Luke 3
Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · AD 28 – AD 29 · Life of Jesus · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·
38 verses · 816 words · ~4 min read · ~5 min listen
The Mission of John the Baptist
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
7Then 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? 8Produce fruit, then, 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. 9The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
11John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.
14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. 16John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One 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 with fire. 17His 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.”
18With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brotherʼs wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus
23Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.
Footnotes (8)
- a v6 Literally And all flesh will see Godʼs salvation; Isaiah 40:3–5(see also LXX)
- b v16 Or in water
- c v16 Cited in Acts 13:25
- d v16 Or in the Holy Spirit and in fire
- e v32 BYZ and TR Salmon; see Ruth 4:20–21and Matthew 1:4–5.
- f v33 BYZ and TR Aram; others Ram; see Ruth 4:19and Matthew 1:3–4.
- g v33 WH, BYZ, and TR do not include the son of Arni.
- h v38 Greek Enōs, a variant spelling of Enosh; see Genesis 5:6.
Study notes on this chapter · 2
A voice in the wilderness
'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD.' All four gospels identify this voice with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. Mark also joins it with Malachi 3:1.
When: Spoken to comfort exiles in Babylon (dating of Isaiah 40–66 is debated: c. 700 BC or c. 540 BC); John's ministry c. AD 27–29.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.
Jehoiachin written down as childless
Jeremiah says that none of Jehoiachin's offspring will sit on David's throne, and that he will be recorded as childless. Jehoiachin had children, and his line continued through Zerubbabel, who governed Judah but was not crowned. Matthew's genealogy includes Jeconiah in the line to Jesus, and Luke traces another line through Nathan.
When: Jeremiah, c. 598 BC; Jehoiachin was exiled in 597 BC and released c. 561 BC.
Ways people read this (4)
- The word 'childless' means without heirs to the throne, and the verse was fulfilled when no descendant reigned after him.
- Matthew's line is Joseph's royal (legal) lineage, and Luke's is Mary's or another branch, so Jesus avoids the curse through his virgin birth (a common explanation).
- Jesus inherits the throne through legal adoption by Joseph, and the curse on Jehoiachin's line was later reversed (Haggai 2:23).
- The two genealogies are an unsolved puzzle and were written for different purposes.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.