Jesus. The message is simple: don’t just act like a believer, live like one.

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