Luke 3

John the Baptist Preaches

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when ¹Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and ²Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

2 in the high priesthood of ³Annas and ⁴Caiaphas, ⁵the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all ⁶the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "⁷THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

5 '⁸EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME * STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

6 ⁹AND ALL FLESH WILL ¹⁰SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.' "

7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "¹¹You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ¹²do not begin to say to yourselves, '¹³We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so ¹⁴every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "¹⁵Then what shall we do?"

11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to ¹⁶share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."

12 And some ¹⁷tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."

14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or ¹⁸accuse anyone falsely, and ¹⁹be content with your wages."

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, ²⁰as to whether he was the Christ,

16 ²¹John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17 "His ²²winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with ²³unquenchable fire."

18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

19 But when ²⁴Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of ²⁵Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked things which ²⁶Herod had done,

20 Herod also added this to them all: ²⁷he locked John up in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized

21 ²⁸Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was ²⁹praying, heaven was opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "³⁰You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Genealogy of Jesus

23 ³¹When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of ³²Joseph, the son of Eli,

24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,

26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, ³³the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32 ³⁴the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, ³⁵the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, ³⁶the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the 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.

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 27:2
• 2. Matthew 14:1
• 3. John 18:13, 24; Acts 4:6
• 4. Matthew 26:3
• 5. Luke 3:3-10: {Matthew 3:1-10; Mark 1:3-5}
• 6. Matthew 3:5
• 7. Isaiah 40:3
• 8. Isaiah 40:4
• 9. Isaiah 40:5
• 10. Luke 2:30
• 11. Matthew 12:34; Matthew 23:33
• 12. Luke 5:21; Luke 13:25, 26; Luke 14:9
• 13. John 8:33
• 14. Matthew 7:19; Luke 13:6-9
• 15. Luke 3:12, 14; Acts 2:37, 38
• 16. Isaiah 58:7; 1 Timothy 6:17, 18; James 2:14-20
• 17. Luke 7:29
• 18. Exodus 20:16; Exodus 23:1
• 19. Philippians 4:11
• 20. John 1:19
• 21. Luke 3:16, 17: {Matthew 3:11, 12; Mark 1:7, 8}
• 22. Isaiah 30:24
• 23. Mark 9:43, 48
• 24. Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17
• 25. Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17
• 26. Matthew 14:1; Luke 3:1
• 27. John 3:24
• 28. Luke 3:21, 22: {Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11}
• 29. Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:16; Luke 9:18, 28
• 30. Psalms 2:7; Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17
• 31. Matthew 4:17; Acts 1:1
• 32. Matthew 1:16; Luke 3:23-27
• 33. Matthew 1:12
• 34. Luke 3:32-34: {Matthew 1:1-6}
• 35. Luke 3:34-36: {Genesis 11:26-30; 1 Chronicles 1:24-27}
• 36. Luke 3:36-38: {Genesis 5:3-32; 1 Chronicles 1:1-4}

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "leveled"
• [b]. Or "mankind"
• [c]. Or "in"
• [d]. Or "Exact"
• [e]. Or "reasoning" or "debating"
• [f]. I.e. the Messiah
• [g]. The Gr here can be translated "in, with" or "by"
• [h]. Lit "as it was being thought"
• [i]. Lit "of Eli", and so throughout the genealogy
• [j]. Also spelled "Heli"
• [k]. Also spelled "Esli"
• [l]. Gr "Salathiel;" names of people in the Old Testament are given in their Old Testament form through v 38
• [m]. Gr "Jesus"
• [n]. Gr "Judas"
• [o]. Gr "Sala"
• [p]. Gr "Naasson"
• [q]. Gr "Arni"
• [r]. Gr "Ragau"
• [s]. Gr "Eber"