Luke 3:1-20
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Preparation is important in all of life. One man wrote about its importance saying:
One morning I went out to start car to go to church. Flat tire. Lucky I had a spare. I changed tire quickly and was on my way. I didn’t think to drop spare off to be fixed. I thought, "I’ll get around to it." Within five days I went out to car to go to school. I had another flat. Only this time I had no spare tire! I had to roll it to nearest station and wait while it was fixed.
He then added:
When something breaks, fix it now. Don’t wait until you need it and then don’t have it!
That’s good advice. Preparation makes a difference whether it’s work, school, play, recreation or any area of life.
Two years before his death, Mike Hanzas, who lived alone, began to make preparation for his demise. He bought a plot in the cemetery. Weekly, he visited the site where his remains would be interred. He planted grass there and mowed it regularly. On Memorial Day, he placed flowers on the grave site, for he said, “I want to see flowers there now. I won’t be able to see them when I’m gone!” A while later Mike went into a funeral home. “I want to buy the casket which will be my new home,” he said. Whenever he passed the funeral home he would go in. Standing beside the casket he would say, “That’s where I’m going to live someday!”
One day Mike invited a nephew and the rest of his family to come to see him. After a hearty meal, Mike began to dispense some canned goods and personal effects among his visitors. Then he handed his nephew his will. As he did this, he dropped dead of heart failure! Someone wrote, “So far as we know, Mike had made every provision for his body but none for his soul.”
Preparation!
Turn to Luke 3. Between the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3, eighteen years have passed. Jesus and his cousin John are now adults. John was born with a mission to prepare the way for the Messiah. John was preparing for the people of his day for the Messiah’s first coming. Is there anything we can learn from John as we wait for his second coming?
John’s mission, foretold in the Old Testament, was there to prepare the way for Jesus. We read in Malachi:
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:1)
The angel who foretold his birth to Zechariah had said:
16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:16-17)
John would have a short but important ministry. John would turn the hearts of the people back to God and he did so by telling them what they were doing wrong, telling them what they needed to do right, and telling them what the Messiah would do.
Luke starts, as he has done before, by setting the stage. He puts the event in its historical context by letting us know who was ruling at the time. In verse 1 he mentions five rulers.
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. (Luke 3:1)
Here is where they ruled.
Tiberius Caesar ruled over the Roman Empire
Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea (purple): that included Bethlehem and much of Samaria
Herod, also known as Herod Antipas, was a son of Herod the Great and was the tetrarch of Galilee (red). A tetrarch is the ruler of a forth of a region. Herod’s took in the area west of the Sea of Galilee as well as the east bank of the Jordan River.
Philip, Herod’s brother, was tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis (green) which took in the area northeast of the Sea of Galilee.
Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene which is north of Traconitis and not on the map.
Additionally, Luke mentions the Jewish high priest.
2a . . . during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. . . . (Luke 3:2a)
Annas had been high priest but his priesthood had ended some fifteen years earlier. However, his influence was so great that his son-in-law Caiaphas and five of his sons became next high priest. Annas may not have been high priest but the power clearly rested with him. When Jesus was arrested he was taken to Annas before taking him to Caiaphas.
Though all these names aren’t very meaningful to us, the people of that day knew them and years were often marked by them. So when they men held their respective positions of power, John began his ministry.
2b . . . the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. (Luke 3:2b)
The phrase “the word of God came to” was common one in the Old Testament. The word of God came to prophets who then conveyed that message to the people. For example, the word of the God came to Elijah after it hadn’t rained for several years:
After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” (1 Kings 18:1)
Another example, the word of God came to Ezekiel:
2 On the fifth of the month – it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin – 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was on him. (Ezekiel 1:2-3)
That the word of God came to John links John to these and all the other Old Testament prophets. It also added validity to his message. Remember, the last prophet God had spoken to was Malachi. It had been four hundred years since the word of the God had come to anyone. Now, it had come to John.
We’re told that John was residing in the wilderness. The location of John’s ministry was unusual. You may recall how Paul traveled mainly to large cities. He wanted to reach as many people as possible so he went to where the most people were. But John, stayed out in the countryside. Too, John’s message was unusual.
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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.’ ”
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.” (Luke 3:3-9)
People came from miles around to hear John and what did they hear once they arrived? John told them what rotten people they were and how they needed to repent. He preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Pointing out people’s sins is not usually the best way to make friends and influence people. However, the people came to hear John preach.
Going back to the map I showed you earlier, the Gospel of John tells us that John was baptizing in Aenon near Salim. That would be about a fourth of the way down the Jordan River from the Sea of Galilee heading south to the Dead Sea. When we read that people were coming from Jerusalem and Judea to hear John, they were not making a day trip. It would have taken two or three days to get to where John was baptizing.
So not only did the people go out of their way to hear John but many of them responded to his message and were baptized.
A secular radio station recently compared the faith of Tim Tebow and Steph Curry. You may remember that Tebow played quarterback for the University of Florida where he won the two national championships. Tebow has always been outspoken about his faith and often drawn criticism because of it. Steph Curry plays basketball for the Golden State Warriors. Curry is just as outspoken which is why the station asked:
So why is Curry almost universally beloved, celebrated and compensated for his religious beliefs while Tebow is polarizing?
Answering this question, Ray Comfort noted that Curry speaks often about his faith and publically thanks God for his success. He posts scripture verses on social media almost daily. Curry talks often about God’s blessings and about how he can do all things through Jesus. Tebow however, speaks often about the cross and our need for salvation. He talks about how Jesus died for our sins and that we need Jesus if we want to go to heaven. As a result, he is often criticized and hated.
If you want to gather a crowd, don’t talk about sin. But that’s not the route John took. John was in their face calling out their sins and the people responded. It’s what they needed. Perhaps we need to hear more of it now. The world certainly needs to hear that Jesus’ death brings salvation and not just how God blesses.
John’s mission was to get people ready for the Messiah, to get people ready for Jesus and his ministry. Their hearts needed to be prepared. The way to do that was to repent of their sins.
The Greek word “repent” literally means “a change of mind.” It comes from the Old Testament idea of “turning or returning to God.” A good example of this is found in 1 Kings 8. Solomon is praying at the dedication of the temple.
46 When they sin against you – for there is no one who does not sin – and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, “We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly”; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. (1 Kings 8:46-51)
Solomon asks God to forgive their sins and restore them but only after they have repented or turned their hearts back to God. That turning or returning is necessary because at its core sin is rebellion against God. Sin is doing what I want instead of what God wants for me. Eve knew what God wanted for her but she wanted the fruit from the tree of knowledge more than she wanted to obey God. Repenting requires not just leaving sin but turning to God. John preached a return to God, warning the crowds of what would happen if they didn’t. They couldn’t rely on their genealogy. It didn’t matter that they were descendants of Abraham. Each needed their own relationship with God which would be demonstrated with their actions.
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 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.” (Luke 3:10-14)
The crowds were so convicted by John’s preaching that they began asking what they should do. In preparing the people for the Messiah, John warned them about the wrong they were doing but he also told them right things they needed to do.
They should help the poor
They should cheat
They should be honest
Repentance then, is not just something that takes place in a religious setting but should become evident in all of life: at home, at work, and at play. Our turning to God is a private act that is then made public by the way we live. We are to do what is right, show mercy, and act honestly. Micah put it this way:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
The things John tells the people to do seem pretty straight forward. Perhaps with the exception of the Roman soldiers, shouldn’t they have already known those things? Shouldn’t they have already been taught these from the religious teachers? Nothing John said was particularly profound. You can find examples throughout the Old Testament in the law and the prophets.
I think what it does is show you the depravity of the people. That they didn’t know these basic teachings of scripture show how little they knew and how far they’d strayed from God. It’s that very different from today.
Sunday I mentioned that it’s hard not to pray when reading the news. Here are three stories from recent accounts that show how far our nation has strayed from God:
Grandmother accused of beating 3-year-old granddaughter to death, leaving her in a trash bin
Seven teenagers beat 73-year-old man to death with traffic cone
Teen breaks cop's eye socket with one punch, causing nerve damage that could lead to blindness
16-year-old punches, body-slams cop in NYC subway
After man gets hit by car passersby loot his possessions
Two toddlers, one still in diapers, videoed cussing out police
How far have we gone from God as a nation? We need a John who will tell the truth and turn the hearts of the people to God. It’s great to hear about God’s love. After all, as we read in 1 John, God is love. But God is also a God of justice and one day all will have to stand before the throne of God to give an account to God who will serve as judge.
Because of the things John said, many began to wonder if he were the Messiah. John quickly let them know that he wasn’t the Messiah and then he described what the Messiah would do.
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. (Luke 3:15-18)
John pointed out the differences between what he was called to do and what Jesus would do. John baptized with water but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. John pointed out their sins but Jesus would be judging it.
John understood his role was not to gain a following or make a name for himself. His role was to point people to Jesus. That’s why he wasn’t concerned later when people left him to follow Jesus. When some of his disciples pointed out that Jesus was beginning to baptize and everyone was going to him, John replied:
He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30)
We should all follow John’s example. It’s not about us, it’s about Jesus. As I mentioned Sunday evening, our task is to point people to Jesus and make him look good. We can’t point to Jesus and to ourselves at the same time.
What happened to John because of his faithful ministry?
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. (Luke 3:19-20)
We know that Herod eventually had John killed.
Who thinks God called John to the ministry he had? Who think John was in the center of God’s will for his life? He did the right thing and paid the ultimate price. Following God’s will for us does not always means earthly blessings. Jesus said John was the greatest man ever born. That’s because he cared more about what God thought about him than what people did. He was more focused on God’s approval than man’s approval.
The year was 1931. The St. Louis Cardinals had just won the World Series. Pepper Martin played an important role in that victory that included a record number of hits in a World Series along with five stolen bases. Because of his success, everyone wanted to congratulate him.
After the final game, reporters crowded around Martin wanting an interesting quote to headline the next day's newspaper. Finally, one enterprising reporter asked Pepper:
Having won the World Series single-handedly, now, what do you want more than anything else in the world?
Martin stopped to think for a few moments and then startled the reporters with his answer:
Above everything else in the world I want to go to heaven.
The reporters laughed vigorously. After starring them into silence, Martin calmly asked,
What's so funny about that? I do want above everything else to go to heaven. I want to live so right that when I come to the end of life there will not be any question about where I am going to spend eternity.
Martin wanted to prepare for something beyond this life. He wanted to prepare for a life in heaven. How do we prepare? We know it requires faith in Jesus. It requires turning to God from sin, but it also means doing that which is right. It’s not simply a matter of stopping wrong behavior, it means adding right behavior. Are we ready for an eternal life with God? Are we preparing ourselves for his coming?
