It didn’t seem like good news. Well, it sort of did.

The people of Israel were always on the edge of their seat hoping for Messiah. When John the Baptist came preaching such a strong message and people were turning to the Lord, the crowds were whispering.

Maybe this one is the Messiah?

John quickly corrected them.

 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,  John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.

John made it clear. He was not the Messiah. But the Messiah was indeed coming. And his glory would be such that John did not even deserve to be his slave.

He went on.

While John baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins, the Christ would baptize with the Holy and fire. That the Messiah would separate those who were his and those who were not. The wheat would lovingly an joyously be gathered into his barn. But that which was not wheat would be thrown into the fire and burned.

This was the good news.

?

Good news?

It’s good news depending on whether or not you were wheat or chaff. If you are wheat, it could not be more joyous. But if you were chaff, bad things are coming. Considering this was all in the context of repentance, and some claimed faith but had not repentance, those people may want to listen up.

To be on the side of God is joyful. But to be his enemy?

Nothing could be worse.