31 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar , when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea , and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee , and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis , and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene , 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas , the word of God came to John , the son of Zacharias , in the wilderness . 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan , preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins ; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet , " THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS , 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE Lord , MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT . 5 ' EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED , AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW ; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME e STRAIGHT , AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH ; 6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD .' " 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, " You brood of vipers , who warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? 8 "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance , and do not begin to say to yourselves , ' We have Abraham for our father ,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham . 9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees ; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire ." 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying , " Then what shall we do ?" 11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none ; and he who has food is to do likewise ." 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized , and they said to him, "Teacher , what shall we do ?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying , "And what about us, what shall we do ?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force , or accuse anyone falsely , and be content with your wages ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 3:1-14
Commentary on Luke 3:1-14
(Read Luke 3:1-14)
The scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins, and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession; the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, Isaiah 40:3, in the ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by levelling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings and exhortations which John gave. The guilty, corrupted race of mankind is become a generation of vipers; hateful to God, and hating one another. There is no way of fleeing from the wrath to come, but by repentance; and by the change of our way the change of our mind must be shown. If we are not really holy, both in heart and life, our profession of religion and relation to God and his church, will stand us in no stead at all; the sorer will our destruction be, if we do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance. John the Baptist gave instructions to several sorts of persons. Those that profess and promise repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and conditions. The gospel requires mercy, not sacrifice; and its design is, to engage us to do all the good we can, and to be just to all men. And the same principle which leads men to forego unjust gain, leads to restore that which is gained by wrong. John tells the soldiers their duty. Men should be cautioned against the temptations of their employments. These answers declared the present duty of the inquirers, and at once formed a test of their sincerity. As none can or will accept Christ's salvation without true repentance, so the evidence and effects of this repentance are here marked out.