Luke 3

1 anno autem quintodecimo imperii Tiberii Caesaris procurante Pontio Pilato Iudaeam tetrarcha autem Galilaeae Herode Philippo autem fratre eius tetrarcha Itureae et Trachonitidis regionis et Lysania Abilinae tetrarcha

2 sub principibus sacerdotum Anna et Caiapha factum est verbum Dei super Iohannem Zacchariae filium in deserto

3 et venit in omnem regionem Iordanis praedicans baptismum paenitentiae in remissionem peccatorum

4 sicut scriptum est in libro sermonum Esaiae prophetae vox clamantis in deserto parate viam Domini rectas facite semitas eius

5 omnis vallis implebitur et omnis mons et collis humiliabitur et erunt prava in directa et aspera in vias planas

6 et videbit omnis caro salutare Dei

7 dicebat ergo ad turbas quae exiebant ut baptizarentur ab ipso genimina viperarum quis ostendit vobis fugere a ventura ira

8 facite ergo fructus dignos paenitentiae et ne coeperitis dicere patrem habemus Abraham dico enim vobis quia potest Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahae

9 iam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est omnis ergo arbor non faciens fructum exciditur et in ignem mittitur

10 et interrogabant eum turbae dicentes quid ergo faciemus

11 respondens autem dicebat illis qui habet duas tunicas det non habenti et qui habet escas similiter faciat

12 venerunt autem et publicani ut baptizarentur et dixerunt ad illum magister quid faciemus

13 at ille dixit ad eos nihil amplius quam quod constitutum est vobis faciatis

14 interrogabant autem eum et milites dicentes quid faciemus et nos et ait illis neminem concutiatis neque calumniam faciatis et contenti estote stipendiis vestris

15 existimante autem populo et cogitantibus omnibus in cordibus suis de Iohanne ne forte ipse esset Christus

16 respondit Iohannes dicens omnibus ego quidem aqua baptizo vos venit autem fortior me cuius non sum dignus solvere corrigiam calciamentorum eius ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu Sancto et igni

17 cuius ventilabrum in manu eius et purgabit aream suam et congregabit triticum in horreum suum paleas autem conburet igni inextinguibili

18 multa quidem et alia exhortans evangelizabat populum

19 Herodes autem tetrarcha cum corriperetur ab illo de Herodiade uxore fratris sui et de omnibus malis quae fecit Herodes

20 adiecit et hoc supra omnia et inclusit Iohannem in carcere

21 factum est autem cum baptizaretur omnis populus et Iesu baptizato et orante apertum est caelum

22 et descendit Spiritus Sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum et vox de caelo facta est tu es Filius meus dilectus in te conplacuit mihi

23 et ipse Iesus erat incipiens quasi annorum triginta ut putabatur filius Ioseph qui fuit Heli

24 qui fuit Matthat qui fuit Levi qui fuit Melchi qui fuit Iannae qui fuit Ioseph

25 qui fuit Matthathiae qui fuit Amos qui fuit Naum qui fuit Esli qui fuit Naggae

26 qui fuit Maath qui fuit Matthathiae qui fuit Semei qui fuit Iosech qui fuit Ioda

27 qui fuit Iohanna qui fuit Resa qui fuit Zorobabel qui fuit Salathihel qui fuit Neri

28 qui fuit Melchi qui fuit Addi qui fuit Cosam qui fuit Helmadam qui fuit Her

29 qui fuit Iesu qui fuit Eliezer qui fuit Iorim qui fuit Matthat qui fuit Levi

30 qui fuit Symeon qui fuit Iuda qui fuit Ioseph qui fuit Iona qui fuit Eliachim

31 qui fuit Melea qui fuit Menna qui fuit Matthata qui fuit Nathan qui fuit David

32 qui fuit Iesse qui fuit Obed qui fuit Booz qui fuit Salmon qui fuit Naasson

33 qui fuit Aminadab qui fuit Aram qui fuit Esrom qui fuit Phares qui fuit Iudae

34 qui fuit Iacob qui fuit Isaac qui fuit Abraham qui fuit Thare qui fuit Nachor

35 qui fuit Seruch qui fuit Ragau qui fuit Phalec qui fuit Eber qui fuit Sale

36 qui fuit Cainan qui fuit Arfaxat qui fuit Sem qui fuit Noe qui fuit Lamech

37 qui fuit Mathusalae qui fuit Enoch qui fuit Iared qui fuit Malelehel qui fuit Cainan

38 qui fuit Enos qui fuit Seth qui fuit Adam qui fuit Dei

Luke 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.