Luke 3:21-38

So far in Luke’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus, he has focused on two main characters: John the Baptist (1:5-25, 57-80; 3:1-20) and Jesus Christ (1:26-56; 2:1-52). John, miraculously born to barren Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, became the one who prepared the way for the promised Messiah (Jesus) by calling people to repent and change their sinful ways (3:1-20). Jesus, born of the virgin Mary and conceived with the Holy Spirit (1:34-35), was sent by God as the One promised (Genesis 3:15) to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). By living a sinless life and perfectly submitting to the will of God, Jesus became the only One worthy to remove the punishment for sin, which is death (John 1:29). Although much of His coming sacrifice was not completely understood in Jesus’ early life, it was the event to which His life was pointing.

When John began preaching repentance, he used water baptism as a symbol to signify a person’s cleansing from sin (3:1-20). So when Jesus, the promised Messiah (John 1:29), finally arrived He went to be baptized by John…not because He needed to, but in order to identify Himself with sinners. This would be Jesus’ first step in revealing His humanity as well as His ability to die for the sins of men (2 Corinthians 5:21). All four gospel writers document Jesus’ baptism, but Luke describes it by saying, “…it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased’” (3:21-22). The words of the Father would have reminded those witnessing Jesus’ baptism about the prophecies concerning the Messiah written in Psalm 2:7 (only Old Testament reference to the relationship between the Father and the Son) and Isaiah 42:1.

Following Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism and the pronouncement of God the Father confirming Jesus as the Messiah, Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to God so that his readers can see that Jesus truly is the promised One. While Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17) starts with Abraham and ends with Jesus, Luke lists 76 names (excluding God) beginning with Jesus and moves backward to Adam. Matthew and Luke’s genealogy also offer differing perspectives as Matthew provides the genealogy through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, and Luke details Jesus’ line through His mother Mary’s ancestors, beginning with “the son of Heli” (3:23). Luke’s genealogy reminds his readers that Jesus is the Son of God as well as the Son of Man and that He was in line to inherit the throne of David, which was symbolic of the messianic kingdom (see 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Psalm 89:26-29). When combining both Matthew and Luke’s genealogies, they prove that Jesus has the legal right to inherit David’s throne (Luke 1:31-33) and establish His kingdom forever.

Dear God, I am grateful that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to identify with man and become the sacrifice which satisfied the wrath of God upon sinners. As He has given His life to bring forgiveness, may I give my life to be used by You.