Frameworks:
Luke's Gospel, chapter 3
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
v.1-20
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
v.21,22
The Baptism of Jesus
v.23-38
The Genealogy of Jesus
v.1-20
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
v.1,2
(a geographical
& historical context – John appears) 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.
v.3
(he preached
the need for repentance) He
went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
v.4-6
(even as Isaiah
had prophesied) 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, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked
roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And
all people will see God's salvation.'” [Isaiah
40:3-5]
v.7
(he challenged
the crowds who came) 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?
v.8
(show fruit,
don't trust in your heritage) 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.
v.9
(God's judgment
is at hand) 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.”
v.10
(the crowd respond
with a question) “What
should we do then?” the crowd asked.
v.11
(share with
those poorer than you) John
answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one
who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
v.12
(the tax collectors
similarly ask) Even
tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what
should we do?”
v.13
(be honest)
“ Don't collect any more than you
are required to,” he told them.
v.14
(soldiers ask
– be honest) 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.”
v.15
(the crowd wonder
about John) The
people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their
hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
v.16
(John spoke
of one yet to come) 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.
v.17
(he's coming
to separate unbeliever from believer) 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.”
v.18
(and so John
preached on) And
with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed
the good news to them.
v.19
(he even rebuked
Herod for his adultery) 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,
v.20
(so Herod imprisoned
him) Herod
added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
v.21,22
The Baptism of Jesus
v.21,22
(Jesus
was baptised & the Spirit come on him and the Father's voice
approved him) 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.”
v.23-38
The Genealogy of Jesus
23 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,
24 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.
(Note:
In respect of the two recorded genealogies (Mt 1 & Lk3) Matthew
names 41, Luke 74. 19 are in both. Matthew goes back to Abraham,
Luke to Adam. Luke works forward to Joseph, Matthew back from
Joseph/ Matthew is Joseph's line of descent, Luke's is Mary's.
Matthew, it is suggested, used 3 groups of 14 to simply indicate
direction of legal descent during different type of administration.
Luke, it is suggested picks up on the suggested literal line of
Mary. Neither (in Jewish style of the time) sought to precisely
include every single member of the family tree as we might today,
but simply show the steady direction of each tree, Matthew showing
the royal line for messianic claims to the kingdom, Luke the doctor,
concerned with people, gives credence to Mary. Both of course,
according to the virgin birth accounts, was not in the normal
sense the full parent, the Holy Spirit being the creator of the
embryo.)