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As we can see in the map above, Israel was divided in three sections.  Judea at the bottom, Samaria in the middle, and Galilee in the North.  Jews occupied the areas of Judea and Galilee.  The Samaritans in the middle were half Jewish and half Assyrian.  The Jews did not think very highly of the Samaritans.  They avoided them at all costs and would even cross the Jordan and travel on the other side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaria.  Now, Galilee was very rich with some commodities such as fish.  So, there would have been a well established trade route along the Jordan.  Also, The Jews in Galilee would use this route to attend the Feasts they had to go to in Jerusalem.

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Let’s see how John makes their way straight.  Verses 7-9,

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.”

Pretty harsh words.  He calls them a brood of vipers.  Have you ever seen a brood of snakes hatching?  It is kind of ugly.  Slimy little snakes all crawling over each other.  That is what John is calling people.  He tells them to bear fruits in keeping with repentance.  What does he mean by this?  He means make your actions reflect your relationship to God.  Some of these people must have thought that being a son of Abraham would get them to heaven.  John reminds them that God can raise up from the stones children for Abraham.  What does John mean by saying that the axe is laid to the root of the trees?  He means that God is ready to do away with the Jews to raise up another way that bears fruit for him.  How did the people respond?

Let’s see in verses 10-14,

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.”

The people asked him what they should do!  What did John tell them?

1. Share cloths and food to those without.

2. Don’t collect more taxes than required.

3. Don’t extort money.

4. Be content with what you have.

Did the people wonder who John was?  Verses 15-17,

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

What does that mean, “as the people were in expectation?”  They were expecting the Messiah!  This all should have been no surprise to them that the Messiah was coming.  Even the prophet Daniel pinpointed the coming of the Messiah to right about this time.  So, they were questioning if John was the Messiah.  What was John’s answer?  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So, John used many other exhortations to bring the gospel to the people.  Imagine some frizzy haired man standing by the road where everyone traveled.  That is exactly where John put himself – along the Jordan River, right on the throughway between Judea and Galilee.  So imagine this guy wearing a nappy camel hair coat held together with a leather belt, and a pair of sandals.  And every time you walk by, he calls you a brood of vipers and points out your sin.  Perhaps he used the same tactics that some fair workers use to get peoples’ attention.  Things like:

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1. Hey you!The circus wants their clown makeup back.

2. When you removed all the fattening food in your house, did you find it was delicious?

3. So, you wanted to lose 50 pounds this year and you only have 60 to go?

4. You’re so fat that if you fell down, you’d rock yourself to sleep.

5. You loved your six pack so much you are protecting it with layers of fat.

6. Okay, I won’t make fun of your fat.You already have enough on your plate.

7. You have more Chins than Chinatown.

8. 200 pounds on Earth is only 76 pounds on Mars. So maybe you are just on the wrong planet.

9. Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed often, and for the same reason.

10. Going to synagogue doesn’t make you a Jew any more than standing in a stable makes you a jack ass.Well, maybe it did.

11. Everyone has a right to be ugly, but you abused that right.

12. Did you resolve to get in shape and choose round?

13. You’re so skinny, your mother didn’t know when you were born.

14. You’re so skinny that you can dodge rain drops.

15. You’re so hairy that you should part your knees.

So, he was getting people’s attention and sometime, Herod is going to pass that way.  In fact, Herod must have passed that way many times.  Take a look at what Herod did.  Verses 18-20,

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

The Greek word for reproved is also translated “rebuked,” or “reprimanded.”  Did John rebuke Herod only for marrying his brother’s wife?  No.  John rebuked Herod for all the evil things he had done.  Then when John rebuked Herod for marrying his brother’s wife, then Herod had enough and had John put in prison.  Herodias was married to Herod II, then divorced Herod II while Herod Antipas divorced his first wife, Phasaelis.  After which time Herod Antipas and Herodias married (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodias).  Herod Antipas was half-brother to Herod II.  Herodias was full sister to Herod Agrippa, so being married to Herod Antipas was being married to her brother in law and she was just married to and divorced with her uncle, Herod II.  John could reprimand Herod Antipas not only for the illegitimate divorce, but also for committing incest with this marriage.

Now on to Jesus.  Verses 21-22,

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Other gospels record that the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved son; with him I am well pleased.”  However, Luke records that the voice from heaven said, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.”  Is this a contradiction?  No, because both could have been said and heard.  There is not a reason for a gospel to record or recall everything that happened.

What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus?  Jesus is anointed by God with the Holy Spirit.  This is very important because the word, “Messiah,” and the word “Christ” both mean, “anointed one.”  Jesus is the only one to have the Holy Spirit descend on him in bodily form, like a dove, and God proclaim that he is God’s son.  Jesus is the only one that can claim to be the Messiah.

In line with Luke’s theme of Jesus being both God and Man, he will now give us some information about Jesus’ human side.

Verses 23-38,

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Now there are some differences between this genealogy and the one in Matthew.  These differences are as follows:

1. Matthew starts with Abraham and goes forward in time, while Luke starts with Joseph and goes back in time.

2. Everything between Joseph and David is different between the two.

3. Matthew only goes as far back as Abraham.Luke goes as far back as Adam.

There are good reasons for this difference.  Matthew goes back as far as Abraham because his goal is to show Jesus as the heir of David with Jewish lineage.  Matthew goes as far back as Adam because he wants to show not only his inheritance from David and Abraham, but his human inheritance from Adam, the first man.  Matthew’s genealogy is simply his genealogy from Joseph.  Luke gives us a clue why it is different.  After mentioning the Jesus was the son of Joseph, he says, “as was supposed.”  This is a reference to the fact that Joseph was not the biological father as Luke has previously claimed that Jesus was born of a virgin.  This would make people ask if Jesus really was in the lineage of David.  It was a Jewish custom that a man inherited the lineage of his Father in law.  This would be Mary’s lineage, which Jesus inherited biologically (https://www.josh.org/answer/arent-genealogies-jesus-given-matthew-luke-contradictory/?mwm_id=241874010215&mot=J79GNF&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqq_I4s3Z5gIVkcDICh0U9gUkEAAYASAAEgIdFPD_BwE).  Heli is Mary’s father (https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/6201/Joseph-Son-Heli.htm).

What is there to know from this chapter?

How does this chapter make you feel?

What does this chapter motivate you to do?

Song: Francesca Battistelli – Messiah