Luke 3
Encyclopedia
Luke 3 is the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke
in the New Testament
of the Christian
Bible
. It contains an account of John the Baptist
as well as a Genealogy of Jesus
.
Tiberius' fifteenth year of rule was AD 29 or 30, so if one believes Luke, one can date the start of John's preaching to then.
Luke, like Mark
1:2-3 Matthew 3:3
and John
1:23 quotes Isiah 40 but quotes it to the greatest length in reference to John. It is possible that he does this to include the message that "...all mankind will see God's salvation" (6) to his Gentile
audience. (Brown 235) He preaches baptism
and repentance
, and tells people that their descent from Abraham
will not save them from God, that "...out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (8-9)
The people ask what they should do and John says share and that tax collectors and soldiers should not abuse their positions. They ask him if he is the Christ
, and he replies "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (16) also found in Matthew 3:11
Mark 1:7-8 and John 1:26-27. John is then locked up by Herod for rebuking him about his wife Herodias
and everything else as well.
appears to him as a dove and tells him "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." which happens in all the gospels.
Luke says that "...Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (23). Luke does not state how many years John baptised for but this is when most date the start of Jesus's ministry, 29 or 30. He had to be more than thirty years old, as he most probably was born in 4 BC
.
Luke then gives us, like Matthew 1
, a genealogy of Jesus, starting with his legal father Joseph
and lists 73 people between Joseph and Adam
who Luke says is "...the Son of God" (38) thus having 75 people between God and Jesus. It is longer and different from Matthew's list. It lists Joseph's father and thus Jesus's grandfather as Heli
where Matthew says his name was Jacob. They then say that Jesus's great grandfather was named Matthat or Matthan, who could be the same person or, as first suggested by Julius Africanus
, brothers. The lists then diverge from there, coming together again at David.
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. It contains an account of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
as well as a Genealogy of Jesus
Genealogy of Jesus
The genealogy of Jesus is described in two passages of the Gospels: Luke 3:23–38 and Matthew 1:1–17.* Matthew's genealogy commences with Abraham and then from King David's son Solomon follows the legal line of the kings through Jeconiah, the king whose descendants were cursed, to Joseph, legal...
.
John the Baptist
Luke, as in the first two chapters, provides a chronological guide to the events he describes:- In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
was governor of JudeaJudeaJudea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
, HerodHerod AntipasHerod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
tetrarchTetrarchy (Judea)The Tetrarchy of Judea was formed following the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE, when his kingdom was divided between his sons as an inheritance...
of GalileeGalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and LysaniasLysaniasLysanias was the ruler of a small realm on the western slopes of Mount Hermon, attested to by the Jewish writer Josephus and in coins from circa 40 BC. There is also mention of a Lysanias dated to 29 AD in the gospel of Luke. It has been debated whether these are the same person.- Lysanias in...
tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of AnnasAnnasAnnas [also Ananus or Ananias], son of Seth , was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Iudaea in 6 AD; just after the Romans had deposed Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judaea, thereby putting Judaea directly under Roman rule.Annas officially...
and CaiaphasCaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
, the word of GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
came to John son of ZechariahZechariah (priest)In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
in the desert. (1-2)
Tiberius' fifteenth year of rule was AD 29 or 30, so if one believes Luke, one can date the start of John's preaching to then.
Luke, like Mark
Mark 1
Mark 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God" stating right from the start Mark's belief. However, because there is no article in the Koine Greek some have suggested be...
1:2-3 Matthew 3:3
Matthew 3:3
Matthew 3:3 is the third verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse occurs in the section introducing John the Baptist. This verse links him to messianic prophecies.In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:...
and John
John 1
John 1 is the first chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.-Analysis:The first chapter of the Gospel of John can be divided in two parts:The first part John 1 is the first chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.-Analysis:The...
1:23 quotes Isiah 40 but quotes it to the greatest length in reference to John. It is possible that he does this to include the message that "...all mankind will see God's salvation" (6) to his Gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
audience. (Brown 235) He preaches baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
, and tells people that their descent from Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
will not save them from God, that "...out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (8-9)
The people ask what they should do and John says share and that tax collectors and soldiers should not abuse their positions. They ask him if he is the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, and he replies "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (16) also found in Matthew 3:11
Matthew 3:11
Matthew 3:11 is the tenth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse occurs in the section relating the preachings of John the Baptist. In this verse he predicts that he will be followed by someone much greater than himself...
Mark 1:7-8 and John 1:26-27. John is then locked up by Herod for rebuking him about his wife Herodias
Herodias
Herodias was a Jewish princess of the Herodian Dynasty. Asteroid 546 Herodias is named after her.-Family relationships:*Daughter of Aristobulus IV...
and everything else as well.
Jesus's baptism and genealogy
Luke then tells us then Jesus was one of the many that John baptized. The Holy SpiritHoly Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
appears to him as a dove and tells him "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." which happens in all the gospels.
Luke says that "...Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (23). Luke does not state how many years John baptised for but this is when most date the start of Jesus's ministry, 29 or 30. He had to be more than thirty years old, as he most probably was born in 4 BC
4 BC
Year 4 BC was a common year starting on Tuesday or Wednesday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Monday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
.
Luke then gives us, like Matthew 1
Matthew 1
Matthew 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains two distinct sections. The first lists the genealogy of Jesus's legal father Joseph from Abraham...
, a genealogy of Jesus, starting with his legal father Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
and lists 73 people between Joseph and Adam
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
who Luke says is "...the Son of God" (38) thus having 75 people between God and Jesus. It is longer and different from Matthew's list. It lists Joseph's father and thus Jesus's grandfather as Heli
Heli (Bible)
Heli is a Biblical individual mentioned in Luke 3:23 whom many Protestant scholars consider is the father of Mary, mother of Jesus.The Lukan genealogy mentions Joseph, not Mary, but does not have the word "son of" in the Greek text, leading to the suggestion that "son-in-law" of Heli is...
where Matthew says his name was Jacob. They then say that Jesus's great grandfather was named Matthat or Matthan, who could be the same person or, as first suggested by Julius Africanus
Julius Africanus
Julius Africanus was a celebrated orator in the reign of Nero, and seems to have been the son of the Julius Africanus, of the Gallic state of the Santoni, who was condemned by Tiberius in 32 AD. Quintilian, who had heard Julius Africanus, spoke of him and Domitius Afer as the best orators of their...
, brothers. The lists then diverge from there, coming together again at David.