Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

3:1 In the fifteenth year of . . . Tiberius Caesar is probably a.d. 29 (plus or minus a year). Tiberius reigned as co-regent with Augustus from a.d. 11 or 12, and he was sole emperor from 14 to 37. Pontius Pilate . . . governor of Judea. Pilate reigned over Judea a.d. 26-36 (see note on 23:1). Herod Antipas was a tetrarch, ruling Galilee and Perea from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39 (see Matt. 14:1). Herod Philip II was tetrarch of the northern Transjordanian territories (east of the Jordan River and largely north of the Yarmuk River) known as Ituraea, Batanaea, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Gaulonitis, from 4 b.c. to a.d. 34. Antipas and Philip II were both sons of Herod the Great (on Herod see note on Matt. 2:1) and were designated as Herod's heirs upon his death in 4 b.c. along with their brother Archelaus (who reigned as ethnarch of Judea until a.d. 6; see Matt. 2:22). It is likely that Lysanias ruled a territory near Damascus, and that this region was given to Herod Agrippa I around a.d. 37. See The Herodian Dynasty. Luke's precision in naming five Roman officials with their specific titles shows concern for detailed historical accuracy, and his accuracy is confirmed by historical records outside of the Bible.

3:2 high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. Caiaphas (served a.d. 18-36) was the actual high priest at this time. Annas had been high priest a.d. 6-15 but was still called "high priest" after he left office (see notes on John 18:13; 18:24; cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.197-200, 244-251). The word of God came to John designates him as a prophet like the OT prophets (cf. 1 Sam. 15:10; 2 Sam. 7:14; 24:11; 1 Kings 12:22; Jer. 1:4; Ezek. 1:3; Jonah 1:1; Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1; Mal. 1:1; see also notes on Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:2-3). This was an amazing event since "the word of God" had not come to any prophet (for public proclamation) since Malachi in about 460 b.c. After a silence of approximately 460 years, God was once again speaking to his people. In the wilderness indicates that the great promises of Isaiah were beginning to be fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist (Luke 3:4; cf. Isa. 40:3).

3:3 baptism of repentance. See notes on Matt. 3:2; 3:5-6. John apparently baptized in several locations throughout the region near the Jordan River (see notes on Matt. 3:13; John 1:28).

3:4 The quotation from Isaiah 40:3-5 proclaims that the Lord himself is coming to bring salvation to his people.

3:5 Every valley . . . filled. A poetic way of saying that the way for the Messiah will be expedited. every mountain and hill shall be made low. Obstacles will be removed. But these images are also metaphors that have ethical overtones: the proud and arrogant will be humbled (1:52; 14:11; 18:14), the humble and lowly will be exalted, and the crooked (cf. Acts 2:40) will be changed.

3:6 All flesh shall see predicts the salvation also of the Gentiles (cf. 2:30-32).

3:7 vipers. A general term for any of a number of poisonous snakes in Israel, showing that the people had become the seed of the Serpent (Gen. 3:15). Who warned you to flee . . . ? . . . ? I.e., "Who has told you to flee the coming wrath by merely submitting to a rite of baptism?"

3:8 do not begin to say. They are not even to think of saying "We have Abraham as our father." Cf. John 8:39, 53. One is not a member of God's family by natural descent but by responding personally to God and his call.

3:9 Even now. The kingdom of God is not a remote future event but was revealed in a new and decisive way in the ministry of Jesus, for which John the Baptist was preparing the way. the axe . . . trees. A warning that the coming judgment is very close at hand (cf. 13:6-9).

3:10 What then (in light of vv. 7-9) shall we do? The frequency of this question in Luke-Acts indicates its importance. Cf. Luke 3:12, 14; 10:25; Acts 2:37; 22:10. True repentance requires a change in ethical behavior, as is indicated by the examples in Luke 3:10-14 (cf. "bear fruit in keeping with repentance," v. 8).

3:11 tunics. Garments worn under the cloak (cf. 6:29).

3:12-14 Tax collectors. See note on Matt. 5:46-47. They collected tolls, tariffs, and customs, and were notoriously dishonest (cf. Luke 15:1-2; 19:8) and despised. They are not told to quit their profession but to be honest in carrying out their duties. Similarly, soldiers are not told to resign but to avoid the moral temptations of their profession. John does not say that working for the Roman government or serving as a soldier is in itself morally wrong, but he insists that God expects upright conduct from his people.

3:16 In the two phrases (1) he who is mightier than I is coming and (2) He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, the Greek word order emphasizes the pronoun "he," pointing to Jesus (cf. John 3:30). John the Baptist's answer indicates that people will know that the Christ has come when he baptizes with the Holy Spirit--which took place at Pentecost in Acts 2. Whether being baptized "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" will be positive (involving the coming of the purifying fire of the Spirit at Pentecost; Acts 1:8; 2:3) or negative (involving the divine judgment of fire; Luke 9:54; 12:49; 17:29) depends on the response of the individual person. See notes on Matt. 3:11 and Acts 2:3.

3:17 winnowing fork. A wooden pitchfork used to throw the chaff and grain into the air to separate them. The wheat (or grain) would be gathered and the chaff burned as fuel in the oven (Matt. 6:30). Unquenchable fire portrays the horrible nature of the final judgment.

3:18-20 John preaches the good news ("gospel"), indicating that he is different from the OT prophets because he is the first preacher of the good news of the kingdom of God (see 16:16).