John Prepares the Way

Today, we begin week 4 of our series that is taking us through Luke’s writing in both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. So far we have gone through chapters 1 and 2. If you have not been doing so, please read through the books of Luke and Acts with us. These messages on Sunday morning will mean so much more to you if you would. But don’t try to read through them quickly. Read through each chapter as we read them. Take your time to digest what God is speaking to you through Luke.

If you have your Bibles with you, please go with me to the book of Luke and we are reading from chapter 3.

Luke 3:1–2 NIV

1 In 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— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Luke begins setting up the scene for us in chapter 3. We have completed the childhood and birth of Jesus in chapter 2. We read about the birth of John the Baptist in chapter 1. From chapter 2 to chapter 3 we jump ahead 18 years, so there is a lot of time that has passed since we read the story of Jesus at 12 years old.

Luke begins chapter 3 by giving us the rulers during this time. He lets us know who the international rulers are in Rome. He lets us know who the national rulers are in Israel and He let us know who the spiritual rulers are at that time in the temple.

The year is roughly between 28 and 29 AD because that is the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. He is the one that followed after Caesar Augustus. Remember he was the one that was ruler during the time of Jesus’ birth.

Then there is Pontius Pilate. He is the Roman Representative as the Governor of Judea. He is not of Roman origin but he is from Spain and when he was young he joined the Roman Legion. He found his break when he married the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus. He was not a very good Governor.

Then you have the Herod group. Herod the Great is dead. He was the one that tried to kill Jesus as a baby. After Herod dies his kingdom is divided up into regions of his 3 sons. A Tetrarch means the ruler of a fourth of something. However, it came to mean just the governor of anything.

Herod had three sons and they are called tetrarch and they ruled a third each of the empire.

Antipas ruled where Jesus lived - the Galilee region.

Philip his half brother - he was between Galilee and the northwestern coast of Israel by Caesarea-Philipi. This was named after Caesar Augustus.

Caesar Archelaus - he ruled over Judah, Samaria, and Edom - East of the Dead Sea.

Lysanias - he ruled Northwest of present day Damascus - History knows nothing about him.

Then you have the priests that were listed Annas and Caiaphas. Annas is the Retired High Priest and Caiaphas is the High Priest that has replaced Annas. He is the acting High Priest. But Annas was the High Priest for so long that he still has power and you will notice later on that the priesthood always want to know what he has to say. He is the power behind the thrown. During that time the High Priests set for the people the spiritual going on.

John the Baptist - When Jesus mentions him He says he is great. He was great because what he did counted. He was born in the hill country of Judah. He is the second cousin of Jesus. They probably have memories of their childhood together. John would have been a priest because he came from a priestly family. Priests would begin their training at the age of 20 and then their ministry would start at the age of 30. But John went rogue, he lived in the desert, and he did this because this is what God wanted him to do.

Luke 16:16 NKJV

16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

In Luke 16, Luke calls John the last Old Testament Prophet. What Luke writes about John the Baptist is important. This is a big part of our Christian history.

Look at verse 3

Luke 3:2–3 NIV

2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Verse 2 says the word of God came to John in the wilderness. It is actually a desert. It is located by the Dead Sea and it is made of limestone. So it is a limestone desert. It is baron and is between 120 and 130 degrees. It is the lowest spot on earth. So, God commissioned someone to start something in the middle of nowhere.

Isn’t it amazing that God places His people at different spots for different reasons. This spot is counter intuitive to everything. Any person today would tell you if you want to start a ministry to do some demographic studies. Get a census of the area. And John had people coming to the middle of the desert to hear him.

And the river that he was baptizing in was the Jordan River. The spot he used was just north of where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea. It’s this murky water area. So why did he do it there? Part of it is because this is where the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River with Joshua. It was like the entire nation underwent national baptism as they crossed over.

John preached a baptism for the repentance for the forgiveness of sins. We tend to believe that baptism was first a Christian ordinance but its beginning is Jewish.

If you wanted to become a Jew you had to go through 3 things. If you were a Gentile and you wanted to become a Jew you had to do these three things.

Instruction by a scribe.

Male circumcision

Immersion - baptism in water - it speaks of your cleansing.

Also, you would baptize yourself. When you would go to the temple there was a Mikva. It was a collection of water for ceremonial cleaning and you would walk through it before you went into the temple. This would ceremonially cleanse you so you could go to worship.

So there were two ways of baptism.

Someone would baptize you so you could become a Jew OR

You would baptize yourself to be ritually cleansed to go to worship

So, here John is out in the desert at the Jordan River and he is baptizing both Jews and Gentiles and everyone is shocked at this. And he is demanding it for one and all. Even if you are Jewish you have to be baptized into a baptism of repentance. And look at verse 4.

Luke 3:4–6 NIV

4 As 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. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”

This prediction from Isaiah is found in all four Gospels and John the Baptist is fulfilling it.

1000’s of years ago there was a method that a courier would go out and tell the people you need to fix your roads the king is coming. In this quote from Isaiah 40 John is the courier and Jesus is the king. Spiritually John is saying you need to fix the roadway not for your feet but for your heart. King Jesus is coming.

John is trying to get the people to prepare their hearts for King Jesus to come. And look at the message that John is saying to them beginning in verse 7.

Luke 3:7–9 NIV

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce 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. 9 The 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.”

He is basically telling them you bunch of snakes, you need to repent, change your ways, Jesus is coming.

Why would anyone come out to hear this? The message he is telling them is all gloom and doom and they are coming from everywhere to hear him.

Here is why. John was a man of conviction. He don’t care about his ratings. He is telling it like it is and the people keep coming. And they are coming to the desert to see him and hear him speak.

Some Jews felt like because of their background they were secure with God. Just like some people say today, I was raised in a Christian home. My mom is a Christian and she went to church all the time so that is good enough for both of us. Your momma won’t get you into Heaven. You are on your own.

John is telling them to repent. That means to turn around or change your mind. Belief means you turn towards something. Repentance and Belief go hand in hand. You leave one thing and turn toward another.

In those days trees were planted to bare fruit. And if the tree didn’t bare fruit then it was cut down and turned into firewood.

So John is telling them to repent and start doing good. Bare good fruit. Make good of what God is giving you.

Luke 3:10 NIV

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

In other words, give us practical realities that will help us produce our change.

Luke 3:11–14 NIV

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even 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. 14 Then 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.”

John basically gives them a three part sermon here.

1. Sharing 2. Sparing 3. Caring

The first group he tells them to share. You can show that you have changed by sharing with others.

Then the tax collectors asked next. As most of you may know the tax collectors were so despised they weren’t even allowed into the public synagogues to worship. The tax collectors were allowed to collect whatever they could and then after Rome’s cut they could keep the rest. So the tax collectors were seen as dishonest and corrupt. So John tells them that they will show they have changed by sparing the people.

And then the soldiers he told them don’t be so vindictive and be content with what you have.

And he was saying to them that you can show change no matter what your profession is.

This message holds true for us today. We need to be the best at whatever we do. If you are a homemaker, then be the best homemaker. If you are a mechanic then be the best mechanic. If you are a teacher then be the best teacher. Whatever you are do it the best.

Luke 3:15–20 NIV

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with 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 the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His 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.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. 19 But 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, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

The people start to wonder if John is the Messiah. But John tells them I am not even worthy to play the role of a slave to one that is coming who is greater than I am.

During this time the common slave in a house would remove ones sandals, hold them for the guest or the host, wash the feet and then give them back when needed. John is saying I am not even worthy of the job of a common house slave.

There are three baptisms mentioned here.

Water Holy Spirit Fire

Water symbolized repentance. Holy Spirit baptism was a transformation change. And fire. This is a baptism that will take place at the 2nd coming of Jesus when unbelievers will come to repentance under the wrath of God. All unbelievers will go through this the fire of judgment.

In verse 17 John is using the winnowing fork as an analogy of judgment.

Wheat farmers in the afternoon in that part of the world would do was separate the chaff from the wheat. By taking a 3 foot long 3 prong wooden fork called winnowing fork and would throw it up in the air and in the afternoon the sea winds are blowing and its strong and constant enough that you can throw it up and the light stuff the husks or the chaff will blow away. And the heavier substance the wheat will fall to the ground. It’s a separation. You collect the chaff and burn it, its good for nothing and you keep the wheat. John was using a agricultural metaphor here.

And then in verse 20 Luke mentions what happens to John briefly. We won’t go into all of it here but quickly let me give you a summary.

Antipas and his wife and Philip and his wife are all in Rome and Antipas sees Philip’s wife and he likes what he sees and seduces her away from Philip to become his wife. In order to do this Antipas must divorce his first wife. The problem was his first wife was the daughter of Aritas the King of Siria. Aritas was so mad when Antipas did divorce her that he destroyed almost all of Herod’s army and he would have completely destroyed them if Rome hadn’t intervened.

Herodias is one of the most wicked women that ever lived. Only 2nd to Jezebel. She hates John the Baptist and it is her influence that got John’s head cut off. She prompted her 16 year old daughter to dance a seductive dance for King Herod Antipas. It is called the dance of the veils. She is trying to get him all riled up sexually. And then he is so overwhelmed that he says, “I’ll give you anything you want, up to half my kingdom.” And she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptists.” Not because she wanted it but her mother wanted it. And John was put in prison until he was eventually beheaded. That is the story in brief.

Luke 3:21–22 NIV

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and 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.”

Some of you may wonder why was Jesus baptized? Here are three reasons.

1. To Identify with us

Jesus is being an example. Think about it. A sinless man identifies with us sinners.

2. To Verify He was the Messiah

Isaiah 11:1–2 NIV

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

To fulfill this prophecy the spirit represented by the dove would have to rest upon Jesus and all would see this happen and hear God say it.

3. To Prophesy

To prefigure the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus brought under the water, out of the water. Paul speaks about this in the book of Romans. Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection.

Also, all three members of the Godhead were present at the baptism of Jesus Christ. All three members of the Godhead are active in salvation. The father sent the son and the son sent the spirit.

God the Father calling down from Heaven, “You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well please.”

Jesus the son is the one being baptized.

And the Holy Spirit is descending down on Jesus in bodily form like a dove.

So Heaven is opened and you know what else is opened? Hell is opened. We will see in chapter 4 when Satan tempts Jesus.

And I want to end today with the genealogy. Last year when we did our study on Matthew, we read the genealogy in Matthew chapter 1. That was Joseph’s genealogy. This here is believed to be Mary’s genealogy. Look at verse 23.

Luke 3:23–38 NIV

23 Now 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, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josek, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

And we will close with this today. This genealogy is so important because it solves the oldest problem in the Old Testament that was never resolved until the New Testament. But it is so long that we will have to save it for another week.

If there is anything that we can take from all of this it is this, John came to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus is the Savior that is come and we need to get ready because Jesus is coming again and all of us need to be ready when He returns.

Let’s pray.