2024/01/03 – Luke 3: Ministry of John the Baptist

Reading: Luke 3: Ministry of John the Baptist

Daily-Devo:

The Word of God came to John, son of Zebedee, in the wilderness. This wilderness was Northeast of the Dead Sea where the Quran Commune who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls lived. John had been with them for some years, for his parents were old when he was born. Luke 1:80 says he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel. That day has now come.

He went into the region around the Jordan River, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Isaiah prophesied, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Fill every valley, and make every mountain low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

John said to the crowds coming to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not say, “We have Abraham as our ancestor.” God is able of these stones to raise children to Abraham. The axe is at the root of the trees; every tree not bearing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

He was explicit in what he said to those who asked, what shall we do? To the crowds, he said whoever has two cloaks give to one who has none, and whoever has food, do likewise.

Even tax collectors asked him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” He said to collect no more than the amount prescribed. Soldiers asked him, “What shall we do?” He said do not extort money by threats or false accusations and be content with your wages.

All were questioning if he might be the Messiah. John answered them all, I baptize you in water, but one is coming after me who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and he will gather the wheat into his granary and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

It is evident that trees being thrown into fire if they are not bearing good fruit and the chaff being burned with unquenchable fire are symbols of judgment, despite those who pray to be baptized in fire.

When Jesus was baptized among the people, He was praying; the Holy Spirit descended on Him as a dove. A voice from Heaven said, “You are My Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased.”

Jesus was about 30 years old when He began His work.

Then there is His genealogy. He was (as was supposed) the son of Joseph and from there going back 75 generations to Adam who was called the Son of God. Most scholars believe this was the genealogy of Mary. The Jews did not normally name mothers in genealogies, as they did not pay much attention to women. Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli, the father of Mary. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus came from Abraham to David, to the carrying away into Babylon, to the Messiah, 42 generations in all. That genealogy began with Abraham and went forward; Luke’s genealogy began with Joseph and Heli and went backward to Adam and God. Mary’s great-ancestor, Nathan, was the son of David, giving Jesus two lines to David: the legal line through Joseph of the house of David, and the physical line from Mary to Nathan, the son of David.

Confusing? No wonder Paul warned about involvement with genealogies!