Luke 3:1-14
The First Message
After two chapters of historical prelude, we come to the chapter that
begins the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus. From what we have
seen so far, these two men were distant cousins and six months apart
in age. The big difference is that One was God and the other was part
of God’s plan.
Let’s study this text with three thoughts:
I. There was a messenger.
Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose
name was John.
A. John was the fore-runner and so started his ministry first.
B. We left John in the desert to be prepared by God for his
ministry.
Luke 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong
in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day
of his shewing unto Israel.
C. Jesus was around 30 when He began His ministry and John
probably was too as this was the age required to officially
serve in the temple \\#Num 4:3\\.
Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about
thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the
son of Joseph,
D. We do not know exactly how long John preached before Jesus
revealed Himself but I would guess around a year.
II. There was a condition.
A. \\#1-2\\ Luke recorded the political condition.
1. Luke is very specific with the rulers of the time.
a. He lists the Roman emperor - Tiberius. (14 AD to 37
AD)
b. He lists the regional rulers. Herod the Great, who
ruled when Jesus was born has been dead 26 years. His
kingdom was divided among others.
(1) Pilate over Judea
(2) Herod over Galilee - son of Herod the Great
(3) Philip over Ituraea - son of Herod the Great
(4) Lysanias over Abilene
c. He lists the religious rulers of Israel - Annas and
Caiaphas.
(1) The office of High Priest under Roman occupation
was the highest office held by a true Jew. This
made the office both political and spiritual in
authority.
(2) Herod was an Edomite and Pilate was a Roman, but
the High Priest had to be a Jewish.
(3) However the office had to appointed by Rome.
(4) The office had become very corrupt.
(5) Although the office was to be for life, Annas was
removed. Still he managed to secure it for his
son-in-law.
(6) Annas continued to rule in large measure through
Caiaphas. \\#John 18:13\\ Jesus was taken to
Annas first.
(7) Both of these men will hold the office until after
Jesus’ crucifixion.
2. Obviously, the real political power lay in Roman empire at
that time.
B. \\#4\\ Spiritual condition.
Luke 3:4 As it is written in the book of the
words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of
one crying in the wilderness….
1. The word "wilderness" is likely a reference to where John
grew up, lived, and preached.
2. John spend most of his time away from the city—not in
deserts but in place where nothing was located—in the
wilderness.
3. However, as the Bible will bear it, all of Israel was a
spiritual wilderness.
4. Twice already, Luke as referred to Israel as a land of
spiritual darkness. \\#Luke 1:79, 2:32\\.
III. There was a message.
A. The message is always the most important part.
1. This message helps us to understand what is necessary for
people to RECOGNIZE salvation.
a. John’s ministry was not primarily to get people saved.
b. His ministry was to get them ready so that when the
Savior came, they could get saved..
2. John’s message is described here in two forms.
a. \\#3:4-6\\ The prophetic message
b. \\#3:7-18\\ The fulfilled message
3. However, they are the same message.
B. \\#3:4-6\\ The Prophetic Message
1. This is a quote from Isaiah \\#40:3-4\\.
2. This was a prophecy about John the Baptist and his
message.
3. Someone would come who would "Prepare the way of the
Lord."
4. That person would "fix" some things.
a. He would "straighten out" the crooked paths of men
and…
b. …he would level out the up and downs of the people
and…
c. …he would smooth out the rough places.
5. The prophecy made it sound as if John would be in road
construction but these are pictures to describe the way
people were living when Jesus came.
a. They were crooked. We still use that term today to
refer to dishonest people.
b. They were up and down or living good one day and bad
the next.
c. They were rough, mean, course, uncaring.
6. John came to preach, "It’s time to "fix" these things!"
7. \\#6\\ Here is the key.
Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation
of God.
a. He was doing this so that people could "see" (to
recognize, to know, and then hopefully to experience)
the salvation of the Lord.
b. To "see" the Lord’s salvation is not necessarily to
receive it. It is to recognize it.
8. The implication is that you cannot "see" salvation until
you "fix" some things.
a. Something has to happen to a person BEFORE can be
saved—indeed, before a person can even perceive his
need for salvation.
(1) They must see their sinfulness, be convicted over
their need, and know they need to fix that need.
(2) That is part of repentance.
(3) Repentance itself is not the fix for the things
that broken, salvation is.
(4) Repentance is the prelude of salvation.
(5) Without repentance, people do not even see their
need for salvation.
b. It is difficult to explain repentance for many think
repentance means they must FIX their life to be
saved.
(1) That is wrong.
(2) You cannot fix your life. Only Jesus can.
(3) But you must…
(a) See the crooked, the up and downs, and the
rough places.
(b) Sorrow over those wrongs.
(c) Surrender yourself to fixing those things.
(4) Yet, these things are not what saves you.
(a) Some of the people that were following in
listening to and heeding the message of
John will eventually reject Jesus Christ.
(b) Seeing your need, being sorry for your sins,
and even changing the direction of your
life merely makes it possible for you to
recognize Jesus.
(c) Salvation comes when you surrender control
of your life to Jesus and believe on Him
for the payment of your sins.
9. This is the prophetical message that John was going to
"fix" some things so that the people could "see" their
need and God’s salvation. How was it fulfilled?
C. \\#3:7-18\\ The Fulfilled Message
1. John preached, "You need to fix some things!"
a. \\#8\\ Fix some bad fruit.
Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of
repentance….
b. \\#10-14\\ What kind of fruits do we need to bring?
(1) The average person:
Luke 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What
shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that
hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath
none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
(a) Start helping others.
(b) Will helping others save a person?
i. No.
ii. But a hard, insensitive heart will never
see his need for Christ.
iii. It needs to be fixed.
(2) The tax collectors:
Luke 3:12 Then came also publicans to be
baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall
we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than
that which is appointed you.
(a) Don’t oppress and steal.
(b) Will stopping these things save a person?
i. No.
ii. But a greedy, corrupt, abusive heart
will never see his need for Christ.
iii. It needs to be fixed.
(3) The soldiers:
Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of
him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said
unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse
any falsely; and be content with your wages.
(a) Don’t oppress and be content.
(b) Will doing these things save a person?
i. No.
ii. But an oppressive, discontented heart
will never see his need for Christ.
iii. It needs to be fixed.
2. John also preached, "If you don’t fix some things, bad
things are going to happen."
a. \\#7\\ Wrath is going to come.
Luke 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came
forth to be baptized of him, O generation of
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?
b. \\#8\\ God might replace you.
Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of
repentance, and begin not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for
I say unto you, That God is able of these stones
to raise up children unto Abraham.
c. \\#9\\ You will be cast into the fire.
Luke 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the
root of the trees: every tree therefore which
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire.
3. But "fixing" these things did not save the people. They
would have to recognize Jesus, believe on Jesus, and
surrender to Jesus.
So what is the first message? The first message is that before you
are going to see the salvation of the Lord, you need to fix some
things. What things?
1. Your eye sight - You need to see some things are wrong.
2. Your heart - You need to sorrowful over your sins.
3. Your will - You need to determine you are going to fix it.
These three things are nothing less than the steps of repentance.
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