Luke 3:3

‘And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins,’ .

And as a result of receiving ‘the word of God’ John came into the region round about the Jordan in order to proclaim it. He preached the need for a ‘turning to God’, a ‘change of heart, mind and will’ (metanoia - translated ‘repentance’), so that men’s sins could be forgiven, linking it with his baptism in water which proclaimed the forthcoming pouring out of the Holy Spirit like rain. Note that to Luke repentance is the gift of God and closely connected with the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:30-31; Acts 11:15-18).

The Greek word literally means a ‘change of mind’ but was used to translate the Semitic idea of ‘turning’ to God, involving a change of direction and often sorrow of heart ( 1Ki 8:47 ; 1 Kings 13:33; Psalms 78:34; Isaiah 6:10; Ezekiel 3:19; Amos 4:6). It is common also on the lips of Jesus both as a noun and a verb (e.g. Luke 5:32; Luke 10:13; Luke 11:32; Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5; Luke 15:7; Luke 15:10; Luke 24:47). On this point both Jesus and John are in agreement. It reflects the contrite heart that comes to God for forgiveness and renewal (Psalms 34:18; Psalms 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2).

While it is true that John comes from a priestly family, his chosen background is that of a prophet. In his clothing, his food and his chosen environment of the wilderness he follows Elijah (Luke 3:2; Mark 1:6; Matthew 3:4; compare 2 Kings 1:8; 1 Kings 17:3-4). And like Elijah he stands to give warning to the powers of his day (Luke 3:14; Luke 3:19). And his message too is a prophetic one. We should therefore see his baptism in the same light. While we may see water in terms of washing, the people of the land who heard John would have seen it very much in terms of rain coming down on the land, and of rivers and water courses that produced life. And that was the prophetic message, especially of Isaiah who provides the Scriptural background to John’s ministry (Luke 3:4-6. See Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-5; Isaiah 55:10-13). John’s message too was that soon the Holy Spirit would come down on men, and He would come down on those whose hearts were prepared by turning to God from sin, and living accordingly. And through their commitment by baptism to His effective working, indicating their desire to partake in the coming outpouring of the Spirit, they would receive the forgiveness of sins. But the repentance and forgiveness did not await the future outpouring of the Spirit. They were effective now in readiness for it.

We must beware of thinking that the Holy Spirit was not already working. John is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15) and preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the work of the Holy Spirit that he sees as to come is something different. It is the great outpouring described in the prophets (Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1-5; Joel 2:28; Ezekiel 36:25-27) which will commence in John 20:22 and Acts 2:0, and which will shake the world. But as is clear in the ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:1; Luke 4:14; Luke 10:21 with 17; Luke 11:13; Luke 12:10; Luke 12:12; Matthew 12:28; John 3:6; John 4:10-14 with 24; Luke 7:37 in contrast with 38) the Spirit is already working, as indeed He has always worked (Psalms 51:10-11; Psalms 139:7; Psalms 143:10).

It is significant that apart from in Acts 22:16, which can in fact be interpreted differently, baptism is never directly connected with washing, while Peter emphasises that it has nothing to do with the removal of the defilement of the flesh - 1 Peter 3:21. So contrary to what is often said it is totally unlike Jewish religious washings, which were only ever a self-washing of the body preparatory to waiting on God for cleansing, and had to be performed continually. While it has been likened to proselyte baptism it is not really similar, for proselyte baptism was for removal of ritual uncleanness and then simply introduced the person to the continual chain of washings which would maintain his cleanness, which would inevitably follow. John’s baptism was nothing like this. It was once for all, marking the recipient, if his heart was true, as one of God’s chosen. The cleansing that it represented was not that of washing but of the working of the Holy Spirit within (the ‘washing of regeneration’). In the Old Testament it is only blood sprinkled water (‘pure water’) that was seen as cleansing and had to be applied to another, not washing water. Note how the priestly Ezekiel likens the coming of the Spirit to being sprinkled with clean (cleansed) water (Ezekiel 36:25-27).

Johns baptism was administered by him and was initiatory and final. It was linked with the coming drenching in the Holy Spirit and indicated that the person who received it had been made right with God through turning to God and receiving forgiveness. It indicated the commencement of a new life, a turning from the old to the new. And he warned that if it was participated in lightly it would result in being drenched, not with the Holy Spirit but with fire and judgment. Thus its prime significance must be seen as representing the coming work of the Holy Spirit, which was already happening to a limited extent through the Spirit-filled John.

‘All the region round about the Jordan.’ This would include lands both sides of the Jordan, as he moved from place to place. But he was very much seen as connected with the Jordan. It was where he baptised, and it was symbolically connected with the new age that had begun when Israel crossed the Jordan (Joshua 3:7 to Joshua 4:1), something re-enacted by Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:8; 2 Kings 2:14). It was a symbol of God’s power as He was again beginning to act on behalf of His people (2 Kings 2:12), as it had been of the spirit of Elijah coming on Elisha (2 Kings 2:15). Now John had the Spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). John tells us that for a time Jesus preached alongside John although He sought not to be seen as a rival (John 3:22-23; John 4:1-3).