Luke 3
3
John Prepares the Way
(Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; John 1:19–28)
1It was the fifteenth year in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod ruled Galilee, and his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. 2It was at the time when Annas and Caiaphas were chief priests that God spoke to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. He told people about a baptism of repentance #3:3 Repentance is turning to God with a complete change in the way a person thinks and acts. for the forgiveness of sins. 4As the prophet Isaiah wrote in his book,
“A voice cries out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord!
Make his paths straight!
5Every valley will be filled.
Every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked ways will be made straight.
The rough roads will be made smooth.
6All people will see the salvation that God gives.’ ”
7Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John. He would say to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger? 8Do those things that prove that you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our ancestor.’ I guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. 9The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”
10The crowds asked him, “What should we do?”
11He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who doesn’t have any. Whoever has food should share it too.”
12Some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13He told them, “Don’t collect more money than you are ordered to collect.”
14Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Be satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money from anyone.”
15People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah. 16John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing #3:17 Winnowing is the process of separating husks from grain. shovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor.#3:17 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”
18With many other encouraging words, he told the Good News to the people.
19John spoke out against the ruler Herod because Herod had married his own sister-in-law, Herodias. He also spoke out against Herod for all the evil things he had done. 20So Herod added one more evil to all the others; he locked John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11)
21When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, 22and the Holy Spirit came down to him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”
23Jesus was about 30 years old when he began ⌞his ministry⌟.
The Ancestors of Jesus
Jesus, so people thought, was the son of Joseph, son of Eli,
24son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph,
25son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai,
26son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda,
27son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,
28son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er,
29son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi,
30son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim,
31son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David,
32son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon,
33son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah,
34son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor,
35son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah,
36son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech,
37son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,
38son of Enos, son of Seth,
son of Adam,
son of God.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Luke 3
3
The Preaching of John the Baptist
(Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; John 1.19-28)
1For 15 years#3.1 For 15 years: This was either a.d. 28 or 29, and Jesus was about 30 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 a.d. 6 until 15. His son-in-law Caiaphas was high priest from a.d. 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.” 4#Is 40.3-5 (LXX). Isaiah the prophet wrote about John when he said,
“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.’ ”
7 #
Mt 12.34; 23.33. Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, “You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? 8#Jn 8.33. Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don't start saying 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. 9#Mt 7.19. An ax 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.”
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.”
12 #
Lk 7.29. When 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?”
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. 19#Mt 14.3,4; Mk 6.17,18. But to Herod the ruler, he said, “It was wrong for you to take Herodias, your brother's wife.” John also said Herod had done many other bad things. 20Finally, Herod put John in jail, and this was the worst thing he had done.
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, 22#Gn 22.2; Ps 2.7; Is 42.1; Mt 3.17; Mk 1.11; Lk 9.35. and 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.”
The Ancestors of Jesus
(Matthew 1.1-17)
23When Jesus began to preach, he was about 30 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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