Friday 26 January 2018

The Temptations of Jesus - 28 January 2018

“The IFs of Temptation”
Luke 3:23 – 4:13 (SBC Sligo, IE)
28 January 2018

INTRODUCTION:
            The English word “if” is one of the shortest words in our language. Any good dictionary will tell you that “if” is a conjunction, whose basic meanings are, “on condition that; in case that; supposing that.” It is often coupled in a sentence with the word, “then,” to form an “if-then” conditional statement. Let’s look at some examples:
·         If you think you’re going out of this house dressed like that, young lady, then you’ve got another think coming.”
·         If you don’t get this work done before closing, then you’re fired!”
·         “I’ll make you a deal. If you clean your room, then I’ll take you to the park for ice cream.”
·         “Mister, if you reach for that gun, then it will be the last thing you ever do.”
·         If you are truly the Son of God, then turn these stones into bread.”

That last one might have sounded familiar and it should. It comes from our text for today in Luke 4:3. The words were spoken by Satan to Jesus in one of the temptations in the wilderness. We’ll examine it more closely in a few minutes.

TRANSITION:
            Our text for today really consists of two different stories. The first is the story of Jesus’ genealogy. The second is the story of His temptation in the Judean Wilderness. At first glance the stories seem unrelated, but I am going to show you that there is an important connection between them.

MAIN BODY:
            23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph…

For most of us genealogical studies are just a hobby. Lots of people these days have discovered the fun of delving back into their family history to learn about their forebears. They spend hours poring over old family Bibles and looking at family records on sites like Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. Ramel’s sister, Deirdre, enjoys this hobby, as does my Aunt Lorraine. Personally, it leaves me cold. I just don’t care much about who my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather might have been. I’m not interested in finding out if 16 generations back in the fog of history I’m somehow connected to the Royal Family of Herzegovina or some other place.
            However, if I were a Jew I would probably have a very different attitude. For Jews, genealogy has always been very important! They were a tribal people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God named, Israel. The nation of Israel was born in slavery in the land of Egypt. The families of the 12 sons of Israel were led out of Egypt by God’s man, Moses, and conducted to the land of Canaan, which He gave to them as an everlasting inheritance. Along the way throughout their history God made several covenants with them. To Abraham God promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore and that they would always be God’s chosen people. God also promised Abraham that He would give them a land of their own. To David God promised an eternal kingdom, and said that a descendant of his would be the promised Messiah who would save His people. These are promises that every Jew knows and claims.
It is important for us Gentiles to remember that the Bible, including the New Testament, is a Jewish book through and through. Nearly all the characters mentioned in the Bible were Jews. Jewish culture, history, and customs are the backdrop for every book, every chapter, and every verse. The Jews were the chosen people of God, through whom He gave us the Scriptures, the promises, and the Saviour, Jesus. The Bible describes Israel as the tree. As Gentile believers, we who are part of the Church, have been grafted into that tree. We have not replaced it. We have not taken Israel’s place. We have simply been given the right to be grafted into the story.
When Jesus began His ministry, He did it in Israel, and He presented Himself to the Jews as their long-awaited Messiah, their Saviour. But for Him to have a right to make that claim He had to meet the criteria, because everyone knew that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of King David. You’ve probably noticed that the New Testament contains two genealogies for Jesus, the first in Matthew 1:1-17 and the other in our text for today in Luke 3:23-38. But have you ever noticed that the two lists are not identical?
Matthew 1:1 starts out, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…” Right out of the chute Matthew connects Jesus to the two most important Jews in the history of Israel. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus begins with Abraham and works down to King David and then on down the line through David’s son, Solomon (cf. Matt. 1:6), finally coming down to Joseph, Jesus’ legal “father” albeit not His father by blood (cf. Matt. 1:16). Matthew does this because his purpose in writing his Gospel is to prove to the Jews that Jesus is their legitimate King!
Luke, on the other hand, gives Jesus’ genealogy through Mary’s side, tracing Jesus’ blood connection to David through a different son, Nathan (cf. Luke 3:31). Then Luke continues the list all the way back to Adam in verse 38, “…the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” Why does he do this? Because in the Gospel of Luke Jesus refers to Himself time and again as the “Son of Man,” emphasizing His true humanity as well as His divinity. So, Luke traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to the first man, Adam.

Let’s move on in our text to look at the second story that I mentioned earlier, the account of Jesus’ “Temptation in the Wilderness.” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all say that as soon as Jesus was baptized by John, He was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go into the wilderness for a forty-day period of testing, which we usually refer to as the “temptations” of Jesus.
The word “temptation” is a translation of the Greek word peiradzo, which can mean either “to tempt” or “to test.” What Jesus experienced was more properly a testing, although the element of temptation was certainly present. It was Satan’s intention to tempt Jesus to sin by relying on Himself rather than on God. However, from God’s vantage point the goal of the experience was not to entice Jesus to sin, but to test His willingness to accept His vocation as Messiah, whatever the cost. The role of the Spirit in bringing Him to the wilderness is thus made understandable; God’s purpose was testing, not temptation.
These temptations are significant in two respects: First, they are significant for Jesus’ identity and for His mission as Messiah. He has been openly declared by the voice from Heaven to be God’s Son (3:17). The question now is, will He accept His task as Saviour and Messiah, or can He be deterred by Satan? His successful resistance of the devil’s every effort to sway Him proves that He will accept His messianic vocation. Second, they are significant for us, as the supreme example of how we can effectively resist temptation. Nothing is more common to the human experience than temptation, and Jesus shared fully in that experience with us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” In so doing, He showed us how to cope with temptation and overcome it.
This raises an important question: Was Jesus really tempted? Could He have yielded to these temptations? Or was He just “going through the motions” as an example for us? Could temptation have been the same for the Son of God as it is for us today?
First, we must accept at face value the statement of Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus was tempted “in all things as we are.” It would rob that statement of significant meaning to think that sinning was outside the realm of possibility for Jesus. Our temptations involve the very real possibility of sinning; if His temptations were truly “like ours,” they must have included that same possibility. Second, to deny the possibility of yielding to temptation in Jesus’ case would have serious implications for the reality of His humanity. Remember that He was the “Son of man” as well as the “Son of God.” We must never exalt His divinity at the expense of His humanity. Third, we must recognize that Jesus’ temptations were, in fact, even more difficult than are ours because He resisted completely.
We never know the full strength of any temptation until we have resisted fully. The one who gives in to a temptation may complain that “it was just too strong.” But only the one who did not give in knows just how strong it truly was! Jesus teaches us by example the possibility of successful resistance to temptation.

We can study the temptations of Jesus from many different angles. The following observations are of special importance for implementing His example in our own struggles with Satan’s temptation.

1. JESUS WAS TEMPTED WHILE HE WAS FULLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they [i.e. the 40 days] had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, [then] tell this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Matthew 4:1 says Jesus was “led around by the Spirit,” and Mark 1:12 says, “The Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.” Luke 4:1 adds that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” and was “led about by the Spirit” in the wilderness. The point is, it was obviously God’s will for Him to undergo this time of testing. The Father’s idea was not to lead Jesus into sin, but to strengthen His resolve through testing. James 1:2-4 teaches us not to misinterpret such times of testing in our own lives. They are not sinful in themselves, and they are not a sign of God’s displeasure or of our spiritual weakness. Think of it. Jesus had just been baptized; God had voiced His approval of His Son; He was being led by the Spirit. He was as close to God as flesh and blood can get! Yet, He was tempted! Therefore, do not feel guilty about being tempted. Temptations may occur in your life, not because something is wrong in your life, but because something is right. Remember that Job was tested severely, not because of God’s displeasure, but because Job was, by God’s own statement, the best man on earth in his day: “For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8)! Likewise, Jesus, after His baptism, was about to embark on the task of being Saviour of the world. Satan simply could not leave righteousness and commitment unchallenged.
When your temptations are the greatest, do not give up. You may be on the verge of the greatest spiritual accomplishments of your life, just as Jesus was. Press on, meet the challenge of temptation, and grow from it!

2. VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION WAS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT FOR JESUS.
5 And he [Satan] led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore if You worship before me, [then] it shall all be Yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

If asked, “How many times was Jesus tempted?”, most of us would probably respond, “Three.” But the Scriptures only record three specific temptations. Luke 4:1-2 says that Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil during the entire period. It was only “when they [i.e., the forty days] were ended” that Satan came to Him with the “Big Three” temptations. Also, Luke 4:13 says that after these three, Satan “departed until an opportune time.” The four Gospels show that Jesus was assaulted repeatedly by Satan during His earthly ministry, perhaps supremely so in the Garden of Gethsemane. Likewise, if we take Hebrews 4:15 seriously, we must conclude that Jesus was subjected to many “ordinary” temptations during His lifetime; the kind you and I experience daily as Christians. We can expect basically the same experience as our Lord. Certainly, those times of intense temptations will come, probably at extremely crucial times in our lives. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” And these are extremely dangerous for us spiritually.
How many fall away from Christ when they change jobs, marry, move, have children, divorce, retire, etc.? Too often these occasions become the “opportune time” for Satan to strike. But day-to-day temptations also come. We can never consider the task of resisting as being “finished.” We must be on our guard at all times. Satan will use every occasion to get to us. He may flee for a time, but he will always be back!

3. JESUS USED SCRIPTURE AS A WEAPON AGAINST TEMPTATION.
9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the Temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, [then] throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ 11 and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

Each time Satan presented our Lord with a specific temptation, Jesus responded with, “It is written…” (4:4, 7, 10). [N.B., It is significant that each of the Old Testament quotations cited by Jesus come from the book of Deuteronomy (8:3; 6:16; 6:13), reflecting Israel’s own time of testing in the wilderness.] His answer to every temptation was a word from God. The point is not that the words are “magic.” Rather, the man
or woman of God who follows the clear principles of the Bible which express the will of God will overcome temptation in many instances by letting Scripture settle the issue.
For this reason, if you are serious about being a Christian and avoiding sin as much as possible, you must be serious about being a lifelong student of the Word! This constant study is not so much for “education” as for survival! Someone might reply, “I just rely on the Spirit to guide me.” But the Word of God is the Spirit’s “sword” (Ephesians 6:17). The Holy Spirit cannot work effectively in your life if you remain willfully ignorant of the Word! If you are not a serious student of Scripture, Satan is probably already winning victories in your life every day, and you may not even know it! We must not think that Jesus used His divine powers to overcome the enemy, because that is just what the enemy wanted Him to do! No, Jesus used the spiritual resources that are available to us today: the power of the Holy Spirit of God (4:1) and the power of the Word of God (“It is written…”).

4. JESUS’ ULTIMATE WEAPON WAS HIS UNWAVERING TRUST IN GOD.
The replies that Jesus made from Scripture to the devil’s temptations were all expressions of His trust in God’s righteousness and provision. Satan repeatedly attempted to get Jesus to break faith with God and to rely on Himself instead, to put His own will over God’s will. This is basically true of our temptations as well. How many of our temptations are associated with getting our livelihood or somehow bettering ourselves? We are tempted to do wrong or to otherwise neglect God because we are not sure if God will provide if we do what we know is right! That’s our lack of faith!
Jesus was sure, so sure that He could unhesitatingly say, “No,” to the devil. Once the temptations were ended, the Scripture says, “angels came and began to minister to Him” (4:11). God did provide! And God will provide for you as well. He will give you the strength and provisions you need to live the abundant life.

CONCLUSION:
            The bottom line is this: To overcome temptation and sin in your life, trust God. Trust His goodness, His power, and His Word. Temptation will always be a part of our life on this earth, but it need never be insurmountable because, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
You must get rid of the ifs of life. Many people tell you, “I would be happy if I had a certain job, or if I were better looking, or if a certain person would marry me.” There isn’t any such thing. You must live your life unconditionally, without the ifs. You must recognize that the devil is very good at leading us into “if thinking.” What do I mean by that? He will whisper in your ear things like this:
·         If you do this, then no one will ever know.”
·         If you don’t do this, then you’re a sucker and you’ll never get ahead in this world.”
·         If you don’t take this bribe, then somebody else will.”
·         If you do this, then it is going to make you popular.”
·         If you try this pill, then it will make all your troubles go away.”
·         If you don’t go along with the crowd, then everyone will think you are a coward.”


Wildlife experts tell us that the wolf, when attacked, will first note the earnestness with which the enemy presses the attack, and, if he shows great determination, the wolf scampers away. But if he detects the least fear in his pursuer’s movements, he will defend himself with great bravery. It’s the same way with Satan: He tempts us by first placing some trivial thing in our paths; and if we offer no resistance, he suddenly attacks us with all his force, and overcomes us. But God has given us the weapons and tools with which to fight against temptation: His Word, His power, His promises, our faith in Him, our dependence on the Holy Spirit, and our determination to do right rather than give in to the devil’s lies. We never need to fall under the ambush of temptation! We can stand! We can be victorious, because “greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.” Never forget that!

Saturday 13 January 2018

John, the Baptist - 14 January 2018

“The Fire-Breathing Evangelist”
Luke 3:1-14 (SBC, Sligo IE)
14 January 2018

INTRODUCTION:
            I think it is interesting how in describing people we often liken them to some sort of animal. For example, we might say of the person…
·         “Mary is as gentle as a kitten.”
·         “That Murray is as dumb as an ox.”
·         “Sean is as grouchy as a bear with a sore paw this morning.”
·         “When Siobhan gets a notion, she can be as stubborn as a mule.”
·         “Yer man there is a weasel.”
·         “He’s a rat!”
·         Even Jesus did this. In Luke 13:32, referring to Herod Antipas, Jesus said, Go and tell that old fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’”

See what I mean? Today in our text we are going to meet a fellow that I think could be accurately described as a “fire-breathing dragon.” You know him as John, the Baptist. Maybe you are wondering why I would describe him in this way. Just think about it for a moment. When a fire-breathing dragon comes into the vicinity everyone notices. When he opens his mouth, people pay attention. He tends to make people uncomfortable. He is not easy to control. Even if you are standing behind him he is still dangerous. That is kind of what John was like. He was not a tame man, and his life and message could not be simply ignored.
Luke 1:80 sums up his life up to this point. “And the child [John] continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” Remember, when John was born his parents were already elderly, so they may have not lived beyond his teen years. Apparently after their deaths John was left on his own to raise himself. Matthew 3:4 says this about him: “Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” He must have seemed like a wild-man to many of the people who came down from Jerusalem to listen to him preach and teach. He had lived much of his life alone in the wilderness, communing with God and with nature. He wore strange clothes. He ate food that many people found disgusting. He did not much care what people thought about him, and he was fearless. And he drew huge crowds that were fascinated by his fiery preaching.
But now the time had come for him to fulfill the role for which he was brought into the world. It was time for him to become the Forerunner, to prepare the way for the Messiah. Turn with me now to Luke 3:1-14, our text for today.

TRANSITION:
            1 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 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 [Key Verse] 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.” 

Before we get into our study of this text I want to point out something to you. Here is a question: “How old was Jesus when Mary and Joseph found Him in the Temple conversing with the elders and teachers of the Law?” ANSWER: He was 12-years-old according to Luke 2:42. Now here is a second question: “How old is Jesus in chapter 3 when He comes down to the Jordan to be baptized by John?” ANSWER: Luke 3:23 tells us that He “was about 30 years of age.” That is a gap of 18 years, of which we know absolutely nothing! Why do you think the Bible is silent about these 18 years?
I have given it a bit of thought and I think it is because those years were only marginally important to the job He had come to do. The Bible tells us clearly of His genealogy, which is important from a prophetic standpoint, proving His worthiness to rule. Moreover, it describes His miraculous virgin-birth, another fulfillment of prophecy. It even gives the details of His birthplace and the region where He grew up, also in fulfillment of OT prophecies. But beyond that the day-to-day facts of His life up until His public appearance are simply unimportant to His reason for coming to earth. We know that He lived in Nazareth and worked as a carpenter to support His mother and younger siblings. We know that He was an observant Jew who kept the Laws of His people. And we know that, like John, He waited for the day when His Heavenly Father would give Him the unmistakable sign that it was time to reveal Himself and to begin His journey toward the cross. Now, finally, after years of waiting and preparing, that time had come.  

MAIN BODY:
Verses 1-2: “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.”
·         Luke was a skilled historian, and he obviously considered the appearance of John onto the world stage to be of supreme importance. In placing these events into a historical context, he gives no less than 6 chronological markers. What were those days like? Luke tells us that John and Jesus began their public ministries in the 15th year of the reign of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius was the adopted son of Augustus (cf. 2:1). Since he succeeded to the throne in A.D. 14, his 15th year would have been about A.D. 28 or 29. Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch, was a son of Herod the Great and Rome’s puppet governor over Galilee and the territory east of the Jordan River. Pontius Pilate was appointed the Procurator or Roman governor over the whole country and was in power from A.D. 25 until A.D. 37 when he was sent back to Rome and later committed suicide.
·         At this point in time the Jews were still fairly religious, but most had drifted either into liberalism or ritualism, and were more concerned with defeating the Romans than with pleasing God. Others mixed their Judaism with paganism, giving honor both to Jehovah and to the Roman gods. Israel was a busy commercial center, linking Egypt and the kingdoms to the north. Business was good. People were going about their lives, giving little thought to their eternal souls. The Romans were hated, but on the other hand, they had brought law and order, and they put in some great roads and built great public works projects, which were a boost to the economy.
·         The reigning High Priest in Jerusalem was Caiaphas. His father-in-law, Annas, had served in that capacity for many years until he fell out of favor and was deposed by the Romans in A.D. 15. He was followed first by his son, Eleazar, then by his son-in-law, Caiaphas, and then later by four more sons. But at this time, Annas was still a powerful political force to be reckoned with and was recognized by the people as the one pulling Caiaphas’ strings. In fact, it is interesting to note that Luke lists Annas’ name before that of Caiaphas, and indeed, on the night of Jesus’ arrest you’ll remember that He was taken first to appear before Annas.
·         “…and the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.” John knew from childhood that he was special. He knew the story of his birth, of the angel Gabriel’s announcement to his father, Zacharias, while he served in the Temple. John undoubtedly knew that he had been chosen by God for a great work, but he didn’t know the moment or the place he should begin. He reminds me of the Cold War stories of so-called “Russian sleeper agents” who lived for years as American citizens going about their daily lives until they were launched into action by a secret signal code that only they would understand. And now that call had finally come to John. Out there alone in the wilderness of Judaea God spoke to John and told him that it was time for him to fulfill his destiny.
·         “…and the word of God came to John in the wilderness.” But exactly how did God communicate His message to John? By an angel? In a dream? Through a vision? In an audible voice? We simply do not know, but however God did it John understood the message that he was being called into action. It is also interesting to note that the language used here to describe John’s call is almost word-for-word what we find in the divine calls of the OT prophets Hosea, Joel, Jonah, and Micah.
o   Hosea 1:1 – The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah…”
o   Joel 1:1 – The word of the Lord that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel…”
o   Jonah 1:1 – The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying…”
o   Micah 1:1 – The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem…”

Verse 3: “And [John] came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;” 
·         From Jerusalem down the mountain to Jericho was a journey of about 16 miles [26 km]. Then from Jericho to the area beyond the Jordan called Bethabara at the fords of the Jordan River where John was baptizing was approximately 8 more miles [12.8 km]. Today, pilgrims and tourists visit the site by the thousands every year with excursion-buses full of people wanting to be rebaptized in the place where Jesus was baptized.
·         “…preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” This phrase has been a cause for contention among students of the Bible. Is Luke saying that John preached that baptism would save people? Clearly, the answer is “NO.” This fact becomes apparent when you compare Scripture with Scripture.
o   Matthew 3:1-2, 5-6 give us the content of his preaching: “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” So clearly, his message was of repentance and believing the message of Salvation. Baptism came afterward, as a sign of their repentance, faith, and confession.
o   Mark 1:4-5 tell us: “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” So again, the heart of his message was repentance, faith, and confession of sin to God, with baptism as the external symbol of an inward change of heart, mind, and conduct.

Verses 4-6: 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 straight, and the rough roads smooth; 6 and all flesh will see the salvation of God.’” 
·         Here Luke quotes from Isaiah 40:3-5. The passage alludes to a common practice in ancient times and clearly describes John’s ministry. Back then there were very few paved roads so, before a king would venture forth couriers would go before him announcing his imminent arrival and. soldiers would go on ahead and organize work crews to clean up the streets and fill pot-holes in the road. In a sense, this was exactly what John was doing to prepare the people of Israel for the appearing of the Messiah, their King. He was urging them to repent and turn from their sins. He was telling them to seek God’s forgiveness and to begin living according to His righteous standards. Moreover, by equating the prophet’s words, “Make ready the way of the LORD [Jehovah]” with John’s mission, Luke shows that he ascribes deity to Jesus Christ.
·         “…and all flesh will see the salvation of God.” Luke makes plain here, at the outset of Jesus’ ministry, that He had a universal message. Salvation was to be offered to all people, not just to the Jews. That was always God’s plan.

Verse 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?” 
·         What a strange way to address the crowd! Like his prophetic forebears, John denounced the sins of the people in very strong language. However, we learn from Matthew 3:7 that this insult was especially addressed to the Jewish religious leaders who came out to kibitz, mock, and criticize. Matthew says: “But when [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” 
·         Remember, John had lived for years in the desert. The face of the desert was covered with stubble and brushwood, as dry as tinder. Sometimes lightening or a spark would set the desert aflame and out from their nooks and crannies came the vipers and the snakes, scurrying in terror from the menacing flames. It was to them that John likened these Scribes and Pharisees who came out from Jerusalem to be baptized, not because they believed they were sinners, but because they were hedging their bets and wanting to look righteous and noble in the eyes of the people who held John in high esteem. John could see through their hypocrisy and called them on it.

Verses 8-9: 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.” 
·         Most of the Jews believed that they had a get-out-of-jail-free card because they were part of God’s most favorite nation. They believed that God would judge the Gentiles with one standard, but the Jews with another. They were proud “sons of Abraham,” with whom God had made His covenant so they were confident that when Judgement Day came they would make out all right and would be saved because of this racial connection to Abraham.
·         However, John the Baptist warned them that God could make the very stones to become descendants of Abraham. After all, He had made Adam out of dust! John told them that racial privilege meant nothing; that life, not lineage, was God’s standard of judgement.
·         “Indeed, the axe is already laid at the root of the trees;” John is further warning them that unproductive trees were cut down and burned. The, nation had not brought forth fruits that God wanted and expected, and judgement was imminent. Thus, they needed to repent and turn back to God.

N.B. John’s preaching must have hit them hard. There had not been a prophet in Israel for 400 years. Now they are hearing this man speaking from God and they recognized the authority and authenticity with which he proclaimed this message of warning, coupled with God’s gracious offer of forgiveness. But the people were confused. They did not know what to do. They were part of a religion that had become little more than a list of platitudes, rules, and rites. So, they began to question John as to what they should do to prove their genuine repentance.

Verses 10-11: 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.”
·         John’s message had a social aspect. He tells them to practice charity and kindness and generosity with their belongings, making it clear that God will never absolve the man who is content to have too much, while others have too little.

Verses 12-13: 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.” 
·         Tax collectors were noted for their avarice and greed. A certain part of men’s earnings was demanded for taxes, but these fellows usually demanded more, and enriched themselves by the difference. They were hated by the people, who considered them traitors because they worked for Rome. John tells them to start treating people fairly and honestly, collecting only what was owed.

Verse 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.”
·         “Do not take money from anyone by force.” In Greek John used a word that literally means “to shake down, to shake thoroughly.” The Roman soldiers were often brutal to civilians, and many of them practiced extortion. John tells them that if they are truly repentant to stop this kind of behaviour and begin dealing justly and gently.

CONCLUSION:

            So, what do we learn from these verses? First of all, we learn that salvation is not a prize given because of religious activity or racial connection. The Pharisees thought they were shoo-ins on both counts. Because they were Jews, God’s chosen people, they thought that God owed them their salvation. And because they were the most religious Jews in the land, they thought their righteousness would buy them a 1st Class ticket into Heaven. John bursts both those balloons! No one gets into Heaven because of his race. Abraham was justified before God by faith, not by his works. And no one get into Heaven simply because of his religion, his sincerity, or the church he attends, despite what the Catholic Church has been teaching for centuries.

            Second, no one earns salvation through the rite of baptism, either as a child or as an adult. John never claimed that his baptism saved anyone. His message always was, “Repent, turn from your sins, place your faith in God, and begin to live in obedience to His Word.” John’s baptism was simply the outward public sign of a life that had been transformed by faith in God. The people who came down to the Jordan heard the message, believed, then acted upon that belief by giving public testimony of their new-found faith in the Messiah who was to come.
            The Bible makes it clear that salvation is “by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, but it is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So it is, and so it has always been.

            Have you put your faith and trust in Christ? Have you been baptized as a testimony to others? Are you living for Him and displaying the true works of repentance?