Luke 3:1-38
Luke 3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In 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— 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As 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.
5Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce 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. 9The axe 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.
11John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
12Tax 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. 14Then 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."
15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16John 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. 17His 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." 18And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and 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."
23Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan, 38the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
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Admit it, you pretty much skipped over that last part, verses 24-38, didn't you?
Anyway, Luke's story now jumps back to John. Luke is concerned with the historical aspect of things, so he takes some time to discuss who was ruling specific regions at the time. John was living in the desert -- this doesn't necessarily mean a big sandy dry region, but rather the translation means something similar to a place that is desolate and sparse. The "word of God" comes to him, and he beings preaching "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
John has always been painted as a pretty radical, "street preacher" type. Living off the land, eating locusts and honey (yum!). Probably a big old long beard and some dirty clothes. But he wasn't an old guy. He was close to the age of Jesus, and Jesus wasn't even 30 yet. So next time you picture John outside preaching, criticizing religious leaders for being a "brood of vipers," keep in mind he was probably in his 20s!
A lot of what John is saying here is that you can't just get by on your social status, or being born a certain standing in life. He's telling the people they have to walk the walk. People today criticize churchgoers or "religious" people for not living a life in tune with what they proclaim to be, and that's exactly what John is criticizing here.
"A man who has two tunics should share with him that has none." We need to help and support the poor and those who are less fortunate.
"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he says to the tax collectors. This is a huge request, because that's what tax collectors did. They collected tax for the government, and then more on top of that, to keep for themselves. It was standard operating procedure. He tells the soldiers not to extort money, which sounds like common sense to us, but that was a very common theme in those days.
Eventually, John got to be fairly popular. The Jews wondered if he was the messiah they had been waiting for. But John says that while he baptizes with water, another is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He really paved the way for the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
(Sidenote: Verses 19-20 probably happened later, chronologically, then verses 21-22. Because obviously John didn't baptize Jesus from jail. Rebuking Herod has some pretty bad consequences, and eventually, John's head ends up on a platter. Literally.)
Jesus comes to get dipped into the water by John. The heavens open and the Holy Spirit descens on Jesus like a dove, and an audible voice comes from heaven, saying "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
That's such a strong picture. It's difficult for me to fathom exactly how this played out. How on earth would people in attendance react to that? I was baptized in a church when I was about 10 or 11, and it was a good symbol to people of my dedication to Jesus. But there was no voice, or a dove flying into the baptistry.
There is a lot of discussion among Christians about baptism. And I'm sure a lot of other people see it as weird, or just something odd that happens in Hollywood movies. What is your impression of baptism?
(There is probably a lot that could be said about the genealogy of Jesus here, but unless someone wants to discuss it, I'm going to stick to the baptism theme.)
posted by FTN @ 3:11 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
Depends on your definition of baptism, i.e., for babies? teens? adults? born-again Christian? re-do baptism?
It's symbolic and a rite of passage, of which there is no doubt.
But what is the true validity/purpose if we are all born sinners and, as such, will continue to sin?
Quote:
A lot of what John is saying here is that you can't just get by on your social status, or being born a certain standing in life. He's telling the people they have to walk the walk.
People today criticize churchgoers or "religious" people for not living a life in tune with what they proclaim to be, and that's exactly what John is criticizing here.
End quote
Which brings us to James 2:14-26.
So, assuming one falls down and sins again (which is pretty inevitable given the "born sinners" theory), is it necessary to be re-baptized each and every time, confess, pray or what?
This confuses me.
~~Surfie~~
Those are some good questions. I've always been of the idea that baptism is largely symbolic of ones decision to commit to Christ. Because of that, I don't really care much for the idea of infant baptism. Our church does do "Baby Dedications," but it's much more as an affirmation of the parents and the community's goal to raise the child in a Christ-centered household.
Besides its symbolism, one could also say that a purpose of getting baptized is because God asks us to. As you mentioned, it obviously doesn't make us sinless, but it can be a very powerful statement on being "raised with Christ" back out of the water.
I think of baptism as a once-and-done type of thing. No need to go back every time I sin, or I'd be perpetually getting dunked (and all pruney). Of course, this could lead to a conversation about how some people think they can "accept Jesus" and then go on living the way they were, without it changing them.
Confession and prayer are both very good things, but Jesus' death was a sacrifice for ALL our sin. God isn't demanding that I whip myself or wear a sackcloth robe every time I sin. My sins are covered, past and future. No, that doesn't give me a free reign to keep on sinning. But I do know when I fall, that God wants me to get back up.
FTN, so based on your experience/denomination, is baptism a necessary act as a Christian?
~~Surfie~~
A big part of God's instruction in Torah is the "mikveh", or what we would commonly call baptism, today.
What we see John the Baptist doing really wasn't something that would have been out of the ordinary or "new" in his day. The outward symbol for Israel of repentance was immersion in a Mikveh. Besides being a symbol, there was inherent in the action a spiritual reality -- a changing of status from "unclean" to "clean". This is a really big topic, but suffice it to say that the Israelites of this day had a full understanding of what they were doing through their immersion... an understanding that the Church of today has greatly lost.
Today's doctrines tend to see "Baptism" as a New Thing instituted by Christ. Something that is unique to Christians. And, something that is a "one-time" thing. Whereas, it is seen throughout the Word that "baptism" is an ongoing purification, symbolic of our every turn to repentance.
Just another viewpoint, I guess. Your mileage may vary!
Thank you, Flutterby. I've always been fascinated with Judiasm. I suppose it is because I believe one cannot possibly or fully know or understand a child (read: Christianity) without fully knowing understanding his/her parents and family (read: Judiasm).
~~Surfie~~
Surfie,
I personally think that's a Great premise to begin from and one that will stand you in good stead as you form your worldview/Godview.
So much of today's Christianity looks so different from Judaism simply and solely because of historical political and religious agendas and in-fighting. Period.
In my opinion the Reformation should have only been considered a beginning.
Thanks for the information about Mikvah. That was some stuff I didn't know.
As to whether baptism is a requirement for salvation... One could easily find scripture to support this, yes. I can't imagine why a new Christian would specifically choose NOT to get baptized. Many churches will baptize someone right away if they come forward and decide they want to follow the teachings of Jesus -- it's a great symbol of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
And yet at the same time, becoming a Christian is a heart issue. I truly don't think God would deny salvation to anyone based on a lack of physical immersion in a pool of water. Technically, one could say that we are baptized by the Holy Spirit when we become Christians.
Let me preface by saying that I'm with you, FTN, in that I'm not convinced that baptism is a *requirement* for salvation. But, I'm also not sure enough of my position... I mean, who can know the mind of God, right?
But, there was a phrase in your reply that has got me thinking.
"I truly don't think God would deny salvation to anyone..."
This may be dancing around semantics, here... but I will say that I don't believe that God is in the business of witholding His salvation... but I am thoroughly convinced that people are in the business of trying to approach God and access His blessings in whatever way they see fit.
So, should we discover on that Day when all things are made Known, that baptism was necessary for salvation... I would never say that God "denied" salvation to people, rather that people did not "access" His gift.
In the Hebrew way of thinking, faith is evidenced by the actions that follow. ie: If I have faith that the chair will hold me, I will not hesitate to sit on it, right? Faith without actions is really no faith at all. This is very much contrary to our Western mindset which holds "belief" up above actions. This would not wash with the Hebrew way of thinking. Belief and Action go hand in hand... in fact, without Action, Belief is useless.
So, I think it could be plausible or even probable that our Hebrew God could also value Action. Becoming a Christian is partly a "heart thing", but it is not ONLY a heart thing.
Hi, guys. Sorry I'm just dropping in for the first time; it's a bit daunting to think of adding another blog to my list of 'regulars', but I might just have to. . .
I really appreciate Flutter's comments re the Hebrew/Jewish roots of Christianity. Especially her comments about the spiritual reality behind the outward sign. That's a very 'catholic' way of saying it. Baptism signifies something real; it's more than merely symbolic.
And even so, the reality of what it signifies is something about the heart of the person being baptized. Catholic sacramental theology over the centuries has spoken of a 'baptism of desire', of those who merely desired/intended to be baptized, even tho they never had the opportunity to be physically baptized. Or a 'baptism of blood', of those who suffer martyrdom for Christ, even tho they were never physically baptized. Lots of words about a pretty fine point of theology, I realize, but I thought it might add $0.02 to the conversation.
And, the 'ongoing-ness' of baptism/conversion is why Catholic churches have those little holy water fonts by all the doors - to remind us (in a sense, it is a small 're-enactment') of our baptism, 'in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (hence, the Sign of the Cross. . .)
Flutterby,
Thank you for your insight. I cannot express to you how much I appreciate your thoughts and words.
Your comments above make more sense to me than any sermon I have heard or discourse I have held with anyone thus far.
~~Surfie~~
Surfie -- While I have to thank you for your gracious words, I also must conclude that you've heard some pretty awful sermons to consider my words as Making Sense! :D
Desmond -- Interesting points. Water truly is a spiritual medium, facilitating a very real change of status. This is the point I was alluding to earlier. John didn't "baptize" because the people needed a physical bath, or because it was a symbol likened unto "dying and being raised again" ("Look, Avi... it's just like he was buried in the ground and then raised up again..." No.) but beacuse he was preparing the way of the Lord. Through the repentance of the people (their heart condition) and the mikveh (changing their physical status to one of spiritual seperation)he was literally making the way for the Lord.
And please don't misinterpret me... The phrase "I truly don't think God would deny salvation to anyone..." is definitely misleading.
You are right, I don't know the mind of God. I have many more questions than answers, that is for sure. I take my perception of God from a couple of things, and probably in this order:
1) What I read in the Bible. As a whole.
2) What I see in the world around me -- as Desmond likes to say, "How things are."
3) My personal experience of God.
Faith without action definitely would make me question someone's "heart."
Sadly, it also occasionally makes me question my own. "I know I love and believe in God. Why do I keep on willfully sinning?"
FTN,
My husband's and my feelings on that are that God will present you the same sinning situations and resulting problems over and over until you have learned the lesson intended.
So, it would seem (at least to me) that if you keep willfully sinning, then you haven't learned the lesson associated with that particular sin.
~~Surfie~~
Flutterby,
That's quite possible. My feeling is that a lot of Christian sects use fear as a way to garner faith.
For example: You said, "Day when all things are made Known." A lot of Christians say, "Judgement Day."
Huge difference.
Another point:
"But I will say that I don't believe that God is in the business of witholding His salvation... but I am thoroughly convinced that people are in the business of trying to approach God and access His blessings in whatever way they see fit."
To which FTN responded:
"The phrase "I truly don't think God would deny salvation to anyone..." is definitely misleading."
The former makes a lot more sense because why would God create His children and not offer salvation to everyone regardless of their sins? This is based on the premis that we are all born sinners.
I suppose one could argue as a Christian that salvation would be withheld if one did not accept Christ as his/her savior, and that's okay with me. Everyone has his or her right to believe whatever. I'm not in a position to judge or to say who is right and who is wrong.
Statistically, however, Heaven is going to be seriously underpopulated considering Christianity only represents about 30% of the world's population.
~~Surfie~~
And my response to Flutterby was really regarding her use of half of my original sentence... Just clarifying that using that quote out of context is, indeed, misleading.
Statistically, 30% might be even higher than I'd at first think. I guess it depends on what people consider "Christian," of course.
Do you think that, if there is a heaven, entry should more likely be based on the most popular religion? Or a democracy, of some sort?
FTN,
Thanks for the clarification on the sentence. I read it the thread again, and thought I might have mis-read it. I'm sorry for misrepresenting what I interpreted from your statement.
Heaven is a wonderful conceptual idea, but IMHO...that's the sum of it.
It's not a circus, a concert, a political race, an Ivy League College, or an expensive brand one can tithe at a boutique.
~~Surfie~~
Just wanting to jump in and clarify something.
FTN, when I quoted your comment, I hope you didn't think I was being prickly with you. I didn't think it likely that you would view God as "denying" anybody salvation... it was just the phraseology that you chose. And it made me think, because I've heard those types of phrases used frequently. And I do think that *some* people DO view God in that light.
Anyhoooo... just wanted you to know that I wasn't trying to pick a bone with you, but was just voicing a direction that that particular phrase took my thoughts.
ummmmm. Are we still friends? :D
Flutterby: No, I didn't think that at all. I was just clarifying for Surfie. I realize it was mostly an issue of wording, and what you said was a good point.
And Surfie, the issue of Heaven is one we could discuss at length! I think that, over time, Christians have mistakenly isolated themselves from the rest of society, and one of the ways they do this is to think that we are being taken away to some far-away land after this life is through.
But really, I think if you look at the scriptures, Jesus will at some point come back HERE to make this place perfect again. When there will be no more sickness, or dying, or tears. The earth was originally created a perfect place, and eventually, it will be that way again. "Heaven" will be here, when he returns. The New Earth, if you want to call it that. When he created the earth, he called it "good." (That's also an excellent reason for us to be taking care of the earth now, if you wanna get environmental about it.)
And as you said, it's not a political race or something you can get to by tithing.
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