Luke 3

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the final Old Testament prophet began his public ministry. Although his work is spoken of in the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Malachi as a matter of prophecy, that is, as someone who was yet to come, his actual ministry is described on the pages of the New Testament. It is still correct to think of him as an Old Testament prophet, because during most of the days of Tiberius when this John the Baptist lived, the people were still under the Law. The era of the gospel had not yet really come in earnest, though John’s role, in part, was to point to the One who would be the source of every gospel blessing, preparing the way for this Christ. During the life of John the Baptist, the Old Testament way of life was the only way for Israel, but after Jesus ascended into heaven, a new way would be given, and all of Jerusalem would ring with a message of a Savior who had come, causing houses of worship to spring up in simple homes all over the great city, where people met daily, not to do the Passover or to kill the sin offering, but to celebrate the Supper of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The ministry of John was not his own. He was following the word of God that came to him, and preaching a baptism of repentance, unique because he was calling to Jews to this ceremonial washing. His message exposed the depravity of men’s hearts. They were counting on there descent from Abraham, but he called them to see that there ways were evil, and that it was time to change. His focus was upon the abiding moral law of God, and his directives were obvious things that people would have already known in their own hearts. Does anyone really need to be told that they should stop being selfish, that they should stop using their force to steal from people, and that they should be content with what they have? Of course we know these things, but we still imagine that we are alright with God and that He is alright with us, even though we are unwilling to take obvious steps in the way of godliness.

John knew that he and his preaching of repentance were not the answer for Israel. Israel needed her Christ, her Messiah. Israel needed more than water baptism, she needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She needed to be gathered into God’s barn as the good wheat. But if they would not repent at John’s preaching, he left them only the fearful expectation of the unquenchable fire of the wrath of God. If they would not repent, they were like the chaff of Psalm 1, and they would not stand in the coming Day of Judgment.

John preached this same message to any who would listen, whether high or low. John was unmoved by the power of a Herod, who locked up the prophet in prison. He had corrected Herod regarding a moral matter, finding him to be seriously lacking in his behavior. The real King of the Jews, Jesus Christ, had an approval from the highest source. At His baptism, both the Holy Spirit and the Father unmistakably identified Jesus as the beloved Son of God.

This same Jesus was also a descendant of Adam. Luke gives us a genealogy different than that of Matthew, one following the line of Joseph as the adoptive father, and the other following the line of Mary, our Lord’s mother. Luke is showing us that the One who was approved as the Son of God from the voice of His Father from heaven, was also truly a man. His ancestors included the famous Zerubbabel who was a hope of the returning exiles, and even the great King David. Of course, this meant that He was from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of kings. He was of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as were all the Jews, but this genealogy that selectively goes back to the very beginning of mankind, presents our Lord as the second Adam, who is also called here the son of God.

Both Jesus and Adam faced a very important test. They were called on to hear the Word of God and to obey. Adam’s test took place in Paradise. Jesus’ test took place after sin and death had already entered into the world. Adam was well cared for in every way. Jesus was despised and rejected by men. Most importantly, Adam failed his test, and plunged all His posterity into misery, but Jesus succeeded and secured eternal life for all who would believe.

He was far above all of His ancestors. Because Jesus died, Adam was able to live by faith. He is the promised Messiah. He is Noah’s ark of safety for all who trust in Him. He is the Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer for His bride, the church. He is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Abraham, that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed. He is far above every Old Testament prophet, including the great John the Baptist. His coming is good news. His death signals the end of the era of the Law. His resurrection opens up for us a new humanity. The way of Adam could not save us. It was the Savior of Adam who died for our sins, and who is coming again in glory.