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LUKE
CHAPTER 3
Lk 3:1-6
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
(Mt 3:1-6; Mk 1:2-6; Jn 1:19-23)
3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod
being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias
tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of
Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. 5 Every
valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" NKJV
Chapter Two - Jews & Gentiles in "The Land"
Coming down from Syria, it would have been difficult to fix the exact spot where, in the view of the Rabbis,
"the land" itself began. The boundary lines, though mentioned in four different documents, are not marked in
anything like geographical order, but as ritual questions connected with them came up for theological
discussion.
For, to the Rabbis the precise limits of Palestine were chiefly interesting so far as they affected the religious
obligations or privileges of a district. And in this respect the fact that a city was in heathen possession exercised
a decisive influence. Thus the environs of Ascalon, the wall of Caesarea, and that of Acco, were reckoned
within the boundaries of Palestine, though the cities themselves were not.
Indeed, viewing the question from this point, Palestine was to the Rabbis simply "the land," all other countries
being summed up under the designation of "outside the land." In the Talmud, even the expression "Holy Land,"
so common among later Jews and Christians, does not once occur. It needed not that addition, which might have
suggested a comparison with other countries.
For to the Rabbinist Palestine was not only holy, but the only holy ground, to the utter exclusion of all other
countries, although they marked within its boundaries an ascending scale of ten degrees of sanctity, rising from
the bare soil of Palestine to the most holy place in the Temple (Chel. i. 6-9). But "outside the land" everything
was darkness and death. The very dust of a heathen country was unclean, and it defiled by contact.
It was regarded like a grave, or like the putrescence of death. If a spot of heathen dust had touched an offering,
it must at once be burnt. More than that, if by mischance any heathen dust had been brought into Palestine, it
did not and could not mingle with that of "the land," but remained to the end what it had been — unclean,
defiled, and defiling everything to which it adhered.
This will cast light upon the meaning conveyed by the symbolical directions of our Lord to His disciples (Mt
10:14), when He sent them forth to mark out the boundary lines of the true Israel — "the kingdom of heaven,"
that was at hand: "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or
city, shake off the dust of your feet."
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CHAPTER THREE
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK
In other words, they were not only to leave such a city or household, but it was to be considered and treated as if
it were heathen, just as in the similar case mentioned in Mt 18:17. All contact with such must be avoided, all
trace of it shaken off, and that, even though, like some of the cities in Palestine that were considered heathen,
they were surrounded on every side by what was reckoned as belonging to Israel.
The Mishnah (Shev, vi. 1; Chall. iv. 8) marks, in reference to certain ordinances, "three lands" which might
equally be designated as Palestine, but to which different ritual regulations applied.
1. The first comprised, "all which they who came up from Babylon took possession of in the land of Israel
and unto Chezib" (about three hours north of Acre);
2. The second, "all that they who came up from Egypt took possession of from Chezib and unto the river
(Euphrates) eastward, and unto Amanah" (supposed to be a mountain near Antioch, in Syria);
3. While the third, seemingly indicating certain ideal outlines, was probably intended to mark what "the
land" would have been, according to the original promise of God, although it was never possessed to
that extent by Israel.
For our present purpose, of course, only the first of these definitions must be applied to "the land." We read in
Menachoth vii. 1: "Every offering, whether of the congregation or of an individual (public or private), may
come from 'the land,' or from 'outside the land, be of the new product (of the year) or of old product, except the
omer (the wave-sheaf at the Passover) and the two loaves (at Pentecost), which may only be brought from new
product (that of the current year), and from that (which grows) within 'the land.'"
To these two, the Mishnah adds in another passage (Chel. i. 6) also the Biccurim, or first-fruits in their fresh
state, although inaccurately, since the latter were likewise brought from what is called by the Rabbis Syria,
which seems to have been regarded as, in a sense, intermediate between "the land" and "outside the land."
(From Sketches of Jewish Social Life, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 1999, 2003,
2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
3:1 Luke roots in world history the world-shaking and world-transcending events he describes.
1. Tiberius was Emperor of Rome from the death of Augustus in 14 C.E. [A.D.] (see 2:1 Notes) until 37 C.E.
2. After Hordos (Herod) the Great died in 4 B.C. (see Mt 2:1 N), his kingdom was divided. The region of
Y’hudah Judah was at first ruled by Herod's son Archelaus (Mt 2:22) until he was deposed in 6 C.E.
3. After that it was ruled by a Roman “procurator”; this office was held by Pontius Pilate (see Mt 27:2 N)
from 26 to 36 C.E.
4. North of Y’hudah the region of the Galilee was ruled by another of Herod the Great's sons, Herod Antipas,
from 4 B.C. until 39 C.E.
5. East of the Galilee a third son of Herod the Great, Herod Philip, ruled Iturea and Trachonitis from 4 B.C.
until 34 C.E.
6. And to the north, northwest of Damascus, the region around the city of Abilene was ruled by one
Lysanias, mentioned in inscriptions but not clearly identified.
3:2 With Anan (Annas) and Kayafa (Caiaphas) being the cohanim g’dolim (high priests). Could there be two
high priests? No, Anan was Cohen gadol for some years until 15 C.E. and was then deposed by the Romans—
the office was no longer held for life but was manipulated by the Romans for political purposes. Anan's son-inlaw Kayafa attained the office in 25 or 26 C.E. and was deposed in 36; he is mentioned in all four gospels as
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the cohen gadol presiding over Yeshua's Jesus two trials and archaeologists in Jerusalem have recently
unearthed his tomb. Nevertheless Anan remained a powerful figure (see John 18:12-24&NN), and it was
natural to continue calling him Cohen gadol (compare Acts 4:6), since for Jews, this office was held for life.
CHAPTER THREE
3:3 Immersion. See Mt 3:1 N. Turning from sins. See Mt 3:2 N.
3:4-6 Isaiah 40:3-5 is quoted as describing the ministry of Yochanan John the Immerser. See also 2:25 N
above.
All humanity will see God's deliverance. This is quoted from the Septuagint; the Hebrew Bible has: “All flesh
will see it together.” The Hebrew text underlying the Septuagint would have had the word “yeshu‘ah” for
“deliverance.” There is a pun here, for yeshu‘ah is the feminine form of the Messiah's name Yeshua‘; this
seems to be the point of Luke's more extended quotation (compare Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3).
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved. Used
by permission.)
Note: Pontius Pilate. First mention. Appointed sixth Procurator of Judaea, A.D. 25 after his deposition, he
went to Rome, and (according to Eusebius) committed suicide in A.D. 36.
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests. Caiaphas was the High Priest as successor of Aaron; while Annas
was the Nasi, or head of the Sanhedrin (as successor of Moses), and thus associated with Caiaphas in
government. This explains John 18:13, 24, and Acts 4:6.
The Companion Bible
Luke 3:1-20
John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)
When he came (vv. 1-2). When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, no prophetic voice had been heard in
Israel for 400 years. His coming was a part of God's perfect timing, for everything that relates to God's Son is
always on schedule (Gal 4:4; Jn 2:4; 13:1). The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar was A.D. 28/29.
Luke named seven different men in Lk 3:1-2, including a Roman emperor, a governor, three tetrarchs (rulers
over a fourth part of an area), and two Jewish high priests. But God's Word was not sent to any of them!
Instead, the message of God came to John the Baptist, a humble Jewish prophet.
How he came (v. 3). Resembling the Prophet Elijah in manner and dress (Lk 1:17; Mt 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8),
John came to the area near the Jordan River, preaching and baptizing lie announced the arrival of the kingdom
of heaven (Mt 3:3) and urged the people to repent Centuries before, Israel had crossed the Jordan (a national
baptism) to claim their Promised Land. Now God summoned them to turn from sin and enter His spiritual
kingdom.
Keep in mind that John did much more than preach against sin; he also proclaimed the Gospel. The word
preached in Lk 3:18 gives us the English words evangelize ('to preach the Good News). John introduced Jesus
as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29) and told people to trust in Him. John was only the best man at the wedding.
Jesus was the Bridegroom (Jn 3:25-30). John rejoiced at the opportunity of introducing people to the Saviour,
and then getting out of the way.
A unique feature about John's ministry was baptism (Lk 20:1-8; Jn 1:25-28). Baptism was nothing new to the
people, for the Jews baptized Gentile proselytes. But John baptized Jews, and this was unusual. Acts 19:1-5
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explains that John’s baptism looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, while Christian baptism looks
back to the finished work of Christ.
But there was something even beyond John's baptism, and that was the baptism that the Messiah would
administer (Lk 3:16). He would baptize believers with the Holy Spirit, and this began at Pentecost (Acts 1:5;
2:1 ff). Today, the moment a sinner trusts Christ, he or she is baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (1
Corinthians 12:13).
(The Bible Exposition Commentary)
CHAPTER THREE
NOTE: There is a difference between being baptized by the Holy Spirit and being filled by the Holy Spirit as
we see in Acts 2:38
Paul the Learner
Luke 3:1-6
I. The Road-Builder (3:1-6)
God bypassed great and mighty rulers and gave His Word to a Jewish prophet in the wilderness. The nation of
Israel was certainly in the wilderness spiritually, and John brought them the good news of the Messiah and
His kingdom. John was not only a prophet but was himself the subject of prophecy (Isa 40:3-5). Verses 4-5
describe the work of a road-builder who gets everything ready for the arrival of the king. In his ministry, John
had to remove a great deal of "religious debris" so that the people would be ready to welcome their Messiah.
Acts 19:1-5 makes it clear that John's ministry of baptism looked forward to the coming of the Savior, while
Christian baptism looks back in identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-6). The
Jews baptized Gentile proselytes, but they did not baptize Jews; John, on the other hand, called for the Jews to
repent and be baptized.
(From Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Copyright © 1992 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, an imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.)
Already there had begun to ring that Voice in the Wilderness which was stirring the inmost hearts of the nation
with its cry, “Repent you, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” We find an age of transition, an age of
uncertainty, and of doubt. The nation was in the growth of general corruption, and the sacred institutions were a
wreck, even the high priesthood was contemptuously tampered with by the Idumean tetrarchs or the Roman
procurators even the Sanhedrin was degraded and in the hands of either the Herodians [followers of Herod] or
the wily Sadducees. Even Atheism in belief was followed, as among nations by degradation of morals. It seems
that Philosophy could not word except for the favored few, and crime was universal, and so remorse itself
seemed to be exhausted, so that men were at the stage of “past feeling.”
Paul the Learner
Lk 3:7-20
John Preaches to the People
(Mt 3:7-12; Mk 1:7, 8; Jn 1:24-28)
3:7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to
yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham
from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
3:10 So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" 11 He answered and said to them, "He who has
two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." 12 Then tax collectors
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also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no
more than what is appointed for you." 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"
So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."
3:15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the
Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is
coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His
winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into
His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other exhortations he preached
to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. NKJV
CHAPTER THREE
JOHN PROCLAIMING
A 3:7, 8
The people. Baptism.
B 3:9The Axe.
C 3:-9
The Trees.
D a-1 3:10 The people.
Question.
E b-1 3:11 John’s answer.
a-2 3:12 The publicans. Question.
b-2 3:13 John’s answer.
a-3 3:14- The soldiers.
Question.
b-3 3:-14 John’s answer.
A 3:15, 16 The people.
Baptism.
B 3:17The Fan.
C 3:-17, 18 The Wheat and Chaff.
This is called an Introversion and Alternations
Extended and Repeated Structure. I call this the
Thump print of God. No other book has this
Note: the soldiers = some soldiers going on service. Josephus (ref. Ant. 18.5 &1, 2) tells us that Herod
Antipas (verse 1) was engaged in a war with Aretas his father-in-law, a petty king in Arabia Petrea, at this very
time, and his soldiers were passing from Galilee through the very country where John was proclaiming and
baptizing.
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK
Chapter Two - Jews & Gentiles in "The Land"
But to return. From what has been said, it will appear that there remained only Galilee and Judaea proper, in
which strictly Jewish views and manners must be sought for. Each of these will be described in detail. For the
present it will suffice to remark, that north-eastern or Upper Galilee was in great part inhabited by Gentiles
— Phoenicians, Syrians, Arabs, and Greeks (Josephus, Jewish War, iii , 419-427), whence the name "Galilee
of the Gentiles" (Mt 4:15).
It is strange in how many even of those cities, with which we are familiar from the New Testament, the heathen
element prevailed.
1. Tiberias, which gave its name to the lake, was at the time of Christ of quite recent origin, having been built
by the tetrarch Herod Antipas (the Herod of the gospel history), and named in honor of the Emperor Tiberius.
Although endowed by its founder with many privileges, such as houses and lands for its inhabitants, and
freedom from taxation — the latter being continued by Vespasian after the Jewish war — Herod had to
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colonize it by main force, so far as its few Jewish inhabitants were concerned. For, the site on which the city
stood had of old covered a place of burial, and the whole ground was therefore levitically unclean (Josephus,
Ant, xviii, 38). However celebrated, therefore, afterwards as the great and final seat of the Jewish
Sanhedrim, it was originally chiefly un-Jewish.
2. Gaza had its local deity;
3. Ascalon worshipped Astarte;
4. Joppa was the locality where, at the time when Peter had his vision there, they still showed on the rocks of
the shore the marks of the chains, by which Andromeda was said to have been held, when Perseus came to set
her free.
5. Caesarea was an essentially heathen city, though inhabited by many Jews; and one of its most conspicuous
ornaments was another temple to Augustus, built on a hill opposite the entrance to the harbor, so as to be
visible far out at sea.
CHAPTER THREE
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK
But what could be expected, when in Jerusalem itself Herod had reared a magnificent theatre and amphitheatre,
to which gladiators were brought from all parts of the world, and where games were held, thoroughly antiJewish and heathen in their spirit and tendency? (Josephus, Ant., xv, 274). The favorites and counselors by
whom that monarch surrounded him were heathens; wherever he or his successors could, they reared heathen
temples, and on all occasions they promoted the spread of Grecian views.
Yet withal they professed to be Jews; they would not shock Jewish prejudices; indeed, as the building of the
Temple, the frequent advocacy at Rome of the cause of Jews when oppressed, and many other facts show, the
Herodians would fain have kept on good terms with the national party, or rather used it as their tool. And so
Grecianism spread. Already Greek was spoken and understood by all the educated classes in the country; it
was necessary for interrelation with the Roman authorities, with the many civil and military officials, and with
strangers; the "superscription" on the coins was in Greek, even though, to humor the Jews, none of the earlier
Herods had his own image impressed on them.
Significantly enough, it was Herod Agrippa I, the murderer of St. James, and the would-be murderer of St.
Peter, who introduced the un-Jewish practice of images on coins. Thus everywhere the foreign element was
advancing. A change or else a struggle were inevitable in the near future. And what of Judaism itself at the
period? It was miserably divided, even though no outward separation had taken place.
The Pharisees and Sadducees held opposite principles, and hated each other; the Essenes looked down upon
them both. Within Pharisaism the schools of Hillel and Shammai contradicted each other on almost every
matter. But both united in their unbounded contempt of what they designated as "the country-people" — those
who had no traditional learning, and hence were either unable or unwilling to share the discussions, and to bear
the burdens of legal ordinances, which constituted the chief matter of traditionalism.
There was only one feeling common to all — high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlettered: it was that of
intense hatred of the foreigner. The rude Galileans were as "national" as the most punctilious Pharisees;
indeed, in the war against Rome they furnished the most and the bravest soldiers. Everywhere the foreigner was
in sight; his were the taxes levied, the soldiery, the courts of ultimate appeal, the government.
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In Jerusalem they hung over the Temple as a guard in the fortress of Antonia, and even kept in their custody the
high-priest's garments, so that, before officiating in the Temple, he had actually always to apply for them to the
procurator or his representative! They were only just more tolerable as being downright heathens than the
Herodians, who mingled Judaism with heathenism, and, having sprung from foreign slaves, had arrogated to
themselves the kingdom of the Maccabees.
(From Sketches of Jewish Social Life, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 1999, 2003,
2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Luke 3:4-20
Why he came (vv. 4-20). The illustrations used in the chapter help us understand the ministry God gave to
John.
To begin with, John the Baptist was a voice "crying in the wilderness" (Lk 3:4; also see Isa 40:1-5 and Jn
1:23). He was like the herald who went before the royal procession to make sure the roads were ready for the
king. Spiritually speaking, the nation of Israel was living in a "wilderness" of unbelief, and the roads to
spiritual reality were twisted and in disrepair. The corruption of the priesthood (instead of one, there were
two high priests!) and the legalistic hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees had weakened the nation
spiritually. The people desperately needed to hear a voice from God, and John was that faithful voice.
CHAPTER THREE
3:4-20
It was John's task to prepare are the nation for the Messiah and then present the Messiah to them (Lk 1:16-17,
76-77; Jn 1:6-8, 15-34). He rebuked their sins and announced God's salvation, for without conviction there
can be no conversion.
John is also compared to a farmer who chops down useless trees (Lk 3:9) and who winnows the gram to
separate the wheat from the chaff (Lk 3:17). Like some "religious sinners" today, many of the Jews thought
they were destined for heaven simply because they were descendants of Abraham (see Jn 8:31-34; Rom. 4:1217; Gal 3:26-29). John reminded them that God gets to the root of things and is not impressed with religious
profession that does not produce fruit in the last judgment; the true believers (wheat) will be gathered by
God, while the lost sinners (chaff) will be burned in the fire.
Note: The person who joins a church and lives like Satan will go to the place reserved for his god so that they
can be together. Your life must show the new birth, the new creation in Jesus Christ. Being a church member
and reading your bible and quoting scripture will not get you into heaven anymore that being a son of Abraham
will get the Jew in.
Paul the Learner
In Lk 3:7, John pictured the self-righteous sinners as snakes that slithered out of the grass because a fire was
coming! Jesus compared the Pharisees to vipers (Mt 23:33) because their self-righteousness and unbelief made
them the children of the devil (Jn 8:44-45; Rev 20:2). How tragic that the religious leaders refused to obey
John's message and submit to his baptism (Lk 20:1-8). They not only failed to enter the kingdom themselves,
but their bad example and false teaching kept other people from entering.
John the Baptist was also a teacher (Lk 3:12). He not only preached publicly, but he also had a personal
ministry to the people, telling them how to practice their new faith (Lk 3:10-14). He told them not to be selfish
but to share their blessings with others (see Ac 2:44-45; 4:32-37).
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Even the tax collectors came to John for counsel. These men were despised by their fellow Jews because they
worked for the Romans and usually extorted money from the people. Luke emphasized the fact that Jesus was
the friend of tax collectors (Lk 5:27 ff, 15:1-2; 19:1-10). John did not tell them to quit their jobs but to do
their work honestly.
Likewise, the soldiers were not condemned for their vocation. Rather, John told them to refrain from using
their authority to get personal gain. These were probably Jewish soldiers attached to the temple or to the court
of one of the Jewish rulers. It was not likely that Roman soldiers would ask a Jewish prophet for counsel.
John was faithful in his ministry to prepare the hearts of the people and then to present their Messiah to them.
He clearly stated that Jesus was "the Lord" (Lk 3:4) and the Son of, God (Jn 1:34). Because John rebuked
Herod Antipas for his adulterous marriage to Herodias, he was imprisoned by the king and finally beheaded.
However, he had faithfully finished his God-given assignment and prepared the people to meet the Messiah, the
Son of God.
(The Bible Exposition Commentary).
CHAPTER THREE
II. The Farmer (3:7-9)
John described himself as a farmer, chopping down a fruitless tree and watching snakes fleeing a burning field.
John got to the root of things and called the people to repentance. There is a wrath to come, and the only way
to prepare for judgment is to turn from sin and trust the Savior. The religious leaders did not obey God's call
spoken through John (7:29-30; 20:1-8), and John called them "vipers" (Mt 3:7-10). Jesus called them
"children of the devil" (Jn 8:44-45; Mt 23:33), for Satan is the serpent and has “his children" (Rev 20:2; Mt
13:36-43). John preceded Jesus because the preaching of judgment for sin must always come before the
declaration of saving grace. First conviction, then conversion.
III. The Counselor (3:10-14)
John took time to counsel people personally and prepares them for baptism and their new life of faith. He
admonished the people in general to be generous and share what they have (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37). He
charged the tax collectors to be honest and the soldiers to be just. (Perhaps he knew that the soldiers and
publicans worked together to extort money from the people.) Luke mentions tax collectors three other times
(5:27; 15:1; 19:2). These soldiers were not likely Romans (see however Mt 8:5-13), but were probably Jewish
soldiers belonging to the temple guard or the court of Herod. It is interesting that John did not condemn the tax
collectors' and soldiers' professions; he simply told the publicans and soldiers to do their jobs honestly and not
to hurt people. They could remain in their vocations and serve God.
(Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament).
Lk 3:21-22
John Baptizes Jesus
(Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Jn 1:29-34)
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3:21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the
heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came
from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." NKJV
The Father and the Spirit (Luke 3:21-38)
One day, after all the others had been baptized, Jesus presented Himself for baptism at the Jordan, and John
at first refused to comply (Mt 3:13-15). He knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the perfect Son of God who had
no need to repent of sin. Why then was the sinless Son of God baptized?
To begin with:
1. In His baptism He identified with the sinners that He came to save.
2. Also, His baptism was the official start of His ministry (Acts 1:21-22; 10:37-38).
He was "about thirty years of age" (Lk 3:23), and the Jewish Levites began their work at age thirty (see Num.
4:3, 35). But our Lord's words tell us the main reason for His baptism: "for in this way it is fitting for this to
fulfill all righteousness" (Mt 3:15, NASB). In what way? In the way pictured by His baptism in the Jordan.
Many Bible scholars agree that New Testament baptism was by immersion, which is a picture of death, burial,
and resurrection.
Our Lords baptism in water was a picture of His work of redemption (Mt 20:22; Lk 12:50). It was through His
baptism of suffering on the cross that God "fulfilled all righteousness." This is the first of three recorded
occasions when the Father spoke from heaven. The second was when Jesus was transfigured (Lk 9:28-36),
and the third was during His last week before the cross (Jn 12:28).
CHAPTER THREE
Only Luke mentions that Jesus was praying, and this was only one of many occasions (Lk 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 2829; 11:1; 23:34, 46). As the perfect Son of man, Jesus depended on His Father to meet His needs, and that was
why He prayed.
(The Bible Exposition Commentary).
THE GODHEAD
1. God is a Spirit and is invisible and fills the universe.
2. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Him self.
3. The fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Jesus.
4. Jesus is the express image of God His Father.
5. Even though God was inside of Jesus, He still was in the universe.
6. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of the Father and fills believers, while God still exists in the universe.
7. The Father spoke and the Spirit of God like a dove came down and yet God was still in the universe.
8. God does not know of any other gods beside Him, and neither do I.
Paul the Learner
IV. The Witness (3:15-18, 21-22)
John did not come to talk about himself but to bear witness to the Son of God (Jn 1:19-34). It was his
privilege to present the Messiah to the nation. Had they known the Scriptures, they would have been ready for
this great event; but they were "in the dark," and so John had to "bear witness of the light."
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The baptism of the Spirit takes place when the sinner trusts Christ and becomes a part of the body of Christ, the
church (1 Co 12:13). The baptism of fire has to do with judgment, as vv. 9 and 17 make clear. John pictured
Jesus as a harvester with a winnowing fork ("fan") in his hand, separating the wheat from the chaff.
Harvesting is a familiar picture of judgment (Ps 1:4; Jer 15:7; Joel 3:12-13).
The Gk. word translated "preach" in v. 18 means "to preach the Good News." John was an evangelist who
pointed sinners to the Savior. In v. 3, the word "preach" means "to herald a message." John was the herald
who came before the King and proclaimed His coming to the people.
John baptized Jesus in order to present Him to the people (Jn 1:29-34) and not because Jesus was a repentant
sinner. The Father and the Spirit both bore witness that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God. Our Lord's
baptism in water was a foreshadowing of His future baptism of suffering on the cross (12:50). It was through
death, burial, and resurrection that He "fulfilled all righteousness" (Mt 3:15).
Only Luke mentions that Jesus prayed during His baptism (v. 21), the first of many occasions of prayer
mentioned in this Gospel (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18,29; 11:1; 22:32,41; 23:34,46). If the perfect Son of Man had
to pray in order to serve the Father, how much more do we His people need to pray!
(Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament).
To this preaching, to this baptism, in the thirtieth year of His age, came Jesus from Galilee. Even though John
was his kinsman by birth even though the circumstances of their life had been entirely separated from knowing
each other.
1. John, as a child in the house of the blameless priest his father, had lived at Juttah, [which was a priestly
city see Reland, Pal. 21:16] in the far south of the tribe of Judah, and not very far from Hebron;
2. Jesus had lived in the deep seclusion of the carpenter’s shop in the valley of Galilee.
If fact to his own emphatic and twice repeated testimony, “Knew Him not.”
Paul the Learner
CHAPTER THREE
Note: John who had received the confessions of all others, now reverently and humbly makes his own
confession, “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comes Thou to me? The answer of Jesus contains the
second recorded utterance of Jesus and the first word of His public ministry – “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it
becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus does not say, “I must,” but, “Thus it becomes us.” Also Jesus does
not say, “I have needed to be baptized or you have no need to be baptized of me,” but Jesus says, “Suffer it
to be so now.”
So we find Jesus descending into the waters of the Jordan, and there the awesome sign was given by God. From
the heaven streamed the Spirit of God in a dovelike radiance [Genesis 1:2] that seemed to hover over the head
of Jesus in a lambent flame, and then the Bath Kol [the term was sometimes applied to voices from heaven]. In
the Apocryphal Gospels there is added that ‘a fire was kindled in Jordan ref. J. Mart. C. Tryph. 88;
Hofmann, page 299] which to the dull un-purged ear was but an inarticulate clap of thunder, but to John it was
the voice of God speaking – “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Paul the Learner
Lk 3:23-38
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
(Gen. 5; 11:10-26; Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Chronicles 1:1-4,24-27,34; 2:1-15; Mt 1:2-16)
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3:23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of
Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of
Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the
son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of
Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the 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 Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, 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 Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32 the 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 Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of
Jacob, the son of Isaac, the 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 Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of
Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son
of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. NKJV
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK
Chapter Three - In Galilee at the Time of our Lord
We have spoken of Nazareth; and a few brief notices of other places in Galilee, mentioned in the New
Testament, may be of interest. Along the lake lay, north, Capernaum, a large city; and near it, Chorazin, so
celebrated for its grain, that, if it had been closer to Jerusalem, it would have been used for the Temple; also
Bethsaida, the name, "house of fishes," indicating its trade.
Capernaum was the station where Matthew sat at the receipt of custom (Mt 9:9). South of Capernaum was
Magdala, the city of dyers, the home of Mary Magdalene (Mk 15:40; 16:1; Lk 8:2; Jn 20:1). The Talmud
mentions its shops and its wool works, speaks of its great wealth, but also of the corruption of its inhabitants.
Tiberias, which had been built shortly before Christ, is only incidentally mentioned in the New Testament (Jn
6:1, 23; 21:1).
At the time it was a splendid but chiefly heathen city, whose magnificent buildings contrasted with the more
humble dwellings common in the country. Quite at the southern end of the lake was Tarichaea, the great
fishing place, whence preserved fish was exported in casks (Strabo, xvi, 2).
CHAPTER THREE
HISTORICAL OUTLOOK
It was there that, in the great Roman war, a kind of naval battle was fought, which ended in terrible slaughter,
no quarter being given by the Romans, so that the lake was dyed red with the blood of the victims, and the shore
rendered pestilential by their bodies. Cana in Galilee was the birthplace of Nathaniel (Jn 21:2), where Christ
performed His first miracle (Jn 2:1-11).
Significant also in connection with the second miracle there witnessed, when the new wine of the kingdom was
first tasted by Gentile lips (Jn 4:46, 47). Cana lay about three hours to the north-north-east of Nazareth. Lastly,
Nain was one of the southernmost places in Galilee, not far from the ancient Endor.
It can scarcely surprise us, however interesting it may prove, that such Jewish recollections of the early
Christians as the Rabbis have preserved, should linger chiefly around Galilee. Thus we have, in quite the
apostolic age, mention of miraculous cures made, in the name of Jesus, by one Jacob of Chefar Sechanja (in
Galilee), one of the Rabbis violently opposing on one occasion an attempt of the kind, the patient meanwhile
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dying during the dispute; repeated records of discussions with learned Christians, and other indications of
contact with Hebrew believers.
Some have gone farther, and found traces of the general spread of such views in the fact that a Galilean teacher
is introduced in Babylon as propounding the science of the Merkabah, or the mystical doctrines connected with
Ezekiel's vision of the Divine chariot, which certainly contained elements closely approximating the Christian
doctrines of the Logos, the Trinity, etc.
Trinitarian views have also been suspected in the significance attached to the number "three" by a Galilean
teacher of the third century, in this wise: "Blessed be God, who has given the three laws (the Pentateuch, the
Prophets, and the Hagiographa) to a people composed of three classes (Priests, Levites, and laity), through
him who was the youngest of three (Miriam, Aaron, and Moses), on the third day (of their separation — Ex
19:16), and in the third month."
There is yet another saying of a Galilean Rabbi, referring to the resurrection, which, although far from clear,
may bear a Christian application. Finally, the Midrash applies the expression, "The sinner shall be taken by
her" (Ecc 7:26), either to the above-named Christian Rabbi Jacob, or to Christians generally, or even to
Capernaum, with evident reference to the spread of Christianity there.
We cannot here pursue this very interesting subject farther than to say, that we find indications of Jewish
Christians having endeavored to introduce their views while leading the public devotions of the Synagogue,
and even of contact with the immoral heretical sect of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:15).
(Sketches of Jewish Social Life),
3:23-38 A literal translation of the Greek text starting at v. 23 would be: “And Yeshua himself was beginning
about thirty years, being son, as was supposed, of Yosef, of the Eli, of the Mattat, of the L’vi,” etc. The
questions raised here are: What does it mean to be “of” someone? And which person is described as being “of
the Eli”?—Yosef or Yeshua?
If Yosef is here reported to be the son of Eli, there is an apparent conflict with Mt 1:16, which reads, “Ya‘akov
was the father of Yosef, the husband of Miryam, from whom was born the Yeshua that was called the Messiah.”
But the genealogies of both Mattityahu Matthew and Luke employ unusual language in connection with
Yeshua—and with good reason, since both assert that he had no human father in the ordinary sense of the word,
but that the virgin Miryam was caused to bear Yeshua by the Holy Spirit of God in a supernatural way; see
Mt 1:16 N.
CHAPTER THREE
2:23-38
If this is so, what do the genealogies mean? The simplest explanation is that
1. Mattityahu gives the genealogy of Yosef, who, though not Yeshua's physical father, was regarded as
his father by people generally (below, 4:22; John 1:45, 6:42); while
2. Luke gives the genealogy of Yeshua through his mother Miryam, the daughter of Eli. If so, Yeshua is
“of the Eli” in the sense of being his grandson;
3. While Yeshua's relationship with Yosef is portrayed in the words, “son, as supposed”—implying not
actually; see numbered paragraph (2) of note on “Son of” at Mt 1:1 N.
Luke's language also distinguishes Yosef from Yeshua's direct ancestors by not including the word “the”
before “Yosef” in the original Greek. “By the omission of the article [the], Joseph's name is separated from the
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genealogical chain and accorded a place of its own” (F. Rienecker, Praktisches Handkommentär Zu Lukas
Evangelium) 1930, p. 302, as cited in A Jewish Christian Response by the Messianic Jew Louis
Goldberg).
A different explanation of these anomalies is to make not Yeshua but Yosef the grandson of Eli on his
mother's side. In the JNT text as it stands I have opted for this explanation; that is the significance of my
reintroducing the word “the” as a demonstrative: It was supposed that Yeshua was a son of the particular Yosef
who was, on his mother's side, the grandson of Eli, son of Mattat, son of L’vi....But I have no strong
attachment to this explanation; the other is equally satisfying and equally problematical.
The two genealogies also raise the question of how Yeshua can claim the throne of his ancestor King David
(see Mt 1:1 N on “son of David”). The argument against him is that even if Luke's genealogy is of Miryam and
goes back to David, it doesn't help Yeshua; because descent, for purposes of inheriting kingship, cannot be
counted through the mother.
And if Yosef is not Yeshua's physical father, his legal status as Yeshua's adoptive father, even though
adequate for establishing Yeshua's legal right to King David's throne (see Mt 1:24-25 N), is insufficient to
fulfill the prophecy of 2 Samuel 7:12 to David, “And when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your
fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will issue from your bowels.”
But there is a descent from David, whether it applies to Yosef or to Miryam, and no genealogy could cope with
the radically unique circumstances of Yeshua's birth as God's “only and unique” son (John 1:18&N), with
no human physical father. Such circumstances transcend pedestrian application of genealogies. Yeshua was
the seed of David, physically from his loins, in the manner and to the degree that these circumstances
admit; also see Mt 1:16 N.
A fifth- or sixth-century non-Messianic Jewish “anti-gospel” called Toledot-Yeshu (“Generations of
Yeshua”; see Mt 1:18 N), apparently written for Jewish popular consumption after several centuries of
Church persecution, represents Yeshua as the product of an illegitimate union between Miryam and a
Roman soldier named Yosef ben-Pandera.
A more attenuated version of this story appears in the Talmud (Shabbat 104 b, Sanhedrin 67 a) and the
Tosefta (Chullin 2:22-23); see Herford, Christianity in Talmud and Midrash). The obvious motive for such
a fable is to neutralize the Gospel narratives of heavenly intervention with a more earthy explanation for an
unmarried woman's bearing a son.
(From Jewish New Testament Commentary Copyright © 1992 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved. Used
by permission.)
CHAPTER THREE
Luke 3:21-38
Luke interrupted his narrative at this point to give us a genealogy of Jesus. Matthew's genealogy (Mt 1:1-17)
begins with Abraham and moves forward to Jesus, while Luke's begins with Jesus and moves backward to
Adam. Matthew gives us the genealogy of Joseph, the legal foster-father of Jesus, while Luke gives us the
genealogy of His mother Mary. Lk 3:23 can be translated: "When He began His ministry, Jesus was about
thirty years old (being supposedly the son of Joseph), the son of Heli [an ancestor of Mary]." Mary herself
would not be mentioned because it was unusual for women to be named in the official genealogies, though
Matthew names four of them (Mt 1:3, 5, 16).
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By putting the genealogy here, Luke reminded his readers that the Son of God was also the Son of man, born
into this world, identified with the needs and problems of mankind. And, since Joseph and Mary were both in
David's fine, these genealogies prove that Jesus of Nazareth has the legal right to David's throne (Lk 1:32-33).
(From The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of
Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
V. The Martyr (3:19-20)
Luke does not give the full account of John's arrest and martyrdom, but Matthew and Mark do (Mt 14:1-12;
Mk 6:14-29). John could have compromised his message and spared his life, but he was a faithful witness who
declared God's truth without fear or favor. His ministry was a brief one and may have appeared to be a failure,
but he fulfilled his work (Acts 13:25) and was pleasing to the Lord (7:18-35).
Note on 3:23-38. The genealogy in Mt 1:1-17 is that of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, and traces his legal
right to the throne of David. Luke gives us the genealogy of Mary, which proves Jesus' natural rights to the
throne. Heli (Eli) was thus Mary's father. Verse 23 should read, "And Jesus ... being (as was supposed, the son
of Joseph) of Eli" (i.e., born of Mary, the daughter of Eli). Jesus was generally thought to be the son of Joseph
(4:22; Jn 6:42, 45). The mother's name would not be put into the genealogy, so Mary is not named. Keeping
with his focus on Jesus the Son of Man, Luke takes the genealogy all the way back to Adam (1 Cor 15:45).
(From Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Copyright © 1992 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, an imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.)
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