Luke 3
COMMENTARY:
: 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (859 “remission” [aphesis] means forgiveness, deliverance, liberty, release, pardon, cancellation, or relaxation of disease.)
DEVOTION: John came out of the wilderness preaching that individuals had to change direction with their lives. They were coming to hear his message. It was unique to the time. He was the one preparing for the coming of the Messiah who they were all hoping to see it HE would set up a kingdom to defeat the Romans. They wanted their physical freedom.
He was preaching their spiritual freedom. There was a need to stop going in one direction and heading in another direction toward genuine service to the LORD. The religious leaders of the Jewish religion where making it a religion of external show rather than internal change. John the Baptist was preaching internal change.
Why was internal change so important? Without it there would be no forgiveness of sin. Luke used this word the most. He was a physician and knew about disease that would eat a person up from within his body. This word had a medical application. When someone has a disease that is active it can continue to be active or go into a relaxed state.
Our forgiveness is not temporarily given or in a relaxed state. It is forgiven forever because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Once we repent of our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In HIS eyes we are sinless even though we live the rest of our life sinning. We only receive this because God the Father looks at us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given at the point of belief. This should give us joy unspeakable.
CHALLENGE: With the joy unspeakable we should be like John the Baptist and tell others. We should also say “THANK YOU” to the LORD each morning and afternoon and evening.
: 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And HE said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages. (714 “content” [arkeo] means be sufficient, be enough, to be satisfied, to be or become characterized by having a want or need filled, to be happy as the result of having what one desires or needs to be, or to not complain.)
DEVOTION: Here are a group of adults who have responsibilities in different fields. Each has a negative side to their position.
The first is someone who is part of the general public. John tells them that if they have more clothes than they need give some to the poor. Also, if those in this same group have more food than they can eat, they are to give some of that to the poor. This group has little money or possessions but is told to help others.
The second group is tax collectors who are noted for taking more than the tax the government expects. They have the freedom to charge as much as they want because they are government people and no one messed with government workers. Sound familiar, government workers to give themselves raises while everyone else is losing their jobs. Well, this group was to stop taking from those who have to pay taxes more than is required. No extra money from the taxpayers. What would happen is this would happen?
The third group was the soldiers for the Roman Empire. They were able to require almost anything of people around them. They could falsely arrest people, which is, an abuse of their power. They also could take bribes from people. Those who became followers of the LORD had to be content with their wages.
We can fall into anyone of these groups. Those outside of Christ will act in the way described.
CHALLENGE: Those who are believers will act differently with the same position. We are to act differently from the rest of the world.
: 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove on HIM, and a voice came from heaven, which said, YOU are MY beloved SON, in you I am well pleased. (2106 “well pleased” [eudokeo] means have pleasure, take pleasure, think good, to be favorably inclined towards one, take delight, or to be glad.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was baptized to give us an example of a public decision to be a follower of God. HE didn’t need HIS sins forgiven – HE never sinned. HE didn’t need to repent. HE was there to confirm John’s message that HE was the Messiah.
The Holy Spirit was there in the form of a dove which stood for peace. HE was there to show HIS support of the ministry of Jesus Christ the Messiah. HE lead Jesus into the wilderness after the baptism to face the temptations of Satan to be another sign that HE was the Messiah and give us an example of how to battle with our enemy.
Finally, the Father was there to give a vocal testimony of support for HIS Son Jesus Christ who came to this earth to die on the cross for our sins. HE was well-pleased will all the actions of HIS Son.
Now we need to follow the teachings of the New Testament to give glory to the LORD and for us to be well-pleasing in HIS sight.
Our power comes from the Holy Spirit who indwells us at the point of salvation. HE communicates with us regarding our actions and attitudes for the rest of our life. If we get out of line HE corrects us. If we are serving properly HE encourages us.
CHALLENGE: We need to listen to the Holy Spirit who communicates with us through the Word of God.
: 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (76 “Adam” [adam] means first man, the red earth, or parent of the whole human family.)
DEVOTION: Here we have a genealogy of the line of Joseph. It takes it from the time of Joseph and Mary to the time of creation. Many important names are mentioned in this section. There is David. There is Jacob. There is Abraham.
There is Enoch (Enos)- the man who didn’t die but was taken up to heaven without dying. He was only one of two men who the Bible record as never dying. Elijah was the other.
We find the name of Seth in the list as the father of Enoch. Remember Seth was the replacement for Abel who was killed by his brother Cain. Seth was to be the godly line of Adam. Cain was the ungodly line.
Then there is the first man who was created by God in the beginning on the sixth day. We find the words “the son” in italics because they are not in the original text. It should read “was of God.” The male parent of the whole human family was created by God to start the human race. God created ONE woman out of a rib from Adam’s side to be his help-mate.
There were two parents that God created to form the first married couple. They were one male and one female. That was the order that God established at the beginning. Divorce was not an option until the time of Moses. God hates divorce. One male and one female had children. The godly seed had one male and one female. The ungodly seed started having more than one wife.
We need to learn from the Bible what God’s standard is for the human race. Christ came into the world to call those who would follow to accept and abide by the standard that God had set for the human race. Christ is called the “second Adam.” HE came to establish a new race called “Christian.” The other race called “flesh” is not abiding by HIS standards. Are we abiding by HIS standard?
CHALLENGE: Promote God’s standards in your local body of believers.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)>
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jesus communicating with Fatherverse 21
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of Godverse 2
Book of Isaiahverse 4
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 2 , 6, 8
Heaven opened upverse 21
Voice from heavenverse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Lordverse 4
Christverse 15
Mightier than Johnverse 16
Baptize with Holy Ghostverse 16
Baptize with fireverse 16
Jesusverses 21, 23
Jesus baptizedverse 21
Prayingverse 21
Beloved Sonverse 22
Father well – pleasedverse 22
Thirty years of ageverse 23
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Holy Ghost – Christ baptize withverse 16
Holy Ghost – form of a doveverse 22
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Trinity involved in creationverse 38
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Tiberius Caesar – 15th year of reignverse 1
Pontius Pilate – governor of Judaeaverse 1
Herod – tetrarch of Galileeverses 1, 19
Philip – tetrarch of Ituraea+Trachonitisverse 1
Lysanias – tetrarch of Abileneverse 1
All fleshverse 6
Publicansverse 12
Herodias – Philip’s wifeverse 19
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sinsverse 3
Generation of vipersverse 7
Not bring forth good fruitverse 9
Exact more than necessaryverse 13
Violenceverse 14
Falsely accuseverse 14
Discontentverse 14
Evilsverse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Preachingverses 3, 18
Repentanceverses 3, 8
Remission of sinsverse 3
Prophetverse 4
Salvationverse 6
Baptizedverses 7, 12, 16, 21
Fruitsverses 8, 9
Worthy of repentanceverse 8
Give second coat awayverse 11
Give some meat awayverse 11
Don’t charge moreverse 13
Don’t do violenceverse 14
Don’t accuse falselyverse 14
Be content with your wagesverse 14
Baptized with fireverse 16
Reproveverse 19
Prayingverse 21
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Annas – high priestverse 2
Caiaphas – high priestverse 2
John the son of Zachariasverse 2
John in Jordanverses 3-20
Preaching the baptism of repentance
Remission of sins
One crying in wilderness
Prepare way of the Lord
Salvation of God
Generation of vipers
Fruits worthy of repentance
Good fruit
Baptized
Master
Exhortation
Preached
Prison
Isaiah – prophetverse 4
Abrahamverse 8
Joseph – son of Heliverse 23
Genealogy to Adamverses 24-35
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Wrath to comeverse 7
Chaff burn with fire unquenchableverse 17
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