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 15^th 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 15^th 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, ² ‘Repent, 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 1^st 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?