Lucas 3

1 Y EN el año quince del imperio de Tiberio César, siendo gobernador de Judea Poncio Pilato, y Herodes tetrarca de Galilea, y su hermano Felipe tetrarca de Iturea y de la provincia de Traconite, y Lisanias tetrarca de Abilinia,

2 Siendo sumos sacerdotes Anás y Caifás, vino palabra del Señor sobre Juan, hijo de Zacarías, en el desierto.

3 Y él vino por toda la tierra al rededor del Jordán predicando el bautismo del arrepentimiento para la remisión de pecados;

4 Como está escrito en el libro de las palabras del profeta Isaías que dice: Voz del que clama en el desierto: Aparejad el camino del Señor, Haced derechas sus sendas.

5 Todo valle se henchirá, Y bajaráse todo monte y collado; Y los caminos torcidos serán enderezados, Y los caminos ásperos allanados;

6 Y verá toda carne la salvación de Dios.

7 Y decía á las gentes que salían para ser bautizadas de él: ¡Oh generación de víboras, quién os enseñó á huir de la ira que vendrá?

8 Haced, pues, frutos dignos de arrepentimiento, y no comencéis á decir en vosotros mismos: Tenemos á Abraham por padre: porque os digo que puede Dios, aun de estas piedras, levantar hijos á Abraham.

9 Y ya también el hacha está puesta á la raíz de los árboles: todo árbol pues que no hace buen fruto, es cortado, y echado en el fuego.

10 Y las gentes le preguntaban, diciendo: ¿Pues qué haremos?

11 Y respondiendo, les dijo: El que tiene dos túnicas, dé al que no tiene; y el que tiene qué comer, haga lo mismo.

12 Y vinieron también publicanos para ser bautizados, y le dijeron: Maestro, ¿qué haremos?

13 Y él les dijo: No exijáis más de lo que os está ordenado.

14 Y le preguntaron también los soldados, diciendo: Y nosotros, ¿qué haremos? Y les dice: No hagáis extorsión á nadie, ni calumniéis; y contentaos con vuestras pagas.

15 Y estando el pueblo esperando, y pensando todos de Juan en sus corazones, si él fuese el Cristo,

16 Respondió Juan, diciendo á todos: Yo, á la verdad, os bautizo en agua; mas viene quien es más poderoso que yo, de quien no soy digno de desatar la correa de sus zapatos: él os bautizará en Espíritu Santo y fuego;

17 Cuyo bieldo está en su mano, y limpiará su era, y juntará el trigo en su alfolí, y la paja quemará en fuego que nunca se apagará.

18 Y amonestando, otras muchas cosas también anunciaba al pueblo.

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

20 Añadió también esto sobre todo, que encerró á Juan en la cárcel.

21 Y aconteció que, como todo el pueblo se bautizaba, también Jesús fué bautizado; y orando, el cielo se abrió,

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

23 Y el mismo Jesús comenzaba á ser como de treinta años, hijo de José, como se creía; que fué hijo de Elí,

24 Que fué de Mathat, que fué de Leví, que fué Melchî, que fué de Janna, que fué de José,

25 Que fué de Mattathías, que fué de Amós, que fué de Nahum, que fué de Esli,

26 Que fué de Naggai, que fué de Maat, que fué de Matthathías, que fué de Semei, que fué de José, que fué de Judá,

27 Que fué de Joanna, que fué de Rhesa, que fué de Zorobabel, que fué de Salathiel,

28 Que fué de Neri, que fué de Melchî, que fué de Abdi, que fué de Cosam, que fué de Elmodam, que fué de Er,

29 Que fué de Josué, que fué de Eliezer, que fué de Joreim, que fué de Mathat,

30 Que fué de Leví, que fué de Simeón, que fué de Judá, que fué de José, que fué de Jonán, que fué de Eliachîm,

31 Que fué de Melea, que fué de Mainán, que fué de Mattatha, que fué de Nathán,

32 Que fué de David, que fué de Jessé, que fué de Obed, que fué de Booz, que fué de Salmón, que fué de Naassón,

33 Que fué de Aminadab, que fué de Aram, que fué de Esrom, que fué de Phares,

34 Que fué de Judá, que fué de Jacob, que fué de Isaac, que fué de Abraham, que fué de Thara, que fué de Nachôr,

35 Que fué de Saruch, que fué de Ragau, que fué de Phalec, que fué de Heber,

36 Que fué de Sala, que fué de Cainán, Arphaxad, que fué de Sem, que fué de Noé, que fué de Lamech,

37 Que fué de Mathusala, que fué de Enoch, que fué de Jared, que fué de Maleleel,

38 Que fué de Cainán, que fué de Enós, que fué de Seth, que fué de Adam, que fué 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.