Luke 3:1-14 - Cutting a Straight Path

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Introduction:
Have you ever thought about how roads are cut and planned? I am reminded about the new corridor of route 35 between Putnam and Mason counties. It is amazing to see all of the work that was done. Valleys were filled in. Mountains were brought low and cut into. What seemed like an insurmountable task gradually became more and more realized. Now, a four lane road exists and a new path was created for travelers.
Today we are going to see John the Baptist work at preparing the way for the Lord. He will be working on cutting a straight path in the midst of an evil world.
Read Full Scripture:
Luke 3:1–14 ESV
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Prayer
Today we will see how John prepares the way for the coming Messiah - namely Jesus Christ. The first is…

I. The Way of the Lord is Made Straight… Among an Evil Empire (1-3)

Luke 3:1 ESV
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Note the physician’s thoroughness as he starts off this section! He notes the Roman supreme ruler (Tiberius Caesar), the governor (Pontius Pilate), and the kings in the area (Herod Antipas, Philip, Lysanius). These last three kings are called tetrarchs meaning four rulers. One name of tetrarchs is missing - likely because he was already deposed for ruling unjustly (that being Herod Archelaus).
Here we see the first group of evil empire rulers. Of these rulers, Herod and Pontius Pilate appear in the Scriptures the most because of their involvement in the crucifixion of Christ. Lysanius and Philip are lesser known historically-speaking although Philip makes another brief appearance in the Gospels when his wife leaves him for his brother Herod the Tetrarch (also known as Herod Antipas) mentioned here.
For those of you who are history buffs, there is plenty of information you can look up about these leaders of the evil empire. But we will move forward and see that it was not just the government that was ruled by evil men, but also the religious system of Israel as well. See verse 2:
Luke 3:2 ESV
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
We are given two high priests mentioned here. Annas and Caiaphas. Interestingly, there was only one high priest who ruled at a given time but Luke includes both of their names here because being a high priest was considered a lifelong office. Yet, the overarching control of Rome had turned the high priest position into nothing more than a puppet of Rome. These men were not known for being holy but instead for their greed and lust for power. Annas was actually deposed from his position in around AD 15, yet continued with great power after his son-in-law, Caiaphas, took over the position as the official high priest.
Here we see even the priesthood of Israel was part of the evil empire.
But in the midst of this evil empire, the word of God came to John in the wilderness.
If you recall, the last time we saw John was in Luke 1:80:
Luke 1:80 ESV
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
We are unsure at what point John went into the wilderness to live. We do know that his parents were very aged, and it is likely that they died when he was fairly young. So likely being without family any longer, he grew up in the wilderness.
It is traditional prophetic language that Luke starts off with describing John in the way he does. Prophets were normally described by starting off mentioning the rulers present at the start of their call to give the chronological context of their ministry. And we have had just that so far. And then there is a time when the Word of the Lord comes to the prophet which we have just seen.
But what exactly did John do with that word? See verse 3.
Luke 3:3 ESV
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John took that word to the people of Israel around the Jordan. That is what any of us should do with the Word of God. We should proclaim it. We might not have a word directly given to us by God in the same way John and the other prophets did, but we do have the Word of God that we can read and share with others! Let us emulate and follow John in proclaiming the word to others - or proclaiming the Gospel to others.
Luke is actually the only Gospel writer that emphasized the preaching ministry of John. And his ministry involved preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Note a clear distinction that John makes here. Repentance is clearly associated with the forgiveness of sins. That is true even for us today who can look back at the sacrificial death of Christ. Baptism, even for John, did not bring about forgiveness. Baptism was done for those who were repentant. Although this baptism was not the same baptism that we do today as we symbolically are buried and raised with Christ, it was similarly a symbolic representation or a sign that one was repentant.
Interestingly, John’s baptism did not have any previous parallel in the history of Israel for true Jews. Yet, as Leon Morris asserts, it seems certain that by this time the Jews had begun using proselyte baptism. This was a ceremony that was done to cleanse converts to Judaism from the defilement they saw characteristic of all Gentiles.
Do you see the humility that John was calling Israel to? He was calling them to participate in an act of baptism that had only been known to be used for outsiders! They were to humble themselves to the point that they identified with Gentile sinners in order to truly repentant.
My friends, unless we humble ourselves like this and see ourselves as undeserving sinners - we can never be saved.
Salvation requires us to see ourselves as we truly are. We bring nothing to the table with us. There is nothing good in us, naturally speaking. We are all sinners. Listen to Paul as he quotes the Psalmist in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 when he says:
Romans 3:10–12 ESV
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Only when we see the hopeless state that we are in without Christ can we truly be saved. Because it is only then that we can truly repent.
So far, we have seen the way of the Lord being prepared and made straight among an evil empire. Next we see that…
Scripture References: Luke 1:80; Romans 3:10-12; Psalm 14, 53

II. The Way of the Lord is Made Straight…Among an Evil Environment (4-6)

Luke 3:4–6 ESV
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
I love the figurative language of environmental reshaping here. We see valleys filled, mountains and hills made low, crooked ways becoming straight, and rough places made level ways.
The imagery that is brought to mind is incredible to ponder. That is why I started off with the introduction involving route 35 today. Considering a straight path (albeit not perfectly straight in this illustration!) along route 35 being completed really helps to consider what is being imagined here. Each of these visual descriptions shows seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Filling in a valley or laying low a mountain was even more mind-boggling in John’s time. They didn’t have huge excavators then. Yet, it is still mind-boggling to me to watch them do it today!
But all of this imagery is given to show that even though the worldly and corrupt environment surrounding John and Jesus Christ is evil, God will use John to prepare the way of the Lord.
Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5 when referring to John the Baptist. All four Gospel writers actually quote this Scripture but Luke is the only one who includes all three verses (John 1:23, Mark 1:3, Matthew 3:3).
This inclusion reminds us that John’s coming was a fulfillment of prophesy from long ago.
The figurative and image bearing language used may have also had some metaphorical components as well.
Every mountain and hill made low likely refers to humility.
This is likely an image of repentance. To be made low is literally to be humbled.
Consider Jesus’ words in Luke 18:14:
Luke 18:14 ESV
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
If you wish to be accepted by God, you must first humble yourself before Him.
Next we also see...
The crooked shall become straight may be a figurative reference to a corrupt generation understanding the straight path for salvation in Christ.
We will see John point all of his followers to Christ as he acknowledges the supremacy of Christ. There is only one path that can straighten out the corrupt. And that is Christ.
John 14:6 ESV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the only way. It only by taking the straight path of Jesus Christ that one may be saved.
Even in the midst of an evil environment, the way of the Lord is made straight. And finally…
Scripture References: Isaiah 40:3-5, John 1:23, Mark 1:3, Matthew 3:3, Luke 18:14, John 14:6

III. The Way of the Lord is Made Straight…Among an Evil Inheritance (7-14)

Luke 3:7–8 ESV
He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
John was not very seeker sensitive. His wilderness church gatherings weren’t filled with self-esteem and ego boosting verbiage. Instead, he looked at those who came and called them a brood of vipers! A brood of vipers means children of poisonous snakes! Wow. That is harsh. Obviously we know that snakes almost universally have a negative connotation throughout the Bible as they are mentioned some 80 different times! Satan appeared as a serpent in the garden when he tempted Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Snakes bit and killed many in Israel as a judgment from the Lord in Numbers 21. The wicked are referred to as those who hatch viper eggs in Isaiah 59:5.
Obviously, snakes aren’t a term of endearment!
Just like the serpent of old (or Satan) has eternal judgment coming for him, those who oppose God have judgment coming for them.
But John’s doomsday message is not one without hope. They may bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Here we see an important teaching. Those who have truly repented will bear fruit. If no fruit is seen, true repentance has not occured. See Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:16-20:
Matthew 7:16–20 ESV
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Jesus lets us know here that just as you can recognize a tree by its fruit you can recognize a person by their fruit.
Looking at the second half of verse 8, John quotes what his Jewish hearers might be thinking at the time:
Luke 3:8b (ESV)
....And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
How can John ask them to repent and be baptized? How can John ask them to go through a symbolic sign of baptism that was done for Gentile sinners? Aren’t the Jews sons and daughters of Abraham? How dare John to ask them to humble themselves like that!
John’s response to this line of thinking is that God can raise children out of the stones for Abraham.
He wants them to know that it is not God that needs them but it is them that need God!
And this line of thinking requires complete humility.
My friends, God did raise up children for Abraham from stones! He took stone-dead, stony-hearted pagan Gentiles like us and saved us! We see this taught in Romans 11 with the symbolism of being grafted in.
Romans 11:17 ESV
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
We were like wild olive shoots being grafted into the Tree of Life - namely Christ. We - who are saved - are adopted sons and daughters of the King of Kings!
But for you who have grown up in a home that is distinctly Christian, don’t think that just being in a Christian home or in a Christian church saves you. Listen to Paul’s warning for those who are not true children of God!
Romans 11:21 ESV
For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Brothers and sisters, we must humble ourselves before Christ and repent of our sins in order to be saved. We are not saved based on familial or church affiliation. We are saved by grace through faith by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
John continues his warning in verse 9:
Luke 3:9 ESV
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Friends, examine yourselves and see what type of fruit you bear. True salvation comes from true repentance and faith in Christ alone. We are saved by His gracious work in our lives. Those who are unsaved do not bear good fruit and will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
The axe is laid to the root of the trees. This imagery is terrifying, Church. The judgment of God is waiting for the right time to swing the axe and cut you down if you are not truly saved. No one knows when that axe will swing. God’s mercy is currently being shown toward those who are opposing Him. But that mercy will be removed, and all of those who are not saved will be cut down and thrown in the fire - meaning the Lake of Fire or Hell.
I pray that everyone here has truly placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. If not, please don’t go another day or even another moment without repenting and turning to Him for salvation. He is merciful and kind to those who humble themselves before Him. He will not turn you away. The way of salvation is open today. If you sense His Holy Spirit drawing you, respond in humility and be saved. There is no more important decision you can make.
Moving forward we end with some practical advice from John as he responds to the questioning of the crowd after his hard message. They want to know what this fruit of repentance looks like!
Luke 3:10–14 ESV
And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
We are given three groups of people who ask invariably the same question yet receive three directed answers.
What shall we do? In other words, in response to John’s doomsday message - what should they do in response?
He tells the crowds that ask this question to share with others. Generosity marks the heart of a person who has humbled themselves before Christ. This is because when we understand the debt that we have been forgiven, we cannot help but want to be generous to others. When we understand the love that Christ has shown to us, we cannot help but show that same love (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to others.
1 John 3:17 fleshes this out further:
1 John 3:17 ESV
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Then he answers the tax collectors same question with being honest in their tax collection. They are not to collect more than they have to. This command presses in on the justice of God. God is a just God. At least three times, God puts forth in the book of Proverbs His demand for honest and just measurements. Proverbs 11:1
Proverbs 11:1 ESV
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.
This idea is reiterated in Proverbs 16:11, 20:1. And the idea of justice is reiterated countless times in the book of Proverbs as well. True believers value justice.
And finally, he answers the soldiers present with a charge to not extort money from anyone and to be content with their wages. Here we see the sin of discontentment addressed by John. He has just addressed generosity and justice and now he addresses the sin of pride and discontentment. Soldiers were in a unique position of power and authority. And this power and authority could be used to feed their discontentment and greed.
True believers are marked by contentment, faithfulness, and integrity. They don’t use their power to take advantage of others.
Each of these questions and answers are practically applicable and helpful for us even today.
We as believers should be marked by generosity, justice, and contentment.
Yet, each of these must be understood as fruit that is given by the Holy Spirit after salvation. God does these works in and through us after we are saved. These works do not save us but instead are a sign that we are indeed saved. Good trees bear good fruit as we saw Jesus assert already today.
We are saved by grace through faith and not by works . We are not saved by good works, but we are saved and then do good works through the power of God in us (Ephesians 2:8-10).
This understanding is pivotal to grasp true salvation.
Scripture References: Genesis 3; Numbers 21; Isaiah 59:5; Matthew 7:16-20; Romans 11:17, 11:21; 1 John 3:17; Proverbs 11:1, 16:11, 20:1; Ephesians 2:8-10
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, we have seen that the way of the Lord is made straight among an evil empire, among an evil environment, and we have just finished discussing the way being made straight among an evil inheritance - namely Israel. Israel had turned away from their God. John spoke to them all as unbelievers and outcasts. He did this to cut a straight path for the Lord and prepare the way for the Messiah.
I pray that you have humbled yourself before Jesus Christ. I pray that you have been saved. If not, I’d love to talk more about salvation with you after the service.
If you have been saved, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Heed John’s words. Be a people prepared and ready to meet the Lord Jesus - either when He comes to get us if we are still alive for the rapture - or when we go meet Him upon our death on earth. May salvation be confirmed in your lives by the good fruit that you bear.
Prayer
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