CHAPTER 3

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Reading this short passage, we find:
WHEN John the Baptist began preaching,
WHERE John the Baptist began preaching,
WHY John the Baptist preached,
and (some of) WHAT John the Baptist preached.

WHEN:
It was in the "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar," late 28AD, or perhaps early 29AD. Actually, Tiberius' reign began in 11AD when he was elected as the co-regent with Augustus Caesar. Therefore, his "fifteenth year" could have been as early as 26AD.

Pilate was governor of Judaea at that time (from 26AD to 36AD).
Herod Antipas was "tetrarch" (ruler of 1/4) of Galilee at this time. He died about 39AD. It was this "Herod" that beheaded John the Baptist.

Seems to me that Luke sorta uses a "tongue-in-cheek" method of identifying the high priest. He says, "Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests."
Actually Caiaphas was the high priest. But his father-in-law Annas exerted great influence (See John 18:12-14 for instance). Annas had been appointed high priest by Quirinius, the governor of Syria in 7AD. He had been deposed by Valerius Gratus in 15AD. (at that particular time in history, the Roman government determined WHO was the high priest...and they did that by appointment.) However, Annas, was a very skilled politician it seems. FIVE of his sons, as well as his son-in-law (Caiaphas) were appointed as high priest in succession to one another. This gave Annas' family possession of the powerful office for over 50 years!

WHERE:
John's preaching was "in all the country about Jordan." He preached in the area called "The Holy Land," where the population concentration was Jewish. John's message was for Jewish people.

WHY:
John's purpose was to turn the people, in "repentance" (vs 3) toward God. Repentance means to have a change of heart and attitude. Instead of living in their own corrupt sense of God, they were to turn back to knowing God personally, and to following His will in their lives.

They had become a corrupt people, exhibited by their corrupt government of themselves. And therefore, they had fallen into subjection to a foreign government which was also corrupt.

John's preaching, "the Word of the God" was to turn them back to a personal, living relationship with God. They were to exhibit that turning by "baptism" (vs 3). The repentance that took place in their hearts was to be shown externally by public immersion.

WHAT:
John was preaching a discourse from Isaiah 40, which begins with "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people...." The comfort came from the fact that "the glory of the LORD shall be revealed" (Isaiah 40:5).

John's preaching preceeded the advent of Incarnate God in Jesus, the Christ. Through Jesus, "valley," or low place, would be "filled" by the presence of Messiah. Every humble heart would rejoice at His coming!

Also, through Jesus' appearance, "every mountain and hill" would be humbled. Every heart of hardness by exaltation of self would be humbled by His presence.

The people were to get their lives in order for His coming. They were to make the "crooked" places straight, and to make the "rough" ways "smooth."

And when Messiah came, the people would SEE "the salvation of God" (vs 6)!

The real "Comfort" of God to His people is Jesus!
He IS "the salvation of God!" Those who are humbled by their sinfulness will repent and show it.
They will exhibit their submission to Jesus by public confession and daily profession.

7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

In John's preaching, he called them all a "generation of vipers!"
In other words, they were sinful and deceiving others to join them in sinfulness!

The message was to not only repent but to "Bring forth ..fruits" that exhibited true repentance.

They were not to trust in the fact that they were descendents of "Abraham."
Simple lineage did not guarantee salvation!!
Only true repentance toward God could align them with His mercy and grace.

The Jewish people were very proud of their lineage, and thought that salvation was guaranteed because of it (See John 8:33). But some of them, even though they were "Abraham's seed" would KILL the very Incarnate God (Jesus) Who came to save them!

And John warned that God, by His power, could make Himself "children" from the "stones!" If they were a dead tree, not bearing fruit, they would be hewn down!

When they asked how their repentance should be shown in daily profession of their faith, other than by baptism, John answered by GIVING! (See verse 11) They were to faithfully demonstrate God's commandment, "...love thy neighbour as thyself..." (Leviticus 19:18).

12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

The "publicans" were tax collectors. They were to exhibit their repentance by being HONEST in their collection of taxes.

The "soldiers" Most likely, these were not Jewish people who had become soldiers in the Roman army. The Jewish people would not allow themselves to serve that army, and the Romans would certainly not have trusted the Jewish people to be in their army.

So, these were Gentile soldiers! They were in the area, and heard John's preaching. They too wanted to know HOW to exhibit genuine repentance. By saying, "Do violence to no man", John was not advocating that they fail to perform duty. He was saying they should not USE their position to force other men. This is also indicated by the statement, "..accuse no man falsely..." It was prevalent in those days, for soldiers to gain rank by exploiting the public, and gaining bribes.

Thus, each person was to be baptized as a public confession of his repentance, and then, to exhibit that in daily life.

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

Many of those who came to hear John preach wondered if he were "The CHRIST."
But John said he was not "worthy" to take off Messiah's shoes and wash His feet!

John also preached that Messiah would baptize them "with the Holy Ghost."
John could only baptize externally with water as a symbol of their repentance.
Messiah would baptize them internally with the fiery presence of God Himself!
Christ's baptism is the entrance of God's Holy Spirit, which melts down the old self and makes a "new creature" (See 2Corinthians 5:17), or puts the person into a new mould for fashioning after the Person of Christ.

Another exhortation in John's message was that Messiah would be a Winnower. He would "purge" the threshing floor by tossing up the grain and fanning away the chaff. The grain would be gathered and kept, but the chaff would be gathered and BURNED! ((This perhaps is a statement concerning the fulfillment of Jeremiah 51:33))

And verse 18 says John preached "many other things," or used many other pertinent illustrations. People relate to Christ as we utilize illustrations of what they know, and point them to Him.

19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John also "reproved" Herod for taking his brother's wife.

Later, Herod would imprison John, and behead him!

But not until after the following.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Jesus came to John to be baptized. Perhaps a more full discourse of that incident is found in Matthew 3:13-17.

As Jesus ascended from the immersion, He prayed. Clouds departed, and God's voice was heard!

Then, John saw "the Holy Ghost" descend upon Jesus "in a bodily shape like a dove."
He (God's physical manifestation of His Holy Spirit) entered and did not leave!

And, a "voice came from heaven" saying, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."

Let us consider the unity of God at this point.
Here, in the baptism of Jesus, we have the presence of all three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:4, "Here, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:..." This speaks to the Holy UNITY of God's Person and character.
Then, in Colossians 2:9, the Bible tells us that in Jesus "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." This also speaks to the Holy UNITY of God's Person and character. All that we can SEE of God is in Jesus Christ. All that can be KNOWN of God is through "the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 1:1)

Therefore, to KNOW Jesus is to know GOD!

The Doctrine of the Trinity is not definitively stated in Scripture. It is something we gather through study, having first believed in Jesus as Lord and Master of our lives. There are three coeternal, coequal, and coexistent Persons in the "Godhead." Sometimes, they are presented in Scripture as distinct in themselves; but NEVER is the UNITY and CHARACTER of God diminished by these presentations.

John the Baptist had been told before that there would be a "sign" by which he would recognize the Christ ( John 1:33). John already instinctively KNEW Jesus was the Messiah ( Matthew 3:14), but now God CONFIRMED it with this "sign".

This is not a statement for the belief that God's Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism, then left Him at His death on the cross. It was a "sign" to John the Baptist that THIS Jesus was the Messiah of whom John preached!

Jesus Christ is "the SAME, yesterday, to day, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). There has never been a time when He was not full of, and in total unity with God's Holy Spirit. At His physical conception He was born "of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18). At His physical death, He only gave up the "breath of life" (Genesis 2:7) or "ghost" (Mark 15:39, Luke 23:46, John 19:30, physically.

Jesus is STILL the One in Whom dwells "the fullness of the Godhead bodily!" (Colossians 2:9) NEVER has He been without the full unity and presence of God, Who is Spirit; not at His conception, not during his physical life, and not even in physical death.

Jesus was, on the cross, "made ... to be sin for us" (2Corinthians 5:21).
During that time, when He paid the penalty for our sins, He was accursed of God (Galatians 3:13).
But, even then, Jesus was not forsaken by God (Luke 23:46)!!!

Though God had to look away from the SINS, laid on Jesus, He did NOT forsake the "body" He gave Himself for that purpose! For He ACCEPTED the sacrifice!

Let me reiterate, so that the message of these verses will be clear: "There has never been a time when He (Jesus) was not full of, and in total unity with God's Holy Spirit."

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

At 30 years of age, Jesus began his ministry (See Luke 4:1).

The remainder of this section of Scripture deals with Jesus' lineage, all the way back to Adam. This tracing of the lineage of Jesus is quite different from Matthew's account. The reason is that Luke is tracing Jesus' humanity, and Matthew traces Jesus' heir-ship to the throne of David.

Also, one will note that the spelling of the names are quite different than that of the Old Testament. That's because they are translated, here, from Greek and in the Old Testament they are translated from Hebrew.

Jesus was quite human! Yet He was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He grew in every way as a human child does.
He was "tempted" in every way as a human child is; but, again, He was "without sin."
He grew tired, He slept, He ate, and literally "tasted" every part of our humanity.
Yet, He is God INCARNATE, the God-Man.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.