Lucas 3
Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 3
Wuest - And he went into all the country around the Jordan making a public proclamation with such formality, gravity, and authority as must be listened to and obeyed, announcing a baptism that had to do with repentance, this baptism, a testimony because of the putting away of sins, district: Mt 3:5 Mk 1:4-5 Joh 1:28 3:26 preaching: Mt 3:6,11 Mk 1:4 Joh 1:31-33 Ac 13:24 19:4 22:16 for forgiveness: Lu 1:77 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:1-6 Good News for Bad Times - Steven Cole Luke 3:2-3 Setting the Stage for Jesus, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 3:3 Setting the Stage for Jesus, Part 3 - John MacArthur Luke 3:3 Setting the Stage for Jesus, Part 4 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Luke 1:77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, Mark 1:4-5+ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Acts 19:4+ Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” John the Baptist JOHN'S MESSAGE: REPENT AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS He came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching (kerusso) ("He went into the whole Jordan neighborhood") Only Luke informs us that John went into all the country about Jordan preaching. The other evangelists (Mt 3:1–12+; Mk 1:1–8+; John 1:15, 28+) inform us that the multitudes came to Him. The word must have spread about his ministry in the desert and so people came out to hear him. That is one method of outreach. But apparently he also went himself to every inhabited area around the river Jordan where people lived. How did John come into the district? "In the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17+), with "a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Mt 3:4+, cf 2 Ki 1:8). And notice the first word - he came preaching! And from Lk 3:18+ we see that he preached the Gospel (euaggelizo [gives us our "evangelize"] in imperfect tense = over and over). A good pattern to follow as we go out into the wilderness of this lost world! (Minus the camel hair garment of course!). MacArthur on district around the Jordan - That John’s entire ministry was spent in the district around the Jordan River (cf. Mt. 3:6, 13; John 1:28; 3:23, 26; 10:40) in no way diminished his enormous popularity (cf. Mt. 3:5+; Mk 1:5+). Preaching (kerusso - present tense - continually proclaiming) a baptism (baptisma) of repentance (metanoia - an "about/face" in the heart) for the forgiveness (aphesis - release, remission, a sending away like the scapegoat in Lev 16:10+) of sins (hamartia - missing mark of God's perfect will thus falling short of the mark) - The Greek verb for preaching (kerusso) depicts the herald of a king who would go throughout the king's land and shout loudly, clearly and boldly (BECAUSE HE KNEW HE HAD THE BACKING OF THE KING) the exact message given to him (neither adding or subtracting - cf Dt 4:2+, Dt 12:32+, Rev 22:18-19+, Pr 30:6) by the king (IN THIS CASE "THE WORD OF GOD" Lk 3:2)! HEAR YE! HEAR YE! Note that the message is NOT "God has a wonderful plan for your life (HE DOES OF COURSE)" It is not SEEKER FRIENDLY but SIN FOCUSED! It is not "Just ask Jesus into your heart," but "Humble yourself and be willing to get your heart right before God." Don't misunderstand. Repentance is not a work that the fallen flesh can conger up. Repentance is a gift from God based on His grace and kindness, Paul asking rhetorically "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads (present tense - continually) you to repentance?" (Ro 2:4+). TECHNICAL NOTE - baptism (baptisma) consists of processes of immersion, submersion & emergence. Figurative and literal senses. (1) of John's baptism -- Lu 3:3-10. See Lk 1:77+, Acts 19:4+ (2) of a baptism of "suffering" Mk 10:38, 39+ (3) of the Holy Spirit Acts 1:5+ so if baptizo means to have a change of identity then in this verse in Acts Jesus is referring to being baptized with the Holy Spirit which means an identification with the Holy Spirit so as to change the identity of the one who has been baptized, from self focused to Savior focused. Mt 3:11+, Lk 3:16+ also refers to the Holy Spirit's baptism (4) baptism of fire (judgment) -- see Mt 3:11,12+, Lk 3:16+ -- when Christ comes you are going to be identified with Christ or not and if NOT you are already under judgment (Jn 3:18+, Rev 20:15+). (5) Rite of Christian baptism - the symbolic act: Acts 16:30-33+ Note "believe" precedes "baptized" (cf order in Mk 16:16+, Acts 8:12+, Acts 18:8+).
Lucas 3
Wuest - as it stands written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, A voice of one shouting in the uninhabited region, Make ready the Lord’s road. The voice: Isa 40:3-5 Mt 3:3 Mk 1:3 John 1:23 Make ready: Lu 1:16,17,76-79 Isa 57:14 62:10 Mal 4:6 Joh 1:7,26-36 3:28-36 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:1-6 Good News for Bad Times - Steven Cole Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 2 - John MacArthur Related Passage: Isaiah 40:3-5 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 “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; 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Luke 1:80+ And the child (paidion) continued to grow (auxano) and to become strong (krataioo) in spirit, and he lived in the deserts (eremos) until the day of his public appearance to Israel. THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS As it is written (grapho "as it stands written") in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet - Written is in the perfect tense which means it has been written at some time in the past (700 years earlier) and remains in effect or valid. The Word of God stands written. Jesus affirmed the permanence of the Word of God declaring "“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Mt 24:35) THOUGHT - Given this truth regarding the permanence of God's Word, it behooves all followers of Christ to be diligently Memorizing His Word (if you need some "key verses" to start you off on the blessing of a lifetime see Memory Verses by Topic). While there are many advantages in Memorizing the Word (allows you to take up the shield of faith when missiles of temptation come for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ; it will radically alter your prayer life as you pray God's Word from memory, etc), another advantage is that now you can effectively, efficiently Meditate (see also Primer on Biblical Meditation) on the living and active, mind renewing, life transforming Word of Truth! (see also Primer on Biblical Meditation). As you walk about during the day, the Spirit can now bring to your remembrance promises and exhortations and encouragements from the Word you have stored in your heart (Ps 119:9, 11) God promises to bless meditation exceeding abundantly beyond all you can ask or think (Ps 1:1, 2, 3 - see notes Ps 1:1; 1:2; 1:3; Joshua 1:8+) As Spurgeon said "Read the Bible carefully, and then meditate and meditate and meditate. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth,if we would get the wine of consolation there from." THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING (boáō in present tense) IN THE WILDERNESS, ''MAKE READY (hetoimazo) THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE (poieo) HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. - Note that in the NAS direct quotations from the OT are identified by all capital letters. John the Baptist was the voice who fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy recorded almost 700 years earlier, a fact that would serve to authenticate to the Jews (at least those who knew Isaiah's prophecy) that John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God. John fulfilled it for example by spending most of his life in the wilderness, Luke recording that John "continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts (wilderness) until the day of his public appearance to Israel." (Lk 1:80+) John's cry of "Make ready (aorist imperative see need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) the way of the Lord," and "make (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) His paths straight" were descriptions of what happened when ancient kings would visit a region. Before the king would arrive the roads were cleared of debris and other hazards. In effect John's cry was not for the Jews to make literal paths smooth and straight but a cry for the people of Israel to prepare their hearts for the coming of their King the Messiah. In context the way they would make ready the way and make His paths straight refers to genuine repentance, so that their King would have "easy access" (so to speak) to their hearts. NET Note adds that this is "probably an allusion to preparation through repentance as the verb (make = poieo) reappears in Lk 3:8, 10, 11, 12, 14." John Phillips has this note on John's cry - "The Hebrews had fallen on bad times quite apart from Roman oppression. Dead formalism characterized their religion. The roots of this formalism, which had been sprouting in Malachi's day, now ran deep. Rabbinical tradition had largely replaced the Bible. John the Baptist knew all about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the skepticism of the Sadducees, the materialism and opportunism of the Herodians, and the fanaticism of the Zealots. The faith of the fathers, applauded in Hebrews 11, had now become "the Jews' religion" (Gal. 1:13). Someone needed to cut a path through the tangled undergrowth of the deadening, man made tradition. The Messiah was coming! It was high time that someone spoke out. So John became "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." John did not seek the big cities, and he did not stalk the streets of Jerusalem. Rather, he sought solitary, lonely places that were off the beaten track down by the riverside. He did not go to the people. He made the people come to him, and come they did until vast crowds thronged into the wilds to hear him preach...."Make his paths straight!" cried John. It was a clarion call to his own countrymen to clean up their lives (ED: TO REPENT!) and clear away all moral and religious obstacles that might hinder the coming King. (See Exploring the Gospel of Mark) As John MacArthur emphasizes "Nothing more convincingly demonstrates God’s control over history than fulfilled prophecy. One such prophecy is Isaiah 40:3–5, the subject of these verses....John’s fulfillment of this prophecy also shows the continuity between his ministry and the Old Testament, something critically important if the Jewish people were to accept him as a prophet of God." (See Luke Commentary) THOUGHT - Notice MacArthur's comment affirming the value of studying prophecy. There are often two extreme approaches to Biblical prophecy - (1) Don't study it at all (or very little) as it is felt to be too difficult to comprehend and too controversial. (2) Study it and see prophetic fulfillment in every current event, etc. Prophecy was not given to make us smarter sinners, but to make us more like the Savior. When we see fulfillment of God's prophecies (e.g., over 300 prophecies of the Messiah), our faith is strengthened to believe that He will fulfill all of the prophecies that are yet future. See a Brief Primer on Prophecy (scroll down for "Why Study Prophecy?" See also Bible Prophecy). Approximately 25% or one quarter of the Bible was prophecy at the time it was written. Dr John Walvoord adds that "The revelation of prophecy in Scripture serves as an important evidence that the Scriptures are accurate in their interpretation of the future. Because approximately half (50%) of the prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled in a literal way, it gives a proper intellectual basis for assuming that prophecy yet to be fulfilled will likewise have a literal fulfillment. At the same time it justifies the conclusion that the Bible is inspired of the Holy Spirit and that prophecy which goes far beyond any scheme of man is instead a revelation by God of that which is certain to come to pass. The fact that prophecy has been fulfilled serves as a guide to interpret the prophecies which are yet ahead. (See Every Prophecy of the Bible) Is written (1125)(grapho from root graph- = scratch on or engrave; English = graph) means to engrave or inscribe with a pen or stylus characters or letters on a surface which can be wood, wax, metal, leather, stone, parchment, dirt (Jn 8:6), paper, etc. It is written occurs 76 times in the NAS. When we were children and our parents told us to do something and we questioned "Why?", the answer was usually "Because I said so!". Why are we commanded to be holy? Because God said so! A popular saying is "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." This sounds good but isn't accurate because God's Word is true, regardless of whether we believe it or not. A more accurate "saying" would be "God said it, that settles it!" It is written should put a stop to every complaint or excuse. Paul is saying don't judge but remember you will appear before Me to give an account (as the next verse clarifies). This sobering thought should motivate us to obey this injunction. Crying (shouting) (994) (boáō from boé (995) means raise a cry, call or shout of joy, pain, etc, by using one’s voice with unusually high volume (imagine John shouting out). In several of the NT contexts (and many more of the Septuagint = LXX uses) crying out was in the context of one seeking help or assistance. Some uses mean simply a loud cry but in some of these situations the cry reflects a state of agitation. The Greeks used boáō to describe the sound of certain things such as the wind and waves (to sound, resound, roar, howl). Thayer makes an interesting comparison between 3 Greek words that all convey the idea of to call out or cry out, noting that kaleo in classic usage meant “to cry out” for a purpose, boáo meant “to cry out” as a result of or manifestation of an inner feeling and krazo meant to cry out harshly, often with an inarticulate and brutish sound.In short, kaleo suggests intelligence, boáo suggests sensibilities and krazo suggests instincts. In sum, of these three words, boáo was the Greek word that especially conveys the idea of a cry for help. Make ready (aorist imperative) (2090)(hetoimazo from heteos = fitness - see also hetoimasia) means to make ready, specifically to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. God has been preparing salvation even before the foundation of the world, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law." (Gal 4:4+) Inherent in the word prepared are the ideas of design and determined. God has designed salvation and He has determined salvation. All Luke's uses -Lk. 1:17; Lk. 1:76; Lk. 2:31; Lk. 3:4; Lk. 9:52; Lk. 12:20; Lk. 12:47; Lk. 17:8; Lk. 22:8; Lk. 22:9; Lk. 22:12; Lk. 22:13; Lk. 23:56; Lk. 24:1; Acts 23:23. Make (present imperative) (4160) poieo occurs 568 times, primarily in the Gospels and in a wide variety of contexts, which makes it difficult to do a simple word study. BDAG says poieo is "a multivalent term (possessing many meanings), often without pointed semantic (relating to meaning in language) significance, used in reference to a broad range of activity involving such matters as bringing something into being, bringing something to pass, or simply interacting in some way with a variety of entities." (BDAG) Poieo is primarily translated with the idea of to DO (to bring to pass, to carry out, to bring about, to accomplish), to MAKE (to construct or fashion something out of existing material) to PERFORM. Luke 3:4 Prepared for His Presence - Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. —Luke 3:4 Whenever the President of the United States visits a community, local officials cooperate with advance teams to prepare for his coming. His motorcade route is carefully laid out. Streets are repaired and litter is picked up. The offices, auditoriums, and businesses he’ll visit are decorated. Those who will meet him put on their finest clothes. Everything possible is done to give him the kind of reception his high position deserves. If a world leader merits such thorough preparation, certainly the Lord of the universe deserves far more. John, the baptizer and “advance man” for Christ, urged the people to get ready for the Messiah. In fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3-4, he called for the removal of spiritual obstacles (Luke 3:10-14). Mountains of pride and abuse must be leveled. Valleys of human need must be filled. Crooked, immoral paths must be straightened. Rough places of oppression must be made smooth. Such actions do not save us, but they do reflect a timeless principle: If our hearts are prepared for the Lord, He will walk through the streets of our lives with power and peace. For Further Thought = Read James 4:6-10. How should we prepare ourselves if we desire to have a close relationship with God? Repentance clears the way for our walk with God. Luke 3:4-5 The Ultimate Road Trip - Read: Isaiah 40:1–11 In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3 Madagascar’s National Road 5 offers the beauty of a white sand coastline, palm forests, and the Indian Ocean. Its 125 miles of two-track road, bare rock, sand, and mud, however, have given it a reputation for being one of the worst roads in the world. Tourists looking for breathtaking views are advised to have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, an experienced driver, and an onboard mechanic. John the Baptist came to announce the good news of the coming Messiah to those traveling on rough roads and through barren landscape. Repeating the words of the prophet Isaiah written centuries earlier, he urged curious crowds to “prepare the way for the Lord” and to “make straight paths for him” (Luke 3:4–5; Isa. 40:3) God, we need You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. John knew that if the people of Jerusalem were going to be ready to welcome their long-awaited Messiah their hearts needed to change. Mountains of religious pride would need to come down. Those in the valley of despair because of their broken lives would need to be lifted up. Neither could be done by human effort alone. Those who refused to respond to the Spirit of God by accepting John’s baptism of repentance failed to recognize their Messiah when He came (Luke 7:29–30). Yet those who saw their need for change discovered in Jesus the goodness and wonder of God. Repentance clears the way for our walk with God. INSIGHT: This passage is not a message of hope only for exiled Jews. It is for us all. Isaiah is proclaiming a universal truth: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” For Jesus’s followers, trouble, sorrow, and exile last only for a season. The hope of the Lord lasts forever. Luke 3:5 'EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH Ravine: Lu 1:51-53 Isa 2:11-17 35:6-8 40:4 49:11 61:1-3 Eze 17:24 Jas 1:9 Crooked: Isa 42:16 45:2 Heb 12:12,13 Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 3:1-6 Good News for Bad Times - Steven Cole Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 3:4-6 A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Part 2 - John MacArthur HEARTS PREPARED FOR A KING 'EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED (pleroo), AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW (tapeinoo); THE CROOKED (skolios) WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH - The literal picture in this quote describes the physical work preparing the roads to make them fit for a king to travel over when he arrives. The figurative sense of this picture is that of internal moral and spiritual preparation (including repentance) for the coming Messiah. The idea is that as a kings would send a courier ahead of them to tell the people of their lands to prepare roads for their coming, so the Messiah sends his herald to tell his people to prepare their hearts for his coming. However the figurative sense is for us to prepare our hearts to receive the King by dealing with sin and doing an honest inventory of our heart. We must see the depths of our sin before we can truly understand our need for a Savior. Such actions do not save us, but they do reflect a timeless principle: If our hearts are prepared for the Lord, He will walk through the streets of our lives with power and peace. -- Mart DeHaan NET Note - The figurative language of this verse speaks of the whole creation preparing for the arrival of a major figure, so all obstacles to his approach are removed. A T Robertson on the word for ravine - Here only in the N. T., though in the LXX and ancient Greek. It is a ravine or valley hedged in by precipices. ESV Study Bible adds that the description of the images from Isaiah 40:3-4 "are also metaphors that have ethical overtones: the proud and arrogant will be humbled (Lk 1:52; 14:11; 18:14), the humble and lowly will be exalted, and the crooked (cf. Acts 2:40) will be changed." (Borrow the ESV study Bible) John
Lucas 3
Wuest adds that the prefixed preposition pros "gives it the idea of definiteness and directness in prayer, with the consciousness on the part of the one praying that he is talking face to face with God." Opened (455)(anoigo from ana = again + oigo = to open) means to open, to open up, to open again, to give access to. Mark's description (Mk 1:11) uses a different verb schizo which also describes the "opening" (tearing) of the veil of the Temple when Jesus died on the Cross (See discussion of schizo). Luke's 23 uses of anoigo in 23 verses (Gospel and Acts) - this is clearly a key word for Luke. Lk. 1:64; Lk. 3:21; Lk. 4:17; Lk. 11:9; Lk. 11:10; Lk. 12:36; Lk. 13:25; Jn. 1:51; Acts 5:19; Acts 5:23; Acts 8:32; Acts 8:35; Acts 9:8; Acts 9:40; Acts 10:11; Acts 10:34; Acts 12:10; Acts 12:14; Acts 12:16; Acts 14:27; Acts 16:26; Acts 16:27; Acts 18:14; Acts 26:18 QUESTION - Why was Jesus baptized? Why was Jesus' baptism important? - Gotquestions.org ANSWER: At first glance, it seems that Jesus’ baptism has no purpose at all. John’s baptism was the baptism of repentance (Matthew 3:11), but Jesus was sinless and had no need of repentance. Even John was taken aback at Jesus’ coming to him. John recognized his own sin and was aware that he, a sinful man in need of repentance himself, was unfit to baptize the spotless Lamb of God: “I need to be baptized by You and You are coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14). Jesus replied that it should be done because “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). There are several reasons why it was fitting for John to baptize Jesus at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus was about to embark on His great work, and it was appropriate that He be recognized publicly by His forerunner. John was the “voice crying in the wilderness” prophesied by Isaiah, calling people to repentance in preparation for their Messiah (Isaiah 40:3). By baptizing Him, John was declaring to all that here was the One they had been waiting for, the Son of God, the One he had predicted would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). Jesus’ baptism by John takes on an added dimension when we consider that John was of the tribe of Levi and a direct descendant of Aaron. Luke specifies that both of John’s parents were of the Aaronic priestly line (Luke 1:5). One of the duties of the priests in the Old Testament was to present the sacrifices before the Lord. John the Baptist’s baptism of Jesus could be seen as a priestly presentation of the Ultimate Sacrifice. John’s words the day after the baptism have a decidedly priestly air: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus’ baptism also showed that He identified with sinners. His baptism symbolized the sinners’ baptism into the righteousness of Christ, dying with Him and rising free from sin and able to walk in the newness of life. His perfect righteousness would fulfill all the requirements of the Law for sinners who could never hope to do so on their own. When John hesitated to baptize the sinless Son of God, Jesus replied that it was proper to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). By this He alluded to the righteousness that He provides to all who come to Him to exchange their sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). In addition, Jesus’ coming to John showed His approval of John's baptism, bearing witness to it, that it was from heaven and approved by God. This would be important in the future when others would begin to doubt John’s authority, particularly after his arrest by Herod (Matthew 14:3-11). Perhaps most importantly, the occasion of the public baptism recorded for all future generations the perfect embodiment of the triune God revealed in glory from heaven. The testimony directly from heaven of the Father’s pleasure with the Son and the descending of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17) is a beautiful picture of the trinitarian nature of God. It also depicts the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the salvation of those Jesus came to save. The Father loves the elect from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4); He sends His Son to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10); and the Spirit convicts of sin (John 16:8) and draws the believer to the Father through the Son. All the glorious truth of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ is on display at His baptism. Luke 3:21-22 Being Useful - A voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." —Luke 3:22 Jesus emerged from obscurity and was baptized by John the Baptist. When He came out of the water, He heard His Father say, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). What had Jesus been doing that merited such unqualified acceptance? He had not yet performed one miracle; He had not preached a single sermon; He had not cleansed one leper. In fact, He had not yet done anything that we normally associate with greatness. What had He been doing in Nazareth during those 30 silent years? He was growing “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Lk 2:52). What’s done in the silent place with God is what matters. It’s in the quiet hours of fellowship with God that we’re shaped and molded and made into men and women He can use—people with whom He can be well-pleased. You'll go forth a little stronger With a fresh supply of grace, If each day you meet the Savior In a secret, quiet place. —Adams Fruitful service grows in the soil of faithful worship. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased. You are: Lu 9:34,35 Ps 2:7 Isa 42:1 Mt 12:18 17:5 27:43 Col 1:13 1Pe 2:4 2Pe 1:17,18 Luke 3:15-22 Pointing People to Christ - Steven Cole Luke 3:21-22 The Messiah's Divine Confirmation, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 3:21-22 The Messiah's Divine Confirmation, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries John the Baptist's Ministry - click to enlarge From Holman Bible Atlas (available for purchase in digital or Hardcover) © 1998 B&H Publishing Group used by permission. Please do not reproduce. MESSIAH'S DIVINE "CREDENTIALS" and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven (See also related comments on Mark 1:10) - Notice all three members of the Trinity are mentioned here, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that there is one God Who exists in three persons, one in substance, co-eternal and co-equal. Our finite minds cannot fully explain the Trinity. No explanation can adequately portray the power and intricacy of this unique relationship. Many have sought analogies in nature but none are perfect for there is no other relationship like the Trinity. Related Resources on Trinity: What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? How can there be subordination / hierarchy in the Trinity? How is the doctrine of the Trinity not tritheism? What is Trinitarianism? Is Trinitarianism biblical? Matthew describes this event as follows: After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John the Baptist) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, (Mt. 3:16) John adds this description John (the Baptist) testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. (John 1:32) W A Criswell makes an excellent point regarding John's witness of the Spirit coming upon Jesus - Luke here indicates how the Holy Spirit becomes visible to both Jesus and John (Mt. 3:16; John 1:32). The import of this event is crucial in theology. This verse denies modalism (See article on Sabellianism, Modalism, and Monarchianism), the heresy which construed the unity of God to be manifested in three different, momentary forms -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The idea of God appearing sometimes as one and then as the other is proved to be unscriptural. Here there is simultaneously the appearance of Son and Holy Spirit. At the same time the voice of the Father is heard. Clearly, God is the Triune God, eternally Father, Son and Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Pet. 1:2). Luke quotes from Ps 2:7 and Isa 42:1, which identify Jesus as the Son of God and the Suffering Servant. All three Persons of the Triunity are here together for the first time in the Gospel. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove - (Matthew has the Spirit of God: Mark, the Spirit) Jesus is anointed and supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit for His supernatural ministry. Do not misunderstand this descent of the Spirit on Jesus -- Jesus always had the Holy Spirit's presence from the first moment of the incarnation because He is God and God is Trinity and thus Jesus the God-Man could never be separated from the Holy Spirit. The descent at Jesus' baptism is more of a "marker" if you will to show us that His formal ministry is now beginning. And thus Luke immediately emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' ministry in the next chapter... Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness (Lk 4:1+) And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power (dunamis) of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching (WHAT WAS HIS POWER TO TEACH? WHAT ABOUT OUR POWER TO PREACH OR TEACH?) in their synagogues and was praised by all. (Lk 4:14-15+) “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Lk 4:18-19+) Brief Excursus on the Holy Spirit in the Believer's LIfe: If Jesus needed to depend on the the Holy Spirit for His ministry, how much more do we need the Spirit in our daily lives to enable us to live and minister supernaturally! John writes that "he one who says he abides in Him (present tense - continually) ought himself (present tense - continually) to walk in the same manner as He walked." (1 Jn 2:6+) Beloved,we need to learn how to walk daily by the Spirit (Gal 5:16+), if we are to experience "victory" in our ongoing struggle with our flesh (cf Gal 5:17+)! Jesus of course did not have the fallen flesh as we do and yet He too humbled Himself and was daily relying on the same Holy Spirit and the same supernatural power to which we have access. Every morning present us with a challenge and a choice -- will I yield to the Spirit today (Eph 5:18+, cf Ro 12:1+) or will I stubbornly choose to do it "MY WAY!" How much easier it is to simply confess, repent, and be filled each morning and walk out into the battle filled with the supernatural power of the Spirit, staying alert for those "pop quizzes" God allows in our lives where we have the choice to continue to rely on the Spirit (e.g., for "self-control", etc - Gal 5:23+) or to rely on our fallen flesh. If you fail (e.g., an anger thought or word flies suddenly out of your mouth, confess, repent, be filled, ask forgiveness and press on toward the goal - Php 3:14+). Beloved, it takes practice to walk like Jesus' walked! In fact it is a life long process and will not end until the day we are glorified (1 Jn 3:2+). So take heart and keep on fighting the good fight of faith for the glory of the Name of Jesus. Amen. In Acts 10:37-38+ Peter describes the vital role of the Spirit in the ministry of Jesus "you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power (dunamis), and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Comment - Anointed in Acts 10:38 is chrio which means to consecrate/set apart for sacred work as by unction. The idea is to assign a person to task, with implication of supernatural sanctions, blessing, and endowment. And so fittingly Jesus is also given the title of Christos (from chrio), also called the Messiah - Anointed One. John uses the related word chrisma describing the believer's anointing in 1 John 2:20+ and 1 John 2:27+ which in context refers to our "anointing" with the Holy Spirit, this "anointing" occurring the moment we were regenerated by grace through faith. Have you ever considered yourself to be an anointed saint? You are! See interesting CARM.org article 1 John 2:27, You are anointed of God and here is a brief quote to "wet your appetite" - "It is this anointing that opens your mind, teaches you, guides you, calls you to pray, empowers you, and enables you to be stronger Christians, more powerful Christians. Not just people who are saved, but people who are saved, indwelt, and empowered." In bodily (somatikos) form (eidos) like a dove - (bodily form is a phrase found only in Luke) Luke uses a term of comparison specifically a simile (comparison using like or as). While there is definitely a visible expression that had the form of a body similar to a dove, it does necessarily mean that the Spirit actually assumed the form of a dove. Matthew has And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, (Mt 3:16). Mark has And immediately (click for devotional thought on "immediately") coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening (schizo), and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him (Mk 1:10+)