Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

3:1–4:13 After the birth narrative, Luke sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. He tells about the ministry of John the Baptist as forerunner of the Messiah and Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and temptation.

3:1 the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius: Tiberius Caesar became co-emperor with his stepfather Caesar Augustus in AD 11 and full emperor in AD 14, reigning until AD 37. Depending on which date Luke is referring to, John’s public ministry began around AD 26/27 or AD 29/30; Jesus began his own ministry shortly thereafter. • Pilate: Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from AD 26–36 (see “Pontius Pilate” Profile). • Herod Antipas: See “Herod Antipas” Profile. • Antipas’s half brother Philip, another son of Herod the Great, was ruler (literally tetrarch) of the region northeast of Galilee from 4 BC until his death in AD 34. Tetrarch means “the ruler of a fourth of a kingdom”; the term came to mean any minor ruler. Philip the Tetrarch was a half brother of both Antipas and Herod Philip (Matt 14:3; Mark 6:17).

Verse 2

3:2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests: Annas was high priest AD 6–15 and was deposed by the Romans; his son-in-law Caiaphas was the current high priest (AD 18–36). Luke lists both names because Annas still wielded significant power behind the scenes (see John 18:13-14, 24; Acts 4:6). • a message from God came to John: John’s calling as a prophet was similar to that of the Old Testament prophets (see, e.g., Isa 6; Jer 1).

Verse 3

3:3 people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God: John seems to have adapted the practice of baptism from Jewish rites using water to cleanse, or set apart, people and objects for God’s service (cp. Lev 8:6). John called people to repent of their sins and prepare spiritually for the Messiah’s coming. Their baptism publicly demonstrated their repentance and spiritual cleansing.

Verse 4

3:4-6 The quotation is from Isa 40:3-5 (Greek version); it speaks of God’s delivering the Jews from exile in Babylon. After the Jews had returned from exile (Ezra 1–2), the passage became associated with God’s end-time salvation. John shouted in the wilderness to prepare God’s people for the Lord’s coming. God’s salvation is portrayed as a new exodus, bringing deliverance like the first exodus from Egypt. • Clear the road for him! . . . the rough places made smooth: The image reflects the Middle Eastern practice of preparing a road at the approach of a king, something like “rolling out the red carpet” (cp. Luke 19:36-38).

Verse 7

3:7 God’s coming wrath is the judgment for all who reject the gospel. Israel as a nation would experience this wrath in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (see 21:20-23).

Verse 8

3:8 we are descendants of Abraham: Some Jews believed that their descent from Abraham guaranteed their salvation (see John 8:33-39; Acts 7:2; Rom 4:1). • That means nothing: God had selected the Israelites as his people, and he could reject them and create children of Abraham from these very stones if he chose (cp. Hos 1:3-9; Rom 9:6-8, 27-28; 11:17-21).

Verse 9

3:9 every tree that does not produce good fruit: Israel would be judged as an unfruitful vineyard (see Isa 5:1-7; cp. Luke 13:7-9; 20:9-19).

Verse 11

3:11 two shirts: The Greek word refers to a long shirt worn next to the skin. Even the smallest surplus should be shared with others in need.

Verse 12

3:12 corrupt tax collectors: The word for “corrupt” is not in the Greek, but it accurately expresses the connotation that “tax collector” had for first-century readers. They despised tax collectors, who were notoriously corrupt and worked for the hated Roman authorities.

Verse 14

3:14 These soldiers were probably not Roman, but local Jewish troops under the authority of Herod Antipas. They might have been assigned to protect the tax collectors. John does not condemn either tax collectors or soldiers but calls them to honesty and integrity.

Verse 16

3:16 I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals: The untying of sandals was done only by slaves (to make this connection clear, the NLT adds be his slave and). John thus greatly honored the Messiah. • baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire: The Old Testament prophets predicted that in the last days, God would pour out his Spirit on his people (Isa 32:15, Ezek 36:28-29; Joel 2:28). This prophecy was at least partially fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Fire is an image of judgment (see Luke 3:9); it also has the power to cleanse and refine God’s people (see 1 Cor 3:10-15; cp. Isa 4:4; Mal 3:2).

Verse 17

3:17 After being harvested, the kernels of wheat would be beaten off the stalks and then tossed in the air with a winnowing fork to separate them from the chaff. The heavy grain would fall to the ground as the lighter chaff blew away. This is an image of separation for judgment. • never-ending fire: See Isa 66:24.

Verse 19

3:19-20 Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, divorced his first wife and married Herodias, the wife of his half brother Herod Philip. When John publicly criticized Herod for this sin, Herod imprisoned and later executed him (cp. 9:9; Mark 6:16-29). Herod’s execution of John is also recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 18.5.2).

Verse 21

3:21-22 Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of his public ministry and his anointing as the Messiah (the “Anointed One”). The voice of God from heaven confirmed Jesus’ identity and mission.

3:21 As he was praying: Luke emphasizes Jesus’ trust and reliance on God in prayer (5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; 22:32, 41, 44; 23:34, 46). • the heavens opened: This image was a sign of God’s presence (Isa 64:1), divine revelation (Ezek 1:1; John 1:51), and the end of an age (Rev 4:1; 15:5; 19:11).

Verse 22

3:22 The Spirit might have looked like a dove, or perhaps it descended in a dove-like manner. • You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy: This statement resonates with Ps 2:7 and Isa 42:1. The former identifies Jesus as the Messiah from David’s line; the latter indicates his role as servant of the Lord. Jesus’ identity was again declared from heaven at his transfiguration (Luke 9:35).

Verse 23

3:23-38 This genealogy reverses Matthew’s order (Matt 1:1-17). Luke lists Jesus’ lineage back to Adam, possibly to show Jesus’ connection with all humanity as the Son of God (Luke 3:38). Matthew’s genealogy descends from Abraham to Joseph, highlighting Jesus’ status as the rightful heir of David’s throne and the recipient of God’s promises to Abraham. The great differences between the two genealogies have led some to propose that Luke’s genealogy is that of Mary (see study note on 3:23), who was probably among Luke’s primary sources.

3:23 Jesus was about thirty years old: This is the only reference in the New Testament to Jesus’ age during his public ministry, and it is an approximation. Jesus was born 6~4 BC (see study note on 2:2) and began his ministry AD 27~29 (see study note on 3:1), so Jesus was evidently 31~35 years old when he began his public ministry. • known as the son of Joseph: Jesus was the legal but not the biological son of Joseph. • Joseph was the son of Heli: If this is actually Mary’s genealogy (see study note on 3:23-38), then Joseph was Heli’s son-in-law, a possible understanding of the Greek sentence.

Verse 27

3:27 Zerubbabel was the governor of Judea appointed by the Persians when the Jews returned from Babylonian exile. He supervised the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3:2, 8).

Verse 31

3:31 Nathan was David’s third son, born to him in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:14); he is not to be confused with Nathan the prophet (2 Sam 7:2).

Verse 32

3:32 Boaz was the husband of Ruth the Moabite (see Ruth 2–4).

Verse 38

3:38 Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve, born after Cain murdered Abel and God banished him (Gen 4:25-26). • Adam was the son of God: Adam had no earthly father since God created him. In the temptation that follows, Satan repeatedly says to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God. . . .” Adam, the first son of God, failed when tested, but Jesus, the Son of God in the fullest sense, successfully resisted temptation.