Lucas 3

João Batista Prepara o Caminho

1 No décimo quinto ano do reinado de Tibério César, quando Pôncio Pilatos era governador da Judeia; Herodes, tetrarca^[a] da Galileia; seu irmão Filipe, tetrarca da Itureia e Traconites; e Lisânias, tetrarca de Abilene;

2 Anás e Caifás exerciam o sumo sacerdócio. Foi nesse ano que veio a palavra do Senhor a João, filho de Zacarias, no deserto.

3 Ele percorreu toda a região próxima ao Jordão, pregando um batismo de arrependimento para o perdão dos pecados.

4 Como está escrito no livro das palavras de Isaías, o profeta:“Voz do que clama no deserto:‘Preparem^[b] o caminho para o Senhor,façam veredas retas para ele.

5 Todo vale será aterradoe todas as montanhas e colinas, niveladas.As estradas tortuosas serão endireitadase os caminhos acidentados, aplanados.

6 E toda a humanidade.^[c] verá a salvação de Deus’^[d]”

7 João dizia às multidões que saíam para serem batizadas por ele: “Raça de víboras! Quem deu a vocês a ideia de fugir da ira que se aproxima?

8 Deem frutos que mostrem o arrependimento. E não comecem a dizer a si mesmos: ‘Abraão é nosso pai’. Pois eu digo que destas pedras Deus pode fazer surgir filhos a Abraão.

9 O machado já está posto à raiz das árvores, e toda árvore que não der bom fruto será cortada e lançada ao fogo”.

10 “O que devemos fazer então?”, perguntavam as multidões.

11 João respondia: “Quem tem duas túnicas dê uma a quem não tem nenhuma; e quem tem comida faça o mesmo”.

12 Alguns publicanos^[e] também vieram para serem batizados. Eles perguntaram: “Mestre, o que devemos fazer?”

13 Ele respondeu: “Não cobrem nada além do que foi estipulado”.

14 Então alguns soldados lhe perguntaram: “E nós, o que devemos fazer?”Ele respondeu: “Não pratiquem extorsão nem acusem ninguém falsamente; contentem-se com o seu salário”.

15 O povo estava em grande expectativa, questionando em seu coração se acaso João não seria o Cristo.

16 João respondeu a todos: “Eu os batizo com^[f] água. Mas virá alguém mais poderoso do que eu, tanto que não sou digno nem de desamarrar as correias das suas sandálias. Ele os batizará com o Espírito Santo e com fogo.

17 Ele traz a pá em sua mão, a fim de limpar sua eira e juntar o trigo em seu celeiro; mas queimará a palha com fogo que nunca se apaga”.

18 E com muitas outras palavras João exortava o povo e lhe pregava as boas-novas.

19 Todavia, quando João repreendeu Herodes, o tetrarca, por causa de Herodias, mulher do próprio irmão de Herodes, e por todas as outras coisas más que ele tinha feito,

20 Herodes acrescentou a todas elas a de colocar João na prisão.

O Batismo e a Genealogia de Jesus

21 Quando todo o povo estava sendo batizado, também Jesus o foi. E, enquanto ele estava orando, o céu se abriu

22 e o Espírito Santo desceu sobre ele em forma corpórea, como pomba. Então veio do céu uma voz: “Tu és o meu Filho amado; em ti me agrado”.

23 Jesus tinha cerca de trinta anos de idade quando começou seu ministério. Ele era considerado filho de José,filho de Eli,

24 filho de Matate,filho de Levi, filho de Melqui,filho de Janai, filho de José,

25 filho de Matatias, filho de Amós,filho de Naum, filho de Esli,filho de Nagai,

26 filho de Máate,filho de Matatias, filho de Semei,filho de Joseque, filho de Jodá,

27 filho de Joanã, filho de Ressa,filho de Zorobabel, filho de Salatiel,filho de Neri,

28 filho de Melqui,filho de Adi, filho de Cosã,filho de Elmadã, filho de Er,

29 filho de Josué, filho de Eliézer,filho de Jorim, filho de Matate,filho de Levi,

30 filho de Simeão,filho de Judá, filho de José,filho de Jonã, filho de Eliaquim,

31 filho de Meleá, filho de Mená,filho de Matatá, filho de Natã,filho de Davi,

32 filho de Jessé,filho de Obede, filho de Boaz,filho de Salmom,^[g] filho de Naassom,

33 filho de Aminadabe, filho de Ram,^[h]filho de Esrom, filho de Perez,filho de Judá,

34 filho de Jacó,filho de Isaque, filho de Abraão,filho de Terá, filho de Naor,

35 filho de Serugue, filho de Ragaú,filho de Faleque, filho de Éber,filho de Salá,

36 filho de Cainã,filho de Arfaxade, filho de Sem,filho de Noé, filho de Lameque,

37 filho de Matusalém, filho de Enoque,filho de Jarede, filho de Maalaleel,filho de Cainã,

38 filho de Enos,filho de Sete, filho de Adão,filho de Deus.

Lucas 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

John the Baptist's ministry. (1-14) John the Baptist testifies concerning Christ. (15-20) The baptism of Christ. (21,22) The genealogy of Christ. (23-38)

Verses 1-14 The scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins, and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession; the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, ( Isaiah 40:3 ) , in the ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by levelling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings and exhortations which John gave. The guilty, corrupted race of mankind is become a generation of vipers; hateful to God, and hating one another. There is no way of fleeing from the wrath to come, but by repentance; and by the change of our way the change of our mind must be shown. If we are not really holy, both in heart and life, our profession of religion and relation to God and his church, will stand us in no stead at all; the sorer will our destruction be, if we do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance. John the Baptist gave instructions to several sorts of persons. Those that profess and promise repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and conditions. The gospel requires mercy, not sacrifice; and its design is, to engage us to do all the good we can, and to be just to all men. And the same principle which leads men to forego unjust gain, leads to restore that which is gained by wrong. John tells the soldiers their duty. Men should be cautioned against the temptations of their employments. These answers declared the present duty of the inquirers, and at once formed a test of their sincerity. As none can or will accept Christ's salvation without true repentance, so the evidence and effects of this repentance are here marked out.

Verses 15-20 John the Baptist disowned being himself the Christ, but confirmed the people in their expectations of the long-promised Messiah. He could only exhort them to repent, and assure them of forgiveness upon repentance; but he could not work repentance in them, nor confer remission on them. Thus highly does it become us to speak of Christ, and thus humbly of ourselves. John can do no more than baptize with water, in token that they ought to purify and cleanse themselves; but Christ can, and will baptize with the Holy Ghost; he can give the Spirit, to cleanse and purify the heart, not only as water washes off the dirt on the outside, but as fire clears out the dross that is within, and melts down the metal, that it may be cast into a new mould. John was an affectionate preacher; he was beseeching; he pressed things home upon his hearers. He was a practical preacher; quickening them to their duty, and directing them in it. He was a popular preacher; he addressed the people, according to their capacity. He was an evangelical preacher. In all his exhortations, he directed people to Christ. When we press duty upon people, we must direct them to Christ, both for righteousness and strength. He was a copious preacher; he shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God. But a full stop was put to John's preaching when he was in the midst of his usefulness. Herod being reproved by him for many evils, shut up John in prison. Those who injure the faithful servants of God, add still greater guilt to their other sins.

Verses 21-22 Christ did not confess sin, as others did, for he had none to confess; but he prayed, as others did, and kept up communion with his Father. Observe, all the three voices from heaven, by which the Father bare witness to the Son, were pronounced while he was praying, or soon after, Lu. 9:35 ; Joh. 12:28 . The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and there came a voice from heaven, from God the Father, from the excellent glory. Thus was a proof of the Holy Trinity, of the Three Persons in the Godhead, given at the baptism of Christ.

Verses 23-38 Matthew's list of the forefathers of Jesus showed that Christ was the son of Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed, and heir to the throne of David; but Luke shows that Jesus was the Seed of the woman that should break the serpent's head, and traces the line up to Adam, beginning with Eli, or Heli, the father, not of Joseph, but of Mary. The seeming differences between the two evangelists in these lists of names have been removed by learned men. But our salvation does not depend upon our being able to solve these difficulties, nor is the Divine authority of the Gospels at all weakened by them. The list of names ends thus, "Who was the son of Adam, the son of God;" that is, the offspring of God by creation. Christ was both the son of Adam and the Son of God, that he might be a proper Mediator between God and the sons of Adam, and might bring the sons of Adam to be, through him, the sons of God. All flesh, as descended from the first Adam, is as grass, and withers as the flower of the field; but he who partakes of the Holy Spirit of life from the Second Adam, has that eternal happiness, which by the gospel is preached unto us.

Footnotes

• [a]. Um tetrarca era o governador da quarta parte de uma região; também no versículo 19.
• [b]. Ou "daquele que clama: ‘No deserto preparem"
• [c]. Grego: "carne."
• [d]. Is 40.3-5
• [e]. Os publicanos eram coletores de impostos, malvistos pelo povo; também em 5.27, 29, 30; 7.29, 34; 15.1; 18.10, 11, 13 e 19.2.
• [f]. Ou "em"
• [g]. Alguns manuscritos dizem "Salá."
• [h]. Alguns manuscritos dizem "Aminadabe, filho de Admim, filho de Arni, filho de Esrom. " Outros manuscritos trazem variações maiores.