Matthew 03:07-08, 12:24, 33, 43-45 Bear Fruit – a Poem by Jesus and John the Baptist

In Matthew 3:7-8 John tells the Pharisees to bear fruit. John makes a pun on the term “Pharisees” and “bearing fruit.” Jesus uses the same pun in Matthew 12:24, 33 and 21:43-45. In Matthew 21:43-45 (The Olivet Discourse), the Pharisees inability to bear fruit has consequences for the entire nation similar to Matthew 24:12-32.

“Pharisees” הפרושים
“Bear Fruit” פרי עשו

3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees {“Pharisees” (הפרושים)} and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit {“Bear Fruit” (פרי עשו)} worthy of repentance. 9 And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’

12:24 But when the Pharisees {“Pharisees” (הפרושים)} heard this they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” 12:33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good {“Produce the Fruit” (פרי עשו)}; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

21: 43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits {“Bearing Fruit” (פרי עשו)} of it. 44 [And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls, it will crush him.]” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees {“Pharisees” (פרושים)} heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. [Matthew 3:7-9, 12:24, 12:33, 21:43-45 The Passion: The Poetry of God]

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

http://youtu.be/ZY7woHrLTgU