The Gospels · New Testament
Luke 3
Luke 3: John's preaching, the baptism of Jesus and the line back to Adam
General context
The chapter opens with a list of rulers and high priests and says the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. John preaches the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins around Jordan, and the narrator quotes Esaias on a voice crying in the wilderness. John calls the crowds a generation of vipers, tells them not to rest on descent from Abraham, and warns that the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Three groups ask what they shall do: the people are told to share coats and meat, publicans to exact no more than is appointed, soldiers to do violence to no man and be content with their wages. When the people wonder whether he is the Christ, John says one mightier is coming who shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Herod the tetrarch, reproved over Herodias, shuts John in prison. Jesus is baptized and prays, the heaven opens, the Holy Ghost descends in a bodily shape like a dove, and a voice calls him beloved Son. A genealogy then runs from Joseph back through David and Abraham to Adam, which was the son of God.
Cited passages: Luke 3:1, Luke 3:2, Luke 3:3, Luke 3:4, Luke 3:6, Luke 3:7, Luke 3:8, Luke 3:9, Luke 3:10, Luke 3:11, Luke 3:12, Luke 3:13, Luke 3:14, Luke 3:15, Luke 3:16, Luke 3:17, Luke 3:19, Luke 3:20, Luke 3:21, Luke 3:22, Luke 3:23, Luke 3:31, Luke 3:34, Luke 3:38
Luke 3 (KJV)
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
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Historical context
The setting is the one the text prints: now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, with Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests. No calendar date is supplied. The Herod named here is called tetrarch of Galilee, a different title from the Herod, the king of Judea of the first chapter, and the text does not say how the two are related. John is identified by his father, the son of Zacharias. His imprisonment is reported before the baptism is told, and the text does not say that the shutting up came first in time. Jesus is described as beginning to be about thirty years of age, an approximation, and his descent is qualified by the phrase as was supposed, the son of Joseph. The list that follows passes from David to Nathan and does not include Solomon, and the chapter offers no explanation of the line beyond the names themselves.
Cited passages: Luke 3:1, Luke 3:2, Luke 3:19, Luke 3:20, Luke 3:21, Luke 3:23, Luke 3:31, Luke 3:32, Luke 3:34
Literary context
The opening sentence narrows from an empire and its officials to one man in the wilderness, and the quotation from Esaias widens again to all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Question and answer structure the preaching: the people, the publicans and the soldiers each ask what they shall do, and each receives a short, concrete reply rather than a general appeal. Fire runs through John's words, in the tree cast into the fire, in the baptism with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and in the chaff burnt with fire unquenchable. The voice from heaven names the son directly, and the genealogy placed immediately after it ends on the same term, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God, so the list closes where the voice began.
Cited passages: Luke 3:1, Luke 3:2, Luke 3:4, Luke 3:6, Luke 3:9, Luke 3:10, Luke 3:11, Luke 3:12, Luke 3:13, Luke 3:14, Luke 3:16, Luke 3:17, Luke 3:22, Luke 3:23, Luke 3:38
Key moments
- The word comes to John (Luke 3:2). The word of God comes to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
- What shall we do then (Luke 3:10). The people ask John what they should do.
- One mightier is coming (Luke 3:16). John says another will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
- John shut up in prison (Luke 3:20). Herod adds to his other deeds by shutting John up in prison.
- A voice from heaven (Luke 3:22). The Spirit descends like a dove and a voice names the beloved Son.
- The line reaches Adam (Luke 3:38). The genealogy ends with Adam, which was the son of God.
For reflection
John gives three groups answers about coats, taxes and wages rather than about religion. Why might the text record repentance in those terms?
People in this chapter
John the Baptist
Jesus Christ
Abraham
Herod the tetrarch
Adam
Boaz
Caiaphas
David
Enoch
Herodias
Isaac
Isaiah
Jacob
Joseph
Judah
Noah
Pilate
Zechariah
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