And do not try to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you that God is able even from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
In these words John the Baptist sharply rejects the idea of salvation determined by kinship or ancestry. The Pharisees and Sadducees took pride in their lineage, thinking that being Abraham’s descendants was enough before God. John reminds them that what has value before God is not ancestry, but faith and righteousness. The statement, “God is able even from these stones to raise up sons for Abraham,” shows His boundless power: if people do not believe, God can form His people even from lifeless objects. Thus, salvation is not a hereditary right, but grace given to those who, by faith and deeds, prove their adoption.