Luke 3
3
The message of John the Baptist
The preaching of John the Baptist
(Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; John 1.19-28)
1For fifteen years#3.1 For fifteen years: This was either ad 28 or 29, and Jesus was about thirty years old (see 3.23). Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod#3.1 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. 2Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests.#3.2 Annas and Caiaphas…high priests: Annas was high priest from ad 6 until 15. His son-in-law Caiaphas was high priest from ad 18 until 37.
At that time God spoke to Zechariah's son John, who was living in the desert. 3So John went along the Jordan Valley, telling the people, “Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven.” 4Isaiah the prophet wrote about John when he said,#Is 40.3-5 (LXX).
“In the desert
someone is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
for the Lord!
Make a straight path
for him.
5Fill up every valley
and level every mountain
and hill.
Straighten the crooked paths
and smooth out
the rough roads.
6Then everyone will see
the saving power of God.’ ”
7Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, “You snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment?#Mt 12.34; 23.33. 8Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don't start saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham.#3.8 children for Abraham: The Jewish people thought they were God's chosen people because of God's promises to their ancestor Abraham.#Jn 8.33. 9An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”#Mt 7.19.
10The crowds asked John, “What should we do?”
11John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”
12When tax collectors#3.12 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion. came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?”#Lk 7.29.
13John told them, “Don't make people pay more than they owe.”
14Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”
John told them, “Don't force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.”
15Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”
16John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.#3.16 untie his sandals: This was the duty of a slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His threshing fork#3.17 threshing fork: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up. is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”
18In many different ways John preached the good news to the people. 19But to Herod the ruler, he said, “It was wrong for you to take Herodias, your brother's wife.” John also said that Herod had done many other bad things.#Mt 14.3,4; Mk 6.17,18. 20Finally, Herod put John in jail, and this was the worst thing he had done.
The baptism and temptation of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.9-11)
21While everyone else was being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. Then as he prayed, the sky opened up, 22and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”#Gn 22.2; Ps 2.7; Is 42.1; Mt 3.17; Mk 1.11; Lk 9.35.
The ancestors of Jesus
(Matthew 1.1-17)
23When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph. But his family went back through Heli, 24Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, 25Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, 26Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda;
27Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, 28Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, 29Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi;
30Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, 31Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, 32Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon;
33Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, 34Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, 35Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah;
36Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, 37Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, 38Enosh, and Seth.
The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God.
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Luke 3: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Luke 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In 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— 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As 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.
5Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”#3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce 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. 9The 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.”
10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14Then 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.”
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with#3:16 Or in 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#3:16 Or in the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His 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.” 18And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
19But 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, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and 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.”
23Now 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, 24the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,#3:32 Some early manuscripts Sala the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,#3:33 Some manuscripts Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni; other manuscripts vary widely.
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
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