Lucas 3

1 En el año decimoquinto del imperio de Tiberio César, siendo Poncio Pilato gobernador de Judea, y Herodes tetrarca de Galilea, y su hermano Felipe tetrarca de la región de Iturea y Traconite, y Lisanias tetrarca de Abilinia,

2 durante el sumo sacerdocio de Anás y Caifás, vino la palabra de Dios a Juan, hijo de Zacarías, en el desierto.

3 Y él fue por toda la región contigua al Jordán, predicando un bautismo de arrepentimiento para el perdón de los pecados;

4 como está escrito en el libro de las palabras del profeta Isaías: VOZ DEL QUE CLAMA EN EL DESIERTO: "PREPARAD EL CAMINO DEL SEÑOR, HACED DERECHAS SUS SENDAS.

5 "TODO VALLE SERA RELLENADO, Y TODO MONTE Y COLLADO REBAJADO; LO TORCIDO SE HARA RECTO, Y LAS SENDAS ASPERAS SE VOLVERAN CAMINOS LLANOS;

6 Y TODA CARNE VERA LA SALVACION DE DIOS."

7 Por eso, decía a las multitudes que acudían para que él las bautizara: ¡Camada de víboras! ¿Quién os enseñó a huir de la ira que vendrá?

8 Por tanto, dad frutos dignos de arrepentimiento; y no comencéis a deciros a vosotros mismos: "Tenemos a Abraham por padre", porque os digo que Dios puede levantar hijos a Abraham de estas piedras.

9 Y también el hacha ya está puesta a la raíz de los árboles; por tanto, todo árbol que no da buen fruto es cortado y echado al fuego.

10 Y las multitudes le preguntaban, diciendo: ¿Qué, pues, haremos?

11 Respondiendo él, les decía: El que tiene dos túnicas, comparta con el que no tiene; y el que tiene qué comer, haga lo mismo.

12 Vinieron también unos recaudadores de impuestos para ser bautizados, y le dijeron: Maestro, ¿qué haremos?

13 Entonces él les respondió: No exijáis más de lo que se os ha ordenado.

14 También algunos soldados le preguntaban, diciendo: Y nosotros, ¿qué haremos? Y él les dijo: A nadie extorsionéis, ni a nadie acuséis falsamente, y contentaos con vuestro salario.

15 Como el pueblo estaba a la expectativa, y todos se preguntaban en sus corazones acerca de Juan, si no sería él el Cristo,

16 Juan respondió, diciendo a todos: Yo os bautizo con agua; pero viene el que es más poderoso que yo; a quien no soy digno de desatar la correa de sus sandalias; El os bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y fuego.

17 El bieldo está en su mano para limpiar completamente su era y recoger el trigo en su granero; pero quemará la paja en fuego inextinguible.

18 Y también con muchas otras exhortaciones Juan anunciaba las buenas nuevas al pueblo.

19 Pero Herodes el tetrarca, siendo reprendido por él por causa de Herodías, mujer de su hermano, y por todas las maldades que Herodes había hecho,

20 añadió además a todas ellas, ésta: que encerró a Juan en la cárcel.

21 Y aconteció que cuando todo el pueblo era bautizado, Jesús también fue bautizado: y mientras El oraba, el cielo se abrió,

22 y el Espíritu Santo descendió sobre El en forma corporal, como una paloma, y vino una voz del cielo, que decía: Tú eres mi Hijo amado, en ti me he complacido.

23 Y cuando comenzó su ministerio, Jesús mismo tenía unos treinta años, siendo, como se suponía, hijo de José, quien era hijo de Elí,

24 y Elí, de Matat; Matat, de Leví; Leví, de Melqui; Melqui, de Jana; Jana, de José;

25 José, de Matatías; Matatías, de Amós; Amós, de Nahúm; Nahúm, de Esli; Esli, de Nagai;

26 Nagai, de Maat; Maat, de Matatías; Matatías, de Semei; Semei, de José; José, de Judá;

27 Judá, de Joana; Joana, de Resa; Resa, de Zorobabel; Zorobabel, de Salatiel; Salatiel, de Neri;

28 Neri, de Melqui; Melqui, de Adi; Adi, de Cosam; Cosam, de Elmodam; Elmodam, de Er;

29 Er, de Josué; Josué, de Eliezer; Eliezer, de Jorim; Jorim, de Matat; Matat, de Leví;

30 Leví, de Simeón; Simeón, de Judá; Judá, de José; José, de Jonán; Jonán, de Eliaquim;

31 Eliaquim, de Melea; Melea, de Mainán; Mainán, de Matata; Matata, de Natán; Natán, de David;

32 David, de Isaí; Isaí, de Obed; Obed, de Booz; Booz, de Salmón; Salmón, de Naasón;

33 Naasón, de Aminadab; Aminadab, de Admín; Admín, de Aram; Aram, de Esrom; Esrom, de Fares; Fares, de Judá;

34 Judá, de Jacob; Jacob, de Isaac; Isaac, de Abraham; Abraham, de Taré; Taré, de Nacor;

35 Nacor, de Serug; Serug, de Ragau; Ragau, de Peleg; Peleg, de Heber; Heber, de Sala;

36 Sala, de Cainán; Cainán, de Arfaxad; Arfaxad, de Sem; Sem, de Noé; Noé, de Lamec;

37 Lamec, de Matusalén; Matusalén, de Enoc; Enoc, de Jared; Jared, de Mahalaleel; Mahalaleel, de Cainán;

38 Cainán, de Enós; Enós, de Set; Set, de Adán; y Adán, de Dios.

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]. O, en, o, por