¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene — ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  ⁴As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
⁶ And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

⁷John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  ⁹The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:1-9

Generally there was no road through the desolate areas of the desert. There were hills and valleys, and each of these meant a problem for a traveller. When the Israelites were in the desert under Moses they complained bitterly about the terrible circumstances in which they sometimes found themselves.

A great army with a powerful king would not get through the desert. It formed an unsurpassable obstacle. Yet the Messiah is seen as coming through this wilderness and he will have smooth sailing and a grand highway.

Everything will be levelled. Valleys will rise and hills will be made low. Nothing can stop this King, the Messiah, from coming swiftly to redeem his people. It will be such a swift and powerful campaign of the Messiah that “all mankind will see God’s salvation”. This is the sense of the prophecy of Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah.

Still, “a voice calling in the desert” is not easily heard and understood. John’s ministry will have its time and effect and will alert Israel to the coming of the Messiah, but it will not lead to joyous overall acceptance of Christ.

The Ministry of John the Baptizer⤒🔗

Luke 3 gives us the account of John the Baptizer’s ministry as it leads up to the baptism of the Lord and the commencement of his ministry. John’s work may be called the preparation of Israel for Christ’s ministry. After this is done, John the Baptizer goes off the scene.

We also find an exact and elaborate sketch of the general historical period in the time of John the Baptizer as it relates to Christ’s ministry. It begins with the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. John the Baptizer’s ministry and the one immediately following of our Lord Jesus Christ are set in that time period. Elsewhere I have written how Christ’s messianic ministry is set against the background of “the united nations of Rome, the divided Kingdom of David, and the deformed priesthood of Aaron.”¹ I need not elaborate on these aspects here.

John the Baptizer was living in the desert and from there “he went into all the country around the Jordan” (3:3). This starting point was given by the word of God. John will have been around 32 years old (see Luke 3:23, where Christ is mentioned as beginning his ministry at age 30). Luke briefly gives us the entire ministry of John ending with his arrest and imprisonment. Luke then focuses solely on the ministry of our Lord.

John’s ministry was one of preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He quotes from the prophet Isaiah, “Prepare the way for the Lord” (3:4). Therefore the baptism administered by John also had a preparatory character. There is a difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus.

Later in Ephesus the apostle Paul meets some “disciples” and he asks them if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 19:1-7). They answer, “‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’. So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied.” They had most likely been in the region of Palestine when John was preaching and they had, too, followed his summons. But going back home, they never experienced what followed. All they knew was the baptism of John. Paul then brought them up to date, and they were baptized into the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even that baptism needed to be augmented by Paul placing his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them. The content of the Baptism of Jesus is richer than that of John the Baptizer.

John’s Ministry Characterized and Illustrated←⤒🔗

⁴“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.

⁵Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
 the rough ways smooth.

⁶ And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

The ministry of John the Baptizer is characterized by this quote taken from Isaiah 40. John is to proclaim comfort to Israel for a new era is dawning, that of the Messiah. John is the voice. He is to call the people to repent and prepare them to meet the Lord in holiness. The fact is that he is a voice of one calling in the desert. This indicates that John was a relatively unknown “loner”. Who would listen to him? It does not look promising.

The Practical Ministry of John the Baptizer←⤒🔗

Both Matthew and Luke give us some further insight into the ministry of John the Baptizer. Matthew restricts this mostly to Christ’s warning to the Pharisees. Luke gives us more information, how John addressed the crowds (and especially the Pharisees among them), the despised tax collectors, and even the soldiers (most likely Jewish soldiers employed by the Sanhedrin as police officers).

The important aspect for us to note now is that John’s preaching and administration of baptism do not allow for hypocrisy. Sometimes certain religious trends or movements quickly become popular and everyone wants to get on the bandwagon while in fact their hearts are not in it. John unmasks this hypocrisy in no uncertain terms.

The first illustration in John’s preaching (“brood of vipers”) is directed to the crowds, and a comparison with Matthew’s account leads us to think that especially the Pharisees and Sadducees in the crowds were meant, because they are “the brood of vipers” addressed elsewhere in the same terms, who prided themselves on being the children of Abraham. Israel would always survive as God’s people, they thought and taught.

Note the word “brood”. A brood comes from the same source and sticks together.  A viper is the most poisonous snake in Palestine and while the Pharisees and Sadducees look innocent, they are lethal in doctrine and conduct.

John tells them that God can raise up another people from the stones of the desert. He is omnipotent and sovereign. We must humbly esteem the gifts God has given to us as believers and to faithful churches, but let us not presume on our history, race, background or institutions. John tells the people in no uncertain terms that “the ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (3:9).

Note that the hearers vocally respond to John’s preaching. They are deeply moved and express their feelings and concerns. “What should we do then?” the crowd asks. John’s answer to the people is straight-forward and to the point. The command of love must be obeyed in concrete actions: the man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same. Repentant people become generous and caring (3:11).

The tax-collectors who were hated by the Jews also came to John asking him: teacher what should we do? John does not tell them to resign their position. But he tells them to fulfill their task with honesty and integrity, “Don’t collect any more than you are required to” (3:13).

We read that some soldiers also asked him, “What should we do?” These soldiers are not Roman soldiers but soldiers in the service of the Jewish Sanhedrin, who extorted and oppressed the people. They are told to be content with their pay. They are also told not to abuse their position by exploiting the people.

The preaching of John the Baptizer is a call to prepare for the coming of the Messiah by repentance and integrity. Those who had this frame of mind and confessed their sins with the promise of breaking with these sins received the baptism of John as a divine pledge to receive all God’s blessings in the coming of the Messiah. It pointed ahead to the imminent coming of the Saviour. The baptism that we receive points back to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and urges us to await in faith the return of the Lord. The baptism of Jesus is therefore greater than the baptism of John. John’s baptism functioned for a short time, but the Lord makes with his children an eternal covenant.

Might John Possibly be the Christ?←⤒🔗

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

…²¹When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²²and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well-pleased." Luke 3:15-18,21,22

We know that at this time there was a general and powerful expectation that the Christ was soon to come. Every new prophet or leader would be closely scrutinized to see if perhaps in him the Messiah had finally appeared. John the Baptizer certainly seemed to fit the bill.

But John responds in the negative. In John 1:20 we read about John’s assertive and straightforward testimony, “I am not the Christ”. John’s work may be very powerful. But John is not the Messiah. John says: “I baptized you with water but one more powerful than I will come.” (3:16) John points to Jesus, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” This passage is a clear reference to what will happen at Pentecost.

The Baptism of John and the Baptism of Jesus←⤒🔗

This does not mean that John’s baptism is inferior. John’s baptism was truly needed at that time. It does mean that Christ’s baptism is superior, for it fulfills the baptism of John.  Great and decisive progress has been made in the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord.

The baptism of Christ directs us further to sanctification and renewal. It also speaks of final judgment, which is inescapable without Christ.  John the Baptizer stresses this in the example of the chaff and the wheat. The two will be separated at the harvest and the chaff will be burned. Our Lord himself in his preaching used a similar example (the parable of the Sower, Matthew 13). Like Elijah before him, John emphasized integrity in worshiping only the Lord.

We read in verse 18 that John did more preaching than is recorded in Luke 3. The preaching of John was always exhortative. It was a very direct no-nonsense preaching which urged people strongly to do what is necessary. Exhorting also means encouraging. It said that John preached the “good news” to the people. Exhortative proclamation must always be Christ-centred preaching. Otherwise it is heartless.

Look, the Lamb of God!←↰⤒🔗

John tells us in his account of the Gospel, that John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward him the day after his baptism. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” From the word “look” we conclude that John pointed out Jesus with his hand. There he is, the Lamb of God! (John 1:29)

This is important for two reasons. The people who were present at that time know exactly who Jesus is. There can be no mistake or doubt. I am not the Messiah, said John, but there he is! Secondly, John was from the priestly tribe of Levi, and it was the task of the priesthood to receive and examine the lamb for the sacrifice. This is the last priestly act of the ages. John tells everyone: this man, Jesus, is the appointed and acceptable Lamb of God. The priesthood of Aaron has now served its purpose and is no longer needed.

This passage is very important for a proper understanding of the ministry of John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer is a forerunner or herald. His focus is the certain identification of Jesus Christ. After this John is ready to cease. Later when his disciples tell John that Christ is drawing more disciples than he is, John answers, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

John the Baptizer and Herod the King←⤒🔗

¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. Luke 3:19-20

Perhaps the highlight of John the Baptizer’s ministry was the baptism of our Lord Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit descended visibly on Christ and a voice was heard from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (3:21, 22).

John was not afraid to speak out publicly about things happening around him. The last item we are told about John the Baptizer is that he was imprisoned by Herod the tetrarch (3:19, 20). This Herod was one of the sons of Herod the Great. In fact after Herod the Great died, his Kingdom was divided over 4 tetrarchs (a ruler of one-fourth part). Originally Archelaus was the successor of Herod the Great, but he was deposed because of extreme cruelty to his people. The area was then placed directly under Roman authority through governors, of whom Pontius Pilate is the best-known. The “Herod” in this case is Herod Antipas, who married his brother’s (Herod Phillip I) wife. Luke writes this, “But when John (the Baptizer) rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.”

Luke does not write any more particulars about John. He moves on to the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew 14 we do discover what happened to John the Baptizer. Herod wanted to kill John, but was afraid to do so. Herod feared that the people might revolt. During a birthday party, King Herod Antipas was tricked by his daughter, who was also Herodias’ daughter, to ask for the beheading of John. This indeed followed. John was beheaded in prison; his head was placed on a platter and brought to Herod’s daughter. It was a horribly gruesome act. We also read in Matthew 14 that John’s disciples came, buried John’s body, and went to tell Jesus what had happened.

John the Baptizer and Jesus the Christ←⤒🔗

In Matthew 11 we read that during Jesus’ ministry John the Baptizer who is languishing in prison sends his disciples to Jesus with a very important question, “Are you the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” This question may baffle us, for was not John the one who at Jesus’ baptism heard the voice of God?  John was the man who declared, seeing Jesus coming toward him, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water is that he might be revealed to Israel.” John knew for sure that Jesus was the One and only Saviour. How can John ever doubt the truth he had heard from God’s own voice? (John 1:19, 20, 29-34).

We can understand John’s predicament. Time and circumstance take their toll in life. John had proclaimed that God’s final judgment was imminent and would be realized by the Lord Jesus. But, instead, here is Jesus going about the countryside, healing people and teaching the Gospel. Why does Jesus not come, release John from his prison, and condemn Herod and his gang of thugs? After all, John is in danger of his life. What John hears about Jesus is not what he has proclaimed about Jesus. This leads to John’s question.

We need not at this point elaborate on John’s question and Jesus’ answer to this question. But we should note these carefully to receive the full picture of John’s ministry. The Lord simply tells John that the Gospel is being fulfilled. God’s Word is being realized. And he adds, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” (Matthew 11:6).

The judgment will come. But it comes on God’s time. We should not be offended at Christ for what he is doing. Our expectations must be formed and corrected by the full teaching of the Gospel. We need to trust the Lord Jesus and find comfort in his work of redemption.

The Beginning of Christ’s Ministry (Luke 3:23-38)←⤒🔗

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli,

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

²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
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,

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

²⁸the son of Melki,
he son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan,

³⁸ the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.Luke 3:23-38

The Baptism of Jesus (revisited)←⤒🔗

In the second part of chapter 3 Luke makes a transition from the ministry of John to that of the Lord Jesus Christ. He does this first by giving us the account of Jesus’ baptism (3:21, 22). This appears to be the line of demarcation. Therefore it is necessary to note a few points carefully. We revisit the account that Luke gives.

The baptism of the Lord is commonly regarded as the official beginning of Christ's public ministry. He receives confirmation from his heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. We also read, "Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph".

Why did the Holy Spirit descend in bodily form like a dove? Luke emphasizes this aspect. John the Baptizer saw the dove and knew it was in bodily form the Holy Spirit. This is clearly stated so that we would know that the Holy Spirit himself descended on Christ and not some vague, non-bodily mist or spray. The appearing of the Spirit over Jesus here marks the beginning of his public ministry and makes clear that the Spirit equips him for his task.

The Genealogy of Jesus←⤒🔗

Matthew also gives an account of Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1:17). We shall briefly compare the two. First, however, we note what it says in verse 22, “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph”. Some explainers suggest that this indicates that Jesus was not really his son but people generally thought so. In this way Jesus could claim that he is the Son of David while in fact he is not.

Dr. S. Greydanus, late professor of New Testament at the Theologische Hogeschool in Kampen, The Netherlands, suggested that the expression “so it was thought” could be better explained by a more literal translation, that Jesus was the son of Joseph “according to the law”. Our Lord Jesus Christ was in a legal sense the Son of Joseph and he therefore is a true Son of David.²The Davidic throne and kingdom truly belonged to Jesus Christ.

When we compare the two genealogies, we discover that there are many similarities. There are also differences that have to do with the vantage point of the evangelists. The two genealogies do not conflict with each other, but do highlight different elements.

Matthew is writing for unbelieving Jews. Therefore he begins with Abraham, stressing the covenantal line. Luke has a broader purpose in writing to Theophilus and he begins with Jesus, son of Joseph, and goes back right to Adam, stressing the imperial line. At the beginning of Israel’s history stands God’s covenant with Abraham. At the beginning of world history stands God’s covenant with Adam (see: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49).

Luke’s genealogy ends with “Adam, the son of God.” This passage is used in various ways. Some take it to mean that Adam (and Eve) was divine. Others use it to suggest that the genealogy cannot be taken literally, for Adam was not really the son of God. We best take it to mean that the genealogy of Jesus goes right back to the first Adam, and since there is no one beyond Adam than God the Creator himself, Adam is the direct product of God’s creative power, and is, then, by way of speaking, the son of God. Luke is showing us the unity of mankind as found in Christ Jesus, who is the second Adam. In Christ God is seeking all nations.

It is of interest to note that Matthew in his version of Christ’s genealogy gives some prominence to the number fourteen, “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from  Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ” (Matthew 1:17). It seems that Matthew has presented things to fit this scheme. The number seven is the number of the fullness of God. Multiplied it means also that an element of time is added. In the birth of Christ God comes to the fullness of time and seeks his whole creation. A genealogy that has been shaped to bring additional aspects is sometimes called “a telescopic genealogy”.

Questions←⤒🔗

1. What is the purpose of John the Baptizer’s ministry?
2. What is the difference between the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus? Is this difference important?
3. How should we characterize John’s preaching? Should preaching today be similar?
4. How did John speak of the Messiah?
5. What is the importance of calling the Messiah “the Lamb of God”?
6. What did John teach about the judgment of God? How did this later lead to questions?
7. What is the significance of Jesus being baptized by John?
8. Why does Luke call Adam “the son of God?”
9. There are two genealogies of Jesus ancestry (Matthew 1 and Luke 3). What is the meaning of each?
10. In what sense is Adam called “the son of God”?