Luke Chapter 3

At this period in history there was so much corruption in the world, especially in the Roman government that the Jewish people desperately needed a savior to relieve them from the oppression of the Romans. They did not get help from their own religious leaders. The high priests Caiaphas and his father-in-law Anna were corrupt as well. The Jews needed someone powerful enough to rescue them and make life more bearable for them.

That rescuer was not John the Baptist, but he was used of God to prepare the people’s hearts for the one who could fully rescue them.

Let's Reflect

1. Why do you think Luke included all of the names of the Roman hierarchy and the priests’ names at the beginning of this chapter?

2. What book of the Old Testament did Luke refer to that was prophecy being fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist?

3. This prophecy talked about things that Jesus would be able to do that no other man could. What was the most important thing Jesus would provide for mankind?

4. John was what we might call crude in the delivery of his message to the crowd. He wasn’t interested in just delivering a beautiful sermon but instead wanted to stir them up. He called them snakes and told them they needed to show evidence of fruit, that they had truly repented of their sins. He also told them that just because they were descendants of this one Jewish patriarch, they did not have a free ticket to escape the wrath of God. Who was that patriarch?

5. When they asked John what they should do then, he began to share a message of showing fruit, showing love to your neighbor which is exactly what Jesus told his disciples. Remember that the people had been living in oppression and hatred for so long that they were corrupted by what they experienced. Hatred breeds hatred. The purpose of John the Baptist was to wake the people up to their sinful ways. He preached a message of repentance which is the first step to accepting the Savior. John baptized people who were willing to not just be sorry for their sins but to repent, to change. Because of the message John the Baptist brought to their hearts, who did the people think that John was?

6. John immediately answered in humility that he was not the Messiah. He described the one who they needed to be looking for. He would be someone who would baptize them in a different way. What was that way? The baptism by fire was most important to understand for them – Jesus has the power and authority to separate those who truly believe in the Savior and those who do not.

7. In John’s preaching he rebuked the Roman tetrarch for his inter marrying. When Herod heard about it what did he do to John?

8. Luke briefly mentions the baptism of Jesus. Jesus was not a sinner in need of repentance, but He identified with the Father that He was the Son of God. What did the voice from heaven say? Wouldn’t you have loved to be present at that moment?

Why do you think Luke included the genealogy of Jesus?

9. Why do you think Luke included the genealogy of Jesus?