Daily Bible Reading 15th April 2026 // Luke 3:7-18
7 He said therefore 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 in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 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 with fire. 17 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.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
One further thing may be said on this subject before we pass on to the next passage. We have said that John's ministry was a spiritual work in its own right, as well as being, in the other sense, a preparatory work, just as Pentecost was two things in one, the inauguration of the New Testament Church and also an outpouring of the Spirit. It is true that we do not have to wait for the Spirit's coming as the first disciples had to; in the nature of the case it is impossible for us to do so, for He is come. And in this sense it would be truer to say that He is waiting for us. But in another sense, we can, should, and must long for the kind of outpouring of the Spirit that signals a time of refreshing for the Church. Who would dispute that this is our crying need today? In this sense, we supplicate His Presence and cry with longing hearts, 'Come, Holy Ghost, Spirit of burning, come'.
Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame,
Send the Fire! Thy blood-bought gift today we claim,
Send the Fire!
Look down and see this waiting host,
Give us the promised Holy Ghost,
We want another Pentecost,
Send the Fire.