Matthew 3:7-10

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

⁷ But when he saw many of _s the Pharisees and _t Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, _u "You brood of _v vipers! Who warned you to flee from _w the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit _x in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, _y 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from _z these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. _a Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

1. Cross References
   Matthew 23:13
   But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
   Matthew 23:15
   Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
   
2. Cross References
   Matthew 22:23
   The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question.
   
3. Cross References
   Matthew 12:34
   You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
   Matthew 23:33
   You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
   
4. Cross References
   Psalms 140:3
   They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
   
5. Cross References
   Romans 5:9
   Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
   Ephesians 5:6
   Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
   Colossians 3:6
   On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
   1 Thessalonians 1:10
   And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
   
6. Cross References
   Acts 26:20
   But declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
   
7. Cross References
   John 8:39
   They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.
   
8. Cross References
   Matthew 4:3
   And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.
   
9. Cross References
   Matthew 7:19
   Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
   Luke 13:7
   And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?
   Luke 13:9
   Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'
   John 15:2
   Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
   John 15:6
   If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.