IN THE FIFTEENTH year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9The ax 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.”
10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
12Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16John answered them all, “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. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened. 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Original Meaning
THE SECOND MAJOR unit of the gospel extends from Luke 3:1–4:13 and shows how John pointed the way to Jesus (3:1–20), how Jesus was baptized (3:21–22), how Jesus’ roots stretch back through David and Abraham to Adam (3:23–38), and how Jesus resisted succumbing to Satan’s temptations (4:1–13). The entire unit demonstrates how Jesus is qualified to represent both humanity and the nation of Israel as her Messiah.
Unlike the other Synoptic Gospels, which tend to intersperse their reports about John the Baptist throughout their works, Luke opts to tell most of the story about John’s ministry and arrest here, except for a brief exchange in 7:18–22. By doing so, once the story of John is dealt with, Jesus permanently holds the center stage. Luke shares the temptation account with Matthew, but opts to place the genealogy between the baptism and the temptation. In this way he makes two points: (1) Jesus as the representative of humanity is tested by Satan as to whether he is God’s Son, and (2) the nature of Jesus’ roots relate him to all people, since Luke takes the list back through Adam, while Matthew stops with Abraham. Luke also has a different order to the temptations, saving the temple scene for last, probably because Jerusalem plays a major role in the central portion of the Gospel (9:51–19:44). These differences show Luke wants to place some of his own distinct emphases on his portrait of Jesus.1
The flow of the unit is straightforward. The ethical exhortations that set the stage for Jesus’ ministry appear in John the Baptist’s remarks. A certain type of heart is needed to respond to the gospel, which is why John calls for repentance. The divine voice identifies Jesus at his baptism in what is probably a private experience, marking out his call to be the Messiah-Servant. Jesus’ lineage also fits messianic expectation. The Son shows his moral qualifications by relying on God and his word, rather than, like Adam, reaching for power that Satan tempts him to make. What Adam as son of God was not, Jesus is. So he is ready to minister on behalf of all humanity.
Much of the material in 3:1–22 is unique to Luke. Only Luke details John’s teaching (3:10–14), and only he extends the citation of Isaiah to include more of Isaiah 40:4–5. Only Luke mentions John’s imprisonment this early in the account, and only he places the ministry of John in its larger historical frame. The rest of the account has parallels in Matthew 3:7–17; Mark 1:2–11; and John 1:29–34.
This subunit begins by placing Jesus in the context of world history (3:1–2) and biblical promise (3:4–6). The linking verse is the brief description of John’s ministry. According to Isaiah 40, God will deliver his people and give them the comfort of salvation. When the Gospel writers point to this text, they inform us that John’s ministry means God is at work again to save his people. God is approaching us, so that creation should unfurl itself like a giant red carpet with pomp and honor to note his arrival. Among the evidences of such a carpet is a contrite heart (Isa. 57:14–17).
Luke places John in history, working from the most distant figure to the more proximate. John’s ministry emerges in A.D. 28–29, Tiberius’ fifteenth year.2 Though Caesar had great power, his rule was felt in Palestine only through those who administered on his behalf—the prefect, Pontius Pilate, and the appointed Jewish ruler, Herod, one of three tetrarchs from Herod the Great’s sons. Pilate was responsible for keeping the peace and collecting taxes (Josephus, Jewish War 2.9.2 §§ 169–77). Herod also kept an eye on the region, giving an air of Jewish self-government, though his family held political power through Rome’s kindness since 63 B.C. Herod’s brother Philip served as tetrarch in a neighboring region. We know little about Lysanias outside of this reference.
The Jewish religious authority was held by the house of Annas. He had been high priest from A.D. 6–15, and his sons and other relatives held the office in an almost unbroken chain for years afterward (Josephus, Antiquities 18.2.1–2 §§ 26–35). Caiaphas was Annas’s son-in-law. Power in Palestine was often a family affair. Respect for Annas is indicated by the fact he kept the title “high priest” even though he was no longer functioning in the office. John began his ministry in this complex setting: political Rome, political Israel, and religious Israel all had a stake in the affairs of the region (cf. Josephus, Antiquities 18.5.2 §§ 115–18).
Luke portrays John’s ministry as a call to repentance. The ethical thrust of Luke’s Gospel begins here. Ministering in the desert in fulfillment of the pattern of salvation indicated by Isaiah, John preaches “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” His ministry in the Jordan River region is designed to get people ready for the arrival of God’s salvation by having hearts open to respond to the coming Messiah (1:15–17, 76–77). That is why in citing Isaiah, Luke mentions the leveling of obstacles in the way of God’s arrival. If the creation bows to God’s coming, certainly human hearts should as well.
The rite of baptism is unprecedented. Judaism knew of repeated baptisms for temporary cleansing, but this was a call to prepare for the arrival of salvation, a one-time baptism in honor of the arrival of the eschatological era of salvation.3 Interestingly, like John’s call for repentance, Jesus will later see his mission as saving sinners (5:31–32; 19:10), and his disciples will carry a similar message as they share the gospel (Luke 24:43–47).
John preaches in the manner of the Old Testament prophets, seeking for a “turning” of the heart. Though the Greek word for “repentance” (metanoia) means “a change of mind,” the concept of repentance has Old Testament roots in the idea of turning to God (1 Kings 8:47; 2 Kings 23:25; Ps. 78:34; Isa. 6:10; Ezek. 3:19; Amos 4:6, 8; cf. Jesus’ comments in Luke 24:43–47, where the Old Testament and repentance are linked). To be prepared for God’s salvation, one’s heart must be opened to his message. Any doubt that this is John’s thrust can be seen in his exposition of repentance in Luke 3:10–14, where it is defined not as an abstract act of the mind, but as something that expresses itself in action. John is a sentry keeping watch over God’s plan and blowing a trumpet to announce preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. When it comes, all humanity will see the salvation of God (v. 6).
The possibility of salvation also implies the approach of judgment. Thus, opportunity will become tragedy if one does not respond. John warns the people as he prepares them by mentioning the ax lying at the root of the tree. Relying on ancestry and heritage will not commend one before God. Salvation is not by family inheritance but by faith, by turning in trust to the living God.
John forthrightly warns the crowds about not relying on their genealogies or a professional connection in order to guarantee them blessing.4 Luke 3:7–9 stresses that judgment is near, while 3:10–14 explains how one should react. What is interesting about the combination is that awareness of our accountability to God should make us more sensitive to how we treat others. For John the ethical dimension of life is fed by our sensitivity to our horizontal relationship with God.
John compares the crowd to snakes fleeing a fire in the desert. When the heat comes up, the snakes crawl out of their holes. Snakes often represent God’s enemies (Matt. 12:34; 23:33; cf. Isa. 14:29; 59:5; Jer. 46:22). He portrays the people as sensing that “fire” is near and feeling the need to flee. Still, they should pay attention to the real possibility of wrath, the day of God’s judgment. The imagery recalls Day of the Lord concepts (Isa. 13:9; 30:23; Mal. 3:2). As John proclaims the approaching salvation, the good news has a flip side—the threat of judgment for failing to respond to God.
In effect, John is asking if they understand what his baptism is really about and what is at stake. So he issues an ethical call in common Old Testament style. The people are to produce fruit worthy of repentance. If one turns to God, one’s life should look different. The New Testament loves to emphasize such “doing” (Luke 6:43–45; 13:6–9; 1 Cor. 9:23; Col. 3:17; James 1:19–25; 3:12–18). To turn to God means being prepared to serve others.
There is a danger in facing this choice, in that one can rely on lineage to get himself or herself in. John’s audience may have assumed that because they were Jews, having Abraham as their father, they were guaranteed salvation as part of the elect family of God. John describes such thinking as deadly. Jews were proud of their heritage (cf. 4 Ezra 6:56–58; Josephus, Antiquities 3.5.3 §§ 87–88), but John warns that such a heritage means nothing to an individual who does not personally turn to God.5 God is able to make his children out of objects of creation, such as stones. Since Abraham is a “rock” from which his children are cut (Isa. 51:1–2), John is saying that God can create a fresh batch of people. He has the creative power to bring to him those who are not a part of the elect nation.
Judgment is primed for those who do not respond. In fact, the ax is sitting at the tree’s root, ready to cut down those trees that lack fruit. Those trees, once felled, will be sent to the fire (cf. Ps. 74:5–6; Jer. 2:21–22; 11:16; Ezek. 15:6–7; Hos. 10:1–2). John uses the imagery of the Old Testament to prepare people for the new era.
The crowd understands the message and asks what they can do to avoid the wrath to come. The repetition of the word “do” or “produce” (poieo; vv. 8, 10, 12, 14) shows the link between John’s remarks and the crowd’s response. The crowd knows that the important issue is not getting baptized but responding to God with a certain kind of heart and life.
John tells the crowd to be generous, giving a tunic to one who needs it and food to those who lack it. The hated tax collectors also respond.6 These people operated in a sort of pyramid scheme, since the collection of taxes was put out for bids and commissions were built into the collection. The fact that “tax collectors” are often paired with “sinners” in the New Testament shows how much disdain Jewish society had for them. John tells them to collect only what is required. Finally, the soldiers, who kept the peace and wielded great power, are told not to use that force to extort money or accuse people falsely, but to be content with their wages.7 This last point is important, because financial pressure could lead to extortion, given that the soldier earned only a basic wage. The word for “to extort” (diaseio) is particularly descriptive, since it means “to shake violently.”
John preaches personal preparation, but he also points to Jesus (3:15–17). When the issue is raised whether John might be the Messiah, he denies the speculation and explains how they may know that the Christ has come. There is in fact so much difference between the two that John feels he is not worthy to do the most menial of tasks that a slave might do, to untie the thong of the coming stronger one’s sandal.8 The way that they will know when the Christ has come is to compare their baptisms. John baptizes with water, but the Christ will bring the baptism of the Spirit.
Baptism with Spirit and fire represents a presence and a purging that divides (Isa. 4:4–5).9 The Spirit’s coming is often linked in the Old Testament to the era of the end times (Isa. 32:15; 44:3; Ezek. 36:25–27; Joel 2:28–32). That presence and purging are in view is made clear by verse 17, where the “winnowing fork” is said to be ready to clear the threshing floor. The harvesting image refers to a wooden fork that lifted beaten grain in the air, so that the wind could drive away the light chaff and the grain fall to the floor to be gathered (Prov. 20:28; Jer 15:7; Isa. 34:8–10). The Spirit’s baptism will gather some, while others will be left to the wind (cf. also Luke 12:49–53; 17:29–30).
Luke notes that there is much more to John’s teaching as he exhorts the people with the “good news” (v. 18). It is interesting how Luke juxtaposes good news and judgment, a combination we seldom put together today. The text is honest about God’s judgment and the vindication of justice it represents. That is why judgment can be good news. Where there is judgment, there is the offer of mercy.
John’s message reaches the upper echelon of society, and no one escapes his penetrating call to repent. He takes Herod to task for his marriage to Herodias, both of whom left marriages to marry each other. In addition, Herodias had been married to Herod’s half-brother, a relationship that by Jewish law prevented Herodias from being Herod’s wife (Lev. 18:16; 20:21).10 But this is only one moral issue John tackles. Herod responds to this with the typical reaction of a hardened sinner—by striking back and locking John in prison. Given the choice of repenting or denying sin, the ruler tries to remove the source of accountability. Luke moves up the account of this jailing, so that when he turns to Jesus, he can tell the story of that ministry uninterrupted.11
As we turn to consider Jesus’ baptism, few moments are as important as when heaven speaks (in this event and in the Transfiguration). This event has three significant points. (1) Jesus is identified with the ministry of John.12 Though Matthew 3:13–17 brings this out more explicitly, Jesus accepts baptism so that he can identify with John’s message.13 When Jesus submits to this washing, he is declaring that John’s message is true and that people must get prepared to receive salvation.
(2) In a note unique to Luke, Jesus is praying when the Spirit descends like a dove on him. Luke loves to mention how Jesus bathes his life in prayer (6:12; 9:18, 29; 11:1; 22:41). This divine endorsement comes in the midst of a sweet communion between the Father and the Son.
(3) Something often missed in this account is that this is probably a private experience of Jesus. The voice speaks directly to him; Luke does not record any reaction or response from the crowd, as in other cases when such events occur more publicly (e.g., Acts 9). Mark and Luke both have the voice speaking directly to Jesus (using “you”), while Matthew summarizes the significance of the remark by saying, “This is my beloved Son.” John’s Gospel notes only that the Baptist saw the dove descend.
More important is the “anointing” that takes place (cf. Luke 4:16–18). The Spirit descends like a dove on Jesus. The symbolism of the dove is difficult to ascertain. The Spirit is associated with the presence of God in his creative work and in the presence of his grace (Gen. 1:2; 8:8–12).14
The most important feature of the text is the endorsement itself: God identifies Jesus as his Son as he anoints him for ministry. This event confirms the call of Jesus and names his function. The remark about “my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” weaves together three Old Testament allusions.15 (1) Jesus is identified in Psalm 2:7 as the messianic Son. As we noted in Luke 1:31–35, the title “Son” in Judaism refers to the Son of God. The roots of the title go back to the Davidic covenant, where God agreed to treat David’s descendants as a father does a son (2 Sam. 7:7–16). In Psalm 2, the psalmist explains the importance of the sovereignty of the Son even in the midst of opposition and rejection. So when God uses this title here in Luke, he is marking out Jesus as the sovereign king.
(2) The next allusion comes from Isaiah 42:1, a Servant passage (Matt. 12:18). The identity of the “Servant” in the Old Testament is debated. Is he a messianic or prophetic figure? Isaiah’s portrait of the Servant gives him many prophetic qualities, and the use of a conceptually parallel text from Isaiah 61:1–2 in Luke 4:16–30 also shows these more prophetic qualities. Later in the Servant songs, the unique, more messianic, suffering qualities of the Servant emerge, but it appears that by calling Jesus the one “with [whom] I am well pleased,” the voice alludes to Jesus’ prophetic quality, combining the recognition of his authority with the presence in him of revelatory truth.
(3) Whether a third allusion appears in “whom I love” is debated. Some cite background in Genesis 22:12, 16 and see the reference as a description of Jesus as God’s only Son.16 This is possible, but to work the allusion to mean Son must take on two senses at once: one appealing to regal imagery, the other to Isaac typology. Another more likely option is to see an allusion to Isaiah 41:8, where the ideas of a chosen Servant and a beloved Person line up. The stress here is on the chosen nature of the Son’s position and on his special relationship to God.
This event “coronates” Jesus’ ministry, not by making him what he was not before, but by recognizing that now the beloved Son will launch out into actively exercising the authority he possesses.
Bridging Contexts
MOST OF THIS section in Luke deals with the ministry of John the Baptist. Included in that ministry is the baptism of Jesus. We will bridge the contexts of these two units separately.
John the Baptist’s Ministry
JOHN HAS A unique ministry, since there is only one forerunner to prepare us for the Christ; yet his ministry reflects the Old Testament prophets in general. This point of connection helps us bridge the contexts. Old Testament prophecy, though addressed to the covenant people of Israel, reflects the ethical values of God. So such texts are profitable for correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Beyond that, we today also have a ministry that presents Christ in light of what he has done. The kind of preparation John calls for (“repentance”) is like the message Jesus calls his disciples to take to the world (Luke 24:47). So this passage reveals the kind of heart God desires.
This passage also shows an apparent mix between secular history and sacred history. In a sense, we cannot distinguish the two, since God is involved in all history. We tend to divide the secular and the sacred today. The prophet John is as concerned to announce the coming of Jesus as he is to discuss Herod. His prophetic role is to address sin or blessing wherever it surfaces. There is a danger today, as evangelicals reenter the political arena, that they will confuse party and church, making politics the answer for something that requires more than a majority of votes or the raw and clever exercise of political power. We risk becoming selective in our engagement of sin by attacking the laziness of those who abuse welfare, while ignoring the real inequities that cause people to grow up in poverty or in the midst of horrific violence. Materialism and self-indulgence, Herod’s sins, are equally as spiritually damaging as laziness. Passing legislation without the moral fiber to appreciate why such laws are present is only a Band-Aid for true reformation of character.
Many of the concepts in this passage represent fundamental theological responses to the revelation of God—for example, repentance in the face of judgment and not relying on heritage as the basis for entry into blessing. In fact, the description of those who rest on their ancestral laurels as snakes shows just how much God dislikes such presumption. He only honors the genuine pursuit of forgiveness.
Thus one should be careful in reading a passage like this and in assuming a kind of permanent genealogical inoculation from the consequences of sin. Granted, when we trust Christ, we receive forgiveness from all our sin, but that does not mean we are given license to do whatever we wish. God hates sin, whether we commit it as believers or unbelievers. Sin still needs to be brought before him in sincere confession with contrition. The Old Testament pictures such acknowledgment in preparation of Jesus’ work in the sin offering. If he died for sins committed before we come to him, he has also paid just as dearly for the sins we commit afterward.
In a real sense, this passage applies to another group, which I call the “tweeners.” “Tweeners” are people who see themselves as “in” relationship with God, but who in fact are not really in communion with him, because they have not trusted him. They look in, but really are out; thus, they are located “between” their claim and the reality in a way someone who openly rejects God is not. Many of the Jews John addresses see themselves as “in” with God because of ancestry or some sense of association with him. John stresses that relationship with God is not predicated on a claim of association, but on a heart turned consciously to him seeking forgiveness. That means that some whom John addresses, even though they see themselves as “in,” may in fact be “out.” One of the most fundamental truths of the Christian life is the awareness that our salvation in Christ is not because of any inherent right we have.
No human can make such a claim against God (Rom. 3:9–19; Eph. 2:8–10). The truth is that we are his only because we know we need his grace so he can make us into the people God has designed us to be. Only he can help us deal with our inherited sin. Forgiveness and righteousness, to be manifest in this life, must come by the grace of God, and the gift of new life he gives to those who turn to Christ with a heart that is aware of their need. Success in the Christian life continues to recognize that without him and his grace, we are prone to sin. Thus John’s message, even though it warns outsiders and tweeners, also reminds us that the life we possess from God is ours by his grace, whose richness we continue to draw from to sustain us. As we draw on that grace, God will bring forth from us fruit worthy of repentance. The grace of God exists so that we might turn to him and become people “eager to do what is good,” as Paul writes in Titus 2:11–14. Such fruit is evidence that God’s grace is active in our life.
The fundamental ethical value of treating others well also has timeless value. Such treatment of others grows out of our appreciation of God and his creation. John’s warnings are directed toward a world and toward people in it. Where authority is wielded with such unchecked power that the possibility of abuse is almost a given. Luke 3:10–14 contains John’s call to the tax collector or soldier not to abuse power. To apply such texts in many third-world settings is to require a radical redefinition of the use of powers. To the third world, abuse of power often comes visibly and automatically with the wielding of power. Of course, other abuses of authority or business practices are possible that are more subtle than extortion or excess surcharges. First-world abuse often takes the form of asking people to do more than is healthy for their families in light of the requirements of the business. First-world abuse may be not honoring a workman with wages that reflect his contribution, while people at the top take in more than they deserve. First-world abuse in the church constantly takes advantage of well-meaning volunteers without even once stopping to thank them genuinely or offer some type of concrete recognition for their labor. First-world abuse at societal levels may leave those without money with little voice, while those who have resources can lobby the rich and powerful. If John condemns the practices recorded here for the Roman world, he also condemns the more subtle forms of abuse of position.
The idea that all are accountable for the moral quality of their walk should not be missed in this passage. Herod may have seen himself as above God’s moral law, but John does not see it that way. Regardless of what authority Herod can yield against the prophet, God still holds him responsible for his own moral decisions.
John’s faithfulness as a prophet shows an ability to address issues of sin and judgment directly. Even though it is risky and unpopular, John knows what the moral call of God asks of him. He also knows where to leave the responsibility of judgment. The ax is not his to yield; the prophet can only point to God, who will eventually swing the blade.
Jesus’ Baptism
JESUS’ BAPTISM HAS two major points of contact into the present. (1) That baptism endorses John’s ministry. Everything said about John in Luke 3:1–20 is confirmed when Jesus steps forward to receive his baptism. But it is not the rite that makes it important, but what the rite represents. Everything that is true about preparing for the arrival of God’s salvation in Jesus in the first century in terms of heart response is true today. To come to Jesus one must seek forgiveness of sins.
(2) Jesus comes fully approved by the Father. He has sovereign authority as the promised Son over the blessings of salvation. He is a prophetic figure who reveals the way of God. He is chosen for the task and is a unique object of God’s love. All of this transcends the picture of Jesus that our culture presents.
God’s method of communication at Jesus’ baptism differs from the way he normally speaks to us. We seldom if ever hear God speak in an audible voice from heaven. Instead, the presence of the Spirit within us directs us, especially as we seek God’s direction in prayer and in consultation with the Scriptures. In addition, God may speak to us through the words of other believers who care about us. That is why community, where the communion of the Spirit among the saints occurs, is so important.
Contemporary Significance
AS WITH BRIDGING Contexts, most of this section in Luke deals with the ministry of John the Baptist. But included in that ministry is the baptism of Jesus. We will apply these two units separately.
John the Baptist’s Ministry
JOHN ILLUSTRATES HOW the proclaimer of the Word should perform his task. The preacher must bear good news as well as news that exposes sin. Some preachers in the past tended to emphasize sin so much that one wondered where grace might be found. Today our problem is the opposite: being able to confront people with their accountability and culpability before God. A preacher of God’s message must be balanced in delivering both messages. Forgiveness cannot occur except where one realizes responsibility for sin and repents of it.
Recognizing that we are accountable to God can be either suffocating or liberating. It suffocates us when we insist on continuing to sin, deepening our culpability. It liberates when we turn to God for forgiveness and experience the blessing of being forgiven. The dynamics of this for the believer are just as important, in that the forgiveness obtained at the cross when we come to Jesus covers all sin. Although those who have received forgiveness are not judged eternally when they continue to sin, they still suffer the consequences that sin inevitably brings. On the other hand, seeking forgiveness means that we can claim the reality of the forgiveness Jesus has made available once for all.
Forgiveness has another corollary. When we are forgiven after turning to God, such forgiveness should yield a transformed character as a response to the grace of God. John assumes that repentance will have a fruit. Jesus will say later in this Gospel that one who is forgiven much loves the Lord much (7:47). The depth of our sense of forgiveness serves as the drive for our sense of need for transformation. When we realize what sin costs us and what it cost God, we are better prepared to turn from it.
If one asks what a transformed life looks like, the simple answer here involves treating people with generosity in meeting their needs and in refusing to abuse authority (3:10–14). In other words, a transformed life transforms our ways of relating to others. People are not to be ignored, used, or abused. God honors those who honor others. That is why in the Lord’s Prayer we pray to have our sins forgiven as we forgive others. The forgiven person is to become a forgiving person. The delivered person is to be a delivering person. As the Father has shown his goodwill to us, so we should show it to others.
Another important note in this text is the idea that cultural connections do not assure salvation. Being born in a “Christian country,” growing up in a “Christian home,” going to a “Christian church,” and living a moral “Christian life” mean nothing, if we have not personally responded to the offer of forgiveness found by coming to Jesus. No baptism, no amount of church attendance, and no history of Christ in the family can substitute for a personal turning to Jesus with an awareness that he provides forgiveness for our sin. There is no greater application of the forerunner’s message than to turn to the Stronger One he pointed to as bringing the salvation of God. To trust Jesus for forgiveness is to apply this text in its most ultimate form.
It is the importance of Jesus’ coming as a divider in the midst of humanity that makes response so imperative. He is much greater than any prophet; he is not just a moralist as our culture tends to portray him. As the bearer of the Spirit who divides wheat from chaff, everyone clearly has a stake in Jesus’ coming. No one can escape responding to him. He owns the winnowing fork, and all of us will be tossed into the air and assessed for how well we have responded to him.
The rebuke of Herod drives the point home even more. Even those of the highest social class and those who wield the highest degree of secular power are subject to his moral claim on their lives. The powerful sometimes feel most immune from accountability to God and can develop a false sense of independence. John’s rebuke indicates that although he cannot force Herod to repent, Herod is responsible to God for his conduct. No one is above God’s standard. When it comes to him, all play on a level field.
Herod’s response yields another lesson. Sometimes sinners respond with hostility when sin is called sin. Herod tried to stop the presence of a human conscience by locking John up. However, nothing Herod does can change his accountability.
John’s faithfulness leads to a final observation. Sometimes doing God’s will is not popular; it may involve personal risk. John speaks up and has to suffer the consequences of his public stand. He describes what sin is and calls people to account before God for it, but he also shows the way out of its sinister grip. The church today needs to do the same. We need to share honestly what the cross cost God, because sin is costly to humanity. We also need to be clear that we personally are not immune from the confession of sin we call for others to make. Jesus does not save perfect, but forgiven, people—folks whose sin takes many forms but to whom the same forgiveness is offered because of the greatness of the source of that forgiveness. A warning without the gospel is as imbalanced as the gospel without an awareness of culpability for sin. The church’s message must be balanced between sin and forgiveness. The bridge over the chasm of sin is the recognition that with repentance comes forgiveness. Understanding the depth of God’s goodness engenders the faith that saves.
Jesus’ Baptism
THE FACT THAT Jesus’ baptism occurs framed by prayer should not be missed. If the beloved Son communes with God through prayer as he pursues his direction in life, how much more should we! Regular time in prayer is a lifeline in our relationship to God. Failure to pray is like trying to go through marriage without talking to your spouse. It becomes almost impossible to be on the same page as one faces the challenges of life. So Scripture urges us to pray without ceasing (cf. Luke 18:1; 1 Thess. 5:17).
The primary application of this text comes in its Christology. Many in our culture respect Jesus, regarding him as a religious teacher of great significance and even placing him among the top religious teachers of all time. Others even acknowledge him as a prophet, giving him a seat in a rather limited club of divine revealers. But as high as these notes of respect are, they pale in comparison to the biblical portrait. Luke shows that Jesus is not like anyone who came before him or anyone since. The Hall of Religious Fame into which he is placed has only one portrait in it—his. There have been other great teachers, prophets, and kings, but there is only one who has combined all of those roles as God’s Son.
The significance of that reality is that when one comes to Jesus, one is not approaching one truth among many. Religion is not like a line in a cafeteria, where one has a choice of what meal to eat. The message of Jesus is unique. The road to the Father comes through him (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Nor is religious faith in the world like a vast interstate highway system where many roads lead to God. Jesus is available to all humanity, so the offer he makes is not an exclusive one. But in order to know the Father, one must know the Son. That message may cut against the grain of our current cultural pluralism, but it does reflect that Jesus is unique: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” With a divine endorsement like that, we must listen to him.
Unfortunately, even some evangelicals today are questioning just how exclusive and necessary the recognition of faith in Jesus is. They claim that we must be “open to God” and argue for the possibility that God saves some outside of Jesus on the basis of Jesus’ work.17 Yet such an emphasis makes no sense of the kind of appeals Paul made to Jews, who knew Yahweh and were as sincere about their beliefs as they could be (Rom. 9:33–10:4). If those who have not heard can be saved without Jesus, why share the gospel with them and put them at risk? The unique Son of God had a unique mission. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). Such fundamental biblical truth cannot be revised, no matter how hard it is for our pluralistic worldview to swallow. In an earlier essay, I summarized the issue this way:
Ignorance and “God-fearing devotion” in themselves provide no hope that one can enter God’s presence outside Jesus, as the New Testament shows. Devotion to God must be according to knowledge. In other words, one must believe in the righteousness that come from God through faith in Jesus. Perhaps Acts 17:30–31 (RSV) says it best: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” To know God one must know the appointed one. In short, to be a part of the kingdom, one must know the King.18