Luke 3

 

CHAPTER 3

 

In 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—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Luke 3:1-2

Luke is a good historian and he carefully anchors his gospel in history.  It is amazing how different this gospel is than the stories of other founders of religion.  Many times the beginning of these faiths is shrouded in mystery with a dream in the night or a vision in a cave.  Exact dates of the founding of these are often unknown.  Here we see that John began his ministry in the days of Tiberias Caesar and Pontius Pilate.  Luke carefully names the other rulers in the area of Judea at that time.  He even names the high priest.  From his careful information a number of scholars date the beginning of John’s ministry within the years of AD 27-29.1

History gives us some specifics about these personalities.  Tiberias Caesar ruled from AD 14- 37.  While Tiberias was a great general he was not necessarily a great emperor.  He was reclusive and in his later years did a lot of damage to the empire.2   Pontius Pilate, infamous for the later trial of Jesus, held office as Prefect of Judea from AD 26-36.  Pilate exercised a brutal rule over the Jews and was eventually recalled for his brutality.  Herod the Great’s two sons mentioned here are Herod Antipas and Herod Philip.  Antipas was tetrarch (ruler of a fourth part) in the Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to AD 39, when he was deposed.  Herod Philip ruled as tetrarch in the Galilee on the eastern side of the Jordan River and toward Damascus.  His areas were Iturea and Trachonitis.  He was probably the best of the Herodian rulers3 and he held power until his death in AD 34.

Not much is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.  We know from inscriptions that he existed.  The Jewish historian Josephus mentions him in connection with Abila (cf. Antiq. 19.5.1; 20.7.1; and Jewish Wars 2.11.5; 2.12.8).4   The area of Abilene was north of the Galilee.

Finally Luke mentions the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.  There could only be one high priest at a time.  Annas was established by the Romans as high priest from AD 6-15.  Later five of his sons plus a son-in-law became high priest. His son-in-law, Joseph ben Caiaphas was high priest from AD 18 to 36.  Interestingly, in 1992, what appears to be the tomb of Caiaphas was discovered in Jerusalem.5   Although he was in office at the time of Jesus’s trial, we note that Annas was still the power behind the throne.  In fact, John’s gospel tells us that when Jesus was arrested he was taken first to Annas (Jn.18:13).

It was in the midst of all these historical events that John the Baptist began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea along the Jordan River.  Luke presents his ministry as the beginning of the gospel.6    In a very real sense, the coming of John the Baptist marked the end of the old era and the beginning of the new.7

“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (3:3).  John’s was a wilderness ministry much in the pattern of Elijah the Prophet (cf. 1:17; Matt. 3:4; 2 Ki. 1:8).  He was clothed with camel’s hair and had a diet of locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4).  He was much like an Old Testament character who walked out onto the pages of the New Testament. 8     It seems that John traveled over much of the Jordan Valley, perhaps up to the Sea of Galilee, which was some 65 miles distant (104 km.).

John preached a baptism of repentance (Gk. metanoia).  The word means a turning to God or a change of direction in one’s life.9    We should be aware that baptism was practiced in Judaism and it applied to the Gentiles who were coming into the faith.  So we can understand that the idea was a little difficult for the average Jewish person to accept initially.  It is clear that repentance looked forward to the forgiveness of sins that would be found only in Jesus.10  John’s ministry helped the people open up their lives to God and to his plan.

“As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (3:4).  John reached back to base his prophetic work on Isaiah 40:1-5.  Not only was John ministering in the wilderness but the people themselves were living in a spiritual wilderness of unbelief and despair.11

John cried out for the way of the Lord to be prepared and made straight.  No doubt he took this message from a custom that was prevalent at that time.  When kings would visit a certain town or city, they would send an advance party to insure that the roads were repaired and in good order.  It would not do for the king’s chariot to get stuck in the mud.12

“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.  And all people will see God’s salvation’” (3:5-6).  In Bible times Israel stretched from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.  This journey would have taken perhaps a week on foot.  Today in modern Israel, and because of the new Route 6, the journey of some 170 miles (273km.) takes only about three hours by car.  That is what happens when the ways are made straight, the hills are leveled and the valleys are filled in (Lk. 3:5).  John was calling for Israel to do something like that in the spiritual realm.  The religious high places of pride had to come down and the valleys of despair and unbelief had to be filled in so the Lord could come.

JOHN’S INSTRUCTIONS

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” Luke 3:7

McGee asks, “I wonder how long a preacher would last in any church if he began his Sunday sermon by saying, ‘O generation of vipers?’” 13   No doubt the snake to which John has reference was what we would call the Palestinian Viper (Vipera palaestinae).  On one occasion our son, who was managing a small farm for trees and shrubs in Israel, had to rush one of his workers to the hospital after he was bitten by one of these serpents.  When brush fires would break out the serpents would race to escape the flames. John likely compared people to vipers because they had venom in their mouths and because they were deaf to entreaty (Psa. 58:4; 140:3). 14

“Produce 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” (3:8).   Guzik says, “…It was widely taught that Abraham’s merits were plenty for any Jew’s salvation, and that it was impossible for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to go to hell…” 15  John assured them that God could raise up children of Abraham from the stones.  Commentators feel that there was a word play here in the Aramaic language.  In Aramaic the word for stones was “abanyya” and for children was “b’nayya.”  16  After all, if people were silent God could bring praise from the stones (19:40).

John had a warning for those who might be depending upon his baptism alone to save them.  He demanded fruit of repentance to be shown in their lives.  Jesus would later demand fruit in people’s lives.  In fact the whole Bible and all of nature emphasizes the importance of fruit.  Paul would later spell out the kind of spiritual fruit God was expecting in the redeemed life: things like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness…(Gal. 5:22).  In spite of our supposed Christian heritage many of these fruits are in short supply today.

“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).  John’s reference here is clearly to the coming Day of Wrath or Day of the Lord (Isa. 13:9; Zeph. 2:2-3; Mal. 3:2; 4:1, 5).17   We know from scripture that the Day of the Lord could have partial fulfillments before the final day.  Many in John’s generation would see a partial fulfillment of the Day of the Lord with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.  So, in a very real sense the axe was at the root of the tree and God was taking aim to bring the unproductive tree of Israel down.

“‘What should we do then?’ the crowd asked.  John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same’” (3:10-11).  John is here speaking of the tunic (Gk. chitōn).  This was a short undergarment, much like a shirt.  It was worn under the robe.18   A person might wear two of them to ward off the cold. This was good practical advice in the matter of outward righteousness.  However, we must note that John was not prepared or able to deal with inner righteousness.  It would take Jesus to do that.  He would call for a complete surrender of the soul.19   We can thus see how John was the greatest person born of women but the least person in the kingdom of God would be greater than him (7:28).

“Even tax collectors came to be baptized. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’  ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them” (3:12-13).  In the biblical world of the first century tax collectors were loathed.  The Romans had a system of tax farming whereby a person would purchase the right to collect taxes for the empire in a certain area.  That person would then employ subordinate officials to do much of the work.  When the various indirect taxes like customs and tolls were collected it was necessary to add extra to pay for the workers and middlemen.20   The whole system lent itself to greed.

It is interesting that John did not upset the system but he corrected its excesses.  John realized that tax collectors were necessary and that it was better to have honest collectors than dishonest ones.21

“Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely— be content with your pay’” (3:14).  These were probably not Roman soldiers but rather they may have been forces of Herod Antipas that were stationed in Peraea.  It is possible that they were employed to help the tax collectors.  Apparently they would shake the people violently (Gk. diaseio) in order to extort money and intimidate the masses.22   They could also falsely accuse folks in order to extort money.

Each soldier received a basic provision or ration money (Gk. opsonion) but there was temptation to increase this meager amount by intimidation. They were now to be content with their wages.

JOHN POINTS TO THE COMING ONE

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. Luke 3:15

In John’s day there was a great sense of expectation (Gk. prosdokaō ).  This word is used a number of times in Luke’s writing.  It can mean “waiting” or “eschatological expectation.” 23  The people were needing a Messiah and they wondered if John could be that person.  While some accepted John as their messiah as hinted at by the scriptures (5:33; 7:18f.; 11:1; Mk. 6:29; Jn. 3:25), 24 John made no such claims.

“John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire’” (3:16).  As Marshall says, “The coming of the Spirit in the last days is well attested in the Old Testament (Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 18:31; 36:25-27; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28).” 25   We see that the Holy Spirit will be connected with fire.  People want the Holy Spirit but they do not necessarily want the fire.  The fire comes to purge our lives of the dross with which we so love to cling.

John did not feel worthy to untie the shoes of the one who was coming.  In ancient Israel the removing of the master’s sandals was a job greatly disliked.  Only non-Jewish slaves were required to perform this task. One rabbinic saying had it, “Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher except the loosing of his sandal-thong…”  26  Not only was John willing to do this task but he did not feel worthy for this menial work.

“His 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. And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them (3:17-18).  The winnowing fork (Gk. ptyon) was a kind of shovel used to toss the grain into the wind that it might be separated from the chaff.27   The summer weather in Israel is very conducive for this activity.  In the afternoons a nice Mediterranean breeze usually blows.  In the Galilee this breeze is quite strong.  The wind surfers on the Sea of Galilee wait patiently each afternoon for it to begin.

The picture of the winnowing fork and the separation of grain from the chaff is a picture of judgment.  The grain is placed in the barn but the chaff is burned (cf. Job 21:17-18; Psa. 1:4; 35:5; 83:13; Isa. 17:13; 29:5; 41:15-16; Jer. 15:7; Hos. 13:3; Zeph. 2:2).28

“But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to 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” (3:19-20).   Herod the Great had several wives and they produced many children.  To his wife Cleopatra was born Herod Philip the tetrarch.  To his wife Malthrace was born Herod Antipas the tetrarch. His son Herod Philip I lived in Rome and married Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus IV.  Herod Antipas while in Rome seduced Herodias and married her, although she was his sister-in-law and niece.29   In doing so he divorced his wife, who was an Arabian princess.  Salome was the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip I, who now became the step daughter of Herod Antipas.  Salome, who was largely responsible for John’s martyrdom, eventually married Herod Philip the tetrarch. As we can see, the Herodian line became as twisted as an ancient grapevine.

John the Baptist was quick to challenge this divorce and remarriage.  In doing so he became the lifelong foe of Herodias.  Bock comments: “Herod’s marriage to Herodias is objectionable on two grounds. First, both have left previous marriages to marry each other. Second, Herodias had previously been married to a near blood relative of Herod; thus her union with Herod is forbidden under Jewish law (Lev. 18:16; 20:21).” 30   Barclay says, “It was a dangerous thing to rebuke an eastern tyrant, but John did so. The result was that he was arrested and imprisoned in the dungeon castle of Machaerus on the shores of the Dead Sea.” 31

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and 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 3:21-22

Jesus came to John to be baptized but John wanted to prevent him.  He felt that he needed to be baptized by Jesus.  However, Jesus thought it to be fitting in order to fulfil all righteousness (Matt. 3:13-15).  It is only in Luke that we see Jesus was praying after his baptism and before the Holy Spirit came upon him.

Some scholars have wondered why Jesus would need to be baptized.  Bock says, “Jesus, by submitting to baptism, identifies with humanity’s need for cleansing.” 32   There is possibly another reason for his baptism.  The English scholar Peter Pett says, “This baptism of Jesus was necessary. It indicated Jesus’ full approval of what John was doing and was seen by him as the right thing to do.” 33   Of course, Jesus’ baptism is an example for all believers to follow.

When Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove.  The dove was a bird of innocence and peace.  Since that time, the dove has become a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  There is possibly some deep symbolism in the dove coming upon Jesus as he was being baptized in the water. Marshall points out how the rabbis interpreted the moving of the Spirit over the waters of creation (Gen. 1:2) as a bird fluttering over its young.  He thinks it is possible that the idea of a new creation in Jesus is expressed here.34

Long before Isaiah prophesied of this one: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations” (Isa. 42:1).

We note that God the Father spoke from heaven to Jesus on three occasions.  He spoke here when he was baptized, and declared he was well pleased with him.  He spoke when he was transfigured (9:28-36) and finally on his last week before the cross (Jn. 12:28).35   This is one of several places where all three members of the Trinity are mentioned together.

JESUS’ GENEALOGY

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, Luke 3:23

Jesus’ genealogy is very unique.  Unlike the other genealogies in the Bible it begins with Jesus and then goes back into the past to Adam.  It is a genealogy in reverse order.  We note the interesting fact that Jesus was about age thirty when he began his ministry.  He was the legal son of Joseph who was son of Heli.  In Matthew 1:16, we are told that Joseph’s father was Jacob.  Undoubtedly, we have here some evidence of levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5f).  When a husband died childless, the brother was required to take his widow and raise up a child unto his brother.36   We probably see several instances of this practice in the genealogies and this likely explains many of their apparent differences.

As we have said, Jesus’ genealogy goes backwards to Adam.  No doubt this is because Jesus is the Last Adam in scripture (1 Cor. 15:20-28; 45-49).  By thus identifying with Adam, Jesus is identifying with the whole human race.37

Some have wondered why Jesus waited until he was thirty to begin his ministry.  This was the age when the priests of God entered their office (Num. 4:3).  It also corresponds to the time that King David began to reign, and Jesus is in the line of David (2 Sam. 5:4).38    If Joseph had died early as many suppose, it would have been necessary for Jesus to make a living for the large family.  Barclay feels that the time at home gave him plenty of opportunity to live out his teaching.39

When we begin to compare biblical genealogies we find a number of problems.  The Christian apologist, Normal Geisler, makes some careful comparisons.  When we match Genesis 5 and its continuation in Genesis 11 with 1 Chronicles 1:1-28 and Luke 3:34-38, we find our first problem.  The Genesis and 1 Chronicles lists are perfectly matched.  However, Luke adds Cainan after Arphaxad and before Shelah/Salah.  Geisler says, “There is no precedent in any of the genealogical lists for listing Cainan as anything but the father of Salah.” 40

Geisler notes that when we compare Matthew 1:8 with 1 Chronicles 3:11-12, we are missing three generations in Matthew.  He also notes that when we compare 1 Chronicles 6:6-14 with Ezra 7:2, we have a number of irregularities.41  Geisler says that there are closed genealogies and open ones.  The closed ones seem not to have irregularities but the open ones do.  He comments: “There is at least one generation missing even in the Genesis 5 and 11 genealogies which appear to be closed. This demonstrates that whatever the text seems to say, chronology must be interpreted through an open genealogy.” 42   He refers to these open genealogies as outline genealogies.43  We also need to remember again that many of the seeming irregularities may be the result of the practice of levirate marriages.

Regarding Luke’s genealogy as compared to Matthew’s we should note: “…Apart from being in reverse order and tracing back the line beyond Abraham to Adam, it contains a quite different and longer set of names between David and Jesus (only Zerubbabel and Shealtiel occur in both lists)…The least difficult explanation is that Matthew gives the legal descendants of David down the royal line…whereas Luke gives the particular line to which Joseph belonged but it must be confessed that in the absence of fuller information the problems of explanation and harmonization are insoluble.” 44

While these suspected problems with genealogy may seem important to us it is significant that people in ancient times seemed to have no difficulty with these “problems.”

Coffman notes that enemies of Christianity like Celsus and Porphyry, who sought to discredit the faith, never pointed out any contradictions in the genealogies. He says, “If people who lived when the genealogical tables were still preserved did not dare to allege any contradiction, those who dare to do so nineteen centuries later stand on the most tenuous and uncertain ground.” 45

Coffman goes on to confirm what a number of scholars have long suspected.  He says, “Many of the most illustrious and competent scholars who ever lived have accepted this as Mary’s line, not Joseph’s…” 46   If Luke is tracing Mary’s line it would certainly solve a lot of seeming problems.

The genealogy continues:

“the 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 Josek, the son of Joda,

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

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

 29 the son of Joshua, 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 Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, 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 Kenan,

 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” (3:25-38)

Let us say something that will hopefully clear up the whole matter of genealogy.  The human race is broken, and has been broken since the fall.  In other words, the whole genealogy is fallen because of sin.  In the best of human records we have things like lust, adultery, deceit and murder.  Everywhere we have the evidence of death which came through sin.  Therefore, we have the necessity for levirate marriages.  We can thank God though that the Bible tells it like it is.  It truly presents human sinfulness.

The bright spot in the genealogical record is the presence of the Messiah.  He came to the earth to repair and restore humanity to its pristine and sinless condition.  Because of the depth of sin in all creation, this was a complicated task that would take many centuries.  In the end, the heavens will rejoice and the earth will be glad.  Redeemed humanity will shine with the radiance and glory of the Lord (Rom. 8:18-19).  In the meantime, it is only the Messiah and him alone who maintains the biblical genealogies, makes sense of them and brings them to completion.

 

 Continue to Chapter 4