Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
We recently discussed this opening text of chapter 3 in the introduction to the book of Luke in an effort to point out the precision that Luke used to write his account of the life of Jesus. (Notice the many ways that Luke attempts to date the period that he is writing about).
Only one part of this text will be reexamined, and that is, “the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.” After all of the attention had been focused on Jesus up to this point, now we turn our attention back to John who is the one to come and prepare the way of the Lord. It is safe to say, that a great space of time has gone by and both Jesus and John are about 30 years of age (Luke 3:23).
The text tells us that the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness. This is the John who was born to Zecharias, according to Luke. We know that John was going to play a special role in bringing in the work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, because the angel Gabriel had told him about it (Luke 1:15-17; 76-77). John was to give the people the knowledge of salvation and here we find that the word of the Lord came to John to give him the wisdom he needed to do his work for the Lord.
When the word of the Lord comes to us as we study and listen to others who are teaching, what do we do with it? Do we obey the word? Do we take the knowledge of salvation and use it to lead others to salvation in the forgiveness of their sins? We may not be the prophet of the Most High, like John, but we are told to use our mouth to teach the word of God to others (Matt. 28:19-20; II Tim. 2:2).
And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD."'
Once John received the word from the Lord about his mission, he went into the regions around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. There are not many people preaching similar things today!
While we are not commanded to obey John’s baptism today, we do have the command to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). John went into “all the district” and we are commanded to “go into all the world” (Matt. 28:19). John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” and we are told to “preach the gospel to every creature, he that believes and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16; see also Luke 24:47). Today the message is no different… if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are willing to confess that faith, repent and be baptized, you can be saved. I have no clue what some of the preachers today are thinking when they proclaim other modes unto salvation (sinner’s prayer, mourner’s bench, faith only doctrine etc.). John began a proclamation about salvation to prepare the way for what the Lord would continue to teach into the rest of the NT.
Did you ever wonder why John had to go to the districts around the Jordan? (John 3:23) Where there is a baptism, there has to be enough water for the baptism. Baptism from its original language means, immersion, submersion, and an overwhelming. If John could have baptized with some of the foreign methods that are applied today, he most likely could have stayed out in the wilderness and used the water from a smaller source (sprinkling, pouring, oil instead of water etc.). Baptism is a burial in water that washes away one’s sins and saves their soul through obedience to the Lord (Rom. 6:1-8; I Pet. 3:21; Acts 22:16)
The quote at the end of this section of our text comes from Isaiah 40:3-5, which says,
“A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see {it} together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’"
No doubt this was the message John received from the Lord on this great day in his ministry. It was customary to send a messenger ahead of a king when trying to clear the way for his entrance and deliver a message about what He is going to do upon His arrival. Many times the roads were smoothed and the dwelling places cleaned for the arrival of such a noble one. In this case, the literal roads were not smoothed and the many living quarters were not cleaned, but rather, the hearts of the people were opened and made ready for the coming of the Messiah.
We know that John lived in the wilderness until the day he was called to appear to Israel (Luke 1:80). Now John had to prepare the way of the Lord. It was now time to go and fulfill his work for the Lord. All flesh was about to see the salvation of God, in Christ.
So he {began} saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
John began saying to the people who wanted to be baptized, “"You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” He wanted them to know that they were wrong with the Lord and that they needed to make sure they understood why they were coming to him for baptism. Matthew tells us that it was a group of Pharisees and Sadducees that had gathered at the Jordan. John points out that there was going to be a “wrath to come”, and these sinners needed to come to God with sincere hearts in obedience to His will.
To all these Jews a brood of vipers is to say that even their fathers were full of wickedness as well. They did not come with the multitude to willingly admit their wrongs, but came to John privately. His response to them is, “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” and he continues, “"Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance…” In other words, don’t just say that you are sorry and come to me for baptism to look righteous, but do those works that will be proof of your change of heart. Repentance is more than confessing our wrongs, or feeling sorry for what we have done (II Cor. 7:2). Repentance requires a change of one’s heart, which results in the change of one’s actions.
The Jews thought that since they were of Abraham’s seed, that they had special acceptance before God. But John says, “do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” These Jews needed to be reminded that God chose them and that God could just as easily have picked a different people for Himself. God even had the power, according to John, to raise up children unto Abraham, from the stones that were scattered about the region where he was teaching. These Jews needed to humble themselves and realize that God shows no partiality, but it is those who fear Him and work righteousness that is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:34-35). It was not uncommon for the Jew to think that he could escape the judgment and terror of God, simply based on the fact that he was a Jew. If these sects of the Jewish faith continued to be high-minded and exalt themselves, they would be destroyed. We who are a part of God’s people today, need to remember to be humble and holy so that we will not face the wrath of God in the judgment day. God is looking at our life, not our lineage.
John further emphasizes the seriousness of their condition, when he says, “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." This is not the only place where we find similar teachings in the NT. In the gospel of John we have Jesus teaching, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither {can} you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned” (John 15:2-6).
Every one of us should know that when an axe has cut through the roots of a tree, the tree will no longer draw the necessary strength it needs to live. John is trying to say to these Jews, that if they wanted to have abundant life, they were going to have to be growing and bearing fruit, while remaining strong in the Lord.
If we are not faithful to the Lord in His service, bringing forth the fruits of repentance and growth, He will not allow us to continue to be a part of His body (See Lk. 8:15; 13:6-9; Jer. 2:21; also Matt. 15:13; Jam. 3:14-18).
Paul also instructed Gentiles to understand the serious nature of the relationship of being grafted into the Lord (See Rom. 11:16b-24). Jesus once said in Matthew 21:43, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.” (See Gal. 5:22-25; Rom. 7:4-5)
How are we doing with bringing forth the fruit of the kingdom? We will not continue to be a part of that kingdom if we are not bringing forth fruit in the Lord’s service! When the kingdom is delivered to God the Father on the last great day, you need to be found in faithful service according to His will (See I Cor. 15:24).
And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?" And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." And {some} tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." {Some} soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And {what about} us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse {anyone} falsely, and be content with your wages."
The response that should come from the preaching of the word of God is seen here in that all of the people who heard John wanted to know what to do to be saved. It was not only about believing in what was said, but it also included repenting and making the necessary changes in life to obey the message. John had in his presence, many crowds of people who were lost in sin. John instructed these groups to make changes that were applicable to their sinful ways.
To the multitude John’s exhortation was that they should be loving and kind to one another, by sharing what they had in life. Whether it was clothing or food, they needed to demonstrate compassion toward those who did not have what they needed. Helping the less fortunate is a quality that is needed in every nation today. If we are selfish and do not help those who are in need, we are not demonstrating a Christian character (See Matt. 25:34-46)
To the tax collectors John said, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." The reason that tax collectors were often associated with the sinners was because of their dealings with others from whom they collected taxes. A tax collector would often take more than what he was commanded by his higher officials, so that he could steal some of what was collected for himself. God strictly condemned this and John was telling those who were involved in such evil practices to repent of this error (See Eph. 4:28).
Finally to the soldiers, John said, “"Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse {anyone} falsely, and be content with your wages." Misusing authority to achieve a level of gain is not a godly quality at all. Forcing others to give you money and then speaking lies about them, so as to have the right to punish them, is wrong. John’s message to them is that they needed to be content with their wages and not covet the wealth of others.
So many problems today are caused by trying to obtain more earthly riches (marriages fail, people are ruined etc.). Speaking lies about another person seems to be a common way to climb the success ladder and put yet another person below us. Yet the Lord tells us not to lie and speak evil against others (Eph. 4:20-25)
We need to be willing to address some of the needs of a prospect for the gospel prior to their conversion. We may not be able to change everything about them before they come to Christ in baptism, but we must help them to fully understand the changes involved with repentance.
Peter stood up and preached about the sins of the people in Acts 2. In the text, the people asked Peter what to do about their sins. Peter’s response was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38)
Notice that repentance came before baptism. This did not mean that every person went and made all wrongs, right, before baptism. But it does mean that they had a change of heart and were willing to live from that day forward with a change in their actions.
John called it bringing forth, “fruits in keeping with repentance”. If someone thinks that they can revert back to their old ways after baptism and the Lord will still save them, they are wrong and are not doing works in “keeping with repentance.” Perhaps Acts 3:19 can be of some help here, as it states, “Therefore repent and return (be converted kjv), so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” To return to the right way, from the wrong way, is what repentance is all about.
Paul, the apostle, was later appointed for the purpose of leading people to repentance and the remission of sins. The preaching and the teaching that he did about repentance and conversion was no different (See Acts 17:30-31; 26:16-24)
So as John was preparing the way of the Lord, he was teaching the fundamental foundations of the law of Christ. When Jesus would come, He would continue these teachings into His ministry and would even command those who would carry on the work after Him, to have sinners repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and salvation (Luke 24:47; Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:16). All of the examples of NT conversion are in harmony with one another, all teaching the need for sinners to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. My challenge to anyone is to find one account in the NT, after the Lord’s kingdom has been established, where one person was converted apart from repentance and baptism. You will not only fail to find one, but you will be thoroughly convinced that in order to be right with God, you also must repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. What do you have to repent of, to be right with God?
What would John have said to the sinners of our day (homosexuals, drunkards, foul mouths, disrespectful, rich, etc.)? Have you obeyed the gospel? If you have obeyed the gospel, are you bringing forth fruits in keeping with repentance?
Whatever it is that is keeping us from truly returning to the paths of righteousness in each and every one of our lives, we need to turn from all sin and cease the practice of it, so that we can be restored to a right relationship with the Lord.
Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.”
Since John was preaching such a strong message about spiritual things, the people began to wonder if he was the promised Messiah. The text says, “the people were in a state of expectation”. John immediately makes it clear that even though he is on an important mission, he is only here to exalt the One to come who was truly the Messiah.
John explained, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John says that all I can do is baptize you with water, but when the Messiah comes He will be able to baptize you with power from on high and even with His righteous judgment.
We can see the humility of John as he says that he is not even worthy to untie the sandals of the coming Messiah, because He would be more mighty than himself. As a matter of a fact, John is showing extreme humility, as the role of untie and binding the sandals of another person was the job of a servant. John was saying then that he was not even worthy to serve the Messiah who was to come. None of us are worthy of serving the Lord, but he calls us into his service and we accept his offer willingly. At least we should accept His offer.
The power of the Messiah is portrayed in the Old Testament in so many ways that the people had such high expectations of who He would be. They knew that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as both of these claims were promises made concerning Him (Joel 2:28-29; Isaiah 4:4-5).
Many have misunderstood this teaching of John to mean that when the Christ would come, then water baptism would be done away with, and that only the Holy Spirit baptism would remain. They assume that the Holy Spirit baptism and fire baptism are the same, but that is not the case. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was only promised to the apostles and was only given by the Lord from on high. This was going to be given to fulfill the prophecies made long ago about the Holy Spirit coming to reveal the final covenant of God to His people.
The fire baptism has not taken place yet, since it refers to the final judgment of the Lord with His wrath and indignation against sinners. The Bible has informed us that the final judgment will involve the earth and all of its works being destroyed with intense heat (II Pet. 3:10f). The Bible tells us that all of those who did not obey the gospel and who did not know the Lord will receive the indignation of the wrath of God (II Thess. 1:7-9). We mentioned earlier that baptism meant, “an overwhelming”. In this case, the baptism of fire will involve a great overwhelming of intense heat that will devour the wicked for an eternity.
John explains this when he says, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." The wheat is symbolic of those who are found righteous in the Lord. The chaff is viewed here as the unrighteous sinners who are good for nothing and must be separated from the wheat.
The Lord is going to deal with them by clearing the threshing floor and burning up all of those who never amounted to anything, while He carefully takes the good grain into the barn for Himself. Threshing was the process of beating or pulling the grain loose from the stalks. In that process, the chaff would also come off with the grain. In order to separate the grain from the chaff, the winnowing process was used. Winnowing involved throwing the grain up into the air and allowing the chaff to be carried off by the wind, while the good grain would remain in place. It seems that while the grain was kept, the chaff was often burned (See Ex. 15:7; Isaiah 33:10-14; also Psalm 1).
Whether or not we understand everything about the processes of primitive threshing and winnowing, the message is easy to understand. One of these days the Lord is going to separate the righteous from the wicked. The righteous will be gathered into the Lord’s house, while the unrighteous will be carried far away from the Lord to be burned with an unquenchable fire. We can all understand that! The question we need to ask is: What are we going to do with the message?
Luke concludes this section by saying, “So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.” For many years, preachers have been preaching the gospel with the expectation that sinners will repent and respond to the gospel. The reason that this message is preached with such great urgency is because we know about the terror of the Lord, and we need to be persuaded to flee from the wrath to come (II Cor. 5:10-11a). Luke records a similar record of Peter’s preaching when he said, “And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!” (Acts 2:40). Is there someone here who needs to be saved from sin and the wrath to come? Is there one who needs to repent and return to the Lord and His paths of righteousness? We now repeat the phrase of Ananias to Saul in Acts 22:16, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” Let me know how I can assist you with being in a right relationship with the Lord and I will be glad to help.
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