Luke 3:1-6

​1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” 

 

Vs 1 - 2 - … in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee… Philip tetrarch of Iturea… Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests…

 

Luke was really precise in noting down the names and positions of these people. The names mentioned here correspond with historical political records too. From this, we can verify a  specific time period, and this information gives us a sense of the state of the world that Jesus and John lived in. 

 

Vs 2 - the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness… 

 

If we remember Luke 1:80, it records that John remained in the deserts and stayed low until it was time for his manifestation and ministry. We do not know much about John’s life in the desert, except the fact that he was clothed in camel’s hair, had a leather belt, and ate wild honey and locusts (Matthew 3:4). And of course plus the fact that he grew and was strong in the spirit while he was there (Luke 1:80). 

 

According to historians, it is estimated that John started ministry at about 30 years of age. If this is true, that was some real patience! 

 

Let’s remember that John’s ministry was to prepare the people for the ministry of Jesus. Such a ministry was time-critical! If he began preaching earlier than He was supposed to, the ministry of Jesus would not have started yet and the people would have been lethargic. If he began preaching later than he was supposed to, the people would not have been prepared in time for Jesus. 

 

Timing is important in ministry. 

 

Let’s think about this for a while now.

When God reveals to us to do His will, are we aware of timing? 

If God reveals urgency, do we act with urgency? 

If God requires patience from us, do we wait patiently? 

 

John’s example is perfect and we must learn from this. Living in the deserts for so many years could have driven some people impatient or even crazy, but not John. Are we willing to “live in the wilderness” for the Lord for an appointed time? And are we willing to “step out” when it is also time? 

 

Vs 2 - … preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins…

 

“Baptism” means immersion of water. 

“Repentance” means reversal or change.

“Remission of sins” means forgiveness of sins. 

 

The act of baptism was not new to the Jews at all, given the fact that there are such commandments found in Lev 15 and Num 19 where people had to be made clean by the washing of water. But what was new was that this immersion of water represented an acknowledgment of their sins, and a decision to change their minds and lives accordingly. And in doing so, they will be forgiven. 

 

Vs 4-6

 

At times, prophecies are not plain and simple to understand. They involve many symbols and they require interpretation. In this case of Isaiah’s prophecy, we see a few descriptions:

 

• Make His paths straight

• Every valley shall be filled

• Every mountain and hill brought low

• Crooked places shall be made straight

• Rough ways made smooth

 

They all point to one simple meaning:

John’s ministry was to prepare the people by helping them to see clearer what’s to come… which was the salvation of God. In the old testament, God often described His people as blind, having eyes but not seeing, because they were stubborn and misled. So, John’s audience was no easy audience at all. John was like a gardener who had to soften the ground for Jesus to plant the seeds of salvation. 

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Luke 3:7-9

7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 

 

Vs 7 - “Brood of vipers!”

 

John was not kidding around at all. Because his ministry was time-critical, there was no time to beat about the bush or be diplomatic in his speech. He had to be clear, direct, and straight to the point.

 

With just one statement, he was implying to the people that they were…

• Evil

• Poisonous

• Corrupted on the inside

• Dangerous

 

John was a straight shooter and he would not sugar-coat his words or speak half truths. Doing the will of God was John’s only concern.

 

Let’s think about this for a while now. 

Have we all become too “politically right” in our speech and ministry? 

Do we dare to call out the evil that we encounter? 

Do we speak 100% truth or do we sugar-coat our words? 

 

Sugar-coating our words in ministry is like “added sugar” to food. It will enhance the flavor of the food, but it will also have a negative long term impact on health. If we truly wish to save people, we must speak the whole truth. But of course having said all these, we should not be carelessly dishing out insults to people and hurting them with sharp words unnecessarily. All things must still be done in wisdom, love, and under the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Vs 7 - “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

 

It will be wrath and judgment for those who remain unrepentant and who reject Jesus, but it will be grace and salvation for those who repent and receive Jesus. 

 

Let’s be clear on one thing:

God hates sin (Psalm 5:4-5, 11:5, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 1:18) and the day will come soon when He will judge everyone based on how we have lived our lives and if we are in Christ or not (Jer 17:10, Matt 16:27, Romans 2:5-8). 

 

God’s wrath is not preached about enough in church today. Not only in church, but it is also not mentioned enough to the people that we evangelize to. 

Do we care to warn people of God’s wrath? 

Are we living our lives carefully, knowing that God hates sin? 

 

Vs 8 - … bear fruits worthy of repentance…

 

John likens repentance to fruits. 

For a tree or plant to produce fruits, it has to be properly cared for and be kept in ideal conditions. So, it is important for us to understand that true repentance requires us to…

 

• Eradicate harmful things

(Harmful things may be lies, doubt, bad influence, bad habits, sin…)

 

• Carefully consider the environment we constantly put ourselves in

(Is our circle of friends healthy? Do we go to places that have bad influences?)

 

• Look into what “nutrients” we are absorbing 

(Are we hearing the truth? Are we seeking accurate knowledge of God? Are we being edified by godly people?)

 

When we properly care for our “trees” (lives), we naturally produce good fruits. And John specifically mentioned that the fruits must be worthy of repentance. Our lives must have a drastic change of direction, turning away from the world and sin, and turning towards God and His will. 

 

Vs 8 - … do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 

 

“We have Abraham as our father” was a mindset that the Jews had. They probably thought that they will always be God’s chosen people because of the covenant that God made with Abraham. They assumed that salvation was theirs as long as they were Abraham’s descendents. They probably took comfort in the fact that Abraham had a good relationship with God, and that they would inherit God’s favor.

 

We cannot have borrowed faith. 

 

Borrowed faith is a faith that isn’t personal. It means that we are depending on someone’s faith and relationship with God. This will not work. The faith and relationship that our pastors have with God will not save us if we do not have faith ourselves. Associating ourselves with godly people does not naturally make us godly. 

 

Is our faith borrowed? 

Do we truly have a personal relationship with God? 

Have we made conscious and personal decisions to love and obey God? 

 

Vs 9 - And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

 

This is the wrath and judgment that John was warning about. People (trees) who do not bear fruits worthy of repentance are going to face the eternal judgment of suffering. There’s this popular saying about hell that says, “Hell is just a place without God”. Yes it’s true, but it’s half true. It is also a place of intolerable suffering and the toughest of man will not be able to tolerate it. 

 

Luke 3:10-14

10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

12 Then 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 what is appointed for you.”

14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” 

 

Vs 10 - “What shall we do then?”

 

Despite being scolded and called “vipers”, the people responded well! The harsh truth worked! Instead of hardening their hearts, they responded by wanting to hear more truth. 

 

“What shall we do then?”

This is the perfect start to repentance. It is probably the best thing that a mentor can hear, and the best thing a disciple can say. When one wants to repent, he must be ready to change and act.

 

Vs 11 - “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

 

What commandment comes to your mind when reading these examples which John gave?

These are practical examples of the second greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

 

It looks like the people had to be reminded of the “basics”. 

Surely the Jews knew the commandments by heart right? But apparently they did not know how to practice it, that is why John had to elaborate it to them. 

 

There are many things that we know as Christians. But how many of us actually practice them in our lives? When John mentioned “bear fruits worthy of repentance”, He was referring to very practical things. 

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Vs 12-14 - John told the tax collectors to collect no more than they should and told the soldiers to not intimidate or accuse people falsely, and be content with their wages.

 

Basically, John was teaching the people to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly (Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:16-17, Zechariah 7:9-10, Proverbs 21:3…). He was simply making the people practice what they knew from the books of the prophets. There was no excuse and the people would have known these commandments from God. 

 

This is part of discipleship. 

 

Discipleship is not only about impartation of knowledge. The mentor is supposed to ensure that the disciple lives out and practices what he knows. We will be accountable to God one day for how we lived our lives, and by that time there will be no second chances anymore. So, while there is still time and grace now, let us waste no time and be accountable to our God-given mentors on earth and start living right. 

 

Vs 14 - … be content with your wages.

 

Clearly, John instructed this because he knew about the situation. Bear in mind that this was not a situation where the soldiers were not getting enough money for living, if not it would have been unreasonable for John to say this. It was likely that the soldiers were simply discontented and had envy and greed. 

 

Let’s be real now. This is a struggle that most people have.

 

Is it wrong to desire for more money or is it wrong to want a better paying job? 

 

The more important question is, “What is God’s will?”

Do not be surprised that God takes interest in our financial statuses and our career choices matter to Him. Do you not think that God knows us best?

 

He would know…

 

• How much money we really need for living

• How much money will corrupt and distract us away from Him

• If working in a particular work environment may be a bad influence to us

 

Surely He knows them all! So, if God has clearly placed us in a career or situation that gives us a certain amount of money only, let us learn to be content, walk humbly, and trust that He knows best. And if God wills for us to earn well and be rich, let us be wise and generous, acknowledging that all we have is from Him. 

 

Luke 3:15-17

15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

 

Vs 15 - … the people reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not…

 

John must have spoken with such authority and conviction that it caused the people to wonder if he was the Messiah. His ministry must have been so powerful and unprecedented that people felt that he was special. While the people reasoned in their hearts, John must have discerned it and he addressed it. 

 

Vs 16 - … One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.

 

No matter how strong John was, and no matter how effective his ministry already was, John never got ahead of himself. He was ever so ready to decrease when it was time for Jesus to increase (John 3:30). John was quick to clarify the truth when the crowd started thinking if he was the Christ or not.

 

Vs 16 - … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit… 

 

When Jesus began discipling people, He spoke about the Holy Spirit to them. For example, Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit will guide them in their speech during difficult situations (Luke 12:11-12). Before Jesus was crucified, He also spoke about the Holy Spirit to the disciples and told them how the Holy Spirit will empower and guide them in His absence. And eventually as we read in the book of Acts, the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered with gifts. 

 

Being filled with the Holy Spirit and walking in the Spirit are not optional things for Christians. They are important! Have we been baptized by the Holy Spirit? Do we live life in obedience to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5)? 

 

Vs 16-17 - … He will baptize you with fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.

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Fire refines and separates. It is used in obtaining gold by separating the other metals and impurities from the gold. The other metals and impurities will melt away due to a lower melting point, but gold will remain because of its high melting point. In the old testament, God is also often described as a Refiner’s Fire (Malachi 3:2-3, Zechariah 13:9, Isaiah 48:10). 

 

It is the same with John’s description of the winnowing fan. Its function is to separate the unwanted from the wanted. 

 

The nature of Jesus’ ministry was likened to fire (Luke 12:49-51). His words had a burning  and separating effect and people who could not withstand them “melted away”. 

• There were people who were offended (Matthew 15:12)

• People found His words hard to accept (John 6:60-61)

 

On the flip side, people who could withstand His words were saved and were refined like gold. 

 

We must understand that fire is necessary because Jesus expects “old to be removed” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We often read in the Gospels how Jesus was always confronting and removing wrong traditions, sin, erroneous theology, falsehood, etc… 

 

Jesus’ “fire-like” ministry still remains active today with the work of the Holy Spirit and the recorded words in the Bible. Today, we all face the same two choices that people faced in the past. We can either get offended, disagree with His words and will, and eventually perish—or we can accept the truth and the chastening of the Lord and be refined like gold.

 

Luke 3:18-20

18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. 

 

John’s preaching impacted many and his audience consisted of various kinds of people, including Herod the tetrarch. A tetrarch is a ruler and Herod was the ruler of Galilee (Luke 3:1). 

 

Over here, we learn that John confronted Herod of his sins, especially the sin of taking his brother’s wife as his. 

 

It’s important to give more context to this event. 

In Mark 6:17 onwards, Mark gives us more information on what actually happened:

 

• Herod actually respected John the Baptist and his ministry and protected him (Mark 6:20).

• Herod was receptive to John’s words and it is said that he did many things (Mark 20).

• But Herodias (whom Herod committed the sin with) hated John for what he said and pressured Herod to put John into prison (Mark 6:17).

• Eventually, Herodias managed to make Herod execute John. 

 

What can we learn from this story? 

 

Herod respected John, he regarded him as a holy man, he listened to John gladly and did many things. But unfortunately, there was that one sin that Herod could not bring himself to deal with. Because he allowed that one sin to dwell, it had such a negative and huge impact on him eventually. 

 

In our present time, Christians who do many things right are celebrated and glorified already. Herod would have been labelled as a good Christian in our time!

 

We must seek to eradicate every sin. 95% is not enough! Notice how John addressed all the evils to Herod (vs 19)? He did not leave any stone unturned!

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What are some things that we have to get right today? 

What are some sins that we must deal with today? 

Let us learn from Herod’s story and regret, and make sure that we do not take the same road. 

Give this a serious thought.

 

Luke 3:21-22

21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” 

 

Luke gives a brief account of this moment where John baptized Jesus. It is important for us to also look at the other references Matthew 3:13-17 and John 1:29-34 which give more details to what happened. Below is a summary of what we can find from these two references: 

 

• John recognized Jesus when Jesus came to be baptized. When Jesus approached, John declared “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” and also initially refused to baptize Jesus because he knew who He was. 

 

• Jesus insisted on being baptized by John to fulfill righteousness. In other words, Jesus went through water baptism not because He had sin and needed to repent, but because it was the right thing to do and He was setting an example to all who would believe. 

 

• John said that God revealed to him beforehand that when he sees the Holy Spirit descending on the person, it is a confirmation and assurance to John that the person is the Son of God. Although John already recognized Jesus when He approached for baptism, the vision and the voice from heaven was God’s way of assuring and affirming John of the fact. Therefore, let us understand clearly that Jesus already likely had the Holy Spirit before this event (as we have previously discussed in the earlier chapter), and this vision served more as an assurance to John (John 1:33).

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Luke 3:23-38

23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. 

 

This information can be interesting if we consider these facts:

 

• Jesus came 75 generations after Adam (or Jesus is the 76th generation in the line beginning with Adam). If God is included in the genealogy, there would be 77 names from God to Jesus in total. Some may think that there is significance in this number. 

 

• It’s another proof that Jesus came from the lineage of David, which fulfilled prophecies. 

 

• This simply shows the reality of Jesus’ humanity. 

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