Luke 3
OGC**Butler’s Comments
Chapter Three
(Luke 3:1-38)**
THE FORERUNNER OF THE SON OF MAN
IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:
To what history are we alerted by the listing of the Roman and Jewish rulers (Luke 3:1-2)?
How could there be a baptism for the forgiveness of sins before Pentecost (Luke 3:3)?
Did John get his idea to immerse people in water from Isaiah (Luke 3:4-6)?
Why did the Jews put so much emphasis on their descent from Abraham (Luke 3:7-9)?
What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16)? Is it for all believers?
If Jesus was perfect, why was He baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21-22)?
Why trace Jesus-’ ancestry back to Adam (Luke 3:38)?
**Applebury’s Comments
CHAPTER THREE
Outline**
A.
Luke gives a brief account of the ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20).
He told when it occurred in relation to the civil and the religious rulers (Luke 3:1-2).
a)
He named the civil rulers of the time and gave their territories.
(1)
It was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar.
(2)
Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.
(3)
Herod was tetrarch of Galilee.
(4)
Herod’s brother Philip I was ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis.
(5)
Lysanias was ruler of Abilene.
b)
He named the two high priests of the Jews: Annas and Caiaphas.
c)
He indicated the place of John’s ministryThe word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
He told about John’s message (Luke 3:3-9).
a)
He preached the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.
b)
In so doing, he fulfilled what Isaiah had written (Isaiah 40:3-5).
(1)
John’s was the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
(2)
That voice said:
(a)
Make ready the way of the Lord.
(b)
Make his paths straight.
(3)
Obedience to that voice would cause:
(a)
the valleys to be filled and the mountains to be brought low,
(b)
and the crooked paths to be straightened and the rough places to be smoothed.
(c)
And all people would see the salvation of God.
c)
He rebuked the multitudes and warned them about the thing they were facing.
(1)
He called them offspring of vipers and asked, Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
(2)
He told them to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
(3)
He warned them not to rely on the fact that they were descendants of Abraham, for he said, God can make these stones into Abraham’s children.
(4)
He likened Israel to a fruitless tree that was about to be cut down and burned.
He told what John said when the multitudes asked, What then shall we do?
a)
To the multitudes, he said, Let the one who has two coats or food share with the one who has none.
b)
To the publicans, he said, Collect no more tax than what is ordered.
c)
To the soldiers, he said,
(1)
Don-’t force money out of anyone,
(2)
Don-’t accuse anyone wrongfully,
(3)
Be content with your wages.
He told how the people reacted to John’s ministry (Luke 3:15-17).
a)
They were in a state of expectation, wondering if John were the Christ.
b)
John explained his relation to Christ by telling about his baptism and the two baptisms Christ would administer.
(1)
John, who acknowledged his inferiority to Christ, said, I baptize in water.
(2)
Christ would baptize in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
(a)
He explained baptism in the Holy Spirit with the illustration of gathering the wheat into the granary.
(b)
He explained baptism in fire as the burning up of the chaff.
He gave a brief statement of the further activity of John (Luke 3:18-20).
a)
With many other exhortations he preached good tidings to the people.
b)
He rebuked Herod for having married his brother’s wife, and was imprisoned because of it.
B.
Luke told about the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:21-22).
He was baptized when all the people were coming to have John baptize them.
He was praying during His baptism.
The heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, as a dove.
A Voice from heaven said, Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well pleased.
C.
After having presented the evidence to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man, Luke gave the list of His ancestors (Luke 3:23-38).
Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.
Those who didn-’t know the facts supposed that He was the son of Joseph.
To overcome this erroneous supposition, Luke traced the ancestry of Jesus through Nathan to David and Adam, then added, the son of God.
Summary
With this chapter Luke completes the evidencewith the exception of the account of the Temptationthat presents Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man who is ready to begin His ministry. He begins with a brief account of the ministry of John, then tells of the baptism of Jesus, and closes the chapter with the genealogy of Jesus. John came with his stirring message at a time when all the people were in expectation, wondering if he could be the Messiah. But he was not the Christ; he was the prophet of God sent to tell the people to make ready for the coming of the Lord. He had a harsh message, for they were sinners. They were like valleys that had to be filled, mountains that had to be leveled, and curves that had to be straightened so that their lives might be suitable for the Lord. They were a fruitless tree that was about to be cut down. He commanded them to repent; he baptized them in the Jordan for the remission of their sins. John’s message bore fruit. Crowds flocked to hear him from Jerusalem and the surrounding country. He baptized them as he saw that they were heeding his command to repent. Tax collectors came asking what they should do; soldiers wanted to know what to do. His answer was simple and direct: Repent and let your lives show that you have changed from your evil ways. But John directed them to Jesus. He said, I baptize you in water, but the One who is coming after me will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. By the baptism in the Holy Spirit He was to enable the apostles to tell men what to do to be saved and like wheat be gathered into the granary. But those who will not respond to their message will, like chaff that is burned up, be destroyed when Christ comes again. Luke gave only a summary of what John did and taught. Among the many things which he did, John reproved Herod the tetrarch for the evil he had done, including his marriage to the wife of his brother. And for this, John was put in prison. The climax of the evidence that presents Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man ready to begin His public ministry, came at the time of His baptism. John baptized Jesus because He said it was right to do the thing that God approves, and also that he might see the sign that shows Him as Son of God. At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father said to Him, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Not until this evidence had been presented was Luke ready to tell about the ancestry of Jesus. He traced the line from Jesus all the way to Adam and to God. One more incident belongs to this section of Luke’s story and that is the account of the temptation of Jesus which is in chapter four. It shows that Satan was unable to shake the evidence that proves that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
Questions
What was the most important event, from the Christian’s point of view, in the reign of Caesar Augustus?
For what things do we remember Herod the tetrarch?
How did it happen that both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests at the same time?
What is the significance of the statement that the word of God came to John?
What is meant by baptism of repentance?
What was the purpose of John’s baptism?
How does Isaiah’s prophecy fit the condition of John’s time?
Why is John called the voice of one crying in the wilderness?
What Scriptures did the Jews have in mind when they asked if John was the prophet or Elijah?
How was John to prepare for the Lord?
What is there in the prophecy of Isaiah that indicates that the Gentiles were to share in the salvation through Christ?
What was John’s attitude toward the multitudes who came to hear him?
Why did he liken them to a tree about to be cut down?
What did he mean by saying that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham?
What did John tell the crowds to do? the publicans? the soldiers?
What does Luke say about the attitude of the people at the time of John’s appearing in the wilderness?
Why should we say that John baptized in water rather than with water?
How could John’s baptism be for remission of sins?
Into what two elements was Jesus to baptize?
What was the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
What is the baptism in fire?
With what illustration did John explain the two baptisms?
Why was John imprisoned?
Why was Jesus baptized?
What did the descent of the Spirit on Jesus mean to John?
What was Jesus doing when He was being baptized?
What is the significance of the fact that the Voice of God spoke at the baptism of Jesus?
Why did Luke wait until this point in his narrative to give the genealogy of Jesus?
How are we to understand the statement that Jesus was the son of Joseph (as was supposed)?
How account for the difference between Luke’s list and Matthew’S?
Why did Luke trace the genealogy to Adam?
What is the connection between the temptation of Jesus and what was said about Him at the time of His baptism?
Luke 3:1-6
**Butler’s Comments
The Baptizer’s Mission (Luke 3:1-6)**
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness; 3and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low,
and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Luke 3:1-2 Context: Tiberius (cf. Lesson 1, sec. 3) was joint emperor with his step-father Augustus (Octavian) from 11 A.D. until 14 A.D. when Augustus died and he became emperor alone. He was an able administrator but cruel and suspicious. He conducted countless treason trials and executed scores of people he considered dangerous to his power. He died in senile debauchery on the island of Capri, March 16, A.D. 37. He was the reigning emperor at the time of Christ’s death.
A number of political changes had taken place in Judea since Luke’s first historical references to Herod, king of Judea (Luke 1:5) and Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1). Those men had ruled thirty years ago. Since that time, Herod the Great had died and his kingdom had been divided between his three sons; Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; Herod Philip, tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis; Archelaus, tetrarch of Judea. Archelaus had been deposed of his throne in Judea in A.D. 6 by the Roman emperor for mismanagement (at the request of the Jews). The Roman emperor had placed Judea under the rule of a Roman Procurator. Pontius Pilate, whom tradition says was the son of famous army general and married to the granddaughter of Augustus, was the fifth procurator, having been appointed in 26 A.D. Annas, Jewish high priest appointed by Quirinius the legate of Syria in A.D. 6, had been deposed by Gratus, the first Roman procurator of Judea, in A.D. 15, and now Caiaphas, Annas-’ son-in-law was High Priest. Luke does not mention all these changes because he is not writing a history of the Roman empire or of Judea, but a biography of Jesus Christ. And so far as Luke is concerned, the real significance of these great people (7 of them) is that the beginning of Jesus-’ ministry (and that of John the Baptist) dates from this time in their lives.
**Luke 3:3-6 Content: **The region of John’s ministry was the area around the Jordan valley known as the wilderness of Judea (cf. Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:4). It was a barren, uninhabited, insect-infested, sultry-hot region from the Dead Sea area on the south to Succoth on the north (cf. 2 Chronicles 4:17). Most of his ministry was spent along the western banks of the river Jordan, but John notes (Luke 10:40) that he also preached on the eastern side. He did all his preaching near water since response to his message required immersion (baptism).
He preached an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John the Immerser was a unique, supernaturally-commissioned, Godsent link between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. John’s ministry was to announce the imminent abrogation of the Law and the Prophets because the kingdom of God which they symbolized and predicted had arrived (in the person of the King). The law and the prophets were until John.. (Luke 16:16). What John preached was authoritative; it was from God. He was sent to prepare the people of Israel to turn away from the Old system to the New Kingdom. He intended that they not only repent of their ethics but also of their theology. They would have to turn from the type and shadow system by which no flesh could be justified, to justification by faith in a Person, The Son of God! Those who did prepare themselves for the imminent coming of the New Kingdom by repenting as John preached were immersed for the remission of their sins. In that state they awaited the establishment of the New Kingdom. John’s immersion was performed under the authority of God and was valid until God transferred that authority to the Son. After Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven authority in the area of covenant terms was assumed by Him. He subsequently poured out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) and announced that immersion must be in His name (Jesus Christ) that is, in recognition of His Lordship over all. Because the lines of communication in the first century A.D. were not as well coordinated and established as they are in our day, it took some time for everyone who had been immersed with John’s immersion to get the inspired word that John’s immersion was no longer authoritative (cf. Acts 18:24-25; Acts 19:4).
But from the day of John’s preaching until the day of Pentecost, John’s immersion was valid. Those who believed and were immersed by John and died before the day of Pentecost would as surely be saved as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the other Old Testament saints who, having put their trust in the promises of God, were justified by their faith (cf. Romans 1:1-32 :ff; Galatians 3:1 ff). No man today could say he is in proper covenant relationship to God if he knows what the New Testament says about immersion into Christ and refuses to obey it, any more than those who heard John’s message and refused it could be said to be right with God (cf. Luke 7:29-30). The believer’s trust must be in Jesus Christ. The believer surrenders in obedience to immersion because Jesus commanded it, not because the ritual itself has some magic in it. Those who submitted to John’s immersion did so because they justified God (Luke 7:29); that is, they put God in the right place; they made Him sovereign, they believed John spoke by the authority of God. Their faith was in God, not in immersion per se. Those Pharisees whose faith was in their own traditions and self-righteousness, rejected the purpose of God for themselves, and would not be immersed by John because they believed they had no need of repentance and immersion in the muddy Jordan River. Many religious people who profess faith in God today refuse to be immersed in water for the remission of sins for the same fundamental reasonthey have put their faith in a church’s tradition and not in the sovereign Word of Christ.
Some Bible students have taught that John’s baptism was not really a unique practice of his age. Some have said that his baptism had its roots in Jewish proselyte baptism while others imply that he was copying the rites of the Essenes. John’s baptism did not come from Jewish proselyte baptism for the following reasons:
a.
History has no record of Jewish proselyte baptism prior to John the Baptistin fact not until the 3rd century A.D.
b.
The Old Testament has only one word that would resemble New Testament immersion (baptizo) and that is the Hebrew word taval. All other Hebrew words (kavas, rachatz, shataph, duach) mean to wash or bathe for religious purposes.
c.
The Hebrew word taval is the only specific word meaning, immerse, dip, plunge. The Septuagint (Greek version of the Hebrew text translated about 300 B.C.) uses the Greek word baptizo only once for the Hebrew word taval and that is in 2 Kings 5:14. The word baptizo appears in only one other place in the Septuagint (Isaiah 21:4) and there it is a translation of the Hebrew word ba-ath which means to overwhelm. Everywhere else the Hebrew word taval is used in the Septuagint, the word bapto or a derivative is used.
d.
The Greek word baptizo appears only twice in the Hebrew Apocrypha (in the LXX), Jdt. 12:7; Sir. 34:25; in neither case does it appear in connection with any proselyte baptism.
e.
Proselyte baptism (immersion) is not mentioned anywhere in the Old** **Testament, the Jewish Apocrypha, the New Testament, Josephus, Philo, Jewish Targums or the Mishna.
f.
None of the early Christian writers such as Barnabas, Justin Martyr or Tertullian, all of whom discussed both Jews and Christian baptism, mention Jewish proselyte baptism.
John’s baptism could not have come from the Essenes (Qumranians) for the following reasons:
a.
The water of impurity used by the Qumranians (1QS Luke 3:4-9) was not an initiatory rite but was reserved for the practice of cleansing those already in the covenant.
b.
There really is no textual proof (from the Dead Sea Scrolls) that these Essene washings were by immersion.
c.
Josephus in his, Wars, II 8:5, writes about the Essenes, … they assemble themselves together. into one place, and when they have clothed themselves in white veils, they then bathe their bodies in cold water. No mention of immersion, specifically.
The scriptures say John’s immersion came directly from God by revelation (cf. Luke 1:13-17; Luke 1:76-79; John 1:33). The multitudes believed his ministry came from God (Matthew 21:23-27). The Jewish rulers considered it something different than anything then being practiced religiously, and something that only Elijah or the Messiah would have the authority to institute (John 1:24-28). Even Jesus, through His disciples, practiced the pre-Christian baptism of John (cf. John 3:26-27; John 4:1-2). John’s immersion came from God; it was efficacious as an expression of repentance and for the remission of sins until Jesus commanded all men to be immersed in His (Jesus-’) name.
John’s ministry was no accident! It was foreknown and foretold some 700 years before by Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 40:3-4). John’s ministry was second in importance only to the ministry of the Messiah Himself. Jesus would later say that of all those born of human parentage not one would be greater than John the Baptist (cf. Matthew 11:11). For four hundred years (since the days of Malachi) God had been silent. There had been no revelation from God about that kingdom and that King He had foretold by the prophets. Suddenly John the Baptizer burst upon the scene. Many recognized that John had been sent from Godhe was a prophet! He was a voice from God. When an Oriental monarch was preparing to visit an area of his kingdom, he usually sent a herald ahead of him, announcing his coming and commanding his subjects to prepare a roadway over which he might pass free of all obstacles, smooth, level and straight. So John was the herald commanding the subjects of the King of kings to make an obstacle-free, smooth, level and straight road into their hearts where He wishes to travel and abide.
Luke 3:1-20
Applebury’s Comments
The Ministry of John the Baptist Scripture
Luke 3:1-20 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitius, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
5
Every valley shall be filled,
And every mountain and hill shall be brought low; And the crooked shall become straight, And the rough ways smooth;
6
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do? 11 And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise. 12 And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do? 13 And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 17 whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
18 With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people; 19 but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, 20 added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
*Comments
the reign of Tiberias Caesar.*If the outstanding thing that happened in the reign of Caesar Augustus was the birth of Christ, we may safely say that the outstanding thing that happened in the reign of Tiberias was the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea during that eventful period of history. His claim to fame depends upon the fact that he presided over the trial of Jesus. Although he tried to wash his hands of responsibility in the case, he finally acceded to the demands of those who clamored for His death and gave orders for Him to be crucified.
Herod, also known as Antipas, was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. The kingdom of Herod the Great was divided after his death and Antipas became ruler of a fourth part of it. That’s why he was sometimes called Herod the tetrarch (Matthew 14:1). Not only is he known for his infamous deed of having John the Baptist beheaded, but also for the fact that he had some small part in the trial of Jesus.
Lysanias, though not related to the Herods, was tetrarch of the territory that lay to the north of the Sea of Galilee and east of Mount Hermon.
*the highpriesthood of Annas and Caiphas.*Actually there was only one office of high priest. But through Roman manipulation the high priesthood of Annas had been given to his son-in-law, Caiaphas, and both men were looked upon by Jews as high priest. This is not the first time that the Mosaic law of succession had been set aside. According to that law, at the death of the high priest the oldest son was to be consecrated to the office. Evidently some did not accept the idea of having another appointed high priest during the lifetime of one whom they had recognized as their high priest. It may be that it was for that reason that the Jews led Jesus first to Annas when they brought Him to trial before their court (John 18:13). But before they took the case to the Roman governor, they met with Caiphas and then decided on the course of action in presenting their case to Pilate.
*the word of God came to John.*John is acknowledged in every way as a prophet of God. God’s word came to the prophet while he was in the wilderness. The same formula is used to describe the Old Testament prophets, for it is said that the word of the Lord came to them, that is, their message was not their own, it was from the Lord.
Luke had to use a very cumbersome method to affix a date to the birth of Christ and to the ministry of John. He began with the Caesar, then told of the local rulers and finally gave the names of those who were filling the office of high priest of the Jews. Now a simple number that recalls the year of Our Lord significantly takes the place of the system Luke used.
*baptism of repentance unto remission of sins.*Repentance is the decision that leads to a change of conduct. Through the preaching of John, the people were convinced that they needed to change their way of life and came to John to be baptized for the remission of their sins.
Isaiah the prophetThe prophecy of Isaiah introduces the ministry of John the Baptist, and another word from the same prophet introduces the ministry of Jesus (Isaiah 40:3-6; Isaiah 61:1-2). While Matthew gives especial attention to the fulfillment of prophecy by Jesus, Mark and Luke do not neglect the matter. Paul also shows how the gospel is rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures, that is, the gospel of God which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his Son (Romans 1:2-3).
*The voice.*When the Jews sent a deputation from Jerusalem to John to ask, Who are you? he replied, I am not the Christ. They asked, Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. They tried again, Are you the prophet? He said, No. With no success with the suggestions they had made, they said, Who are you, that we may give answer to those who sent us? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said. See John 1:19-23.
Their questions were based on Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalms 89:3-4; and Malachi 4:5. John answered them by quoting Isaiah, because it was his message and not his person that was of importance. In this he differs from Jesus, for who He was and what He taught were of great importance. A little later, John explained this to his disciples by saying, He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
*Make ready the way of the Lord.*John’s task was to get the people to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. In the figure of Isaiah, this was like making a straight path for the Lord. Let the valleys be filled and the mountains be leveled and the curves straightened and the rough places smoothed. They would have to repent of their ways and be baptized for the remission of their sins.
*All flesh shall see the salvation of God.*All peoples, not just the Jews, were to see the salvation God sent to them in the person of His Son. When Theophilus read this, he must have been deeply grateful that the grace of God had extended to the Gentiles too. Luke stressed the point again as he closed the letter by saying that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:47).
*the multitudes that went out to be baptized.*The size of the crowds might have flattered some preachers, but not John. He greeted them with words intended to shock them into action. Repent! Make ready the way of the Lord! Generation of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? You are a tree that has not been producing fruit; and like that tree, you are about to be cut down. Change your minds about your sinful ways and start producing righteous fruit.
*We have Abraham to our father.*Since they were the descendants of Abraham, it was easy for them to assume that they were children of God. When they argued the same way with Jesus, He plainly told them that they were not Abraham’s children because their attitude toward the Son of God proved that they were children of the devil. See John 8:31-44.
*God is able of these stones.*Why didn-’t God turn the stones into Abraham’s children? Why didn-’t He create people who were incapable of anything except faith and obedience? Evidently God wants those to be His children who will be like Abraham in faith and obedience because of their love for God. This, of course, calls for sinners to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins and as an indication of their love for the Lord to conduct themselves as intelligent people who want to glorify the heavenly Father by living a life of faith and purity.
*the axe also lieth at the root of the trees.*God was ready to destroy the fruitless trees. Sinners who were not producing the fruit of righteousness to the glory of God were facing certain doom unless they changed their minds about the issue of sin. Jesus also likens the nation of Israel to a tree that failed to produce fruit (Luke 13:6-9). He also called on the people to repent. Jesus pronounced judgment on a tree that had no fruit on it although it did have leaves (Mark 11:12-25). The miracle seems to be a portent of what was about to happen to a nation that was getting ready to crucify the Son of God.
*When then must we do?*John was an effective prophet. Little good is accomplished by telling people what to do before they are in a frame of mind to be advised. John’s stern warning brought the people to the point where they wanted to do something to avoid the destruction that awaited them. The same thing happened on the day of Pentecost. Peter produced the evidence that let the people know that they were guilty of having crucified the Son of God. Because they were pricked to the heart by his message, they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2:37.
John was ready with the answer to the multitudes. He said, He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and do likewise with food, This was not to encourage laziness, but rather to encourage concern for those who are really in need. The progress of the gospel is hindered today, not because God has not provided food for all the people of the world, but because we lack the ability and perhaps the willingness to properly distribute it. Christianity prompted the early Christians to share with any who had need (Acts 2:45) and even to feed a hungry enemy (Romans 12:20).
*publicans to be baptized.*The tax collectors were usually classed as sinners because of the common practice of taking advantage of their office by collecting more than authorized. But they were not all like that. The apostle Matthew reminds us that he was a publican (Matthew 10:3). Zacchaeus, a chief publican, is known for his desire to see Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). There is no indication that Matthew ever abused his office, but Zacchaeus seems quite willing to admit that he may have been guilty of doing so. John gave the general order to the publicans: Extort no more than that which is appointed you.
*And soldiers also asked him.*There is no way of knowing whether these soldiers were in the service of some local government or of the Roman emperor. We do not know whether they were Jews or Romans. But John’s message was so striking that these military men came to ask what they were to do.
Luke gives the account of at least three other military men who were attracted by Christ and His gospel: (1) the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Luke 7:2); (2) the centurion who commanded the soldiers who carried out Pilate’s order to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:47); (3) Cornelius, the centurion to whom Peter preached the gospel (Acts 10:1).
John’s instructions to -the soldiers were directed toward things that were common problems of soldiers of that day. They were not to use violence for the sake of getting money; they were not to become informers with intent to injure the innocent or to gain personally from such activity; they were to be content with their wages. The soldier who was content with his wages wouldn-’t be trying to force people to give him money or informing on others for the same purpose.
*the people were in expectation.*It had been a long time since Israel had a prophet living in their midst. When John came, there was a strange stirring in their hearts, wondering if this could be the Messiah. They had been taught about the days of David and the glory of the reign of Solomon. Perhaps they were now dreaming of a Messiah who would free them from the Roman yoke. It is possible, on the other hand, that some were tired of their sins and were wondering if John could be Christ who would lead them back to the glory their nation had once known. But John pointed them to Jesus and the salvation with which He would satisfy the longing of those who wanted to do the will of God.
*I indeed baptize you with water.*John baptized in water, not with it. He immersed the people in the Jordan river. To translate with water is to suggest the action of sprinkling or pouring, neither of which are suggested by the word baptize.
This immersion in water was for the remission of sins. John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins (Mark 1:4). Repentance preceded the baptism, and without it baptism was meaningless. The same thought is suggested in Matthew’s account: I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance (Matthew 3:11). This does not say that they were baptized so that they could repent, but that they were baptized with regard to repentance, that is, the repentance that John had demanded of them.
John was sent from God (John 1:6) and we may assume that the baptism he preached was commanded by God. It was for the remission of sins, but like all other provisions under the Old Covenant for remission of sins, it anticipated the sacrifice of Christ that actually blotted out sin (Hebrews 9:15; Romans 3:25-26). We may safely assume that the Jews whom John baptized continued to offer the sacrifices required by the law of Moses.
Of the three thousand who were baptized on the day of Pentecost under the New Covenant, no doubt, many had been already baptized into John’s baptism. On that day they were baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sins in order to be in the body of Christ (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27). Apparently, after the day of Pentecost, all who had been baptized by John were also required to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. See Acts 19:1-7.
*he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.*John baptized in water; Christ would baptize in two elements: (1) the Holy Spirit, that is, in the power of the Holy Spirit; and (2) in fire.
John explained this with the illustration of the threshing floor. The gathering of the wheat into the granary is like the thing that would be accomplished by those baptized in the Holy Spirit. The burning of the chaff is like the baptism in firethe destruction of the wicked in hell (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Jesus also explained the baptism in the Holy Spirit when He spoke to the apostles just before His ascension (Acts 1:4-5; Acts 1:8). They were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and as a result of it they were able to tell the people what to do to be saved (Acts 2:1-4; and Acts 2:37-38).
The tongues parting asunder, like as of fire which appeared in connection with the baptism of the apostles in the Holy Spirit should not be confused with the baptism in fire. That phenomenon, together with the sound like the rushing of a great wind, attracted the attention of the people. Then the apostles who were all filled with the Holy Spirit spoke to them in the people’s own native languages.
*With many other exhortations.*One papyrus roll was not enough to tell all that John said or did. Luke was saving space for those events in the ministry of Jesus that he wanted to tell Theophilus about. See how he made use of this expression in reporting the events of the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:40).
*Herod the tetrarch.*This wicked son of a wicked fatherhe had slain the babes at the time of the birth of Jesuswas reproved by John for the evil things he had done including his marriage to the wife of his half brother, Philip I. For this, John was shut up in prison and before long was beheaded.
Luke 3:7-14
**Butler’s Comments
SECTION 2
The Baptizer’s Message (Luke 3:7-14)**
7 He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits that befit 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 to Abraham. 9Even 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 multitudes asked him, What then shall we do? And he answered them, He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise. 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? 13And he said to them, Collect no more than is appointed you. 14Soldiers also asked him, And we, what shall we do? And he said to them, Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.
**Luke 3:7-9 Admonition: **Matthew and Mark (Matthew 3:5-6; Mark 1:5) indicate that thousands of people came out from the cities and villages and farms of Judea and were immersed by John. The word baptizo in Greek means immerse; it can only mean immerse. There is a Greek word for sprinkle, rantizo; there is a Greek word for pour, cheo. Neither of these words are used in the Greek text for the action of baptismonly the word baptizo. All Greek lexicons, ancient and modern, give the definition of baptizo to be, dip, plunge, immerse. The practice of sprinkling for baptism was not officially sanctioned by Christendom until the fourteenth century! To make changes in the mode of baptism is nowhere sanctioned in the Bible!
Among the thousands coming out to where John was immersing were some of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew uses the Greek preposition epi which could be translated, … many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to (or toward) baptism. The preposition may also be translated for baptism. Were they really coming for baptism (cf. Luke 7:29-30)? Harold Fowler suggests, they may have feared the loss of their leadership of the people if they did not join it (John’s baptism). (cf. Matthew, Vol. I, by Harold Fowler, College Press, pgs. 98-104). John did not mince words. He addressed his remarks to the multitudes, but more specifically (as Matthew points out, Matthew 3:7) to the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them offspring of poisonous snakes. It was a title well placed for their teachings and their hypocrisy had poisoned the spiritual life of the covenant people (cf. Matthew 16:6; Matthew 16:12; Matthew 23:1-39). Jesus also called them offspring of poisonous snakes (Matthew 12:34). John’s question, Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? was probably couched in irony and sarcasm in an attempt to expose the sham and hypocrisy of their hearts so they might be brought to true repentance.
The Greek word for repentance, metanao, means literally, change of mind; change of direction. It was a military term used in drilling soldiers and meant, about face, to the rear march. True repentance is inward and is a state of thinking and beingit is the nature of a person who is going in the direction of the will of God. But true repentance must express itself in actions and deedsin all the issues of life. There must be fruits that befit true repentance, (cf. Acts 17:30-31; Acts 26:20). True repentance involves confessing our sin (Proverbs 28:13; Psalms 32:5-6; Jeremiah 2:35; Jeremiah 3:13); restitution of the damage of our sin (insofar as possible) (cf. Numbers 5:6-7); resolution that we shall not willingly sin again, (cf. Hebrews 10:26-27; 1 John 3:9).
John’s next admonition is that genetic or biological relationships, racial or national heritages and family ties have nothing fundamentally to do with our relationship to God. God is interested in character, not color of skin or cultural circumstances. All these things may have some bearing on the formation of our character, but they count for nothing in themselves concerning our future life. The Jews believed that inasmuch as God once chose Abraham and blessed him, they automatically, by reason of physical descent, must stand in the exact same favor with God as Abraham had. If God wanted only physical descendants from Abraham, He could multiply them from stones of the ground. After all, God made the original man from the dust of the earth. But God cannot and will not overwhelm the autonomous will and spirit of man to make him a child of faith. God wants children of Abraham by faith (cf. Romans 4:1 ff; Romans 9:6-7; Romans 11:13-24; Galatians 4:21-31), and good works (James 2:18-26). God is not partial for any nationality or culture; He is partial toward anyone anywhere who believes and obeys His Word (cf. Acts 10:34-35). God saves individuals, not nations or races. God takes repenting, obedient individuals from every nation and tribe and tongue and makes them a kingdom of His own (cf. Revelation 7:9). Jewish apocryphal traditions taught that Abraham had accumulated more merit with God than was necessary for his own salvation. All Jews in good standing with the torah and the traditions could draw on this excess merit for their salvation.
The final admonition of John was that the axe of God’s judgment was already laid to the root of the trees (the people of the Jewish nation). John himself had come in partial fulfillment of that great prediction of judgment upon the nation in Malachi 3:1-5. Jesus-’ coming to judge was the other part of that prophecy (cf. John 9:39-41; John 3:19; John 3:36; John 5:22; John 5:27; John 12:40). The question is, when was the axe to cut down the trees? John may be warning of the imminent destruction of the Jewish system, as Jesus often did (cf. Matthew 21:33-43; Matthew 22:1-14; Matthew 23:37-39; Matthew 24:1-35; Luke 19:41-44, etc.). The book of Hebrews warns of judgment to come upon the Jewish system (cf. Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 10:25; Hebrews 12:25-29). The Jewish system was ready to be done away withit had served its purpose (cf. Jeremiah 3:15). All who did not repent and prepare to meet God on a new basis would be cast off. John is warning of the danger of being hewn down and thrown into the fire of eternal damnation. Even now, with the coming of Jesus Christ, the axe of judgment falls. Without acceptance of the Messiah there is nothing left but inevitable judgment. The Messiah is God’s last message of grace and salvation to the world (Hebrews 1:1-3). The One whom John is to introduce to the world is man’s only hope. In effect, the good news becomes bad news. It is good news to the humble who surrender in faith and repentancebut it is bad news to the proud, self-righteous and impenitent. Christ is God’s final touchstone of judgmenthenceforward God will categorize and separate all men as to their eternal destinies according to their response to Christ’s covenant. Thus, even at the beginning of John’s preaching, the axe of judgment was poised, ready to fall upon mankind.
**Luke 3:10-14 Application: **John the Baptist has his method in the correct order to bring about the proper result. People must first repent of improper theology. Man must first obey the revealed covenant terms and come into right relationship to God. Then he acts according to God’s revelation concerning right relationships toward other men. Those who repented and were immersed with John’s baptism, having redirected their attitudes with respect to God’s coming kingdom, asked how this new attitude was to affect their daily lives.
True repentance will manifest itself in sharing one’s worldly goods with others less fortunate and in need. John does not qualify the necessity of sharing by asking why the one is without a coat or without food. Need is all the motivation a New Kingdom person requires. Right relationship to needy humanity is necessary in order to be in right relationship to God (cf. 1 John 3:16-18; 1 John 4:20; James 1:27; James 2:14-17; Hebrews 13:16; Matthew 25:31 ff). Tax-collectors (publicans) were told they should not cheat or be dishonest and take more taxes than allowed. Soldiers were told they were not to use their power and influence to extort or defraud others and to be content with their wages. G. Campbell Morgan says, … the height of morality is the love-mastered life. The New Kingdom person does not live his life or do his job for mercenary reasons. He keeps his life free from love of money (cf. Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-8). He does not have to give up a perfectly normal and socially useful vocation to come into right relationship to Godhe just has to let God’s revealed will give sovereign direction to whatever vocation or avocation he chooses in life. Tax-collectors did not have to quit their jobs, soldiers did not have to be discharged from the armythey simply had to do their jobs according to God’s guidance. These words from John the Baptist are both timely and timeless. The apostle Paul’s advice is, Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not man, Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. (Colossians 3:23-24; Ephesians 6:5-9, etc.). Craftsmen, professional men, housewives, even children doing chores should remember God’s ideal is that we do our tasks with excellence, not haphazardly, and not for mercenary purposes. Anyone who does otherwise cannot please God!
Luke 3:15-20
**Butler’s Comments
SECTION 3
The Baptizer’s Meekness (Luke 3:15-20)**
15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, 16John answered them all, I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
18 So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
**Luke 3:15-17 Subordination: **The fervor and frankness of John’s preaching excited the multitudes of Judea. No religious teacher for hundreds of years had so effectively stirred individual consciences and so thoroughly exposed religious hypocrisy. John stirred up a revival! He was saying things and doing things (immersing for the forgiveness of sins) that only Elijah or the Messiah would have authority to do (cf. John 1:24-28). John the Baptizer might have been tempted to bask in the limelight of fame and popularity, but he overcame it and subordinated himself to the One Coming after him, the Messiah. One of the things that made John the Baptist such a great man was his unfeigned humility. He was great because he was a servant. John answers the expectations of the multitudes that no matter how important his preparatory works may seem, they are very much subordinate to the ultimate work of the One Comingthe Messiah. The Messiah will immerse some in the Holy Spirit and some in fire. This statement of John does not mean that all believers are to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, for the following reasons:
a.
The context does not demand such an interpretation. We do not know who the you is in either the case of the Holy Spirit or fire. It is altogether possible that he simply means some of you. Peter and John were very early disciples of John the Baptist and were probably standing there at that moment.
b.
John’s primary purpose in this statement is to make a contrast between himself and the Messiah in importance of ministries.
c.
There are only four distinct references to the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the N.T.
John’s first prediction (with parallels); Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16 John’s second prediction, John 1:33
Jesus-’ promise, Acts 1:5 (Acts 2:1-21 is the stated fulfillment of this). The experience of Cornelius and his household, Acts 11:15-17. This lone event upon Gentiles seems to indicate the phrase all flesh of Joe 2:28 and Acts 2:17 was intended as representative or general, (i.e., the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon some Jews and some Gentiles signified God was opening the kingdom to the whole world).
d.
Baptizo means immerse, overwhelm. The supernatural powers exercised by the apostles (cast out demons, raise the dead, punish some with judgments) were never exercised by any others.
(This has caused some to think Cornelius did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but only a miraculous gift momentarily in order to signify somethingnot to empower himcertainly not to save him.)
If we are going to call Bible things by Bible names, it is readily apparent that John’s announcement that the Messiah would immerse in the Holy Spirit did not infer that all believers were to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The immersion with fire is very evidently (from Luke 3:17) the eternal judgment since it is an unquenchable fire. As Fowler points out in Matthew, Vol. I, pg. 107, John has done here what many Old Testament prophets do; he views great, widely-separated events in the scheme of God’s redemptive program without giving any of the historical details between such events. John the Baptist predicts the immersion in the Holy Spirit (the day of Pentecost) and the immersion in unquenchable fire (the final judgment) without regard to the great time interval between these events, (see our comments, Minor Prophets, Butler, College Press, pg. 32, and 184-188).
**Luke 3:18-20 Suffering: **It is clear from Luke 3:18 that we do not have all the words or sermons preached by John the Baptist recorded for us. There are a few typical exhortations preserved in the gospel records. Luke 3:19-20 are Luke’s brief account of the results of some of John’s preaching. Luke digresses here from chronological order. Matthew and Mark give account in more detail and in chronological order (Mark 6:17 ff; Matthew 14:3 ff). Some of John’s exhortations had to do with the adulterous living of Herod Antipas and Herodias. John the Baptist condemned all the evils Herod had done. And they were many! Herod imprisoned him. Josephus says that Herod imprisoned John the Baptist because of his popularity with the multitudes. The very fact that Josephus records the event serves to give historical confirmation to the accuracy and authenticity of the gospel records.
Luke 3:21-22
Applebury’s Comments
The Baptism of Jesus Scripture
Luke 3:21-22 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
*Comments
when all the people were baptized.*For the purpose of this baptism, see comment on Luke 3:16.
*Jesus also having been baptized.*It is important to notice the distinction between the purpose of the baptism of the people and the purpose of the baptism of Jesus by John. Jesus said His was to fulfill all righteousnessthat is, to do all things that meet the approval of God. See Matthew 3:15. John suggests two more reasons why Jesus was baptized. He had been told that the one upon whom he would see the Holy Spirit descending would be the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit. Although John knew Jesushe said, I have need to be baptized by youhe needed this evidence that came at the time of Jesus baptism to be able to reveal Him to the people as the Son of God. See John 1:29-34.
*and praying.*Only Luke tells us that Jesus was praying when He was baptized. He also records a good many other things about the prayer life of Jesus.
*the Holy Spirit descended.*This was the sign to John that Jesus was the One who would baptize in the Holy Spirit. Peter also refers to the fact that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power and that He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him (Acts 10:38).
*a voice from heaven.*The One who was designated Son of God at the time of His conception is now publically recognized by the Father. The Voice of God was heard three times during the ministry of Jesus: (1) at His baptism; (2) when He prayed after the Greeks came to see Him (John 12:28); and (3) at the time of His transfiguration (Luke 9:35).
The List of Jesus-’ Ancestors
Luke 3:21-38
**Butler’s Comments
SECTION 4
The Baptizer’s Master (Luke 3:21-38)**
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Mathat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattaha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serag, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
**Luke 3:21-22 Goodness: **Jesus came when he was about 30 years of age to submit to John’s immersion. The date would have been approximately December, 26 A.D. or January, 27 A.D. It was more than 40 days before He went to the Passover recorded in John 2:13-22. He was led of the Spirit into the wilderness immediately after His baptism to be tempted by the devil. After His temptation He was pointed out by John the Baptist to some of his disciples, He traveled to Canaan of Galilee for a wedding feast, spent a few days in Capernaum (John 1:19, John 2:12) and then went to the Passover. The place He was baptized was probably Bethany beyond the Jordan (John 1:28) also known as Bethabara (house of the ford).
John objected; Jesus insisted. It would be a natural reaction for John to insist that he was unworthy to baptize the Messiah. John had already declared that the One Coming was so much greater than he. It is a clear doctrine of the New Testament that Jesus Christ was without sin. Why then did He need to be immersed with John’s baptism? We suggest the following reasons:
a.
Acquiescence:
The message God gave John the Baptist was that anyone who wished to be of the true Israel of God must acquiesce to a righteousness from an obedient heart. Matthew states that Jesus said, … it is fitting. (Matthew 3:15). The Greek word prepon might be translated, proper. It was proper for Jesus to acquiesce to any revealed commandment of the Father and fulfill righteousness from an obedient heart.
b.
Association:
Jesus, to serve as our pathfinder, redeemer, and faithful High Priest, tested and tried in all points as we are tried, must be made like His brethren in every respect (Hebrews 2:14-18). Jesus in His flesh, has traveled every road we have traveled, been tried in every way we have been tried, and submitted to every command we have been commanded.
c.
Authentication:
God’s initial signal that this Person was His Son and the Messiah was at Jesus-’ baptism. It was here Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit (John 1:33-34) and approved by the verbal, audible announcement of the Father (Matthew 3:17).
Jesus acquiesced to John’s immersion to demonstrate that the man who wishes to be acclaimed good by God must have an obedient heart. Even the Son, who condescended to an incarnate experience, felt it was necessary to obey the Father’s will no matter who the messenger might be (cf. Matthew 17:24-27; Matthew 23:1-2; Hebrews 5:7-9). If the sinless Son of God felt the necessity of walking 60-70 miles to submit in obedience to the Father’s revealed will to be immersed in the Jordan River, how can any believer today feel that it is not necessary to be immersed in obedience to the Son’s command?
**Luke 3:23-38 Geneaology: Genealogies are family trees. The ancient Jews were very zealous to keep genealogical records (cf. Ezekiel 13:9; Ezra 2:59; Ezra 2:62). These records were necessary for adjudicating inheritances of tribal lands and for succession of royal and priestly families. They were legal documents. Matthew’s genealogy traced Jesus-’ lineage through Joseph because it was only through Joseph as His father-of-record that He had claim to David’s throne. Luke, probably not primarily interested in Jesus-’ legal heritage, gives the parenthetical (as was supposed, the son of Joseph) explanation as he traces Jesus-’ lineage back to Adam and God. Luke was more interested for the sake of his Gentile readers to trace Jesus-’ ancestry to the original man Adam and thence to God. Luke’s genealogy would be a documented rebuttal to the mythological genealogies of the pagan gods. Joseph is distinctly declared by Matthew to be from David through Solomon, back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17; see also Matthew 1:20; **Luke 2:4). But Joseph was connected to two lines of descent if you compare Luke’s list with Matthew’S. How could Joseph be the son of both Jacob (in Matthew) and Heli (in Luke)? As sometimes happened a man and his wife could not produce male heirs to their tribal heritage. God provided in the Old Testament economy what came to be known as the Levirate Law (Genesis 38:8 ff; Deuteronomy 25:5-10) whereby a deceased man’s brother or nearest male kin was required to marry his brother’s widow and raise up seed in his brother’s name. Ruth’s marriage to Boaz recognized this law (Rth 4:1-17). This ancient custom was also applied in the practice of adoption. Orphaned children were often adopted (Esther 2:7) and thus became legal heirs through kinsmen. It is altogether possible that Heli was Joseph’s first father and, upon his death, Joseph was adopted by Jacob and became legal heir to Jacob’s heritage.
A comparison of Luke’s genealogical record of Jesus-’ ancestry with that of Matthew will show Zerubbabel as the son of Shealtiel. But according to 1 Chronicles 3:19 Zerubbabel is the nephew of Shealtiel and the son of Pedaiah. Zerubbabel is at one and the same time heir, and, legally son of two men. In Matthew’s list Shealtiel is the son of Jechoniah, and in Luke he is the son of Neri. How do we resolve this problem? According to Jeremiah 22:30, Jechoniah was to have no children to succeed him in a legal sense on the throne (he was to be prophetically childless). Shealtiel became legal heir through his father’s cousin Neri (see chart, pg. 62). The only place Neri is mentioned is in Luke’s list. We assume then that Neri had no sons but when Jechoniah died, Shealtiel, the blood son of Jechoniah, was adopted by Neri (son of David through Nathan). What is true of Shealtiel is also true of Zerubbabel. He became the heir through Shealtiel because Shealtiel had no sons (Pediah and his other brothers had probably died) so Zerubbabel was adopted by Shealtiel who was already legal heir through the Leverite Law. Thus God’s prophecy concerning Jechoniah (legally childless) and the David lineage were both preserved.
The main aspect of the genealogical record of Christ’s ancestry is to establish God’s faithfulness, wisdom, and power to carry out His redemptive plan through the Divine-Man in spite of all obstacles and enemies. Imagine the difficulties that would arise if we did not possess proof that Jesus was the descendant of David! But even more importantly, the genealogies tracing Jesus-’ ancestry back to the original man, Adam, prove that God’s plan was to save man by a Man. Man’s redeemer must be a man; it was necessary that the power of the devil (the fear of death, Hebrews 2:14-15) be conquered in the flesh. Man’s sacrifice must be a man; a sinless, perfect man (cf. Hebrews 10:4-10). Man’s mediator must be a man (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17-18). Jesus was The Man who redeemed man (cf. Galatians 4:4-5). Furthermore, God’s power and faithfulness to overcome all obstacles is revealed in the genealogies of Jesus. God kept His word to preserve a family and a nation through whom He delivered to the world its Savior. In spite of dungeon, fire and sword, He preserved a specific family. In spite of bondage, captivities, and resistance by this chosen nation itself, God preserved a throne. In spite of sinful men and women (David; Bathsheba, Rahab, etc.) in the lineage of Jesus, God produced a believing, humble peasant girl and her fiance through whom to deliver the Messiah to mankind. God’s providential power is evident in the genealogies of Jesus.
STUDY STIMULATORS:
What do you think of the historical context in which John the Baptist carried out his mission? Would you be able to maintain an optimistic attitude if you were called to serve God in a similar historical context?
How did John the Baptist serve as a link between the Old and New covenants? What was the response God expected from all who heard his message?
Were people’s sins forgiven when they submitted to John’s immersion?
Why is it incorrect to state that John’s baptism originated in Jewish proselyte baptism?
Why is it incorrect to state that John’s baptism originated in the practice of Essene (Qumranian) washings?
Where did John’s immersion originate? How did Jesus verify that?
What is the correct New Testament mode of baptism?
Has the Bible given any man or group of men sanction to change the mode of baptism?
Why did John call the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers? Would this same categorization apply to any contemporary religious teachers?
What is repentance? Is it to be accomplished only once in our lives?
Why is it necessary to repent of erroneous theology before repentance in ethics?
May one continue to be a soldier and please God?
Are all believers to be immersed in the Holy Spirit?
Why did Jesus insist on being baptized by John?
Why is it important that the genealogical record of Jesus-’ ancestry be a part of the gospel record?
Luke 3:23-38
Applebury’s Comments
Scripture
Luke 3:23-38 And Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son-oí Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, 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 Arni, 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 Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Comments
*And Jesus himself.*Luke has presented strong evidence in support of his claim that Jesus is the Son of God. The climax of that evidence is the report of God’s public acknowledgment of His Son when He said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. He is now ready to tell Theophilus about the ancestors of Jesus who is also the Son of Man. Matthew began the birth record with David and Abraham and traced it to Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born the Christ. But Lukethis is much more meaningful to a Gentilebegan with Jesus and traced His lineage through Nathan to David and finally to Adam and then adds the final note, the son of God.
*as was supposed.*Two interesting items open the paragraph: (1) Jesus was about thirty years old when He began to teach; (2) It was assumed by those who didn-’t know the facts that He was the son of Joseph.
Why did He wait until He was thirty? Our impatience makes us wonder why He didn-’t begin much sooner. But God had waited until the fulness of time to bring His Son into the world. There are many things involved in that statement, but one thing is clear, the world was ready for Him; the Jewish people were in expectation; even Gentiles were glad when they heard the news of salvation through Him. The simple answer, of course, to the question is that Jews expected their teachers to have some maturity when they began, This does not bar a younger man who is prepared to undertake a ministry for the Lord today. It was only natural for those who did not know the facts to suppose that Jesus was the son of Joseph. He grew up in Joseph’s home and was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Of course, Mary and Joseph knew that He was the Son of Godhow well they understood it may be a questionbut there was no good way to tell others about it until after His ministry where He demonstrated it and His resurrection that proved it beyond a doubt. Even the Lord’s brothers were not aware of the truth that He is Lord and Christ until after they had become convinced of it by the force of the evidence of the resurrection.
*the son of Heli.*The names in this list differ somewhat from those given in Matthew 1:1-16. But both Matthew and Luke and Paul make it clear that Jesus, according to flesh was born of the seed of David (Romans 1:3). Both Matthew and Luke make it clear that Joseph was not Jesus-’ father; the conception was a miracle and Paul affirms that the resurrection designated Him as Son of God. The difference in the two lists may be explained by assumingwe have no way of proving itthat Luke gives Mary’s genealogy and Matthew gives Joseph’S.
*of Nathan, the son of David.*Matthew traced the line through Solomon, suggesting that Joseph was the legal heir to David’s throne. Luke traces it through Nathan, suggesting the blood line of Mary of whom was born Jesus the Christ.
*the son of Adam.*Adam was the head of the human race; Christ is the head of the new creation (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). Adam was created by God and so was the son of God. But Jesus-’ relation to God is unique, for, as John says, He was God (John 1:1) and became flesh (Luke 3:1-14). Therefore, He can rightly be called the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18).
Summary
With this chapter Luke completes the evidencewith the exception of the account of the Temptationthat presents Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man who is ready to begin His ministry. He begins with a brief account of the ministry of John, then tells of the baptism of Jesus, and closes the chapter with the genealogy of Jesus. John came with his stirring message at a time when all the people were in expectation, wondering if he could be the Messiah. But he was not the Christ; he was the prophet of God sent to tell the people to make ready for the coming of the Lord. He had a harsh message, for they were sinners. They were like valleys that had to be filled, mountains that had to be leveled, and curves that had to be straightened so that their lives might be suitable for the Lord. They were a fruitless tree that was about to be cut down. He commanded them to repent; he baptized them in the Jordan for the remission of their sins. John’s message bore fruit. Crowds flocked to hear him from Jerusalem and the surrounding country. He baptized them as he saw that they were heeding his command to repent. Tax collectors came asking what they should do; soldiers wanted to know what to do. His answer was simple and direct: Repent and let your lives show that you have changed from your evil ways. But John directed them to Jesus. He said, I baptize you in water, but the One who is coming after me will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. By the baptism in the Holy Spirit He was to enable the apostles to tell men what to do to be saved and like wheat be gathered into the granary. But those who will not respond to their message will, like chaff that is burned up, be destroyed when Christ comes again. Luke gave only a summary of what John did and taught. Among the many things which he did, John reproved Herod the tetrarch for the evil he had done, including his marriage to the wife of his brother. And for this, John was put in prison. The climax of the evidence that presents Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man ready to begin His public ministry, came at the time of His baptism. John baptized Jesus because He said it was right to do the thing that God approves, and also that he might see the sign that shows Him as Son of God. At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father said to Him, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Not until this evidence had been presented was Luke ready to tell about the ancestry of Jesus. He traced the line from Jesus all the way to Adam and to God. One more incident belongs to this section of Luke’s story and that is the account of the temptation of Jesus which is in chapter four. It shows that Satan was unable to shake the evidence that proves that Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man.
Questions
What was the most important event, from the Christian’s point of view, in the reign of Caesar Augustus?
For what things do we remember Herod the tetrarch?
How did it happen that both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests at the same time?
What is the significance of the statement that the word of God came to John?
What is meant by baptism of repentance?
What was the purpose of John’s baptism?
How does Isaiah’s prophecy fit the condition of John’s time?
Why is John called the voice of one crying in the wilderness?
What Scriptures did the Jews have in mind when they asked if John was the prophet or Elijah?
How was John to prepare for the Lord?
What is there in the prophecy of Isaiah that indicates that the Gentiles were to share in the salvation through Christ?
What was John’s attitude toward the multitudes who came to hear him?
Why did he liken them to a tree about to be cut down?
What did he mean by saying that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham?
What did John tell the crowds to do? the publicans? the soldiers?
What does Luke say about the attitude of the people at the time of John’s appearing in the wilderness?
Why should we say that John baptized in water rather than with water?
How could John’s baptism be for remission of sins?
Into what two elements was Jesus to baptize?
What was the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
What is the baptism in fire?
With what illustration did John explain the two baptisms?
Why was John imprisoned?
Why was Jesus baptized?
What did the descent of the Spirit on Jesus mean to John?
What was Jesus doing when He was being baptized?
What is the significance of the fact that the Voice of God spoke at the baptism of Jesus?
Why did Luke wait until this point in his narrative to give the genealogy of Jesus?
How are we to understand the statement that Jesus was the son of Joseph (as was supposed)?
How account for the difference between Luke’s list and Matthew’S?
Why did Luke trace the genealogy to Adam?
What is the connection between the temptation of Jesus and what was said about Him at the time of His baptism?