John counseled sincere tax collectors to refrain from extorting more money than they had a right to receive (cf. Luke 5:27-32). He advocated honesty and freedom from greed. He did not suggest overthrowing a system that allowed for abuses but prescribed personal morality that would eliminate the abuses. read more
Soldiers were able because of their position to threaten people with reprisal to extort money from them. Exactly who these soldiers were is unclear, but it is also unimportant. Greed appears to have been a special temptation for them since the wages of soldiers were low. Therefore John called on them to demonstrate contentment.Luke 3:12-14 help us see that certain temptations are more prominent in certain occupations than others. However material possessions were a source of temptation to all... read more
Luke’s account of John’s preaching about Jesus is the longest in the three Synoptic Gospels (cf. John 1:19-25). John distinguished between his baptism and Messiah’s to show that he was not the Messiah.Matthew’s account of these words stressed the importance of Jesus’ Jewish hearers repenting personally and nationally. Luke tailored his account to Gentiles and stressed the judgment that Jesus would bring (cf. Isaiah 4:4). The presence of only one article before "Holy Spirit" and "fire" in the... read more
John’s preaching was also positive. He preached good news to the people (Gr. laos, a potentially responsive group) as well as warning them of coming judgment."John illustrates how the proclaimer of the Word should perform his task. The preacher must bear good news as well as news that exposes sin. Some preachers in the past tended to emphasize sin so much that one wondered where grace might be found. Today our problem is the opposite: being able to confront people with their accountability and... read more
3. The end of John’s ministry 3:19-20Luke concluded his account of John’s ministry before he began to narrate Jesus’ ministry. This arrangement of material allowed Luke to continue comparing and contrasting the ministries of the two men. [Note: C. Talbert, "The Lukan Presentation of Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee," Review and Expositor 64 (1967):490.] One writer argued that Luke took John out of the scene before introducing Jesus to minimize John’s importance for the baptist sectarians of Luke’s... read more
Evidently John baptized Jesus after he had baptized many other people. Luke may have wanted to imply by this that Jesus’ baptism was the climax of John’s ministry. [Note: Marshall, The Gospel . . ., p. 150.] According to Luke this is the first of many important events that happened while Jesus was praying (cf. Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18; Luke 9:28-29; Luke 11:1; Luke 22:32; Luke 22:40-44; Luke 23:46). Only Luke recorded that the heavens opened while Jesus was praying, that is, a revelation... read more
B. The baptism of Jesus 3:21-22 (cf. Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:29-34)Luke’s account of this significant event is shorter than the parallel passages. At His baptism, Jesus received the anointing of the Holy Spirit for His ministry. It was also the occasion for the Father to authenticate Jesus as His Son. Luke stressed these two features and did not describe Jesus’ actual baptism fully, though he recorded some information that the other evangelists omitted. read more
This was a theophany, God appearing in corporeal form. The dove is a biblical symbol of peace (Genesis 8:8-12; cf. Genesis 1:2). Primarily it signified the coming of God’s peaceful Spirit to empower Jesus for His ministry (Isaiah 42:1; cf. Isaiah 64:1). Secondarily it represented the peace that Jesus would impart to those who believed on Him. [Note: See L. E. Keck, "The Spirit and the Dove," New Testament Studies 17 (1970-71):41-67.] Only Luke wrote that the Spirit came "in bodily form" thereby... read more
Luke probably mentioned the round number "30" to describe Jesus’ age when He launched His ministry because many significant Old Testament characters began their service of God when they were 30 (cf. Genesis 41:46; 2 Samuel 5:4; Ezekiel 1:1). This included Israel’s priests (Numbers 4). Evidently Jesus was 32 years old when He began His ministry. [Note: Hoehner, pp. 37-38.] Luke also clarified that Jesus was not the physical son of Joseph. People only supposed that He was. read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 3:10-11
Luke’s unique inclusion of the specific fruits of repentance (Luke 3:10-14) demonstrates his concern for social justice. To the sincere in the crowd John recommended generously sharing their possessions with the needy (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). The tunic (Gr. chiton) was the short undergarment worn under a robe. The Jews often wore two of them at once if they had two. These undergarments were not what we think of as underwear. They were simply an under layer of clothing. read more