The Word Made Fresh
1During the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar in Rome, Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea. Herod ruled over Galilee, his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruled over Abilene.
2Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests in Jerusalem. That is when the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3John began to travel around the Jordan valley, preaching that people should be baptized, to show that they had turned their lives around and sought forgiveness of their sins.
4This was written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Get ready for the Eternal One!
Clear the roads! 5Every valley is going to be filled,
every mountain and hill will be leveled,
crooked paths will be straightened,
rough roads are going to be paved,
6and everyone will see God come to the rescue.’”
7John said to the crowds who came out to be baptized, “You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run away from God’s anger that’s coming? 8Do something to show you’ve changed your ways. Don’t even think about claiming Abraham as your ancestor. I’m telling you that God can raise up children of Abraham from these stones! 9Right now the axe is poised over the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and turned into firewood.”
10The people asked what they should do, 11and John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to somebody who doesn’t have one, and if you have enough to eat, share the rest.”
12Even tax collectors were coming to be baptized. They asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13He told them, “When you collect taxes, don’t take more than you’re supposed to.”
14Soldiers came out to him as well and asked, “What should we do?”
He told them, “Don’t threaten people or bring up false accusations so you can take money from them. Be satisfied with what you are paid.”
15The people were excited and filled with expectation and questioning among themselves whether John might be the Christ. 16John told all of them, “I am baptizing you with water, but there is someone coming who is more important than I, someone whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17He is holding a pitchfork and will clear his threshing floor, and gather the wheat into his barn, and the chaff will be burned with a fire that can’t be put out.”
18He used many other examples to tell the people the good news. 19But John had also rebuked Herod, who ruled over that territory, because he had taken his brother’s wife, Herodias, and for all the other detestable things Herod had done. 20Herod added to them by arresting John and having him imprisoned.
21All the people were baptized, and Jesus as well. When Jesus was baptized and was praying, the skies opened 22and the Holy Spirit, in the guise of a dove, alighted on him, a voice was heard from heaven, “You are my son. I love you and I am pleased with you.”
23Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. He was thought to be the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, 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 Joseph, 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 Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eleazar, 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 Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, 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 Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Commentary
1-6: Again, Luke provides an historical setting that would connect with his Gentile readers. Tiberius Caesar succeeded Augustus in 14 A.D. and ruled until 37 A.D. Pontius Pilate was the fifth Prefect of the Roman Province of Judea, and held that position from 26 to 36 A.D. Herod Antipas was tetrarch (ruler of a fourth of a territory) of Galilee from his father Herod the Great’s death in 4 B.C. until at least 39 A.D., and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region east of Galilee until his death in 34 A.D. Lysanias is not nearly as well-known nor is his rule as well attested as the two Herods, and why Luke mentions him is a puzzle unless he expected to have readers in that territory which was north of Galilee and west of Mt. Hermon. Annas ben Seth was high priest from 6 to 15 A.D., and his son-in-law Joseph ben Caiaphas was high priest (appointed by the Roman governor) from 18 to 36 A.D. They could not have been high priests together, but the older Annas was apparently still active in religious and political affairs and Caiaphas, having been appointed by the Romans, may well have included him in some capacity to provide authentication. So, according to Luke, John began his ministry in the Jordan River valley sometime around 30 A.D., calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the river. Luke cites Isaiah 40:3-4, placing John’s ministry also squarely in the Old Testament’s chronology of God’s saving acts.
7-9: John sounds just like an Old Testament prophet, doesn’t he? Fleeing from the wrath to come was also one of John Wesley’s favorite images when he called people to repentance. In Israel’s history sinfulness often invited the wrath of God, even to the extreme of them being exiled to Babylon and elsewhere.
10-14: John gives practical advice: Share with those who have not. He doesn’t tell tax collectors to stop being tax collectors, or soldiers to stop being soldiers, but simply to conduct themselves honestly and carry out their work fairly.
15-17: John’s activities naturally invite speculation, so Luke makes it clear that John doesn’t claim to be anything but a herald of the “one who is more powerful than I.”
18-20: John must have been active at the Jordan River in the north, near the Sea of Galilee, for he was in Herod Antipas’ territory. Herod had married his brother Philip’s ex-wife Herodias. John publicly denounced him for it, and Herod had him imprisoned, but that comes a little later.
21-22: First he has to baptize Jesus. Luke does not seem to have been troubled by what was certainly a valid tradition that John had baptized Jesus, even though John’s was a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (verse 3). The descent of the dove and the voice from heaven are also standard elements in the story; in Luke this is the first time the voice of God has publicly announced Jesus as God’s Son.
23-38: Luke’s genealogy of Jesus differs rather considerably from the one that begins Matthew’s gospel. For one thing, his list is in the other direction, from Jesus backward instead of from Abraham forward. For another, Luke goes all the way back to God and Adam as Jesus’ primal ancestors. Indeed, Jesus as the literal Son of God is more prominently featured in Luke than in the other gospels. Many of the names in between, especially the generations closest to Jesus, are a different tradition from the one used by Matthew.
Takeaway
Baptism has been practiced by the followers of Christ since even before the time of Paul. Baptism does not forgive our sins. It is an act attesting to the forgiveness of our sins through the love of God and the sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus.