(Luke 3:1 NASB) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
(Luke 3:2 NASB) in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
Luke 3:2: Luke is giving us the timeframe of the beginning of the teachings of Yeshua. This appears to line up to be approximately in the year 29 AD. A “tetrarch” was a subordinate ruler. It was at this time that the Word of Elohim came to John.
(Luke 3:3 NASB) And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
Luke 3:3: John steps onto the scene preaching a baptism of repentance. What are the people to repent from? They are to repent from breaking Torah. “Sin” is the breaking of Torah (1 John 3:4). To “repent” means to turn from all your ways in which you are going against the Word of Elohim and to obey His Torah.
There is no forgiveness outside of repentance. If one does not repent (turn back to Torah) then there is no forgiveness.
(Luke 3:4 NASB) as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.
(Luke 3:5 NASB) ‘EVERY RAVINE SHALL BE FILLED UP, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW; AND THE CROOKED SHALL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;
(Luke 3:6 NASB) AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.'”
Luke 3:6: This is a quote from Isaiah 40:3-6. John was saying that the paths of the Father were being made crooked by many. They were adding and deleting from the Words of the Father and making His paths a winding path that detours to the ways of man. We cannot add to nor take away from His Instructions (Deut. 4:2, 12:32, Joshua 1:7).
The Pharisees and other religious rulers in that day were twisting and changing the Word of Elohim by their traditions. John says that the paths of His people must be straight to Torah. He attacks these very people in the next passage.
(Luke 3:7 NASB) He therefore began saying to the multitudes who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
(Luke 3:8 NASB) “Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Luke 3:8: He tells them to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. What does this mean? What are “fruits” according to Scripture? Fruits are our works (Prov. 1:31, 11:30, 12:14, Isa. 3:10, 45:8, Jer. 6:19, 32:17-19).
(Luke 3:9 NASB) “And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Luke 3:9: All trees that do not bear good fruits will have the axe laid that it’s roots and it will be thrown into the fire. What does this mean? It means that all those who do not obey Torah have eternal punishment. Yeshua told us the exact same thing (Matt. 7:12-23).
(Luke 3:10 NASB) And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?”
(Luke 3:11 NASB) And he would answer and say to them, “Let the man who has two tunics share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise.”
Luke 3:11: The multitudes were wanting to know what to do? John told them to obey Torah by providing to the poor with food and clothing (Isa. 58:7-10, Prov. 28:27, Deut. 15:7-11).
(Luke 3:12 NASB) And some tax-gatherers also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
(Luke 3:13 NASB) And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”
Luke 3:13: Tax collectors have a job to do, but they are to do it righteously (Isa. 1:16-18, Isaiah 1:16-17, 55:6-7, Ezek. 18:21-22).
(Luke 3:14 NASB) And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
Luke 3:14: The soldiers wanted to know what they needed to do. John told them to follow Torah also (Ex. 20:16, 23:1, Lev. 19:11).
(Luke 3:15 NASB) Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he might be the Christ,
(Luke 3:16 NASB) John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luke 3:16: The people were asking if John is the Messiah. It is a logical assumption considering the message of John was “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” They wanted to know if He is the King they are to be looking for.
John said that he baptizes with water, but one is coming who is mightier than he. The One who is coming will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
To baptize with the Spirit is to have His Spirit poured out on us which turns us to repentance in our lives and toward His Torah (Prov. 1:23, Isa. 32:15-20, 44:3-5, Ezek. 36:25-27). To baptize with fire is to cleanse us at His return (Isa. 4:2-4, Zech. 13:9, Mal. 3:2-3).
(Luke 3:17 NASB) “And His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
(Luke 3:18 NASB) So with many other exhortations also he preached the gospel to the people.
Luke 3:18: John spoke of His coming in judgment to judge all people. John spoke of the coming Kingdom in many other ways also. We are told that John baptized with water. At the time of His ascension, Yeshua told His disciples that they would soon be baptized with the Spirit of Elohim and that the Kingdom of Israel would be fully restored at a future time (Acts 1:4-8).
(Luke 3:19 NASB) But when Herod the tetrarch was reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and on account of all the wicked things which Herod had done,
(Luke 3:20 NASB) he added this also to them all, that he locked John up in prison.
Luke 3:20: Herod took his brothers wife. John condemned him for his open and public lawlessness (Matt. 14:3-4, Lev. 18:16, 20:21).
(Luke 3:21 NASB) Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
(Luke 3:22 NASB) and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.”
Luke 3:22: The question often arises, “If Yeshua is the Son of Elohim, why did He need to be baptized?” There are numerous reasons for this. For one, this was to reveal His identity to John (John 1:31-34).
Another reason is that we are told in the next verse that Yeshua began His ministry after the baptism. This meant that Yeshua was to be cleansed with water before entering the priesthood (Ex. 29:4-6). Instead of having a crown placed upon His turban, the Spirit of Elohim descended upon Him.
We are told that John initially objected to baptizing Yeshua. John thought that Yeshua should be baptizing him. But Yeshua said that this must be done in order to fulfill (make full) all righteousness (Matt. 3:13-15). Yeshua was fulfilling the prophecy that His Spirit would be put upon the Messiah and that He would be the One to judge the nations (Isa. 42:1).
(Luke 3:23 NASB) And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,
Luke 3:23: Yeshua was thirty years old when He started His ministry. This is the age when a man could enter into priestly service for Elohim (Num. 4:2-3). The age of thirty being required to enter the priesthood is mentioned 5 times in Numbers 4.
There are two genealogies for Yeshua given in the Gospels. They differ greatly in the areas between King David and Joseph the son of Eli. The answer is likely that the genealogy in Matthew gives the genealogy of His stepfather Joseph while this one gives the genealogy of Mary. If His genealogy is only given through Joseph (as would have been customary, even though Joseph was only His stepfather) then it could not have been proved that Yeshua was a blood descendant of David, as well as of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is necessary for Yeshua to be a blood descendant of Israel, according to Torah, in order for Yeshua to be Kinsman-Redeemer for all of Israel (Lev. 25:25).
(Luke 3:24 NASB) the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
(Luke 3:25 NASB) the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,
(Luke 3:26 NASB) the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
(Luke 3:27 NASB) the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
(Luke 3:28 NASB) the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
(Luke 3:29 NASB) the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
(Luke 3:30 NASB) the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
(Luke 3:31 NASB) the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
(Luke 3:32 NASB) the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
(Luke 3:33 NASB) the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
(Luke 3:34 NASB) the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
(Luke 3:35 NASB) the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,
(Luke 3:36 NASB) the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
(Luke 3:37 NASB) the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
(Luke 3:38 NASB) the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Luke 3:38: Yeshua was a descendant of Adam who was a son of Elohim. He was a son of Elohim due to the fact that he came directly as a creation of Elohim.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas