Luke 3 – John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus
Luke 3 marks a powerful moment of preparation. As John the Baptist emerges from the wilderness, he calls Israel to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah. This chapter shows the fulfillment of prophecy, the humility of Christ, and the voice of the Father confirming His Son.
Preparing the Way of the Lord
God’s redemptive plan moves into action as John the Baptist preaches repentance by the Jordan River. The chapter highlights not only John’s bold ministry but also Jesus’ identification with humanity through baptism. Here we witness both prophetic fulfillment and divine confirmation of Christ’s mission.
️✔ John fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy as the forerunner.
️✔ He preaches repentance and ethical living.
️✔ Jesus is baptized, not for sin, but to fulfill all righteousness.
️✔ Heaven opens and the Spirit descends as the Father speaks.
📖 Luke 3:22 – “And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him… Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
🔎 The chapter builds a bridge between prophecy and Messiah—between expectation and manifestation.
Luke Chapter 3 - Overview
Luke 3:1–6 – The Voice in the Wilderness
📖 Luke 3:2 – “The word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.”
🔎 John receives divine commission outside the temple system—in the wilderness, like Israel of old. This setting recalls the Exodus and the preparation of God’s people for new covenant revelation.
📖 Luke 3:4 – “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord…”
🔎 This fulfills Isaiah 40:3. John’s mission was to call people to repentance, clearing the way for Christ. The “highways made straight” symbolize hearts humbled and lives made ready for the Messiah.
📖 Luke 3:6 – “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
🔎 Luke emphasizes universal salvation—not just for Israel but for all people. John’s work introduces a new phase in redemptive history.
Luke 3:7–14 – The Fruit of Repentance
📖 Luke 3:8 – “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…”
🔎 True repentance is shown through transformed actions, not heritage. John warns that being a descendant of Abraham is not enough—God requires a new heart and obedient life.
📖 Luke 3:10–11 – “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none…”
🔎 Repentance involves generosity and compassion. John gives practical examples of righteousness to the people: sharing, honesty, and justice.
📖 Luke 3:14 – “Do violence to no man… be content with your wages.”
🔎 Even soldiers were called to integrity. God’s message through John touches every level of society, calling each person to ethical accountability.
Luke 3:15–20 – He Must Increase
📖 Luke 3:16 – “One mightier than I cometh… he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”
🔎 John points forward to Christ, humbling himself before the coming Messiah. The baptism of the Spirit represents transformation; the fire represents purification and judgment.
📖 Luke 3:17 – “Whose fan is in his hand… he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
🔎 Jesus brings both salvation and judgment. The wheat and chaff are separated—those who receive Him will be refined; those who reject will be cast away.
📖 Luke 3:19–20 – “But Herod… being reproved… shut up John in prison.”
🔎 John boldly confronted sin, even among rulers. His arrest shows the cost of truth, and his faithfulness prefigures the suffering of Christ and His followers.
Luke 3:21–22 – The Baptism of Jesus
📖 Luke 3:21 – “Jesus also being baptized, and praying…”
🔎 Jesus is sinless, yet He submits to baptism to identify with us and affirm righteousness. His act of humility marks the beginning of His public ministry.
📖 Luke 3:22 – “The Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove…”
🔎 All three Persons of the Trinity are present: the Father speaks, the Son is baptized, and the Spirit descends. This divine moment confirms Jesus as Messiah.
📖 Luke 3:22 – “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”
🔎 The Father’s voice affirms Jesus’ identity and mission. It echoes Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42—linking Christ to prophecy and divine authority.
Luke 3:23–38 – The Genealogy of Jesus
📖 Luke 3:23 – “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age…”
🔎 Age thirty was the typical time for entering priestly service (Numbers 4:3). Jesus begins His ministry as a spiritual High Priest for humanity.
📖 Luke 3:38 – “Which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”
🔎 Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam, emphasizing Christ as the Savior of all mankind. Unlike Matthew’s lineage through Solomon, Luke follows the line through Nathan—highlighting Jesus’ connection not just to kingship but to humanity.
🔎 This genealogy affirms Jesus as the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), come to restore what the first Adam lost.
Luke Chapter 3 - Deeper Study
Overview: Preparation and Revelation
🔹 Timeframe: During the reign of Tiberius Caesar, around 27–29 AD.
🔹 Setting: Wilderness of Judea and the Jordan River.
🔹 Theme: Repentance, preparation for Messiah, and divine confirmation.
🔹 Connection to Future Events: John’s ministry bridges the Old and New Testaments. Jesus’ baptism and genealogy set the stage for His Messianic mission, culminating in His death, resurrection, and eternal reign.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Repentance is not just a feeling but a change of behavior.
🔑 God prepares the way for His promises through prophecy and people.
🔑 Jesus’ baptism affirms His identity and mission.
🔑 God’s message is for all people—no one is beyond the call.
🔑 The Trinity is visibly active in Christ’s mission.
🔑 Luke emphasizes Christ’s connection to all humanity.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 Isaiah 40:3 fulfilled in John’s ministry.
🔮 Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42 echoed at Jesus’ baptism.
🔮 Christ as Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 John’s wilderness ministry recalls Israel’s history and need for repentance.
📜 Roman rule under Herod and Pilate creates political tension.
📜 Genealogies were essential for validating identity and priesthood.
📜 Baptism was already practiced as a sign of purification—John redefines it for repentance.
💡 Final Reflection: Will You Prepare the Way?
Luke 3 invites us to prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. Whether by repentance, humility, or obedience, God is calling us to clear the path for Jesus in our lives.
📌 Are you bearing fruits worthy of repentance?
📌 Will you humble yourself as John did before Christ?
📌 Have you heard the Father’s voice affirming the Son in your life?
📖 John 1:29 – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
🔥 Just as the heavens opened at His baptism, may your heart open today to welcome the Savior King.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
Luk 3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luk 3:5 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;
Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Luk 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Luk 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
Luk 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
Luk 3:13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
Luk 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
Luk 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Luk 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Luk 3:18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
Luk 3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Luk 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
Luk 3:24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
Luk 3:25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
Luk 3:26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
Luk 3:28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
Luk 3:29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
Luk 3:30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
Luk 3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
Luk 3:32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
Luk 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
Luk 3:34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
Luk 3:35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
Luk 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
Luk 3:37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
Luk 3:38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Date Written
Around 60-62 AD
Written By
Luke the physician
Language
Greek
Verses
38