Get Ready! Get Ready! Get Ready!

Luke 3:1-22
Part I

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate
was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch
of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high
priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of
Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan,
preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written
in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the
desert,' Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every
valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads
shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see
God's salvation.'" 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by
him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to
yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these
stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the
root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut
down and thrown into the fire." 10 "What should we do then?" the crowd
asked. 11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him
who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." 12 Tax
collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we
do?" 13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. 14
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't
extort money and don't accuse people falsely — be content with your pay."
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their
hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, "I
baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs
of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing
floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people
and preached the good news to them. 19 But when John rebuked Herod the
tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things
he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And
as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended
on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are
my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (NIV)

I. INTRODUCTION – During the MLK march, I walked along sided Dr.

DaMond T. Holt and Pastor Jonathan Smith. Pastor Smith shared with us
that he has a John the Baptist Ministry. He said it seemed like God always
sends him to a church to put things in order whether it be people, programs,
equipment, etc. and then move him on to the next place and project. Maybe
some of you feel the same way in your calling or career. You are the person
to pioneer a project or put things in order only for someone else to come
behind you. Oftentimes, that person coming behind you gets all the credit
and reap all the benefits. However, that shouldn’t bother us too much
because we are doing it for the Lord and not people (Col. 3:23). We know
that our reward will come from God. Like John the Baptist, we must be faithful
in carrying out our assignment until the Lord reassigns us or call us home. If
you aren’t dead, you aren’t done. Get Ready! Get Ready! Get Ready!

II. EXPOSITION OF THE TEXT – As we come to our text, we can see in

each gospel how the people initially confused John the Baptist with Jesus.
They had two distant ministries but ultimately, they had the same goal.

Black History - W. E. B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington had the same

goal of racial progress but, because of their different backgrounds, different
methods of achieving this goal. DuBois focused on higher education and civil
and political action. Washington concentrated on trade schools and
accommodation. (True to Our Native Land, An African American New
Testament Commentary, Page 163) James Cone’s brilliant book.

A Chart of the Contrast of Martin and Malcom

(Freedom and Empowerment of Black People)
Martin Malcom
Christian – Baptist Preacher Muslim – Speaker National of Islam
Scholar – Had an PhD. (15/19/26) Street Smarts – Prison (6.5 years)
Focused on People in the South Focused on People in the North
Integration into dominate society Segregation from dominate society
Eurocentric – Studied the Classics Afrocentric – Studied Black History
Love your Enemy Don’t Trust Your Enemy
Nonviolence By Any Means Necessary
God’s Power – Protest and Prayer Black Power – Words & Weapons
Work within the System Worked Outside the System
Killed by a White supremacist Killed by his own people
Died at 39 – Passed lots of civil Died at 39 – Pen is mightier than
rights legislation & a MLK Holiday. the sword. They became friends.

A. The Politicians and Priests (vs. 1-2). 1 In the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar — when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis,
and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

The gospel is for all the world; therefore, Luke puts the beginning of the
ministry of John the Baptist, and Jesus, in historical context. Tiberius was
the Roman emperor from A. D. 14 – 37. The fifteenth year would be about
A. D. 28. Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea including Samaria (A. D.
26 – 36). Tetrarch means “ruler of a fourth.: Two sons of Herod the Great
were tetrarchs: Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea, the center of much
of Jesus’ ministry, from 4 B. C. to A. D. 39. Philip, whose capital was
Caesarea Philippi, ruled areas northeast of Galilee from 4 B. C. to A. D. 34.
Lysanias, who ruled Abilene northwest of Damascus, was not related to
Herod. Technically, Caiaphas was the officiating high priest (A. D. 18 - 32),
but Annas, his father-in-law, had been high priest from A. D. 6 to 15. Annas
still retained both the title high priest and considerable influence. Word God
came: John received revelation from God as did Isaiah (Is. 38:4); Jeremiah
(Jer. 18:1) and other OT prophets. (The Wesley Bible, Page 1519) BIBLE –
Luke was an awesome historian! He gives us both the text and context.

Luke named 7 different men in Luke 3:1-2, including a Roman emperor, a

governor, three tetrarchs (rulers over a fourth part of an area), and two
Jewish high priests. But God’s Word was not sent to any of them! Instead,
the message of God came to John the Baptist, a humble Jewish prophet.
(The Bible Exposition Commentary, NT, Warren Wiersbe, Page 180)

Dr. Fredrick Haynes, III, said, “Abraham Lincoln was the President, but the
Word of God came to Fredrick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet
Tubman. Lydon Baines Johnson was the President, but the Word of God
came to Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hammer, Ella Baker, and Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.” God often uses underdogs to speak to big dogs! God uses those
outside the system, who are oppressed by the system, to speak to those who
created, maintain, and benefit from an oppressive system. Prophet/Profit!
 B. The Prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah (vs. 3-6). 3 He went into all the
country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the
prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert,' Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain
and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways
smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

Here Comes the King –Before a king made a journey to a distant country,
the roads he would travel were improved. Similarly, preparation for the
Messiah was made in a moral and spiritual way by the ministry of John,
which focused on repentance and forgiveness of sin and the need for a
Savior. (The NIV Study Bible, Page 1569) Jn 1:29 – Lamb of God; Is. 53:5.

All flesh – That is Gentiles as well as Jews. All 4 gospels quote Is. 40:3
(Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; John 1:23). Only Luke adds vv. 5,6—thus using a
familiar text from Isaiah to stress his theme of the universal scope of the
gospel. (The MacArthur Study Bible, Page 117) John 1:11; 3:16; Rom. 1:16.

• Every valley shall be filled – those who are truly repentant and
humble would be saved and satisfied. (Woman at the Well- John 4)

• Every mountain and hill shall be brought low – people like the
scribes and Pharisees, who were haughty and arrogant, would be
humbled. (Luke 18:9-14; 1 Pet. 5:5).

• The crooked places shall be made straight – those who were

dishonest, like the tax collectors, would have their characters
straightened out. Zacchaeus – (Luke 18:1-10. Matt. 9:12; John 3)

• The rough ways shall be made smooth – soldiers and others with
rough, crude temperaments would be tamed and refined. (The
Believer’s Bible Commentary, Page 1377) Gangsters - 2 Cor. 5:21. A
Great Modern-Day example is George Foreman – Frown to a Smile!
Muhammad Ali – Get Ready! Rumble in the Jungle (Zarie), Oct 30, 1974.
George Foreman was favored 4 to 1. Chant – The Cham is Here. Strategy
– The Rope-a-Dope. Ali won by a knockout in the 8th Round. Is. 54:17
******************************************Part II************************************

C. The Preacher in the Wilderness (vs. 7-22).

1. His Message (vs. 7-14).

a. The Revelation – His Words (vs. 7-9). 7 John said to the

crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who
warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping
with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have
Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can
raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the
trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire."

Coming Wrath – A reference to both the destruction of Jerusalem (21:20-

23), which occurred in A. D. 70, and the final judgment (John 3:36). (The
NIV Study Bible, Page 1569)

Baptism - Jews baptized Gentiles who wished to become Jews (proselytes).

Gentile candidates not only were baptized, but their males were circumcised,
and they offered sacrifice. The fact that John baptizes Jews is radical; that
is, they are viewed as no less needy than Gentiles. Physical descent from
Abraham is not sufficient (v. 8). (The Spirit Filled Bible, Page 1446) Symbol

Seed of Abraham – Do not trust in your religious ancestry, however good it

might be; you must personally have a right relationship with God. The axe is
laid unto the root of the tree – Just as unproductive trees are cut down, so
the unfruitful nation of Israel could expect judgment. (The Ryrie’s Study Bible,
Page 1442)

b. The Revival – Their Works (vs. 10-14).

(1) Be Generous (vs. 10-11). 10 "What should we do then?"

the crowd asked. 11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should
share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the
same."
What Shall We Do? A genuine change of mind resulted in a change of action
for the people, the tax collectors, and the soldiers. (The Nelson Study Bible,
Page 1693). Repentance is validated by how we relate to others. In the
words of Paul, “the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor
as yourself” (Gal. 5:14). (The Tony Evans Study Bible, Page 1179)

Two Tunics – A tunic was something like a long undershirt. Since two such
garments were not needed, the second should be given to a person in need
of one. (The NIV Study Bible, Page 1569)

(2) Be Honest (vs. 12-13). 12 Tax collectors also came to be

baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 13 "Don't
collect any more than you are required to," he told them.

Tax collectors were Jewish agents employed by those who had purchased
the right to collect taxes for the Roman state. Tax collectors often added
interest to cover their own expenses and to pad their income. They were
disliked both for their business practices and for their support of the
occupying state. (The Nelson Study Bible, Page 1693)

(3) Be Content (v. 14). 14 Then some soldiers asked him,

"And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't
accuse people falsely — be content with your pay.

Practical Application - The message of John the Baptist pushes further

against the divisions caused by differences in social status. Those who have
not; those who have must cease cheating and extorting. For Luke the gospel
of repentance is not merely spiritual changing of mind or a turning from one’s
former ways; it has at its core the obligation and duty to empower all to
complete living. (True to Our Native Land, An African American New
Testament Commentary, Page 163)

******************************************Part III************************************

2. His Mission (vs. 15-22).

 a. The Confusion (v. 15). 15 The people were waiting
expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might
possibly be the Christ.

John or Jesus? There had not been a prophet in Israel for more than 400
years. It was widely believed that when the Messiah came, prophecy would
reappear (Joel 2:28, 29; Malachi 3:1; 4:5). When John burst onto the scene,
the people were excited. He was a great prophet, and they were sure that
the eagerly awaited age of the Messiah had come. Some, in fact, thought
John himself was the Messiah. (Life Application Bible, Page 1797)

b. The Clarification (vs. 16-18). 16 John answered them all, "I

baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs
of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing
floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people
and preached the good news to them.

Not Worthy – To unfasten the “sandal strap” was a task for a slave; hence
John emphasizes his unworthiness in relation to Jesus. (The Baptist Study
Edition, Page 1440)

If Socrates would enter the room, we should rise and do him honor,” said
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French General. “But if Jesus Christ came into
the room, we should fall down on our knees and worship Him.”

Baptism – John the Baptist’s baptism pointed to the Messiah. John baptized
Jews with water in preparation for the coming Messiah who would baptize all
believers with the Holy Spirit. The believer’s baptism looks back to the cross
while John’s baptism looked forward to the cross. (Pastor Amos L. Lewis)

Winnowing Fork – Ancient farmers would toss the threshed grain into the
air with a large, wooden fork so the wind would blow away the lighter chaff
while the grain dropped back to the ground. John used this image to illustrate
the dual nature of Jesus’ ministry; he would separate humanity, some to
judgement and some to reward. (The Quest Study Bible, Page 1420)

c. The Confrontation (vs. 19-20). 19 But when John rebuked

Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other
evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up
in prison.

John the Baptist denounced Herod Antipas, who divorced his wife in order
to win Herodias’ hand in marriage (see Matt. 14). The daughter of Aristobulus
and Bernice, Herodias was first married to Philip and bore a daughter,
Salome. John’s rebuke of Herod for his marital infidelities would later cost
John his life (Matt. 14:1, Mark 6:16-28). (The Woman’s Study Bible, Page
1695) Herodias and Salome – a manipulative mother and a seductive
daughter. John had rebuked Herod for divorcing his wife to marry his own
niece Herodias, who already had been the wife of his brother Philip. Not only
was the divorce a problem, so was marrying such a close relative (see Lev.
18:16; 20:21). (The Nelson Study Bible, Page 1693)

Prison – This event actually occurred much later during Jesus’ ministry
(John 3:22-24; Matt. 14:1-12). But Luke organized his material on John the
Baptist topically rather than chronologically. (The MacArthur Study Bible,
Page 1518)

d. The Conformation (vs. 21-22). 21 When all the people were

being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was
opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I
am well pleased." (NIV)

Jesus’ Baptism – Jesus is not baptized as a sinner, but as an obedient Son.

Jesus on His part acknowledges John’s ministry, and in turn is acknowledged
(cf. Matt. 3:16, 17: Mark 1:9). (The Baptist Study Edition, Page 1440)

The Trinity - Scripture clearly teaches the Trinitarian nature of God. He is

one (Duet 6:4), yet he exists in three coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit (see Matt. 28:19). Here Luke describes the actions of all three persons
of the Godhead. (The Tony Evans Study Bible, Page 179)

III. CLOSE – The effects of Christ’s coming are described as follows:

Song: I Know I Have Been Changed!