March
9th Luke
3
John begins his work
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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Luke
begins this passage with a list of rulers and Religious leaders. Some
people dispute them but Luke, know doubt knew who he was speaking
about. Then Luke describes the beginning of John’s ministry. Luke
shows that John’s ministry was in fulfilment of prophetic
scripture. The second part of Luke’s quotation is referring to the
Messianic kingdom when every valley will be lifted up and every
mountain will be lowered. The crooked paths will be made straight.
This seems to be describing a major geological transformation of the
earth prior to the Kingdom. In that day men will see the Messiah in
person who is the salvation of God. John warns them of the wrath to
come (the Tribulation) and he calls on Israel under law to bring
their righteous acts before the Lord and to return unto the Lord with
a whole heart. The people ask what there righteous deeds would be and
he speaks of charity, restraint, kindness, honesty and contentment.
He speaks of the fact that he is not the Messiah but he describes
Christ’s acts of judgment prior to the kingdom. Herod who was
reproved of John shut him in prison.
- What is the purpose and message of John's ministry?
- What authority did John have to do his ministry?
- How does he describe Christs ministry?
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