Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE MISSION OF JESUS
§11.4
derivative from John's we need at least to attempt to clarify John's talk of 'baptizing'
by first setting it into the context of his message.
11.4. John's Message
The high evaluation of John by his contemporaries and in Christian tradition, as
well as the likely influence of John on Jesus, also gives John's preaching an unexpected
importance. It is unlikely that we will uncover and understand Jesus'
preaching adequately unless we take the opportunity to grasp the content and
character of what must have served in one degree or another as the foil for Jesus'
mission.
a. Our Sources for John's Preaching
The tenor of John's message is probably clearest in the Q tradition of Matt. 3.7-
12/Luke 3.7-9, 16-17. 110
Matt. 3.7-12 Luke 3.7-9, 16-17
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and
Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them,
'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of
repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to
yourselves. "We have Abraham as our ancestor";
for I tell you. God is able from these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the
ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire.
11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but
one who is more powerful than I is coming after
me; I am not worthy to carry his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand,
and he will clear his threshing floor and will
gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he
will burn with unquenchable fire'.
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be
baptized by him,
'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of
repentance. Do not begin to say to
yourselves. "We have Abraham as our ancestor";
for I tell you, God is able from these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the
ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire'.
16 ... 'I baptize you with water; but
one who is more powerful than I is coming;
I am not worthy to untie the thong of his
sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand,
to clear his threshing floor and to
gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he
will burn with unquenchable fire'.
The fact that only Q contains this material and attests this emphasis is less
of a problem than it might be. (1) There is an obvious reason why Christian tradition
should ignore or discount the memory of John's preaching of judgment. Ac-
110. As already noted (chapter 4 n. 80, chapter 7 n. 29), this is one of the clearest evidences
of literary interdependence between Matthew and Luke, best explained as each drawing
on a common Greek source, Q.
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