Luke 3

Thought on This Chapter

People often cry about how bad things are today. Both in politics and in the spiritual condition around us. A preacher might lament on how he wished he could have preached in better times, but times are not as bad as they have been. Just look at the political and spiritual conditions when John the Baptist preached.

Tiberius had succeeded Augustus in the Roman empire and he was famous as being a scourge to the Roman people. Herod the Great had killed all the male children under two years old because he was trying to kill Jesus. He left his kingdom to 3 sons. They were all wicked men. The Herod in verse one took his brother's wife.

LK 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

LK 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John told him the truth from the Word of God. Not only about taking his brother's wife but also "for all the evils which Herod had done". This ruler was openly wicked and vile and did many evils. Herod did not like hearing the truth and put John into prison and later has his head chopped off. Because of the political situation it was not even safe to preach the Word of God.

Politics were in bad shape and religion was not much better.

LK 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

If you know much about the Old Testament you know that there was to be only one High Priest. This is because the High Priest was to be a picture, a foreshadowing, a type of the true High Priest to come. He was to be a picture of the only true intercessor to come. Having only one High Priest was typifying that there is only one mediator between God and man.

1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The religious world was in such a mess that they could not even get such a simple thing right as having only one High Priest. They had two. They had departed from what the Word of God clearly taught. Not only in the issue of having only one High Priest, but also in many other areas. They obviously thought that they knew better, that they had a better way to do things.

And it was into this political and spiritual mess that God sent John to preach.

LK 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

LK 3:4 As 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.

John did not preach to be popular. John did not accept this nonsense of we have to be like the world to reach the world. He did not accept the false teachings of the religious leaders of the day. He called them a generation of vipers.

John was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was not one of 500. He was out there all alone. He was preaching the truth no matter what people said or did. He did not preach a health and wealth don't offend anyone watered down message surrounded by entertainment the devils rock music and light shows. John preached in one of the worst political and religious environments and he preached hard and he preached that people need to get right with God.

This is the type of preaching that we need more of today.

Thought On This Chapter

LK 3:8 Bring 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.

John had become popular. Multitudes came to hear him and to be baptized by him. Most were coming for the wrong reason. They came because they wanted to be apart of the movement or they did not want to be left out. Some no doubt came for the excitement. Others out of curiosity. What ever the reason was, for most is was not for the right reason. The right reason to come would be to hear the preaching, repent, and get right with God. John saw thru it all. He called them, "O generation of vipers" That is pretty strong language isn't it. He did not pull any punches. They needed to be shook up a bit. They were self righteous and thought that they were in good standing with God because they were children of Abraham. John addresses that in verse 8, and John asked that they bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. He was not saying that repentance is doing good works. No, he was teaching that true repentance of the heart will produce fruit. Repentance is a change of mind that will result in a change of action. When someone says that they changed their mind, but they keep on doing the same things, then they really did not change their mind at all. They are either flat out lying or they are deceiving themselves.

John did not accept an empty hypocritical false profession. He knew that real repentance equals real change. Don't talk the talk without walking the walk.

After John asks to see fruit, he tells them that those who bring no good fruit are cast into the fire. He uses an illustration of a tree to make the point that if you don't repent and therefore bring forth good fruit as a result that you will be thrown into hell. That is the application of his illustration in verse 9.

LK 3:9 And 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.

John stood up and hit them with some very powerful straight forward, no beating around the bush preaching. I don't think that he did it in anger. He did not do it to be mean. This is what these people needed and he knew it. And look at their reaction.

LK 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

They listened and asked what shall we do. John gives them some examples, and in verse 18 we learn that his preaching went on a while.

LK 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

John's entire sermon is not recorded for us in scripture. But we see that the people were listening and considering what he preached. John got them to thinking and we know that not all of them repented. But some of them really did come to true repentance. They got the real truth about what their condition before God was. They were told the danger of being thrown into the fire, and that God demands real repentance. They were told that real repentance will bring forth good fruit. They had the opportunity to examine their own lives. Conviction came upon some and lives were eternally changed. We need more honest straight forward preaching today. Preaching that aims straight to the heart.

King James Bible Main Index:

Luke 3 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

LK 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, 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,

LK 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

LK 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

LK 3:4 As 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.

LK 3:5 Every 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;

LK 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

LK 3:7 Then 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?

LK 3:8 Bring 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.

LK 3:9 And 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.

LK 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

LK 3:11 He 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.

LK 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

LK 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

LK 3:14 And 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.

LK 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

LK 3:16 John 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:

LK 3:17 Whose 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.

LK 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

LK 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

LK 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

LK 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

LK 3:22 And 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.

LK 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

LK 3:24 Which 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,

LK 3:25 Which 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,

LK 3:26 Which 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,

LK 3:27 Which 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,

LK 3:28 Which 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,

LK 3:29 Which 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,

LK 3:30 Which 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,

LK 3:31 Which 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,

LK 3:32 Which 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,

LK 3:33 Which 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,

LK 3:34 Which 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,

LK 3:35 Which 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,

LK 3:36 Which 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,

LK 3:37 Which 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,

LK 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

General Information About the Book of Luke.

Luke was loyal to the work. 2Ti 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

When reading the beginning of Luke take note of these B's:

His Birth

His Boyhood

His Baptism

His Battle with Satan

When reading the ending of Luke take note of these T's:

The Table

The Tears

The Trials

The Tree

The Tomb

The Triumph

General information on the book of Luke continued.

John the Baptist was a true biblical preacher. He preached the Word of God. He was not a cotton candy preacher like those that are popular today. He preached, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

John preached on hell. John preached on repentance. John preached on being content with your wages. John preached, "every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

John preached on giving in verse 11. John preached against lying in verse 14. John preached against sin.

John preached on the chaff being burned with fire unquenchable in verse 17.

And verse 18 tells us that, "many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people." John preached with exhortation on many things.

John would most likely get kicked out of most churches today. Most churches have itching ears today and they have no toleration for real biblical preaching.

Most churches today would have no place for John. But Jesus held John in high regard. Jesus called John the greatest born among women.