Bible Gateway passage: Luke 3:1-19 - New King James Version (2024)

FAQs

What is the main message of Luke 3? ›

This highlights how the Lord often works through those the world dismisses. John's essential message is a call to repentance, evidenced by baptism (Luke 3:1–3). John the Baptist's ministry corresponds to Old Testament prophecy.

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ' ”

Luke shows in this passage that John the Baptist's ministry was to prepare Israel for Messiah by calling them to repent of their sins. They would only be prepared for Messiah and His offer of a kingdom if they repented of their sins.

God's ways are not our ways. But God's ways lead to salvation. God's glory will be revealed in Jesus, the judge who comes to save us. This is the good news that John proclaims, and it is good news not just for us, but for the whole world: all flesh will see God's salvation.

In Luke, Jesus emerges primarily as a teacher, a teacher of ethical wisdom, someone who's confident and serene in that ethical teaching. Someone who is very much interested in inculcating the virtues of compassion and forgiveness among his followers.

Luke reveals that God is no respecter of persons; He opened His heart to the needy through the kingdom ministry of His Son. The Son of Man who heals the sick, raises the dead and calls the prodigal back is also the transcendent God who calls all people to Himself in salvation.

In chapter 3, Luke begins by looking at the ministry of John. John was prophesied to be the forerunner to the Messiah. We are going to learn about how John is preparing the way for the arrival of Jesus, the Savior of the world. John is going to teach us what repentance looks like.

Luke 6:37. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

SUMMARY. At the baptism of Jesus God has declared to the world that Jesus is the Son of God in whom he is well pleased . Therefore, in our baptism, our identity as sons and daughters of God is established.

He preached “a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” He was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness…. 'Every valley shall be filled and 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. '”

Who is John speaking to in Luke 3? ›

In Matthew, John addresses the “brood of vipers” speech to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but in Luke, John addresses the whole crowd. While it is difficult to imagine a contemporary audience sticking around for such a sermon, in Luke's story, people take his message to heart.

At the same time, Luke is not satisfied to trace the genealogy of Jesus simply to Abraham. Rather, he goes before Abraham, all the way back to Adam and even beyond, where he shows that this One who is a descendent of Adam was also a descendant of God, being created by God.

Summary. This chapter introduces John as the messenger of the Lord and his work and interaction with people and Jesus. The chapter also presents the lineage of Joseph, the earthly caretaker of the beloved Son of God.

If the people don't repent soon, God will cut them at their root so that they will be removed. The trees to be cut down are ones that do not bear good fruit. This phrase could indicate that the trees either produce rotten fruit or no fruit at all.

Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.

A major theme in Luke's Gospel is God's care for people who were seen as insignificant in the society of his day. Specifically, this referred to women, children, the poor, and disreputable “sinners”. Luke thus gives a prominent place to women in his gospel (1:5-2:52; 7:36-50; 8:1-4; 10:38-42; 15:8-10).

In short, through Luke God teaches us how He is in charge of world history. Besides the reconciliation through Jesus' death, Jesus also won for us the Holy Spirit who teaches us to witness to Him and follow Him. In Jesus' Kingdom, God looks for the marginalized and brings them together in his kingdom.

Jesus' birth counters the suggestion that the world's hopes might lie in the hands of the rulers of this age. The world's hopes lie in him. Just as Jesus is born in humble circ*mstances, so the first to hear the good news of his birth are lowly shepherds: Jesus came for such humble folk as these (Luke 4:18).