RSV ~ Luke 3 Notes

Lk 3:1-2 | ISB Notes

Luke situates John the Baptist’s ministry on the timeline of world events, intending readers to view him in the light of both civil and religious history. He moves from a wide focus to a more narrow one by considering the Roman emperor (Tiberius), Palestine’s local rulers (Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias), and Israel’s priestly leaders (Annas, Caiaphas).

Lk 3:1 | ISB Notes

Tiberius Caesar: The Roman Emperor from A.D. 14 to 37. His fifteenth year in office falls between A.D. 27 and 29.

Pontius Pilate: The Roman procurator who governed Judea, Samaria, and Idumea from A.D. 26 to 36.

Herod: Herod Anti-pas, son of Herod the Great. He governed Galilee and Perea from 4/1 B.C. until A.D. 39, while his half-brother Philip governed the regions northeast of Galilee from 4/1 B.C. until A.D. 34. Otherwise unknown, Lysanias governed the territory north of Palestine called Abilene.

Lk 3:2 | ISB Notes

the high-priesthood: Israel’s high priests held office one at a time. By NT times, Roman authorities appointed and deposed these priests at will.

Annas: Ministered from A.D. 6 until his replacement in A.D. 15. His influence in Jerusalem endured long after his term of office (Jn 18:13, 24; Acts 4:6).

Caiaphas: The son-in-law of Annas who ministered as high priest from A.D. 18 to 36.

Lk 3:4-6 | ISB Notes

Isaiah’s words announce the restoration of Israel and the world (Is 40:3-5). John is the desert voice calling Israel to prepare for the Lord’s coming. Just as roads were improved for the procession of ancient kings, so John prepares for Jesus’ arrival and the salvation of all flesh.

• By citing the opening chapter of Isaiah’s central section (chaps. 40-55), Luke cues an entire symphony of biblical promises to be fulfilled by the Lord. He will rescue the poor and oppressed (Is 41:17; 42:7; 49:13), pour out the Spirit (44:3), restore Israel (43:5-7; 48:20; 49:5), come to Jerusalem as King (40:9-10; 52:7-10), destroy his enemies (41:11-13; 47:1-15), and show mercy to his children (43:25; 44:22; 55:7). At the summit of this stands the messianic Servant, whose mission is to bless the nations (42:1-4; 49:1-6) and atone for sin (50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). All of this is fulfilled by Jesus (2:32; 22:37; 24:46; Acts 3:13).

Lk 3:8 | ISB Notes

as our father: Israel traced its ancestry to Abraham (Gen 17:3-5; Is 51:2). Nevertheless, John warns that racial descent does not guarantee God’s favor, since Abraham’s true children are those who imitate his persevering faith (Jn 8:39-40; Rom 4:16).

Lk 3:10-14 | ISB Notes

John directs his message to all persons and professions. The spiritual renewal he calls for entails, among other things, a return to social justice (3:11, 14), honesty (3:13), and generosity (3:11) (CCC 2447). See word study: Repentance at Mk 1:4.

Lk 3:15 | ISB Notes

John … the Christ: The multitudes wonder if John is the Messiah. He denies this and speaks of the Messiah as one “mightier” than he (3:16; cf. Jn 1:20). See note on Mk 1:5.

Lk 3:17 | ISB Notes

winnowing fork: According to common practice, grain was tossed into the air with a forked shovel. The wind blew away the useless chaff, while the grain kernels fell to the threshing floor to be gathered up and stored. God will similarly separate the righteous and wicked at the final Judgment (Ps 1:4-6; Mt 13:24-30).

Lk 3:19 | ISB Notes

reproved by him: John denounced sin and summoned wrongdoers to be reconciled with God. In the case of Herod Antipas, John charged him with unlawfully marrying Herodias, the divorced wife of his brother Philip. See note on Mk 6:18.

Lk 3:21-22 | ISB Notes

Luke abbreviates Jesus’ Baptism, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit came upon him (4:18). This was to strengthen him for a later “baptism” of suffering (12:50).

• Two OT oracles resonate in the background. (1) Isaiah 11:2 describes the “Spirit of the Lord” resting upon the Davidic Messiah, enabling him to judge the poor with “righteousness” and victoriously “slay the wicked” (Is 11:4). This fits Luke’s portrait of Jesus as a minister to the poor (4:18; 6:20) and a Davidic king (1:32-33). (2) Isaiah 42:1 similarly portrays the “Spirit” descending upon the Servant of the Lord, who will minister to “the nations” (Is 42:6) and give sight to the “blind” (Is 42:7). Luke also depicts Jesus as the Servant who brings God’s saving light to all nations (1:32; 22:37; 24:47) (CCC 536, 1286).

Lk 3:21 | ISB Notes

praying: Luke often depicts Jesus praying during significant moments in his life (6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; 22:32, 41; 23:46; CCC 2600).

Lk 3:22 | ISB Notes

as a dove: Symbolic of peace and innocence (Gen 8:10-11; Mt 10:16; CCC 701). .

Lk 3:23-38 | ISB Notes

There are several differences between the genealogies of Jesus in Luke (3:23-38) and Matthew (Mt 1:2-16) that make it difficult to reconcile them in every detail. Two considerations should be noted to put their differences in perspective. (1) Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage forward from Abraham, the forefather of Israel (Mt 1:2), while Luke traces his ancestry backward to Adam, the father of humanity (3:38). Thus while Matthew is stressing the kingship of Jesus over Israel, Luke is stressing his qualifications to be the Savior of mankind as a whole. (2) The two genealogies are substantially the same from Abraham to David, but diverge significantly in the generations that span from David to Jesus. It is quite possible that Matthew records the ancestry of Jesus’ legal father, Joseph, and Luke records that of his biological mother, Mary. In this case, Matthew gives us the dynastic line that passes from David to Joseph through King Solomon (Mt 1:6), and Luke gives us the Davidic line more generally as it passes from David to Mary through Nathan (3:31). As with his Infancy Narratives, Luke may have obtained information about Jesus’ family traditions from Mary herself. See notes on Lk 2:19 and Mt 1:2-17.

Lk 3:23 | ISB Notes

thirty years of age: Luke alone notes Jesus’ adult age, which the Jews generally considered the age of maturity.

• Earlier emphasis on Jesus’ royal mission links him with David (1:32; 2:4), who was also thirty when anointed king (2 Sam 5:4).

Lk 3:31 | ISB Notes

son of David: Jesus’ Davidic ancestry qualifies him for kingship in Israel, and the Father will install him on David’s throne for ever (1:32-33, 69; 18:38; 20:41-44). See note on Lk 1:32-33.

Lk 3:38 | ISB Notes

son of God: The final link of the genealogy points to Adam’s sonship at creation. In light of the similar statements about Jesus (1:35; 3:22), Luke implies a connection between the two: Christ is a new Adam who regenerates a new humanity in the life and grace of God (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:45).