Matthew 3:10

“And even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

For he wants them to be clear about the fact that his baptism in itself is no protection against the axe of God, nor is their descent from Abraham. The only way of escape is by fruitfulness, by the evidence of changed hearts and lives (resulting from the pouring out (drenching) of the Spirit - Matthew 3:15). So they need to recognise that God's axe is ready to start work (see Isaiah 10:33; and note Jeremiah 46:22, where however the emphasis is more like Matthew 3:7), and that He is ready to start cutting at the root of all the trees which do not produce good fruit (compare Matthew 13:7). And once He has cut them down He will cast them into the fire. Fire is a favourite description of judgment throughout Scripture (compare Matthew 7:19; Matthew 13:30; Matthew 13:42; Matthew 18:8; Matthew 22:7; Matthew 25:41; John 15:6; Amos 2:5; Amos 5:6; and often in the Old Testament). Its searing heat destroys until nothing is left. Thus it is necessary for them to be totally genuine towards God if they are to escape His judgment.

Being put ‘to the root of the trees' may indicate the marking of a tree for cutting down, for normally the cutting down would occur above the roots. On the other hand, John may have deliberately been speaking of the roots in order to demonstrate that they would be destroyed from their very roots. Alternately the term for ‘axe' may indicate a wedge put in place at the base of the tree ready to be driven in so as to bring the tree crashing down.

‘At the root of the trees.' Compare Isaiah 5:24. He may especially have in mind here that ‘the Pharisees and Sadducees' are to be included (they would have agreed wholeheartedly about the common people not bearing sufficient fruit), as the root from whom Israel should have been receiving its life, but who only ministered death to them, because they were barren themselves. Thus it may be that John wants them to know that God's axe will also be levelled at them, and that unless they do repent God will bring them crashing down because of His holiness.

‘Hewn down and cast into the fire.' Such trees have only one use, to be burned for cooking purposes, and thus turned to ashes. It may, however, be that John has in mind an even bigger bonfire. He may have been thinking in terms of Isaiah 66:24. Compare Ezekiel 5:4.

Compare here Jesus' words in Matthew 7:19. This whole picture built up by John is in Jesus' mind there. He had probably heard this constant message of John and demonstrates that He wholeheartedly approved of it, and concurs with it. In fact Matthew deliberately parallels his summaries of John's teaching with that of Jesus in this way. See also Matthew 3:2 with Matthew 4:17. It is his way of indicating that they have brought the same message, and that Jesus is continuing what John had commenced. But he has no doubt that in the end the difference between them is a large one, for he make clear that while John was the Herald, Jesus is the fulfilment. Both brought the good news about the Kingly Rule of Heaven, but only Jesus is the King in Whom that Kingly Rule is physically manifested. John is still a part of ‘the Law and the Prophets' (Matthew 11:13). He is the Elijah who was to precede the Lord's coming (Matthew 11:14).

It will be noted that this verse is paralleled in the chiasmus to the passage (see above) with John's being in the wilderness of Judaea. Here the thought is of trees that are barren and fruitless, just like trees in the wilderness. It is this latter condition in ‘the wilderness which is Judaea' which John is seeking to put right and bring back into fruitfulness (compare Isaiah 5:1 with Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 27:1; see Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 2:17; Jeremiah 2:21; Jeremiah 11:16).