Day 3: Matthew 3
The reading plan for the third day closes with Matthew 3, an introduction to John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus.
The reason being that repentance would earn salvation.
A warning, not condemnation
It really is strange how reading is different from listening. I feel like by this point I've heard many times the words that John spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees when they came to his baptism. Every time I heard those words in the audio track, I always thought they sounded like condemnation of the "brood of vipers".
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7 ESV)
Every time I heard the passage in the past, I thought that John was essentially telling the Pharisees and Sadducees that they're damned and that they would be excluded from the all-encompassing salvation and forgiveness that would be the gift of Jesus.
But this time, I noticed that John's words were not condemnation, but rather a warning and a call for repentance. Because immediately after the opening question to the "brood of vipers", John delivers a warning.
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8 ESV)
The reason being that repentance would earn salvation.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:10 ESV)