THE GOSPELS: LESSON 8:
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN
TEXT: LUKE 3: 1 - 14; MATT. 3: 1 - 12; MARK 1: 1 - 8; JOHN 1: 15 - 28.
Before Jesus could preach his new “Gospel of the Kingdom,” John had to “prepare the way.” This lesson deals with the prophet John and just what he was preaching to get the land ready to receive their Messiah. This is the FIRST story in the gospels which is recorded by all four gospel writers. We will focus primarily on the passage from Luke.
VERSES 1, 2: Note the precision of this account of Luke:
15th year of Tiberius’ reign. (He became emperor in 14 AD.)
Pontius Pilate is the procurator of Judea. (Pilate became procurator in 26 AD.)
Herod is tetrarch of Galilee. Herod here is Herod Antipas, not Herod the Great.
Philip is tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis.
Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. (Northern area.)
Annas and Caiaphas are the High Priests of the Jews.
Luke had promised accuracy in his account (Luke 1: 3) and he gives it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HERODS, SEE “THE HOUSE OF HEROD” BY CLICKING HERE.
VERSE 2: Why 2 high priests? The Law had only allowed for one high priest. The practice apparently started in King David’s time during the rebellion of Absolom. (II Sam. 15: 35) In this passage of Luke, Annas was an old man about to retire, but apparently he was still in charge and Caiaphas was his assistant. His daughter married Caiaphas, and Caiaphas was about to replace the soon-to-be retired (or dead?) Annas. Caiaphas and Annas were both Sadducees as were all the high priests since about 200 BC.
John was in the wilderness of Judea (west of the Dead Sea) and then went to Bethabara, also called Bethany beyond the Jordan (JN 1: 28). This was a well-known ford over the Jordan, about ten miles north of the Dead Sea. (SEE DETAIL MAP HERE.) Some experts place Bethabara about twenty miles further north, but this is unlikely, or it would have been too far for “all Jerusalem and Judea” to go out to see him. (Matthew 3: 5.) The word of the Lord “came” to John by Divine Revelation, he did not make it up for himself.
VERSE 3:John’s message: the baptism of repentance, for the forgiveness of sins. In John 1 we are also told that he made it plain during his preaching that he was not Elijah or the Messiah, and, indeed was unworthy to unlatch the sandal of the Messiah.
The Jews had been practicing baptisms of various sorts for a long time, but mostly as ritual cleansing before prayer or other religious rites. (Like Naaman’s seven baptisms before he would be cured of his leprosy by Elisha – II Kings 5: 1 -14). John’s baptism was for, or more properly “looking toward” the forgiveness of sins, which could only come through Christ. (See Acts 19: 4.) There was a difference between John’s baptism and Christian baptism, as we see in Acts 18: 25, 26 and Acts 19: 1 -5.
VERSES 4-6: This is the prophecy of Isaiah 40: 3. The mighty would be humbled and the meek raised up. ALL flesh shall see the salvation of God. From before the world, God intended that all men would eventually come into his kingdom, not just the Jews.
WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS JOHN?
Matt. 3: 4 and Mark 1: 6
– He wore a garment (robe, or outer covering) made of camel hair.
– He also wore a girdle of animal skin about his loins. A loincloth.
– He ate locusts and wild honey. Both have been eaten since very ancient times. Locusts are usually baked or fried and are said to taste like nuts.
– AND HE PREACHED. Jesus called him a prophet in Matt. 11: 9. He also said he was firm and fearless, not a “reed shaken by the wind.” Jesus tells us also that of all men John was the greatest before the kingdom of God came. (Matt. 11: 11.)
VERSE 7: Note that they came not just to listen, but to be baptized. They were fleeing the “wrath to come.” What wrath? Undoubtedly this is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Jewish state which would happen in 70 AD.
VERSE 8: Fruits. What are fruits? (see MT. 7: 16 - 20; 12:33; Lk. 8: 14; Jn. 15: 2-5.) Throughout the New Testament fruit is a metaphor for deeds. The ones who do not do good deeds (like believe in the Messiah) will be cast into the fire. That is what happened to the Jews who rejected Jesus. Just because they were Jews, didn’t insure they would be spared God’s wrath. Heritage cannot bring salvation. It's not who you are, it's how you are!
VERSE 9: What is the tree and what is the root? The ax is surely the wrath of God. This image is not used elsewhere in scripture, but in Isaiah 11: 10 Jesus is called the root of Jesse. Here is what John Gill’s Commentary says about this verse:
Not only to Jesse's family, which as a root in a dry ground, and to Jerusalem, the metropolis of the nation; but to the root of the vain boasting of every Jew; their descent from Abraham, the covenant made with him, their ecclesiastical state and civil polity, all which would quickly be at an end: the Romans were now among them, the axe in God's hand; by means of whom, utter ruin and destruction would be brought upon their nation, city, and temple.
Obviously John is using the same sort of Apocalyptic language Jesus uses in Matt. 24 and elsewhere.
VERSE 10: What shall we do?? This is the same question as Acts 2: 37.
VERSE 11: John’s instructions to the multitude: "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."
Notice that John doesn’t say to give up what you need, just your excess. God doesn’t expect us to starve to death just so someone else can survive. These are good guidelines for our giving – not all, but something substantial; something that is actually needed.
VERSE 12: What is a publican? The Jews who collected taxes for the Romans. They were hated above almost everyone else. How much taxes did Rome levy against the Jews? For most people, the taxes were less than 10 percent of their worth.
The publicans ask the same question as the others (the people): What shall we do?
VERSE 13: Instructions to the publicans. "Collect no more than is appointed you."
VERSE 14: The soldiers ask the same question, What shall we do? Their instructions? "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
The universal cry of ALL SINNERS is What do we do? Not all people have the same sins, but ALL have some sins, and we all must turn to Jesus. See Rom. 3: 10 & 23.
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