The Jordan River winding through the wilderness at dawn.

The Gospel According to

Luke 3

A voice in the wilderness, a river full of people, and heaven opened.

38 verses≈ 6 min3 peopleBSB

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In this chapter

The Mission of John the Baptist

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, 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.

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Who held power

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Luke names an emperor, a governor, three rulers and two high priests. Then he says where God spoke: not in a palace or the temple, but to John in the wilderness.

A shallow river ford edged with reeds, with small figures wading in the distance.

He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

A rough path running through a vast, empty wilderness toward the horizon.

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.

Every valley shall be filled in,

and every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked ways shall be made straight,

and the rough ways smooth.

And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Prepare the way for the Lord

Luke 3:4

Then 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?

Produce fruit, then, 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.

An old iron axe resting against the roots of a tree.

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The crowds

The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

John

John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized.

Tax collectors

“Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

John

“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.

Soldiers

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

John

“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”

One pair of hands giving a folded tunic to another.

Live it

What should we do?

The crowds asked John, “What then should we do?” His answers were practical: share, be honest, be content. Which one is God pressing on in your life today?

John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One 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 with fire.

Grain tossed into the wind on a threshing floor, the chaff blowing away.

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.”

With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,

A stone fortress on a bare hilltop above the Dead Sea at dusk.

Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Question

Quick question

Even soldiers came to John asking what to do.

What did John tell the soldiers?

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 a bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus

All the way back

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Matthew’s genealogy begins with Abraham. Luke runs the line all the way back to Adam, “the son of God,” showing that Jesus came for all humanity.

Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.

He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,

the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum,

the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,

the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,

the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,

the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,

the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,

the son of Nathan, the son of David,

the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,

the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,

the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni,

the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,

the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg,

the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,

the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared,

the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,

the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.

Reflect

Looking back on Luke 3

John prepared the way, and a voice from heaven said, “You are My beloved Son.” What is one way you can make room for Jesus this week?

You’ve experienced

Luke 3

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