Luke 3

The Messiah's Herald

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,^[a] 14-37 while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch^[b] of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea^[c] and Trachonitis,^[d] and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,^[e]

2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

3 He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance^[f] for the forgiveness of sins,

4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!

5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; ^[g] the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,

6 and everyone ^[h] will see the salvation of God." ^[i]

7 He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don't start saying to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

9 Even now the ax is ready to strike^[j] the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

10 "What then should we do?" the crowds were asking him.

11 He replied to them, "The one who has two shirts^[k] must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same."

12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

13 He told them, "Don't collect any more than what you have been authorized."

14 Some soldiers also questioned him: "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages."

15 Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds^[l] whether John might be the Messiah.

16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with^[m] water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with^[n] the Holy Spirit and fire.

17 His winnowing shovel^[o] is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out."

18 Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.

19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother's wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,

20 added this to everything else-he locked John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21 When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying, heaven opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are My beloved Son. I take delight in You!

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

23 As He began [His ministry], Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be^[p] the son of Joseph, [son]^[q] of Heli,

24 [son] of Matthat, [son] of Levi, [son] of Melchi, [son] of Jannai, [son] of Joseph,

25 [son] of Mattathias, [son] of Amos, [son] of Nahum, [son] of Esli, [son] of Naggai,

26 [son] of Maath, [son] of Mattathias, [son] of Semein, [son] of Josech, [son] of Joda,

27 [son] of Joanan, [son] of Rhesa, [son] of Zerubbabel, [son] of Shealtiel, [son] of Neri,

28 [son] of Melchi, [son] of Addi, [son] of Cosam, [son] of Elmadam, [son] of Er,

29 [son] of Joshua, [son] of Eliezer, [son] of Jorim, [son] of Matthat, [son] of Levi,

30 [son] of Simeon, [son] of Judah, [son] of Joseph, [son] of Jonam, [son] of Eliakim,

31 [son] of Melea, [son] of Menna, [son] of Mattatha, [son] of Nathan, [son] of David,

32 [son] of Jesse, [son] of Obed, [son] of Boaz, [son] of Salmon,^[r] [son] of Nahshon,

33 [son] of Amminadab, [son] of Ram,^[s] [son] of Hezron, [son] of Perez, [son] of Judah,

34 [son] of Jacob, [son] of Isaac, [son] of Abraham, [son] of Terah, [son] of Nahor,

35 [son] of Serug, [son] of Reu, [son] of Peleg, [son] of Eber, [son] of Shelah,

36 [son] of Cainan, [son] of Arphaxad, [son] of Shem, [son] of Noah, [son] of Lamech,

37 [son] of Methuselah, [son] of Enoch, [son] of Jared, [son] of Mahalaleel, [son] of Cainan,

38 [son] of Enos, [son] of Seth, [son] of Adam, [son] of God.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire a.d.
• [b]. Or ruler
• [c]. A small province northeast of Galilee
• [d]. A small province northeast of Galilee
• [e]. A small Syrian province
• [f]. Or baptism based on repentance
• [g]. Lit be humbled
• [h]. Lit all flesh
• [i]. Isaiah 40:3-5
• [j]. Lit the ax lies at
• [k]. Lit tunics
• [l]. Or hearts
• [m]. Or in
• [n]. Or in
• [o]. A wooden farm implement used to toss threshed grain into the wind so the lighter chaff would blow away and separate from the heavier grain
• [p]. People did not know about His virgin birth; Lk 1:26-38; Mt 1:18-25
• [q]. The relationship in some cases may be more distant than a son.
• [r]. Other mss read Sala
• [s]. Other mss read Amminadab, son of Aram, son of Joram; other mss read Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni