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Luke 3

Taught on | Topic: John the Baptist | Keywords: greatness, priests, old covenant, new covenant, baptism, transformation, God's ways, the Word, conviction, preaching, religion, repent, repentance, judgment, Jesus Christ, Trinity, John the Baptist, genealogy, baptism of Jesus

In Luke 3, we are introduced to John, the forerunner of Jesus. Although John seemed to be an unusual man and shocked many people by what he said and did, his dedication to follow the Lord is what made his life count. Jesus even said that there hasn't been anyone greater than John. As we get a glimpse into his life and character, we are directed to the message he wished to proclaim: Jesus Christ the Messiah.

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Luke 3
Luke 3
Skip Heitzig
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In Luke 3, we are introduced to John, the forerunner of Jesus. Although John seemed to be an unusual man and shocked many people by what he said and did, his dedication to follow the Lord is what made his life count. Jesus even said that there hasn't been anyone greater than John. As we get a glimpse into his life and character, we are directed to the message he wished to proclaim: Jesus Christ the Messiah.
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42 Luke - 2014

42 Luke - 2014

As a physician, Luke focused on the humanity of Jesus and presented Him as the Son of Man. In our study of this gospel, Pastor Skip Heitzig takes us through Luke's methodical account of Jesus' life, death,and resurrection so that we may "know the certainty of those things in which [we] were instructed" (Luke 1:4).

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Study Guide

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Luke 3

The Ministry of John the Baptist—Read Luke 3:1-20

1. One of Luke’s goals in writing his gospel was to give an “orderly account” (Luke 1:3) He lists seven people who occupied some type of leadership role at the time. List the seven people and their roles (see vv. 1-2).


2. Despite all these leaders in important roles, what event did Luke record that happened in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar? To whom did it happen? Where? (See v. 2.)


3. As the ministry of John the Baptist began, where did he go to minister (see v. 3)? (See also John 1:28.)


4. A preacher is someone who speaks the truth of God’s Word to those who are far from Him or who do not know Him. A teacher is someone who speaks the truth of God’s Word to those who do know Him. Which role was John the Baptist called to (see v. 3)?


5. The word minister means servant or person who serves. As John began his role as a minister, what was his message (see v.3)? (See also Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:4.)


6. Whose message was identical to John’s? (See Matthew 4:17.)


7. Luke used a prophecy from Isaiah 40:3-5 to identify John’s mission. What was that mission (see vv. 4-6)?


8. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied of John’s ministry, giving even more clarity about John’s mission. What additional insights into his ministry can you find in Luke 1:76-79?


9. When a king was scheduled to tour through a region of his kingdom, men were sent in advance to repair the roads and ensure the area was presentable. In Luke, the leveling of the land was a figurative expression denoting that the way of the Messiah would be made smooth through John. Instead of roadways, what did John prepare in advance of the coming Messiah (see vv. 3, 7)? (See also Matthew 3:5; Mark 1:5.)


10. As the multitudes came out to be baptized by John, what did they see? Describe John the Baptist’s attire and diet (see Matthew 3:4). What prophet dressed similarly to John (see 2 Kings 1:8)? In Matthew 11:14, whom did Jesus equate with John? (See also Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17.)


11. Multitudes came out to be baptized by John. To whom, specifically, did John refer to as a “brood of vipers” (v. 7)? (See also Matthew 3:7.)


12. John referred to “the wrath to come” (v. 7). Upon whom will this wrath come? (See John 3:36; Romans 1:18; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6.) What does the word wrath refer to? (See Revelation 16:1.) How can people be saved from this wrath? (See Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10.)


13. When John addressed the “brood of vipers,” what did he say they should bear (see v. 8)? What was he referring to? (See also 2 Corinthians 7:9–11.)


14. What did John say this “brood of vipers” should not begin to say to themselves (see v. 8)? Why would that saying be of no value? (See John 8:33–39; Romans 2:28–29.)


15. When John addressed the “brood of vipers,” he said the ax is laid to the root of the trees, and those trees that are not bearing good fruit would be cut down and burned (see v. 9). What was John referring to by the trees and the ax? (See Psalm 1:3; Matthew 7:19; Luke 13:6–9.)


16. Three groups of people from within the multitudes who had come to be baptized by John were struck by the seriousness of John’s message. Identify these three groups of people (see vv. 10, 12, 14).


17. The seriousness of John’s message led these three groups of people to ask John a very serious question (see vv. 10, 12, 14). What was it?


18. What was it about John’s message that led these people to ask that question (see v. 9)? (See also Matthew 3:12.)


19. How was their question important—one that we, too, should try to get every unsaved person we know to sincerely ask? (See also Acts 2:37-38; 16:30-31.)


20. What did John instruct each of the three groups to do (see vv. 11, 13, 14)?


21. Because of the serious of John and his message, whom did the people think John might be (see v. 15)? (See also John 1:19-22.)


22. As the people reasoned in their hearts about who John might be, what was John’s perspective of himself? What was his perspective of the One who would come after him (see v. 16)?


23. John’s baptism was one of repentance for the remission of sins (see v. 3). What type of baptism did John say the One to come after him would bring (see v. 16)? What might this type of baptism mean? (See Acts 2:1-4; Malachi 3:2-3.)


24. What else did John’s ministry and message consist of (see v. 18)?


25. What did Herod the tetrarch do to John? Why (see vv. 19-20)? (See also Matthew 14:3-5.)


The Baptism of Christ—Read Luke 3:21-22


26. Multitudes of people came out to the region where John was baptizing and many were baptized. John the Baptist said that he did not know Jesus, but he recognized him. How did John recognize Jesus? (See John 1:31-34.)


27. When John recognized Jesus as He came to be baptized, how did John refer to Him? (See John 1:29.)

28. During John the Baptist’s ministry of “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (v. 3), Jesus came to him to be baptized. John rightly recognized that the sinless Son of God needed no baptism of repentance and that he was certainly not worthy to baptize his own Savior (see Matthew 3:14). What reason did Jesus give for permitting John to baptize Him (see Matthew 3:15)? (See also 2 Corinthians 5:21.)


29. Luke alone records what Jesus did at His baptism. What did He do? What happened because of that (see v. 21)?


30. All three persons of the Trinity were present at the baptism of Jesus. How was each represented (see vv. 21-22)?
The Genealogy of Christ Through Mary—Read Luke 3:23-38


31. Luke recorded how old Jesus was when He began His ministry (see v. 23). How old was He? Why is this age significant (See Numbers 4:3, 35, 39, 43, 47)? How many years had passed since Luke 2:42?


32. In Matthew’s genealogy, the term begot, which means to be the physical father of, was used. In Luke, the phrase the son of was used. The word son can also mean son-in-law. As Luke recorded the genealogy of Jesus, he said, “as was supposed” (v. 23) in reference to Jesus being the son of Joseph. This passage is a record of Mary’s genealogy. Who was Mary’s physical father (see v. 23)? Who was Joseph’s physical father? (See Matthew 1:16.)



33. Matthew’s genealogy traces Jesus’ lineage from Abraham to Jesus. Luke’s genealogy traces Jesus’ lineage in reverse order to whom (see v. 38)?


34. Matthew’s genealogy proves Jesus was the royal heir to the line of King David. Luke’s genealogy proves Jesus was legal heir to the throne of David. What son of David did Matthew trace Jesus’ genealogy through? (See Matthew 1:6.) What son of David did Luke trace Jesus’ genealogy through (see v. 31)?


Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. 142 people were given the title "the Great"; some of them were not so great
    2. Greatness is not usually what people imagine it to be
    3. Jesus Christ said John the Baptist was a great man; Luke 7:28
      1. Not because he lived long or had a long ministry—he didn't
      2. Because his life counted
      3. He made what God gave him count for the glory of the Lord
    4. John the Baptist was born in Judah, the southern hill country
    5. We believe Jesus Christ was his second cousin
    6. John would have been a priest
      1. His dad Zacharias served as a priest in the temple; John naturally would have been in the same priestly line
      2. Kohanim = priests
      3. Priests began training at age twenty and went into ministry at age thirty
    7. But John went rogue; he didn't follow the protocol
    8. God's ways are counterintuitive
    9. It was as if John the Baptist stepped out of the pages of the Old Testament into the pages of the New Testament
      1. In fact, he was the last Old Testament prophet
      2. Luke 16:16
      3. The old covenant, 400 silent years, then the very last prophet introducing the new covenant—John
    10. Luke set the historical background of John the Baptist
      1. John's coming was so monumental, Luke wanted readers to understand the dates of when it all happened
      2. Luke set the scene internationally, nationally, and spiritually
  2. Luke 3:1-6
    1. John's job was to set the stage, pave the road for the Messiah
      1. By what he did—baptized people
      2. By what he said—pretty scathing remarks
    2. John's baptism was a baptism of preparation
      1. Not a baptism of transformation; not the same as Jesus'
      2. Acts 19:1-5
      3. The transformation of Jesus Christ is the baptism of the Spirit
    3. AD 28-29
      1. Tiberius Caesar was the second Roman emperor, the first being Caesar Augustus
      2. Pontius Pilate was the Roman representative as the governor of Judea
        1. Spanish origin
        2. Married the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, Claudia Procula
      3. Herod the Great divided his kingdom between his three sons
        1. A tetrarch is the ruler of a fourth of something, but it came to mean the governor of any part of something
        2. Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, Herod Archelaus
      4. History knows nothing about the tetrarch Lysanias; only Josephus mentioned him
      5. The high priest was the measure of the spiritual goings-on
        1. Annas was the high priest before Caiaphas, his son-in-law
        2. Though Caiaphas became the acting high priest, the power behind the throne was still Annas
        3. When Jesus was arrested, He was first brought before Annas
    4. The wilderness of Judea
      1. Toward the northern end of the Dead Sea; barren
      2. There were people like the Essenes; we're not sure John hung around with them
      3. Every PR firm on earth would say John started his ministry the wrong way
      4. The way of God—the Nazareth principle
        1. John 1:46
        2. Isn't it interesting how God places His people at different spots for different reasons and it is so counterintuitive to human nature?
        3. 1 Corinthians 1:27
    5. Why this section of the Jordan River, where the Jordan empties into the Dead Sea?
      1. Because that was the spot the children of Israel crossed over into the land under Joshua; see Joshua 3
      2. Nationally, Israel had effectively been baptized in the Jordan years before
    6. Baptism was not a Christian ordinance; it is Jewish in origin
      1. If you wanted to become a Jew, you had to go through instruction by a scribe, male circumcision, and immersion
      2. Baptism speaks of cleansing
      3. You would baptize yourself whenever you wanted to worship in the temple; mikvah, a pool of water
    7. John was baptizing both Jews and Gentiles, which was shocking
    8. All four Gospels include Isaiah 40:3-5 when speaking about John the Baptist
      1. Even John himself quoted this; John 1:19-23
      2. Jesus is the Word (see John 1:1); John was the voice that carried the Word
      3. Jesus was the message; John was the messenger
        1. Thousands of years ago, when eastern kings wanted to tour their dominion, they would send out a courier to announce their coming and tell the people to fix their roads
        2. The King is Jesus; the courier was John
        3. Not a road for your feet, but the roadway of your heart
  3. John 3:7-38
    1. What attracted people to go hear John?
      1. It was not his feel-good sermons or the music before the message
      2. John wasn't even proclaiming a gospel; all of his words were condemnatory
      3. But he was a man of conviction
        1. He didn't care about his ratings
        2. There's something attractive about a person who has a deeply-held conviction
      4. David Hume listened to George Whitefield's preaching
      5. "Set a man on fire and people will come to watch him burn" —C.H. Spurgeon
    2. John was stripping away the religious veneer
      1. You have to know the bad news to appreciate the good news
      2. A belief common among Jewish people was that because one was Jewish, one was in a secure covenant with God
      3. Like many people with their religious pedigree today
      4. Stones (v. 8)
        1. Ezekiel 36:26
        2. Or perhaps he was talking about Gentiles; God could take outsiders and make them insiders
    3. Repent, metanoia, means to turn around or to change your mind
      1. When you turn around in your thinking, your actions should follow
      2. Same coin; two different sides
        1. Repentance is turning from something
        2. Belief is turning toward something
    4. "Give us practical suggestions that will demonstrate the reality of our change" (see v. 10)
      1. By sharing
      2. By sparing
        1. Tax collectors were so despised that they were not allowed into public worship in the synagogues
        2. Rome required a certain percentage; whatever tax collectors could get on top of that, they could pocket
      3. By caring (soldiers)
      4. Whatever profession or position you're in now, be good at it
      5. You can show change in your life right where you are
    5. John's message was really Jesus
    6. John said he was not even worthy enough to be Jesus' house slave
    7. Types of baptism
      1. Baptism with water—repentance
      2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit—transformation
      3. Baptism by fire
        1. "Tongues, as of fire" (Acts 2:3, emphasis added)
        2. Baptism by fire will happen at the second coming of Jesus Christ when unbelievers come under the wrath of God (see Luke 3:7)
    8. Winnowing is an analogy of judgment
      1. Separating the wheat from the chaff
      2. The chaff is good for nothing and is burned; the wheat is kept
    9. Herod Antipas married his half brother Philip's wife, Herodias
      1. Herod seduced her to become his wife
      2. Herod had to divorce his current wife, the daughter of Aretas
      3. Aretas was so ticked off that he destroyed almost all of Herod's army before Rome intervened
      4. Herodias was one of the most wicked women who ever lived
        1. Hated John the Baptist and eventually got his head cut off
        2. Got her sixteen-year-old daughter to dance the seductive Dance of the Veils before Herod
        3. Mark 6:14-29; Matthew 14:1-12
    10. Why did Jesus have to be baptized?
      1. To identify with us sinners; Hebrews 4:15
      2. To verify
        1. Especially for John the Baptist
        2. Luke 7:19; Matthew 11:2
        3. Isaiah 11:1-2
      3. To prophesy
        1. To prefigure the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
        2. Romans 6:4
    11. All three members of the Trinity were represented at Jesus' baptism
      1. All three members of the Trinity are active in our salvation
      2. God the Father sent Jesus the Son; Jesus the Son sent the Holy Spirit
      3. John 16:8-11
    12. When the heavens are opened, hell is opened
      1. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction; this is true spiritually
      2. In Luke 4, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness immediately after this event
    13. Genealogy of Jesus
      1. Luke 3:23; was Jesus the biological son of Joseph? Not at all
      2. This genealogy is completely different from the one in Matthew (see 1:1-17)
        1. Matthew is Joseph's genealogy
        2. Luke is Mary's genealogy
          1. Joseph was included because he was in the family of David and tribe of Judah, as was Mary
          2. We believe Heli was the father of Mary
          3. Luke focused more on Mary than any of the other gospel writers
      3. Luke's genealogy is so important because it solved the oldest problem in the Old Testament

Figures referenced: Tiberius Caesar, Caesar Augustus, Pontius Pilate, Claudia Procula, Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, Herod Archelaus, Lysanias, Josephus, David Hume, George Whitefield, C.H. Spurgeon, Herodias, Aretas

Greek/Hebrew words: kohanim, mikvah, metanoia

Cross references: Joshua 3; Isaiah 11:1-2; 40:3-5; Ezekiel 36:26; Matthew 1:1-17; 11:2; 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3; 4; 7:19, 28; 16:16; John 1:1, 19-23, 46; 16:8-11; Acts 2:3; 19:1-5; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Hebrews 4:15


Transcript

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Introduction: Welcome to Expound our verse-by-verse study of God's Word. Our goal is to expand your knowledge of the truth of God by explaining the Word of God in a way that is interactive, enjoyable, and congregational.

Skip Heitzig: Let's open our Bibles to the gospel of Luke, chapter 3. Let's get down business; let's pray. Father we are about your business. And as we sit here tonight in this large living room that we call our fellowship, it is your church, it is our fellowship, we want to begin knowing, Lord, that we have a very unique setup with you, a deal going on, a covenant that you have established with us based upon what Jesus did for us, a covenant of grace, unmerited favor. You look upon us, you feel about us, and you treat us as if we were Jesus Christ himself, because the righteousness of Jesus has been given, imputed to us. That is so hard for us to get our heads around or to believe, but it's what your Scripture declares.

So that's why we do indeed relax in your presence and breathe in this sweet, refreshing air of worship. Because we don't stand before you condemned; we are before you, Lord, free, chosen by you, and here, Lord, just to enjoy your presence and enjoy your truths. And I pray for anyone who is suffering from the guilt of imperfection or a bad week. I pray that they would move toward you and be soothed by your love and grace. And where it is needed that there would be repentance. Meet us here, Lord, over the pages of your inspired Word, we ask in Jesus name, amen.

I'm going to say a name and you're going to finish it for me. Ready? Alexander the . . . Great. Herod the . . . Great, and Napoleon was sometimes called Napoleon the . . . Great. One hundred forty-two names I found were given the title "the Great," "the Great." But some of them were not so great. Alexander did some greats things, but as I look at his life historically, morally, personally, he was Alexander the Not So Great. And Herod was definitely the not-so-great Herod. But these people are given throughout history the title of the "Great One" or the "Illustrious One." Greatness is not always---in fact, it is not usually what people imagine it to be. To be unique, to be singular, to be a cut above the rest, that's the idea, that's the definition of "greatness."

I read something that fascinated me that 92 percent of all baseball players that join the major leagues that have a contract to play with a major league team, 92 percent will never play in a single major league baseball game. Only 8 percent of contract holders will actually play. So you might say only 8 percent of all of them are truly great. When it comes to John the Baptist, Jesus Christ said he was a great man. He said, "Of all of those born of women, none is greater than John the Baptist." What made him great? Well, it wasn't because he lived a long life. He died at a relatively young age, being imprisoned and being executed. It wasn't that he had a long ministry. It was a very short one. But he was great because his life counted. What he did with what God gave him, he made it count for the glory of the Lord.

And in heaven's estimation that is a life well lived; that's a great life. We have him highlighted before us in Luke, chapter 3. A couple things to remember about John the Baptizer: he was born in Judah, the hill country of Judah, the southern part of the land. We believe that his second cousin was Jesus Christ. We know they were cousins. He was his second cousin. So they knew each other growing up. They would have seen each other from time to time. When the family of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, would have come from Nazareth and gone down to the temple to worship at the three annual feasts, they would have no doubt run into John. And so they had the memories of childhood and upbringing that lived with him his whole life. We know that John would have been a priest. He was from the priestly family.

His dad, Zacharias, served as a priest in the temple when the angel Gabriel spoke to him that his wife Elizabeth, though old, was going to have a child. So if his dad was a priest that would have meant that John naturally would be in the priestly line. He was of the same family, and it was just passed on from father to son, same tribe, same family. He was what the Hebrews called kohanim, priests. Now priests were trained beginning at age twenty, but they went into ministry at age thirty. Jesus and John were just a few months apart. So John being a son of a priest---you might call him a PK, right? a priest's kid---was one who went rogue. He didn't follow the protocol. He didn't get trained in the temple. He went down to the desert. He was out in the wilderness as we find him introduced in chapter 3.

And it was all because that's what the Lord wanted him to do for a very special purpose. He was the forerunner of the Messiah in a very unusual manner, being in the middle of nowhere. I often marvel at God's ways, and I'll discuss it in a minute as you see this unfold. But I just marvel at how God calls people, and what he sets them up to do, and where he sends them. It is counterintuitive. And I always smile when I get to John the Baptist, not only because he's just an unusual cat, which he was, stuff he ate, what he looked like. It's as if he steps out of the pages of the Old Testament and steps into the New Testament. In fact, he was the last Old Testament prophet. You'll read it yourself when we get to chapter 16 of Luke. Jesus will say, "For all of the prophets prophesied until John."

John is the last of the Old Testament prophets. There was the old covenant, 400 silent years, and then the very last prophet introducing the New Testament was John. The Old Testament prophet---very Old Testament-like, very Elijah-like, very reminiscent of the fire-and-brimstone prophets of the ancient world---steps on to the pages of the New Testament. The way Luke writes about John the Baptist is somewhat important for you to understand, because when you read the first couple of verses, there are six names. And so he sets the historical background of John the Baptist. And here's why he does this: the coming, or the introduction, the announcement of John the Baptist was in Luke's mind---this physician, this doctor---was in his mind such a hinge of history.

It was so monumental that he wanted to make sure that the readers understood the dates of when it all happened. He sets the scene internationally, he sets the scene nationally, and he sets the scene spiritually. So he dates it. There are six names. There are three dates or three sections of dating it; internationally, this is what's going on in Rome; nationally, here's what's going on in Israel when it happened; spiritually, here's what's going on in the temple. So we get to verse 1, "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness."

Now John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus comes on the scene. His job is to set the stage, to pave the road, you might say. He's the road worker for the Messiah, pointing the way to the One who was coming. And he's going to do so by what he does and by what he says. What he does is he baptizes people. What he says is pretty scathing, pretty scathing remarks. Now the baptism that John is performing at the beginning of his ministry was a baptism of preparation, a baptism of preparation. It is not a baptism of transformation. It is not the same baptism of that of Jesus; it is different. I'll explain to you how baptism started and what it means. But here we have John baptizing people, pointing forward to someone else who is going to baptize them in the Holy Spirit. So John's baptism is preparatory; it is not transformative.

Now, when you get to the book of Acts, chapter 19, and Paul the apostle goes to the town of Ephesus and he asks the converts, which seemed to him to be genuine converts, he said, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?" And they said, "Well, we haven't even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And so Paul said, "Well, into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." Immediately Paul said, "Well, truly John's baptism was a baptism unto repentance, but he spoke of One who was to come; and that is, Jesus Christ." And he rebaptized them in the name of Jesus, because one was preparation, the other was transformation. The transformation of Jesus Christ is the baptism of the Spirit, whereby the Spirit of God enters a life and totally regenerates that life. So that's John's baptism; it is different.

So the first two verses, it says as it opens, it's "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias Caesar." This is 28 to 29 AD, because that is the fifteenth year of Tiberias Caesar. Tiberias Caesar was the second Roman emperor. The very first Roman emperor was Caesar Augustus. You remember Caesar Augustus. When Jesus was born, Caesar Augustus was in power in Rome. But when Jesus begins his ministry, Caesar Augustus is gone; Tiberias Caesar is now on the throne in Rome. Then it mentions Pontius Pilate. We know about him, we've read him before, and we've seen him in the other Gospels. But just a reminder, Pontius Pilate is the Roman representative as the governor of Judea. He is not of Roman origin. He's Spanish. He's from Seville, Spain. When he was young, he joined the Roman legions.

And he was always looking for a break to be stationed and have some sort of significant role. Well, he found his lucky break, you might say, when he married the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, Claudia Procula. And so because they were related, he got stationed as the governor. And he was a very poor governor, by the way, of Judea. That's what Rome considered him. Going on in that same verse it mentions Herod or Philip: "Herod being the tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip the tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis." Let me just explain briefly about the Herods. I'm not going to unravel it. It is the most complicated family in Scripture. Herod the Great is dead. This is not the Herod the Great, he's dead, died in 4 BC.

After Herod the Great died, he divided his kingdom up, or it was divided into regions by his three sons. Now, this is where it gets a little complex, excuse me. A "tetrarch" means the ruler of a fourth of something, the fourth of something. So it usually refers to a kingdom divided into four. A tetrarch is a fourth of that, a governor of a fourth of a region. However, the name tetrarch came to mean just the governor of anything, whether it's a third of something or a fourth of something or a part of something. So Herod had three sons, they're called tetrarchs, but they're ruling a third of the empire of Herod the Great. You follow? So you have Herod Antipas, Herod Antipas ruled where Jesus grew up and lived, the Galilee region up north.

Herod Philip his half brother---it mentions Iturea and Trachonitis---he was up between Galilee and the northwestern coast of Israel up by Caesarea Philippi, which is something he named after Caesar Augustus. The third son was a guy by the name of Caesar Archelaus who reigned over Judah, Samaria, and Edom, east of the Dead Sea. This fourth guy that is listed here, Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene---Abilene is not Abilene, Texas. It is northwest of present-day Damascus, and history knows absolutely nothing about him. Josephus mentions him, but that's about all that mentions him. It's just giving you this for reference. Then in verse 2, "Annas and Caiaphas were high priests"---now stop right there. The high priest sets for us the setting of the spiritual goings-on, what's happening at the temple, the politics of the temple.

Annas was the high priest before Caiaphas. There were not two high priests; there was one at a time. Annas was still alive when his son-in-law Caiaphas became the high priest. So, Annas was the retired high priest; the acting high priest was Caiaphas the son-in-law of Annas. The reason Annas is mentioned is because though Caiaphas is the acting high priest, the power behind the throne, if you will, was still father-in-law. Everybody respected Annas, everybody wanted what he thought, and wondered what he thought, and went to him for important decisions. So when Jesus was arrested, he will be brought before first Annas, then Caiaphas, then the Jewish Sanhedrin, then Pontius Pilate, then Herod, then back to Pilate. He'll go through six trials. The very first one will be through or before Annas who is retired.

But they want to know what he's going to say about Jesus, because he was so influential that they really cared more about what Annas thought than about what Caiaphas thought. So those are some of the spiritual-political wranglings that were happening in the temple at the time. During that time we are told: "The word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness." Now I have been to this wilderness. This wilderness of Judea makes Rio Rancho look like a lush garden. [laughter] It is toward the northern end of the Dead Sea. There are spots where nothing at all, not even a weed, can grow. It is barren. It's 120, 130 degrees. It's the lowest spot on the earth, the Dead Sea. And John's out in the desert. He's not in Jerusalem.

It's amazing to me this whole principle that God commissions a person to start a ministry in the middle of nowhere. He doesn't go to Jerusalem to where people need to hear it. There's a bigger population base in Jerusalem. He goes in the middle of nowhere and makes the people come to him. It's unusual. Now having said it's unusual, I quickly want to say there were people who lived in the deserts like the Essenes who had messianic expectations, and some people think that John sort of hung around with them. We're not sure about that. At any rate, he's in the desert. And it's interesting, like John, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Rome; lived in Nazareth, not Jerusalem. And John is out in the wilderness. Every PR firm on planet earth would say, "John, that's the wrong way to start a ministry.

"You need to be conveniently located at a place where people can get to you. You need to give yourself the kind of exposure that would attract people. You need, John, to make a demographic study and then base your ministry upon that demographic study." There's none of that here, and that seems interesting to me, because it's just the way of God. It's the Nazareth principle: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Can anything good come out of the middle of nowhere, wilderness, down by the Dead Sea? Well, the greatest man who ever lived can. Isn't interesting how God places his people at different spots for different reasons, and it is so counterintuitive to human nature. "God has chosen the foolish things of this world," First Corinthians 1, "to confound the wise."

And so we see it here: "In the wilderness. And he went," verse 3, "into all a region around the Jordan," that is, the Jordan River. It's a river that stretches from north to south 156 miles. At one point it bisected the land. Nowadays it's the eastern border of the country of Israel, Jordan being on the east side. "He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the words of Isaiah the prophet." The Jordan, why the Jordan River? Why that section just north of the Dead Sea where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea is where John the Baptist was baptizing? A couple years back we took our tour group there---very hot, very hot, very murky, dirty, slimy water.

Why there? In part, it was there because that is the spot that the children of Israel crossed over into the land under Joshua. They went through that section of the Jordan River when it opened up and they crossed over on dry land. You remember the story from the book of Joshua. So, in effect, nationally Israel had been baptized in that Jordan River years before. John takes this place as the place where he inaugurates his ministry. Notice it's "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Contrary to what some of you may think, baptism is not a Christian ordnance in its origin. It's Jewish. The Jews started it first. If you wanted to become a Jew, what they called a "proselyte"---let's say you're a Gentile and you want to become a Jew.

You had to go through three things: number one, instruction by a scribe; number two, male circumcision, of course, if you're a male; and number three, immersion, baptism in water. It speaks of cleansing. Also, if you were Jewish, you would baptize yourself. You wouldn't be baptized by anybody, you would baptize yourself whenever you wanted to go up to the temple and worship. There were pools of water. That pool was called a mikveh. It was just a hole dug out of the rock with water placed within it, slightly running, slightly moving. And you would immerse yourself in the mikveh, come out the other side, and be able to go up into the temple to worship. Or if you were defiled by touching a dead body, you'd have to go be baptized and come out. Or if you touched something else that would defile you, same thing.

If you had a bloody flux, if you remember your Old Testament, a bloody flow that contaminated you, you would also have to be introduced into that water, come out, and be ritually cleansed. So, baptism was done one of two ways: somebody did it to you, if you were a Gentile becoming a Jew; or you did it to yourself, if you wanted to get ritually purified to go worship. What's interesting here is that John is doing it to Jews and Gentiles, which was foreign. It was shocking. The Jewish mind would have been shocked to see John saying what he said to Jews and Gentiles together. Some of them were Roman soldiers, some of them were tax collectors, some of them were just Jewish people. He's demanding repentance for one and all.

And he's saying even if you are Jewish, you have to be baptized into a baptism of repentance. Verse 4---I'll explain a little bit more about that as we go. "As it is written," verse 4, "in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying"---this is from Isaiah, chapter 40---" 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." '" Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all include the quotation from Isaiah, chapter 40, when speaking about John the Baptist. Even John himself quotes this. They ask him, "Are you the Messiah?" He said, "No." "Are you Elijah?" "No." "Are you that Prophet?" "No." "Well, who are you?"

"I am"---and he quotes this---" 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness: "[Prepare or] make straight the ways of the Lord." '" "I'm just the voice. I'm just the messenger. I'm really not even the message." Jesus is the Word. That's how John introduces him: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh." Jesus is the Word. John is the voice that carries the word. "Jesus, he's the message. Me, I'm just the messenger. I'm the guy who builds the roads and heralds the coming of the One who's more important than I am." Now when he talks in the language that he talks about, quoting from Isaiah the prophet, how you'll make his paths straight, and you'll bring down the mountains, and you'll bring up the valleys.

There was a practice thousands of years ago by eastern kings when they wanted to tour the regions of their dominion that they would send out couriers who would announce the coming of the king and tell the people of that region, "You better fix your roads, the king the coming." So the King is Jesus, the courier is John, saying, "Get ready, the King is coming. Get the roads straight. Get the road fixed." But in his case he's applying it spiritually, not a road for your feet, but the roadway of your heart. So he talks about repentance. "Then he said to the multitudes that came to be baptized by him," listen to his sermon," 'Brood of vipers!' "You know what a brood is, means the whole bunch. You know what a viper is, it's a snake. "You bunch of slimy snakes!" How's that for a sermon opener? [laughter]

Which begs the question: What attracted people to go hear John? Why on earth would anybody make a twenty-five-, thirty-mile trip from Jerusalem, where it's cool in its climate, to go down, down, down to the middle of nowhere to hear this guy address them like that? He didn't open his sermon with a clever joke or a story or a statistic to grab people's attention. He goes, "You bunch of snakes!" [laughter] I just want you to muse on that for a moment and think about: Why were people attracted to John? It was not his feel-good sermons. [laughter] It was not the music before the message; he had none. In fact, John wasn't even proclaiming a gospel. All of his words are condemnatory, they're scathing. Well, I'll tell you one of the reasons I believe: it's because John was a man of conviction.

I don't think John cared about what his ratings were. I don't think he had people say, "Well, what are the results today? How was the tithe out in the wilderness?" [laughter] "What are we getting on social media after what I just said?" He doesn't care. He so has such a conviction that "I am saying something that God has sent me to say, based on what Isaiah the prophet said." And there's something to be said for a person who has deeply held conviction, man or woman. When somebody lives their life pointing toward the north star of Christ and doesn't really care if people like that or not, there's something attractive about that kind of deep conviction. There's a great story about David Hume. If you have a background at all in philosophy or history, you know the name.

He was an eighteenth-century skeptic, a deist; certainly not a Christian. But David Hume was somebody who wrote against Christianity as we know it. David Hume would sometimes travel twenty miles, those days by horseback, to hear George Whitefield preach. And somebody spotted him in London early in the morning, early, early, and he was rounding a corner. He goes, "Aren't you David Hume?" He goes, "Well, yes, I am." "Well, where are you going?" He goes, "I'm going to go hear George Whitefield preach." And he said, "Geo---why? You don't believe what Whitefield preaches." He goes, "You're right, but he does. He does. He believes what he preaches. I want to hear what he has to say. There's conviction in what he has to say." Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "Set a man on fire and people will come to watch him burn."

Here's John set on fire in the wilderness. People will make the trip from Jerusalem. "Let's just go see this guy." So his opening line is not, "Ladies and gentlemen, you look marvelous today." [laughter] It's, "You bunch of slimy snakes!" That's just his first line. Wait till you hear the rest of the sermon. "'Who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come?' "Boy, God is coming down hard in judgment." 'Therefore' "---it's a short sermon. He's already at the "therefore." [laughter] "'Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I will say to you---for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.' "Wow! Okay, here's a man who is set on fire by the Holy Spirit stripping away the religious veneer that people have had and people still have to this day.

I had it. I believed because I was raised in the religious home I was raised in, that I was fine. I went through the rituals. I went to confession. "I'm fine." And it took somebody to strip away that veneer and go, "You are anything but fine. You are facing the wrath and the judgment of God." I know, you're going, "Really? This is the beginning of the gospel, the good news?" Well, it's bad news right now. It will get "good news." You have to know the bad news to appreciate the good news. "The bad news: you're a bunch of slimy snakes and you got wrath coming. The good news is I'm going to point to Jesus who's going to come and take all that for you." But he's not there yet. He's getting their attention and he tells them to repent. "'Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say within yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." ' "

There was a belief common among Jewish people, as there are today among religious people, that "Because I am Jewish, because I am religious, I have this covenant with God. I am secure because of my pedigree, my background, my genealogy." Like some people say, "Well, I was raised in a Christian home. My mom, she's a strong believer. I think that's good enough for both of us. I think she'll cover me." Sorry, insurance is only one per person. If you're not covered, you're not covered. He mentions "stones," and I may not be accurate on this, but my mind goes back, and, perhaps, this was in his thinking: there's a promise in Ezekiel where the Lord said, "I will take your heart of stone and replace it with a [real heart, a living heart] a heart of flesh." It talks about transformation.

Maybe that's what he's thinking of. Or, perhaps, he's thinking of Gentiles as stones, regarded by Jewish people the Gentiles were as people of no consequence, stones. He can take stones, he can take outsiders and make them insiders. " 'And even now' "---okay, the sermon gets worse---" 'the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.' "The word "repent," metanoia, means to turn around or to change your mind. When you change your mind, when you change your thinking, you turn around in your thinking, what follows your mind should be your actions, repentance, a change. When my wife, Lenya, was first introduced to Christianity---she grew up as an atheist.

Her father tucked her in bed at night and told her stories, not about how God loves her and will keep you and guide you, but the stories he told her were stories of how God doesn't exist. "There is no God, and you have to do life on your own." That's what she grew up with. So, when her father became a Christian, it, like, shook her. It's like, "Wha-wha-what?" And now so she's dealing with, "Well, what do I believe in and how do I orient myself?" So she made this movement toward God, and let me just call it that, a movement toward God. She goes, "Okay, well, I'm going to believe in him. I'm going to believe in him." But something was not right in her. She would go to church a couple times and it feels like something just isn't right. "As I'm hearing what the preacher's saying and in my life something's not right."

So she went forward one Sunday and asked one of the pastors. She told him the story: "Look, I've kind of, like, said I believe in God and I read the Four Spiritual Laws where it says put Jesus, you know, here. And then it shows the picture of these things in life just sort of falling into place. So I brought Jesus into my life, and I just want life to get really good." The pastor who talked to her was a friend of mine named Malcolm. He lives in Florida, Malcolm Wild. And he was from England and he said, "Well, have you repented of your sins?" And she said, "Have I re---what?" "Have you repented of your sins?" She'd never heard the word before. She's thinking, "Have I repented? What does that mean? I haven't even pented, how could I repent? [laughter] I don't even know what that means." So he explained repentance to her.

And she said, "I have not done that." He said, "That's what you need." It's two sides of the same coin. Repentance is often spoken about with belief. "Repent" means to turn from; "belief" means you turn toward something. So you leave one thing and turn toward another. You leave the old life, you say no to sin, "I'm leaving that behind and I'm turning and believing in you." Same coin, two different sides, both a motion, a movement, a change. And so that was the day that she said, "Everything changed for me, because I changed my mind. I changed my direction in repentance." So the ax is laid to the root of the trees. The tree is about to get chopped down. If the tree doesn't bear fruit---in those days they didn't just put up trees for looks. It's like, "Let's just landscape out here." No. If it's not going to bear fruit, it's firewood.

So, if you're not bearing fruit as a people, the ax is coming; that's the message here. "So the people asked him, saying, 'What shall we do then?' "It's a good question to ask: "Okay, so what do we do then?" Now the question, "What shall we do then?" means, as you will see by the answer, "Give us practical suggestions that will demonstrate the reality of our change. Tell us what we ought to do, that will practically show that there is indeed repentance as you say, John, real change." So, "He answers it, he said, 'He who has two tunics, let him give to one who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.' "So, you will show or demonstrate change by sharing. That's one of the ways that you demonstrate change. You share with people who don't have what you have.

Verse 12, "Then the tax collectors also came to be baptized." Isn't that something? Everyone hated the tax collectors. Not much has changed. [laughter] Back then, however, they were so despised they were not even allowed into public worship in the synagogues because they had so cooperated with Rome and they were all dishonest. That's how people saw them. Did you know that if you were a tax collector---let's say you were a tax collector---you were allowed to collect as much as you could collect? Using whatever means you need to use, you can collect it. Rome required a certain amount, a certain percentage, whatever you could get on top of that was your profit. You could pocket it. So they were seen as dishonest, gouging the people. So he tells them, verse 13, "'collect no more than what is appointed for you.' "

So he says, "You'll show your change by sparing the people." First group by sharing, the second group by sparing. "Don't gouge the people." "Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, 'What shall we do?' And so he said to them, 'Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.' "That's good advice for us today. Don't spread rumors about people. Don't be vindictive. Be a contented person with whatever you're making. "You will show by caring as soldiers." "Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to them, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.' "

Now in each of the answers that Jesus---or that John the Baptist gives to these groups of people, there's a principle behind it that I just want you to see. John is basically saying, "You can show that you're a changed person whether you're in this profession or in that profession. If you're a soldier, be like this. If you find yourself as a tax collector, be a tax collector, but do it this way." He doesn't day, "If you're a tax collector, you better quit, because you can never work for the government." He doesn't say, "If you're a soldier, you have to leave the army because you have to be a total pacifist." He says, "Just be a good soldier, be a great soldier. Be a good tax collector." So, can I just say, whatever profession or position you're in now, be good at it, be a good one. If you're a housewife, be a good housewife. If you're a doctor, be a great doctor.

You can show the change in your life right where you are at. You can bloom right where you are planted. He gives them that practical piece of advice. People are wondering, however, "Who is this guy? Could this be the Messiah?" Well, he says no, in effect. "I'm baptizing you with water. I'm putting you under the Jordan waters, the river. But One mightier than I is coming." So, yes, his message is repentance, but really his message is Jesus. "I'm telling you that there's a baptism of repentance, and I am preparing you morally and I'm preparing you spiritually for someone else who is coming. In fact, he is so great I'm not even worthy to play the role of a slave." The common slave in a house or a tent would remove one's sandals, hold them for the guest or for the host, wash the feet, give them back when needed.

"I'm not even good enough or worthy enough to be a house slave for the One who is coming, the mighty One. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." There are three baptisms that are mentioned here: baptism with water, once symbolized repentance. Second, the baptism of Holy Spirit; that's the transformation; that's the change. When you come to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes within you, and immerses you, baptizes you in the body of believers, the church. And the Holy Spirit then also will come upon the believer for works of service for empowerment, as we see in the first part of the book of Acts. The third baptism is the baptism by fire. Now some people will read something into that. They go, "Oh, the baptism by fire, that's the baptism in the Holy Ghost where you speak in tongues."

Now, I do believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but I don't believe fire here is a representation of that. The reason people will say that it is, is because in the book of Acts, in Acts, chapter 2, it says, these "cloven tongues like as of fire" were upon the people who were in the upper room. Remember that? So they go, "That's the baptism of fire." No. Read carefully what it says in Acts. It doesn't say fire was on them, but "tongues like as of fire." The baptism by fire, I believe, will happen at the second coming of Jesus Christ when unbelievers will come under what John predicts "the wrath of God." This baptism by fire is the baptism all unbelievers will go through. This is not believers' baptism, this is unbelievers' baptism, and those who reject Christ will go through this baptism.

If you're not baptized by the Holy Spirit, because you trust in Jesus Christ, and by water, because you identify with Jesus Christ, you will be baptized with fire, the fire of judgment that will come upon the earth. Well, now John continues and his sermon, just keeps ramping it up. "'His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean his threshing floor, and gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.' "Again, it's an analogy of judgment. Wheat farmers in the afternoons in that part of the world would separate the chaff from the wheat by taking a three-foot long, three-pronged wooden fork called a "winnowing fork," and take the grain and throw it up in the air in the afternoon, because the winds from the Mediterranean, just like in California, the sea breezes blow in.

And it's strong enough, it's prevailing enough, it's constant enough that you can throw it up and the light stuff, the husk, the chaff will blow away, and the heavier substance, the wheat, will fall to the ground. It's a separation. What you do is you collect the chaff and you burn it, it's good for nothing, and the wheat is kept. So it's an agricultural metaphor to speak of what he has been speaking about: judgment, fire, the baptism by fire. And he goes in verse 18, "With many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison."

The whole story is not told here, so I'm not going to go into it much, except to give you a little historical background, because Luke does introduce the fact that Herod marries his brother Philip's wife; actually his half brother Philip, his wife Herodias. This is how it happened: they were all in the city of Rome, Herod Antipas really liked what he saw. He saw his brother, his half brother Philip's wife, Herodias. Okay, she's a looker. She's gorgeous. "I want her as my wife." So he seduced her away from Philip to become his wife. Now, to do this he had to divorce his first wife. The problem was his first wife was the daughter of a guy named Aretas the king of Syria, who when Herod Antipas divorced her was so ticked off that he destroyed almost all of Herod's army, and would have completely destroyed them had not Rome itself intervened.

So that's the intrigue behind this. Herodias, by the way, this chick, this wife of Philip and then Herod Antipas is one of the most wicked women who ever lived, as I see it, second only to Jezebel. She hated John the Baptist and it was her influence that got John the Baptist's head cut off. She prompted her sixteen-year-old daughter to dance a seductive, sensual dance before Herod in what is called the "Dance of the Veils" to get him all riled up sexually. And then he said, "You know what? I'll give you anything you want, up to half my kingdom." "Okay, I want the head of John the Baptist." Why would she say that? She didn't care, mom wanted that, a wicked woman. Enough about it. John was put up in prison until he was eventually decapitated.

"When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while he prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.' "Why was Jesus baptized if he's indeed the Son of God, if he's indeed Deity in human flesh? If he is the Savior, the Messiah, why does he need to be baptized? I'll give you three reasons that he did, I believe. Number one, to identify with us. Here is Jesus the sinless One identifying with you and I, sinners. Isn't that wonderful that he identifies with us? Hebrews, chapter 4, the writer says, "We do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted like as we, yet without sin."

He fully identified with those of us who need to express repentance by baptism, to identify with us. So number one, to identify. Number two, to verify, especially for John the Baptist. If you remember anything about John the Baptist, he was---he said what he said, but he comes to a crisis in his faith wondering is Jesus really the One or not. "Are you the One that is to come, or shall we look for another?" That's what he asked. So there's times in his walk where he's a little sketchy about who Jesus is. So, for John's benefit, to verify that this was the Messiah, this was done. Isaiah, chapter 11, predicts this that "A Rod will come out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch will come out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him." And here we see the fulfillment of the Spirit of God resting upon Jesus.

So, to verify for the people, and especially John. So, to identify, to verify; and the third reason, I believe, is to prophesy, to prefigure the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, because baptism was done by immersion. Somebody was brought under the water and brought out of the water. And Paul will say that speaks of death, burial, and resurrection in the book of Romans. So, to identify, to verify, and then to prophesy his death and his resurrection. Notice the Trinity is represented here, all three members: God the Father who speaks about the Son who is being baptized and the Holy Spirit emblematically coming into the scene; the Trinity---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit---the triune God, three persons in one God represented here. And just as the three members of the Trinity are active in this baptism, they are active in our salvation.

God the Father sent Jesus the Son. Jesus the Son sent the Holy Spirit. "And when he has come," Jesus said, "He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me . . . ." You know the rest of it, if not, you should. And so the Father sent the Son; the Son sent the Spirit. All three are active in our salvation, just as all three were active here. So the heavens were opened, and you know what happens when the heavens are open? Hell gets opened. Every action brings an equal and opposite---what?---reaction. It's true in the spiritual realm as well. Heaven is opened. God the Father speaks. The Holy Spirit comes. And in chapter 4 you'll see hell opened. Satan will tempt Jesus in the wilderness immediately after this event.

But now we have in the rest of the chapter a hard name after hard name, after hard name; it is a genealogy. We have five minutes. Will you permit me to read through it? Okay. "Now Jesus himself began his ministry at about thirty years of age, being"---watch this---"(as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli." Now before we read the other names, notice "as was supposed." Was Jesus biologically the son of Joseph? Not at all. He was born of a virgin. Mary was impregnated by an act of the Holy Spirit supernaturally. "As was supposed," then we have the name of Heli. Now what we have here is a genealogy that is completely different from the one in Matthew. Matthew is clearly Joseph's genealogy. We now come to this one with different names and we wonder, "Well, whose genealogy is this?"

Answer: We believe it is Mary's genealogy. Joseph is included because, honestly, women weren't really included much in genealogies. They weren't considered important enough to keep on the roster. It was always dynastically through the male where a genealogy was written down. But Joseph is included next to Heli because he's in the family of David. He's from that tribe of Judah, as is Mary. But she is married to Joseph, so Joseph is included "as was supposed." And now Heli, we believe, is not the father of Joseph, but the father of Mary. We believe that for a number of reasons. We believe that because we know Joseph's dad was named Jacob. The genealogy in Matthew says that's his dad's name. So we have a different genealogy.

We believe it's Mary because (a) there is already a genealogy for Joseph; (b) Luke seems to emphasize Mary more than any of the gospel writers at the beginning of his discourse. And so we believe this is Mary's genealogy and there are several other reasons, but I'm looking at the time and I'm trying to go fast, so I can finish the chapter before the end. So, verse 24---I'll get back to that, don't worry. "The son of Matthat, the son of Levi," or Leví would be the correct pronunciation, "the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of [Nagge or] Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah"---I should just say hard name, hard name, hard name, hard name.

"The son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam"---if you're looking for Bible names for your kids, you got a bunch here. [laughter] I say stay away from them. "This is my boy Zerubbabel." Okay, okay. [laughter] A boy named Sue. [laughter] "The son of Elmodam, the son of Er, the son of José," actually, it would be Jose, would be the Hebrew. "The son of Eliezer, the son of Jorím [or Jorim], the son of Matthat, the son of Leví [Levi], the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmón," not salmon, Salmón.

"The son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Maha-Mahal---the son of" hard name, [laughter] "the son of Cainan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. [applause] These names are so important. This genealogy, as opposed to Matthew, is so important that one was included and the other was included because it solves the oldest problem in the Old Testament that was never resolved until this genealogy.

But I have to wait till next week to tell you what that is because it's---it would take too long and I don't want to violate the commitment to your children. I just love doing that. It's so mean, isn't it? We'll consider that probably as we take the Lord's Supper next week. Father, thank you for a time spent over familiar text, much more to us than certain parts of the older covenant. We know these stories. These are Sunday school tales to us. But John was a very real person with a real commitment and deeply held, real convictions that drove him from the hill country of Judah to live out in the desert, knowing that he that he had a specific job to warn people and to announce to people that the King, the awaited Messiah is going to be here soon. And the roads must be prepared, the road inside their hearts and their lives, so that you could move freely in traffic easily upon.

And, Father, we pray that we would also likewise prepare our hearts for the coming, the second coming of Jesus, his coming for the church, and the rapture, and then the second coming that will follow. We pray, Father, that as you come to us day by day, our hearts would be ready and prepared for you to use us and move through us. Lord, I pray that if there hasn't been real genuine change or repentance in our lives that you would assure us that as we turn from those things that we turn to Jesus who is awaiting. As John pointed backwards to what they shouldn't do, and forward to the One who would come and be to them what they could never do for themselves or be on their own, Jesus, I pray that we too would be driven to Christ who is full of grace and mercy and acceptance if we give our lives to him, in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

If you've missed any of our Expound studies, all of our services and resources are available at expoundabq.org.

Additional Messages in this Series

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6/25/2014
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Luke 1:1-25
Luke 1:1-25
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Luke gave a methodical account of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection that painted just one perspective of the full portrait of Christ. In this study, we recount the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments and see how God closed the Old Testament with both a promise and a curse. In a natural segue, Luke picked up on that promise with the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth, and we see how God turned the curse into grace when Jesus entered the picture.
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7/9/2014
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Luke 1:26-80
Luke 1:26-80
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Two thousand years ago, an angel announced to the young virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. Her response of faith and song of praise demonstrated a deep love for the Lord. As we close out the first chapter of Luke, we are also introduced to the man who would announce Jesus the Messiah, and we are exhorted to reevaluate our own concept of greatness in light of God's view.
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7/16/2014
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Luke 2
Luke 2
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As we study the birth of Jesus in Luke 2, we learn about the events surrounding this special occasion, including the days leading up to Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem, the angel's proclamation to the shepherds, and blessings from two people present at Jesus' dedication in the temple. Through these events recorded in Luke's gospel, we are reminded about God's sovereignty, Jesus' humility, and our salvation.
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8/6/2014
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The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Luke 3:23-38
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When studying the Scriptures, genealogies can often be overlooked, mistakenly seen as an unimportant list of names. But as we consider the genealogy of Christ found in Luke 3, we find that the lineage of Mary, Jesus' mother, shows us four important things about Christ and solves one of the biggest problems of the Old Testament.
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8/13/2014
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Luke 4:1-29
Luke 4:1-29
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After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness, where He experienced a season of oppression and conflict. In this study, we see the tempting offers the Devil extended to Jesus and how Jesus handled them, and we learn how to overcome our own temptations.
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9/3/2014
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Luke 4:16-5:26
Luke 4:16-5:26
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As we wrap up Luke 4 and begin our study in Luke 5, we continue to explore the public ministry of Jesus, examining aspects of His character as the promised Messiah, our compassionate healer, our great teacher, and the Son of Man who forgives sins. In this passage of Scripture, we learn what it means to serve the Lord and follow Him with uncompromised obedience.
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9/10/2014
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Luke 5:27-6:19
Luke 5:27-6:19
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God uses a variety of people to build His kingdom; in fact, the men Jesus chose as His disciples might even go on a list of "Most Unlikely to Succeed." In this study, we see how Jesus' interactions with His disciples, the Pharisees, and the multitudes were infused with a deep compassion. We are also reminded that God chooses to use the foolish things of the world, and we can take comfort knowing that He sees us for who we will become.
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9/17/2014
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Luke 6:17-7:23
Luke 6:17-7:23
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Jesus' public ministry of preaching to the multitudes and performing miracles went against the flow of the world—especially since He reached out to the downtrodden with love and grace. As we continue our study through Luke 6-7, we examine a different take on the Beatitudes, observe an extraordinary encounter with a Roman centurion that even left Jesus amazed, and learn what it means to live with Jesus as our Lord.
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9/24/2014
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Luke 7:19-8:3
Luke 7:19-8:3
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As we finish our study of Luke 7, John the Baptist comes back into the picture, this time imprisoned and doubting who Jesus is. But Jesus comforted John through the message He sent, and we consider why Jesus called this final Old Testament prophet great. Then, in a passage of Scripture found only in Luke's gospel, we observe the great mercy Jesus extended to the outcasts of society He often spent time with—in this case, women.
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10/1/2014
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Luke 8:1-39
Luke 8:1-39
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Jesus displayed a great measure of compassion throughout His ministry on earth, whether He was performing miraculous works or revealing deep spiritual truths. In this study of Luke 8, we consider Jesus' power to save and heal us, and we learn from His actions and parables about what it means to grow spiritually and place our faith in Him.
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10/8/2014
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Luke 8:40-9:17
Luke 8:40-9:17
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The miracles Jesus performed show that He is sovereign, compassionate, and powerful. Throughout His ministry on earth, a number of people approached Him by faith to ask for healing. As we study Luke 8-9, we see how Jesus met these people where they were and how He challenged His own disciples to trust in God's provision. We are reminded that God cares deeply for us and that He will use us in big ways if we offer Him what we have.
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10/29/2014
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Luke 9:18-62
Luke 9:18-62
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Over the centuries, countless groups and individuals have made claims about the person of Jesus Christ, but that's not enough to know who He really is. Luke presents an accurate picture as he records both Jesus' claims about Himself and what those nearest said about Him. As we continue our study in Luke 9, we consider two different ways to approach life, how to navigate mountaintop and valley experiences, and how worship and evangelism should naturally weave together in our lives.
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11/5/2014
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Luke 10
Luke 10
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The service we give to the Lord is important, but it's equally important to sit before Him in adoration. In Luke 10, we read that Jesus sent out a group of His followers to share His message of peace, told the parable of the good Samaritan, and encountered sisters Mary and Martha. As we study these stories, we are reminded to keep our focus on Christ.
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11/19/2014
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Luke 11:1-28
Luke 11:1-28
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As the disciples listened to Jesus' teachings and watched Him perform miraculous works, they also saw His dynamic prayer life with God the Father. In this study of Luke 11, we learn that praising and pouting are difficult to do at the same time, see Jesus' great power as he encountered an unclean spirit, and break down the prayer that He gave to the disciples.
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1/7/2015
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Luke 11:29-12:21
Luke 11:29-12:21
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As the antagonism toward Jesus began to grow, the focus of Luke's gospel transitions from the works of Jesus to the words of Jesus. In this study, we see that the Pharisees were unwilling to accept Jesus, focusing only on outward acts. We are cautioned to watch out for hypocrisy in our lives and focus on our relationship with God rather than material satisfaction.
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1/14/2015
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Luke 12:22-13:9
Luke 12:22-13:9
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As Jesus began His private ministry to His disciples, He explained what the attitude of His followers should be. In this study, we are reminded that we can rest in God's care because of our new relationship with Him, even when we're tempted to worry. We are also challenged to let our faith become action by living differently than the world and working to bring others into God's kingdom while we still can.
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1/28/2015
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Luke 13:10-14:24
Luke 13:10-14:24
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Jesus often searched out those who were overlooked by society. He wanted to heal them and love them so He could showcase His work in them to the world. Unfortunately, His acts of love weren't always accepted. In this study, we see the response of His religious adversaries who strictly adhered to the Law of the Old Testament. We also learn that tradition can cause us to miss the most important thing: a relationship with the Lord.
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2/4/2015
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Luke 14:15-15:32
Luke 14:15-15:32
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Jesus was a master storyteller, and He shared stories that shed light on some important truths. In this study, we examine five different parables of Jesus about things that had been lost. We learn what our highest priority should be, what it really means to be a disciple, and what the Lord is all about—rescuing those who were once lost and redeeming them for His glory.
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2/11/2015
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Luke 16:1-18
Luke 16:1-18
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After Jesus addressed several religious leaders in Luke 15, He turned His attention to the disciples to teach about stewardship. Jesus essentially asked them what they were investing their lives in—the temporal or the eternal? In this study, we learn that we must answer this same question and that our response will reveal who we truly serve.
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2/18/2015
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Luke 16:19-17:37
Luke 16:19-17:37
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As Jesus continued to talk to His disciples and the nearby Pharisees, He told them stories about the kingdom of heaven and warned those listening about their eternal fate. He also shared four basic things expected of those who follow Him. In this message, we're challenged to forgive freely, serve faithfully, live thankfully, and be prepared for Jesus' second coming.
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3/11/2015
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Luke 18
Luke 18
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In Luke 18, Jesus continued to share parables with those He encountered, explaining that humility and persistence in prayer are pleasing to the Lord. We also see Him tenderly bless children and call out a rich young ruler's obsession with wealth before we wrap up the chapter by looking at the faith of a blind man Jesus healed.
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3/25/2015
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Luke 19
Luke 19
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In Luke 19, Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as the Messiah and the Passover Lamb, beginning the grand finale of His life: death on the cross. As we look at the story of Zacchaeus, we learn that all of us are short in stature, spiritually speaking. We're also challenged to faithfully serve the Lord, and we study one of the Bible's most intricate prophecies about the end times.
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4/1/2015
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Luke 20
Luke 20
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Luke 20 is all about confrontation: in the middle of the crowded temple court, Jesus addressed the Pharisees and Sadducees' pointed questions with sharp wisdom and divine discernment. Mere days before His crucifixion, we also see Jesus expose the sin of His chosen people and discuss the topics of baptism, taxes, and the resurrection of the dead.
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4/8/2015
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Luke 21
Luke 21
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As Jesus continued to teach in the temple just days before His death, He noted the generosity of a poor widow and then launched into the Olivet Discourse, in which He gave an overview of what the end times will look like. This chapter of Luke is extremely relevant for believers today as we watch and wait for Jesus to come back and establish His kingdom on earth.
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4/15/2015
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Luke 22:1-46
Luke 22:1-46
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In Luke 22, Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover, which was—and is—of monumental importance to the Jewish nation. As we get into the details of the Passover meal itself, we examine how Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross would soon transform the meal's meaning, and we are reminded of the coming kingdom and Jesus' love for all people.
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4/22/2015
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Luke 22:39-23:1
Luke 22:39-23:1
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Human life—including human failure—began in the garden of Eden, but new life began in the garden of Gethsemane. In the second half of Luke 22, we see how Jesus fought the battle for our eternal fate, and we learn about Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial, both of which demonstrate God's sovereignty and control.
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4/29/2015
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Luke 23
Luke 23
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Luke 23 details the sentencing, beating, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. In our study of this chapter, we explore the significance of where Jesus was crucified and ponder the great truth that the cross had to come before the empty tomb.
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5/6/2015
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Luke 24
Luke 24
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As we wrap up our study in the book of Luke, we zero in on the event that sets Christianity apart from every other religion: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this message, we dive into the details surrounding the resurrection, including the women's visit to the tomb, the disciples' conversation on the road to Emmaus, and Jesus' ascension.
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There are 28 additional messages in this series.
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