Luke 3

SECTION 2 (3:1-4:44).The Launching of the Messiah: The Spirit-filled Ministries of John and Jesus And The Defeat of Satan (3:1-4:44).When we come to chapter 3 we enter the second stage in Luke’s message. It commences with the ministry of John, the one who is to prepare of the way, and expands into the fullblown ministry of Jesus as the Anointed Prophet of Isaiah, and both are full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15; Luke 4:1). We can analyse this section as follows: a The powerful Spirit-filled ministry of John is described (Luke 3:1-14). b One is coming Who will send the Holy Spirit and will produce wheat for the harvest and cleanse His threshing floor (Luke 3:15-18). c John is rejected by Herod for teaching what he does not like (Luke 3:19-20). d The Holy Spirit comes on Jesus, and God declares that He is His beloved Son, and His anointed Prophet ‘in Whom He is well pleased’ (Luke 3:21-22). e Jesus is the son of David (the anointed King), the son of Abraham (the One through Whom the promises are to be fulfilled), the son of Adam (the seed of the woman who is about to break the serpent’s head), the son of God (the second Man, the last Adam, fully human in the same way as Adam, partaking as he had done in the image and likeness of God before the Fall), the One Who will fulfil God’s purpose in creation (Luke 3:23-38). f Jesus faces his temptations as to his Messiahship and defeats the Tempter who describes Him as the Son of God (Jesus ‘breaks his head’ with the word of God) (Luke 4:1-12). e Jesus, having as the Son of God defeated Satan, goes out in the power of the Spirit and is glorified of all (Luke 4:13-15). d Jesus reveals Himself from the Word of God as the Spirit anointed prophet of Isa 61:1-2 (Luke 4:16-21). c Jesus is rejected by the people for teaching what they do not like (Luke 4:22-30). b Jesus reveals Himself as the Coming One by His power over evil spirits, (cleansing His threshing floor). They declare ‘you are the Holy One of God’ but are rebuked. The people are amazed at His activity and the word spreads (Luke 4:31-37). a The powerful Spirit-filled ministry of Jesus is described (Luke 4:38-44). The section ends with ‘And He was preaching in the synagogues of Judaea’ (Luke 4:44). Thus in ‘a’ and its parallel we have the contrasting Spirit-filled ministries of John and Jesus. In ‘b’ we have the huge impact of the Coming One described, and in the parallel something of that impact. In ‘c’ and parallel we have the rejection of Jesus and John because their teaching is not acceptable. In ‘d’ we have Jesus anointed by the Holy Spirit for His ministry and declared by God to be His chosen Prophet, and in the parallel the Word of God declares Him to be the Spirit anointed Prophet. In ‘e’ we have Jesus revealed as the fulfilment of all the past, the final fulfilment of God’s purpose on creation, and in the parallel, having defeated Satan, as going out and being glorified by all. In ‘f’ and central to the whole is Jesus’ defeat of Satan in the wilderness.

Luke 3:1-14

The Powerful Ministry of John Is Described (3:1-14).Many years have passed and the ministry of John the Baptiser, whose birth was described in chapter 1, begins. It is set very definitely in its historical context, and commences with confirmation that he was fulfilling what the prophets had promised. His was a ministry that very much demanded a moral response, and which offered the forgiveness of sins for those who faced up before God concerning their need to have a change of heart and mind (to ‘repent’). It was based on the prophetic descriptions of the Holy Spirit falling like rain on men and women and producing fruitfulness in their lives (Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-5; Isaiah 55:10-13), something that he declared was about to come, and was very much based on the need for men and women to ‘bear fruit’. Thus as can be seen it was fulfilling the angels description of the purpose of his ministry, to ‘turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God’ (Luke 1:16) and ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people’. He acted out this pouring out of the Spirit in prophetic mime through a baptism in water. This did not signify ritual washing (that was the error of Josephus), for in ritual washing men washed themselves, and besides, there is no hint in his ministry of such a significance. Rather it signified the Holy Spirit falling on men like refreshing and lifegiving rain producing fruitfulness, and he continually demanded to see that fruitfulness, and paralleled his drenching (baptizo) of them with water with the overwhelming pouring on them (baptizo) of the Holy Spirit. Both the opening verse and the general context reveal that John sees himself as introducing the last days. Luke sets him in the context of the power of Rome, and reveals him as the one who is preparing the way for what is to come, the coming of the Messiah and the great anointed Prophet of God. And John sees this as very much introducing the last days, for his eyes are firmly fixed on the final judgment. All must now face up to a choice. One is coming Who will ‘drench’ men with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Then those who respond and are fruitful will be gathered into His barn, but those who refuse to hear and do not respond will be burned like chaff in unquenchable flames.

In spite of his stress on coming judgment, in the end his message is to be seen as one of declaring the coming of the Salvation of God (Luke 3:6). It is to be seen as ‘the Good News’ (Luke 3:18). Against the background of fiery judgment is the description of a new beginning for all who respond to the Messiah We can compare this great contrast between the surviving righteous and the destruction of the unrighteous with the similar contrast in Isaiah, who reveals the aftermath, ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make will remain before Me — all flesh will come to worship before Me, and they will go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me, for their maggot will not die, their fire will not be quenched, and they will be an abhorrence to all flesh’ (Isaiah 66:22-24). And to the similar contrast in Daniel, ‘and there will be a time of trouble such as never has been since there was a nation until that time, but at that time your people will be delivered, every one whose name will be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt’ (Daniel 12:1-2). It is the time of the end. But like Isaiah John makes no mention of the resurrection, and like Isaiah he speaks of unquenchable fire. The warning of Jer 4:4 is to be fulfilled, ‘Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart (repent), you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury go forth like fire and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings’. The first nineteen verses of this chapter can be analysed as follows: a 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 Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. b And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance resulting in (unto) remission of sins. c As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make you ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. 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. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. d He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptised by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, “We have Abraham to our father”, for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” e “And even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” d ‘And the crowds asked him, saying, “What then must we do?” And he answered and said to them, “He who has two coats, let him impart to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do the same.” And there came also public servants to be baptised, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?” And he said to them, “Extort no more than that which is appointed you.” And soldiers also asked him, saying, “And we, what must we do?” And he said to them, “Extort from no man by violence, nor accuse any one wrongfully, and be content with your wages.” ’ c And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ. John answered, saying to them all, “I indeed baptise you with water, but there comes he who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to unloose. He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit and in fire, whose winnowing-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.” b With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings to the people. a But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison. It will be noted that in ‘a’ the authorities of this world are described as in contrast with the word of God going forth from John, while in the parallel their representative shuts up John (and the word of God) in prison. In ‘b’ John goes out preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in the parallel he preaches good tidings to the people. In ‘c’ we have a prophetic description of the mighty working of God preparing for the Coming One, leading up to salvation ( a concept which in the Old Testament includes judgment on the ungodly), and in the parallel we have the mighty working of the Coming One who both saves and judges. In ‘d’ there is the warning to bring forth fruits meet for repentance and in the parallel those fruits are described. In ‘e’ we have the central point of warning concerning those who refuse to become fruitful. His central message is a fearsome warning of judgment.

Luke 3:3

‘And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins,’ . And as a result of receiving ‘the word of God’ John came into the region round about the Jordan in order to proclaim it. He preached the need for a ‘turning to God’, a ‘change of heart, mind and will’ (metanoia - translated ‘repentance’), so that men’s sins could be forgiven, linking it with his baptism in water which proclaimed the forthcoming pouring out of the Holy Spirit like rain. Note that to Luke repentance is the gift of God and closely connected with the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:30-31; Acts 11:15-18). The Greek word literally means a ‘change of mind’ but was used to translate the Semitic idea of ‘turning’ to God, involving a change of direction and often sorrow of heart (1 Kings 8:47; 1 Kings 13:33; Psalms 78:34; Isaiah 6:10; Ezekiel 3:19; Amos 4:6). It is common also on the lips of Jesus both as a noun and a verb (e.g. Luke 5:32; Luke 10:13; Luke 11:32; Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5; Luke 15:7; Luke 15:10; Luke 24:47). On this point both Jesus and John are in agreement. It reflects the contrite heart that comes to God for forgiveness and renewal (Psalms 34:18; Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2). While it is true that John comes from a priestly family, his chosen background is that of a prophet. In his clothing, his food and his chosen environment of the wilderness he follows Elijah (Luke 3:2; Mark 1:6; Matthew 3:4; compare 2 Kings 1:8; 1 Kings 17:3-4). And like Elijah he stands to give warning to the powers of his day (Luke 3:14; Luke 3:19). And his message too is a prophetic one. We should therefore see his baptism in the same light. While we may see water in terms of washing, the people of the land who heard John would have seen it very much in terms of rain coming down on the land, and of rivers and water courses that produced life.

And that was the prophetic message, especially of Isaiah who provides the Scriptural background to John’s ministry (Luke 3:4-6. See Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-5; Isaiah 55:10-13). John’s message too was that soon the Holy Spirit would come down on men, and He would come down on those whose hearts were prepared by turning to God from sin, and living accordingly. And through their commitment by baptism to His effective working, indicating their desire to partake in the coming outpouring of the Spirit, they would receive the forgiveness of sins. But the repentance and forgiveness did not await the future outpouring of the Spirit. They were effective now in readiness for it. We must beware of thinking that the Holy Spirit was not already working. John is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15) and preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the work of the Holy Spirit that he sees as to come is something different. It is the great outpouring described in the prophets (Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-5; Joe 2:28; Ezekiel 36:25-27) which will commence in John 20:22 and Acts 2, and which will shake the world. But as is clear in the ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:1; Luke 4:14; Luke 10:21 with 17; Luke 11:13; Luke 12:10; Luke 12:12; Matthew 12:28; John 3:6; John 4:10-14 with 24; Luke 7:37 in contrast with 38) the Spirit is already working, as indeed He has always worked (Psalms 51:10-11; Psalms 139:7; Psalms 143:10). It is significant that apart from in Acts 22:16, which can in fact be interpreted differently, baptism is never directly connected with washing, while Peter emphasises that it has nothing to do with the removal of the defilement of the flesh - 1 Peter 3:21. So contrary to what is often said it is totally unlike Jewish religious washings, which were only ever a self-washing of the body preparatory to waiting on God for cleansing, and had to be performed continually. While it has been likened to proselyte baptism it is not really similar, for proselyte baptism was for removal of ritual uncleanness and then simply introduced the person to the continual chain of washings which would maintain his cleanness, which would inevitably follow. John’s baptism was nothing like this. It was once for all, marking the recipient, if his heart was true, as one of God’s chosen. The cleansing that it represented was not that of washing but of the working of the Holy Spirit within (the ‘washing of regeneration’).

In the Old Testament it is only blood sprinkled water (‘pure water’) that was seen as cleansing and had to be applied to another, not washing water. Note how the priestly Ezekiel likens the coming of the Spirit to being sprinkled with clean (cleansed) water (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Johns baptism was administered by him and was initiatory and final. It was linked with the coming drenching in the Holy Spirit and indicated that the person who received it had been made right with God through turning to God and receiving forgiveness. It indicated the commencement of a new life, a turning from the old to the new. And he warned that if it was participated in lightly it would result in being drenched, not with the Holy Spirit but with fire and judgment. Thus its prime significance must be seen as representing the coming work of the Holy Spirit, which was already happening to a limited extent through the Spirit-filled John. ‘All the region round about the Jordan.’ This would include lands both sides of the Jordan, as he moved from place to place. But he was very much seen as connected with the Jordan. It was where he baptised, and it was symbolically connected with the new age that had begun when Israel crossed the Jordan (Joshua 3:7 to Joshua 4:1), something re-enacted by Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:8; 2 Kings 2:14). It was a symbol of God’s power as He was again beginning to act on behalf of His people (2 Kings 2:12), as it had been of the spirit of Elijah coming on Elisha (2 Kings 2:15). Now John had the Spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). John tells us that for a time Jesus preached alongside John although He sought not to be seen as a rival (John 3:22-23; John 4:1-3).

Luke 3:4-6

‘As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet. a “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, b Make you ready the way of the Lord, c Make his paths straight. d Every valley shall be filled, d And every mountain and hill shall be brought low, c And the crooked shall become straight, b And the rough ways smooth. a And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Note the chiastic structure here. In ‘b’ and parallel we have the play on ‘way’, in ‘c’ and parallel on ‘smooth’, while ‘d’ and parallel are identical but contrasting thoughts. This is as well as the parallels of the poetic rhythm. The above is fairly similar to (but not the same as) Isaiah 40:3-5 LXX, ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God, every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, and all the crooked ways will become straight, and the rough places plains, and the glory of the Lord will appear, and all flesh will see the salvation of God, for the Lord has spoken’. But as findings at Qumran remind us, the differences probably indicate that it was not a direct citation from there, and could easily rather be a translation from an original Hebrew text. (This is true wherever there is a similarity to LXX but with differences). Luke, however, like us, would use any suitable versions that were available. It will be noted that ‘and all flesh will see the salvation of God’ is not present in the Hebrew text, which reads ‘and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh shall see it (the glory of the Lord) together’. But the whole of the remainder of Isaiah 40 demonstrates that the revealing of the glory of the Lord there is in fact for the purpose of salvation (Luke 3:10-11; Luke 3:28-31), and thus that those who see His glory will see His salvation, for His glory will be revealed in salvation. Thus the significance is the same. Luke is here following the example of Mar 1:3, but expanding on it, and cites with regard to John the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 40:3-5. These words referred to one who was to prepare the way for God to act. (The community at Qumran applied this verse to their task of studying the law in the wilderness). It was normal in Isaiah’s day for the approach of great kings to be prepared for by smoothing the way before them. There were to be no ups and downs for a great king. The valleys would be filled in, the mountains levelled, the road would be made straight and all obstacles and unevenness removed. And both Isaiah and John saw this in spiritual terms, the removal of the obstacles of men’s sins and the preparation of men’s hearts ready for God to act. We can compare how later men are to be ‘brought low’ (Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14), for good or bad, and the crooked will be made straight (Luke 13:10-17, the Greek terms are different but have the same significance) which was itself a picture of what Christ had come to do. For the mountains being levelled we can compare Zechariah 4:7 where such an event is connected with the Spirit and refers to the removal of all obstacles on behalf of Zerubbabel. And we can compare how today we speak of the removal of a person’s rough edges in order (in our view) to make him a more fulfilled person. The word used for ‘crooked’ occurs in a moral sense in Acts 2:40; Philippians 2:15; 1 Peter 2:18, where the idea is of perverseness, or of being overbearing. The word for ‘smooth’ is used of walking morally in Proverbs 2:20 LXX where the way for the righteous man is to be smoothed. Thus the words are indicating the total transformation of men and women as explained in Luke 1:17. ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness.’ It has already been made clear that John’s preparation has taken place in the wilderness (Luke 1:80; Luke 3:2 and compare Luke 7:24). The wilderness was in Jewish tradition the place where men could go and meet God. We can compare Moses (Exodus 3:1-6) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-18) who both met God in the wilderness and received His word there. And John too had met God there and received His word (Luke 3:2). ‘All flesh will see the salvation of God.’ We may interpret this as being explained by the words of Simeon in Luke 2:30, ‘my eyes have seen the Salvation of God’, thus meaning that all kinds of men (all flesh) will see in Him their Saviour. All kinds and classes will become aware of God’s message of salvation. Of course in the end seeing salvation and seeing the Saviour both mean the same thing for God’s salvation is only found through Christ. But the thought might be that all flesh everywhere will see His salvation, some to their benefit and others to their dismay (Revelation 1:7). For when His glory is revealed and His salvation comes, the elect will be gathered in (Matthew 24:31) and the remainder will be subjected to judgment.

Luke 3:7-8

‘He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptised by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, “We have Abraham to our father”, for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” ’ The psalmists liken men to vipers because of the venom of their mouths (Psalms 58:4; Psalms 140:3) and because of their deafness in the face of entreaty (Psalms 58:4). Thus he is warning his listeners not to be like their fathers. The idea here was also of the snakes who fled from the cornfields when the stubble was burned. So what he is saying is that it is useless for his hearers to be like snakes who merely flee from the flames, but are deaf to entreaty. They are rather to undergo a real change of heart and mind. For the wrath to come is not so easily avoided.

They are to bring forth fruit which is worthy of indicating that their hearts and minds are truly changed (truly repentant) which will indicate that God has rained on them, as his baptism indicates. Serpents were always looked on as worldly wise (Matthew 10:16). That might mean that he saw the purpose of some of those who came to him for baptism as a clever way of getting blessing without true response. Furthermore they are not to assume that because they can claim Abraham as their father all will be right. Being a son of Abraham is of no value unless they walk like Abraham. Indeed let them recognise that God could even make the stones that they could see round about them into sons of Abraham. This idea may spring from Isaiah 51:1 where they are told to seek the Lord and look to the rock from which they were hewn and the quarry from which they were dug, namely Abraham their father. Thus Abraham is there seen as a rock. It would then be a sarcastic statement that they should recognise the folly of their position.

Coming from Abraham means no more than coming from the rocks around them, unless their hearts are like Abraham’s. Thus being a son of Abraham counts for nothing unless they walk in his ways (compare Galatians 3:6-9; Galatians 3:29; Romans 4). He may also have been influenced by the similarity between abnayya (stones) and benayya (children) in Aramaic thus saying sarcastically ‘from these abnayya God can raise up benayya’ (John would be speaking in Aramaic), just as he had previously raised them up from the rock that bore them. And those raised up from the stones would have the same standing before God. It was not physical birth from Abraham that counted, it was spiritual birth. It was in a sense prophetic. For God would in future raise up sons to Abraham from among the Gentiles who became his sons through faith (Galatians 3:29). So he makes clear that his baptism will be totally ineffective unless their lives and hearts are changed. Those who would come for baptism must have begun (or have determined to begin) fruit-bearing lives or their baptism will mean nothing.

Luke 3:9

“And even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” For his baptism is no protection against the axe of God. Rather they must recognise that God’s axe is ready to start work, and that He is ready to start cutting at the root of all the trees which do not produce good fruit (compare Luke 13:7-9 and see Isaiah 10:33). And once He has cut them down He will cast them into the fire. Fire is a favourite description of judgment throughout Scripture. Its searing heat destroys until nothing is left. Alternately the term for ‘axe’ may indicate a wedge put in place at the base of the tree ready to be driven in so as to bring the tree crashing down. ‘Hewn down and cast into the fire.’ Compare Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:19. This whole picture is in Jesus’ mind there. He had probably heard this message of John and demonstrates that He had approved of it. It is noteworthy that this picture of judgment is central in the chiasmus which covers Luke 3:1-20 (see above). On one side of it come John’s stern and vivid warnings, especially vivid to an agricultural people. On the other comes their response as their consciences are awakened. Before, however, we think of him as a blood and thunder preacher we must remember firstly that the only aspect of his teaching that we have is what the Gospel writers have chosen to give us for their own purposes, and that secondly most of his teaching is paralleled by Jesus Who also says much more severe things. The reason that the writers especially bring out this side of his ministry is because they are seeking to bring home the fact of the emergency of the hour.

Luke 3:10

John Is Approached By Jews, By The Outcasts And by Soldiers (3:10-14).‘And the crowds asked him, saying, “What then must we do?” The crowds were moved and asked what they could do about it. John’s reply is straight and practical. He does not just tell them to be more thoughtful unselfish and considerate (which he might have done) he lays on the line examples of how they can be so. (He could have said, You must love your neighbour as yourself’, but instead he applies it practically).

Luke 3:11

‘And he answered and said to them, “He who has two coats, let him impart to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do the same.” ’ They are to show true and practical love for their neighbours. If they possess two coats and someone else does not have one, they are to give them one (compare Luke 6:29; Mark 6:9). If they have food and someone else has none they are to give them some. The emphasis here is on practicality. It is saying that need must be met by supply, not by pious thoughts and words. It is no good saying to people ‘be warmed and filled’. They are to warm and fill them (see James 2:15-16). This will similarly become an example of love in the early church (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32).

Luke 3:12-13

‘And there came also public servants to be baptised, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?” And he said to them, “Extort no more than that which is appointed you.” ’ The tax and custom collectors then came and asked what they should do. These would be looked on by most as unclean and as outcasts, almost worse than Gentiles, but John did not say, ‘Leave your treasonable job’ (which many would have said), he told them rather not to use their office to cheat people. They should collect only what was due and take only the agreed amount for themselves that was reasonable. He recognised that in that world tax-collectors were necessary. Better then to have honest ones than dishonest ones. It also demonstrates his lack of emphasis in ritual uncleanness, which makes it even less likely that his baptism was in any way connected with that idea. His words were very necessary. The chief tax collectors (Luke 19:2) bought the right to collect taxes over a certain area for an agreed sum, and were then entitled to keep whatever they obtained. The tax-collectors then worked for and were responsible to the chief tax-collector. It was commonplace for such tax collectors to seek to extract far more tax than was due, often using the soldiers who went with them to beat and bully people (and worse) into handing over more than was due. Then they would cream off a surplus for themselves and their helpers. They became very rich (Luke 19:2) and very much hated, especially in Palestine which resented any taxes but their own religious ones.

Luke 3:14

‘And soldiers also asked him, saying, “And we, what must we do?” And he said to them, “Extort from no man by violence, nor accuse any one wrongfully, and be content with your wages.” ’ We are probably intended to see the ‘soldiers’ as covering all types of soldier in Palestine. The soldiers may have included auxiliaries in the local legions recruited from non-Jews in the area, who were often interested in Judaism with its ancient books and wisdom, and were especially interested in this new prophet who had arisen, or they may have been Jewish soldiers of Herod Antipas. We must also not discount the possibility of Romans soldiers, remembering the interest of the Centurion in Luke 7:1-10 and Cornelius in Judaism and the Gospel, for those are the only soldiers we are ever told of who responded to the word. These soldiers would thus indicate to Luke’s readers the fact that Gentiles were not turned away by John. Whoever they were they asked what they should do, and they were told that they must treat people fairly and honestly, not try to use their position to extort money from them or falsely accuse them, and be content with the wages that they received for their jobs. This does not mean that they were never to ask for a rise. It meant that they must not use their jobs to supplement their wages dishonestly. It is noteworthy that they were not told to cease being soldiers. It was recognised that in a sinful world soldiers (and in our day police) are necessary. What matters is that they should be soldiers who are genuinely righteous so as always to act with honour, and only to act where really necessary. That world was certainly in need of Christian soldiers, and still is.

Luke 3:15

One Is Coming Who Will Send the Holy Spirit So As To Produce Good Grain For the Harvest and To Cleanse His Threshing Floor (3:15-18). ‘And the people also were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ.’ The words of John stirred the people and aroused their expectations. A recognition that the last days were coming filled their hearts. So they even began to ask themselves whether he might possibly be the promised Messiah (compare John 1:20; John 1:25; Acts 13:25). A note of uncertainty and wishfulness is indicated in the Greek text (mepote with the optative).

Luke 3:16-17

‘John answered, saying to them all, “I indeed baptise you with water, but there comes he who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to unloose. He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit and in fire, Whose winnowing-fork 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.” John denies that he is the Messiah completely and effectively. He points out that he merely baptises with water, an act of symbolism which indicates to God that the person is seeking to be transformed by the Spirit. But that is all that he can do. One, however, is coming Who is far mightier than he is, One Whose sandals he is not fit to unstrap. Unstrapping sandals was seen as the task of a the meanest of slave, even of a non-Jewish slave (the feet were dirty and smelled). It was the one task that the disciple of a Rabbi could not be expected to demean himself to do. Yet, in the case of Jesus, John does not even see himself as worthy to do that. ‘One Who is mightier.’ We have already seen that Jesus was called ‘The Great’ without any limitation (Luke 1:32). Now He is ‘the Stronger One’. We can compare this with Luke 11:22 where Jesus as ‘the Stronger than he’ defeats and renders powerless Satan. There is a building up of new titles in order to describe the Coming One. John is a prophet, even another Elijah, but he pales into insignificance beside this ‘Stronger One’. There has never been anyone on earth who compares with Him. And when He comes He will of Himself ‘drench’ men and women with the Holy Spirit and with fire (baptizo = inundate, overwhelm, drench and is here used as if fire was a liquid). In the text the association of the two is as close as can be, ‘drench in the Holy Spirit and fire’. The meaning of this is then immediately made clear. He will act as the divider of the people (compare Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 13:49-51; Matthew 25:31-46; Isaiah 66:22-24; Daniel 12:1-2). With His winnowing fork, the fork used to toss the coarse grain into the air so as to separate the wheat from the chaff by means of the prevailing wind, He will separate them, gathering the righteous into His barn and destroying the non-righteous in burning and consuming flames. And it will be no good hoping that somehow it will not happen and that there may be a way of escape, for the flames which He will use are unquenchable. That fire here primarily refers to the fire of judgment rather than fire of purifying would seem to be emphasised by the fact that fire all the way through refers to judgment. Vipers flee from fire. The unfruitful trees are burned in fire. The chaff is burned up with fire, and that in close association with ‘baptise in the Holy Spirit and fire’. But for the righteous it could also indicate a fire of purifying. There is something ominous about the fact that the same Holy Spirit can be a Spirit of life and purifying and a Spirit of burning and destruction (Isaiah 4:4).

For part of the cleansing results from the removal of the unclean. When the gold is purified in the flames, the dross is removed and destroyed. (In the Old Testament the fires also both refined and destroyed. When His fires came some passed through them and were purified, others were destroyed in the same fires). So the choice put before them is clear. They must either respond to the Spirit’s working in their lives, or face the judgment of God. If they do the one it must and will result in changed and transformed lives, if they do the other their end is destruction. If someone cavil at the mention of the Spirit’s work in connection with John’s preaching we have only to remember that John preaches as one who is full of the Holy Spirit. Thus any effectiveness he has comes through the Spirit’s working. In the chiasmus these verses about the people, the tax collectors and the soldiers are paralleled with the earlier quotation from Isaiah in Luke 3:4-6. Here then is the way in which the way must be prepared, here is what must be carried into effect. Here is how they may ‘see the salvation of God’, for that salvation is found in the One Who is coming. The idea of the Messiah as baptising in the Holy Spirit probably came to John from Isaiah 52:15 where the Exalted One of Luk 3:13 will ‘sprinkle the nations’, conjoined with Ezekiel 36:25-27 where the sprinkling indicates the work of the Spirit in men’s hearts. He may then have connected this with Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-6. If the Spirit of Moses could be passed on to the seventy elders, and Elijah could be involved in arranging the passing on of his Spirit to Elisha (2 Kings 2:10), it is not a large step to the Messiah, Who is the Son of the Most High, passing on His Spirit to all His people, for all His people were going to be prophets (Joe 2:28-29). John is not so unlike Jesus as is often suggested. It is easy when looking at the teaching of Jesus to only see the teaching that we like, but if we ignore His teaching on judgment we misrepresent Him. For Jesus’ teaching on judgment is even more severe than that of John. All the most fearsome of teaching comes on His lips (Luke 10:14; Luke 12:4; Luke 13:28; Luke 16:23-24; Matthew 5:21-29; Matthew 11:24; Matthew 13:49-51; Matthew 18:7-9; Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48)

Luke 3:18

‘With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings to the people,’ This verse parallels Luke 3:3 in the chiasmus. In Luke 3:3 he preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Here he continue in many different ways to give them the same message with ever more powerful illustrations, ‘preaching good tidings’ (of the forgiveness of sins to those who come back to God) to the people, and the need for obedient response to God and His word. In these words is summarised a ministry that may have gone on for quite some time, even years. And in it he won many disciples, many of whom would become full disciples of Jesus (John 1:19 onwards), while others would await the arrival of the Good News when Jesus had risen from the dead (Acts 19:1-6). It is important to recognise that John was a proclaimer of Good News, not just of judgment, for the truth is that he pointed to Christ. He did not just speak of judgment. Indeed the purpose of his ministry was in order to save men and women from the consequences of their sin. His Good News was that by turning to God from their sins they could find forgiveness and begin to live lives that were pleasing to God. It was that God was now acting positively and would shortly act even more positively in the coming of Jesus the Christ. His purpose was that all men might ‘see the salvation of God’.

The Apostle John tells us that he pointed to Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God’ Who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His warnings were simply the background to this purpose. His baptism which represented turning to God for the remission of sins demonstrated what was his central aim. It was the transformation of men and women by the Spirit. And that was Good News, and especially Good News about Jesus.

Luke 3:19-20

John Is Rejected By Herod (3:19-20). ‘But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.’ Finally we come to the last verse in the chiasmus which parallels the opening verse (Luke 3:1). Here we discover what those great rulers can do. The word was always surrounded on all sides by powerful people who would seek to suppress it. We have had such people listed in Luke 3:1, and now the first of them will begin his evil work, later to be followed by the High Priest and then Pilate. But here Herod, whom John reproved because he openly sinned by taking his brother’s wife Herodias, and for many other wrong things that he did, added to his crimes by shutting John up in prison. So does John’s ministry come to an end, although not its influence, for his brave disciples will visit him in prison and pass on his message. Herod’s sin was a gross one. He had seduced the wife of his brother and stolen her from him, both forbidden under Jewish law (Leviticus 18:16; Leviticus 20:21). It was, of course adultery at the same time. Both he and Herodias left previous marriages in order to marry each other. Since Herodias had been married to Herod’s half-brother, Herod Philip, and was the granddaughter of Herod’s father and daughter of another half-brother of Herod, she was in effect Herod’s wife, sister-in-law and niece all at the same time. But it must have seemed to many in the outside world as though, in the death of John, the wonderful career of a blazing star had come abruptly to an end. It boded ill for the future. It seemed clear that in this Roman world prophets did not last long. It looked as though the world’s authorities had won again and that God’s work had been effectively extinguished. But what none realised was that he had lit a touch paper that would cause an explosion which would reach to the ends of the world (Acts 1:8). And Luke’s purpose in mentioning this here is so that John can now be left behind because the brighter star has arisen.

John’s work has been accomplished and eventually he will go to his rest. Yet it is also a forewarning of what will happen in the future. The rulers of this world did not welcome the prophet of the Most High, how much less will they welcome His Son. So John’s ministry provides a brief summary and warning of what the career of Jesus will also be like from start to finish. However, there is also another aspect to this. Luke wants any non-Christian reader to see that Christianity revealed itself as subject to those who were in authority over them, and that in general those authorities approved of them. Herod was an exception here for personal reasons. But even he will eventually be glad to see Jesus and will eventually send Him back to Pilate without laying any charge against Him (Luke 23:6-12). Meanwhile it has been made clear that Jesus has rejected any temptation to take over world-rulership.

Luke 3:21-38

The Holy Spirit Comes on Jesus As The One Who Is The Son of David, The Son of Adam, and the Son of God (3:21-38).With this incident Luke turns his concentration to Jesus and His ministry. While what now happens does so through John’s ministry John is not mentioned, nor is Jesus’ actual baptism. We have another typical Lucan silence. John’s ministry is now to be put behind us, and we move on to the Greater than he. In this passage we see the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus with words that reveal Him to be both God’s beloved Son and His beloved Servant, and this is followed by a genealogy which connects Him not only with David, but with Abraham, with Adam and with God. He is the Son of David, He is the fulfilment of the promises to Abraham, He is the last Adam, He is the Son of God. This is one of two occasions in Luke when God attests Him from heaven, the other is the Transfiguration (Luke 9:35) where the voice says, ‘this is My Son, My Chosen, listen to Him’. These occur at crucial points in His life, here at the commencement of His ministry, the Transfiguration at the time when the course of His ministry changes and He sets His face towards Jerusalem knowing that He will die there. We can compare the appearance of Jesus to Paul in Acts. John tells us of another example of a voice from heaven in John 12:28 when Jesus was facing the anguish of what lay ahead. Many gain the impression that Jesus was baptised privately by John but we view this as unlikely, especially as a baptism in the Jordan by a famous prophet probably meant that privacy was impossible. Part of the significance of John’s baptism was an open testimony to participation in the coming pouring out of the Spirit, and if by His baptism Jesus was expressing His oneness with God’s believing people it required public recognition. What is more possible is that only He and John saw the likeness to the dove and heard the voice (Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:32-33), or at least appreciated its full significance. It would be difficult to overemphasise the importance of this moment. It is the moment when the work of salvation for the world first began to unfold as the Holy Spirit descended on the One Who would be responsible for bringing that salvation into fruition, sending Him out on His way to reveal God openly to men, and finally to die on a cross and rise again to His glorious throne. The passage can be analysed briefly as follows, selecting out the important points which are not obvious from the text itself: a Jesus is the King and Servant Who is anointed by the Holy Spirit for His ministry (Luke 3:21-22). b The genealogy of Jesus from Joseph to David. Jesus is the Son of David, God’s chosen King (Luke 3:23-31 b). b The genealogy of Jesus from Jesse to Abraham. Jesus is the son of Abraham, God’s chosen Servant (Luke 3:32-34 b). b The genealogy of Jesus from Terah to Adam. Jesus is the Son of Adam with whom God was not well pleased (34c-38b). a Jesus is the Son of God (Luke 3:38 b). In this case it is recognised that the central divisions may appear somewhat arbitrarily determined. We will seek to justify them shortly. Theologically, and in the light of the voice at His baptism, they would appear to be justified. Our purpose in presenting the analysis here is simply in order to help to bring out in seed form what the significance of the genealogy might be.

Luke 3:23-38

Jesus is The Son of David (the Messiah), the Son of Abraham (the Servant), the Son of Adam (truly Man), the Son of God (revealing the image and likeness of God) (3:23-38).There now follows a genealogy of Jesus, making important connections. Our first concentration here must be on its significance for Luke. We can consider its ‘problems’ later. Some have expressed surprise that the genealogy appears here, but in fact it fits perfectly into its setting. Jesus has just been anointed as the Prophet of God. He has been declared to be both Messiah and Servant. So the natural question for the reader is, ‘Who was He?’ By this genealogy Luke links Jesus to the house of David, to being the seed of Abraham, to being descended from Adam, and to being in the image and likeness of God. There is little doubt about the genealogy of Jesus being readily available. The Jews were very concerned to trace their ancestry, and prove the purity of their descent, of which they were very proud. Those who would be active in the priesthood had to prove their ancestral right to do so, while any seeker after civil office would be required to prove true descent. The house of David would certainly come not a whit behind in maintaining evidence of their own privileged position. They may not have been actually ruling, but the family would maintain its pride in their right to do so, and ensure and prize the maintenance of the records that proved it. We have in fact evidence of others who also sought to prove Davidic descent by this means. Thus we should not be surprised to find that such information was available from different viewpoints.