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Luke 3a: HG Bishop Youssef

Outline of the Chapter

00:00-00:54

  • 1-6: St John the Baptist Prepares the Way
  • 7-20: St John the Baptist Preaches to the People
  • 21-22: St John the Baptist Baptizes the Lord Jesus Christ
  • 23-28: Genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ

St John the Baptist Prepares the Way

00:55-22:35

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 [a]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.’ ”

  • TheHistorical openingContext of
      the
    • main narrative is characteristicCharacteristic of St Luke's writing
      • He is giving the historical context of the ministry of St John the Baptist
      • He did the same in Chapter 2 when he spoke about the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ
    • He mentions the names of the rulers of any regions that are affected directly or indirectly by the events he narrates
    • He mentions five political leaders and two religious leaders
    • Tiberius Caesar
      • Succeeded Augustus Caesar in 14AD
      • This means John the Baptist's ministry started approximately 29 AD.
    • Pontius Pilate
      • Entered office in 26AD and was the Roman Commander of Judea, Samaria and Idumea
      • He was in office from 26AD-36AD
    • Herod and Philip
      • Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (the one who killed the innocent children of Bethlehem)
      • Philip, the son of Herod the Great
      • Herod Antipas is the one who beheaded St John the Baptist
      • Pontius Pilate sent the Lord Jesus Christ to Herod Antipas when he knew that He was from Galilee (because Herod was tetrarch of Galilee)
        • Tetrarch means ruler over 1/4 of a country
    • Lysanias
      • Tetrarch of Abilene
    • Annas and Caiaphas
      • Annas and his son-in-law Joseph Caiaphas
      • These are the two high priests that Jesus was tried before in the Crucifixion trials
  • In the Wilderness
    • St John was brought up and lived in the wilderness (Luke 1:80)
    • He lived a solitary life and did not learn his doctrine from men: but His ministry, mission, baptism, etc. he learned all from heaven.
    • The reputation of John the Baptist preceded the divine calling
      • He was the son of a very well-known family
      • The marvelous circumstances around his birth
      • He was long looked upon by the people as set apart for a great work
    • His ultimate calling is to be the Forerunner of the Messiah
  • Baptism of Repentance
    • There was nothing strange about baptism - purification through water was normal.
    • What was strange was that the Jews submitted to baptism... it was a common ritual for Gentiles who wanted to become Jews! For a Jew to submit to baptism was like saying "I am as bad as a heathen Gentile who worships idols."
    • So baptism by John was a true mark of humble repentance, and a radical rededication to the Lord
    • The message of St John was a call to repentance
    • What is repentance?
      • Some people think it's about "feeling" sorry about your sin
      • Repentance is an action word, not just a feeling
      • It is a change of mind and change or purpose
      • ⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ
        • ⲙⲉⲧⲁ = change
        • ⲛⲟⲓⲁ = mind
  • All the region around the Jordan
    • This is not a small area... the district alluded to here is 150 miles long
    • The Jordan is convenient for baptism
  • Forerunner
    • John's Ministry is to proclaim repentance and baptism in preparation for the Messiah
    • Isaiah 40:3-5
      • “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.’ ”
      • This prophecy was fulfilled in the person of St John the Baptist
      • The same prophecy is quoted in all four gospels, but only St Luke records the whole thing
    • Forerunner: The one running before Christ to prepare the way for Him
    • John is the voice of Christ before Christ came
    • Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight
      • The imagery here is like an unpaved road. It has bumps and ditches, ups and downs... how do you make the road straight?
        • Valleys (i.e. ditches) shall be filled
        • Mountains and hills (i.e. bumps) are brought law
        • Crooked places shall be made straight
        • Rough ways made smooth
      • Who are these?
        • Who are the valleys? The humble people that God will lift up
        • Who are the mountains and hills? The prideful that God will bring them low
        • Who are the crooked? Those who are sneaky like serpents, whose hearts God will change
        • Who are the rough? Those who are harsh in their attitude, God will smoothen their heart
        • So every person will be ready for the coming of the Messiah
      • The image here is very simple, and is very well-understood in the East and especially in those days
        • When great kings are coming, they usually have people coming before them (i.e. pioneers) to pave the roads for them
        • If the roads are good, no pioneers or forerunners are needed...
        • Jesus the Messiah and the King is coming very soon (Jesus starts His ministry six months after John the Baptist) and a forerunner is needed because the state of the Jews at the time was corrupt above measure, confusion like a wilderness
      • John the Baptist is awakening the sleeping conscience of the people
      • At least, the crowds who followed Jesus

St John the Baptist Preaches to the People

00:00-22:36-00:00

7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood[b]  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.”

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 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 [c]not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

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 [d]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.

  • ABrood of vipers!
    • John the Baptist was not interested in quantity, but in quality
    • He didn't want to preach a soft message or an easy message or to satisfy "itching ears"
    • He compares them to the worst of all serpents

Baptism of Christ

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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.”

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