Luke 3:1-6

Every eye shall see and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

God’s desire is that no one perish but all of His creation come to the salvation He gifts in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 40:5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

To be holy as God is holy means we:

• Prepare our minds for action, exercise self-control and set our hope fully on the saving grace Christ will bring when He returns. (1 Peter 1:13)

• Choose not to conform to a life that seeks to satisfy our own desires. (1 Peter 1:14)

• Live in reverent fear of God, for we are temporary residents on earth. (1 Peter 1:17)

• Love each other deeply from pure hearts. (1 Peter 1:22b)

Peter reminds us why we are to be holy - because we "were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from [our] forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The love of Christ saves us, sanctifies us and compels us to offer our lives as a holy sacrifice to Him. First5 

Luke 3:1-6

3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: 

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord; 

Make His paths straight. 

5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low;

 The crooked places shall be made straight 

And the rough ways smooth; 

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

The New King James Version

Herod Antipas controlled Galilee and Perea from 4 bc to ad 39. The son of Herod the Great and Malthrace, he was raised in Rome. This background made him the logical choice to preside over “Galilee of the Gentiles”, given the region’s large Gentile population and its proximity to the Decapolis (a federation of Hellenized cities). Like his father, Herod Antipas was a master builder, and, generally speaking, he respected Jewish religious customs. The Gospels mention him twice in connection with important events: the beheading of John the Baptist and the questioning of Jesus before the crucifixion.

Baptism demonstrated repentance and a commitment to a changed life in preparation for the coming Messiah. In this way John’s baptism was related to forgiveness of sins. Faithlife Study Bible

Annas the high priest (a.d. 7–14) was succeeded in office by Caiaphas, his son-in-law, around a.d. 18. Caiaphas served with brief breaks from then until a.d. 37. In addition to Caiaphas, all of Annas’s five sons served as high priest at one point or another. It is clear that Annas retained the influence as well as the title of his former office. 

The various rulers that Luke lists show the complexity of the historical and political situation in Israel during Jesus’ day. A first-century Israelite had to deal with the edicts of the Roman emperor, the regulations of the governor over Israel, and the judgments of the religious leaders of Israel.

Baptism figuratively means “to be identified with,” as an unbleached cloth is identified with the color in a vat of dye when it is dipped. As John the Baptist preached and the people identified with his message, they were baptized as an outward sign of their inward repentance or “change of mind.” 

Prepare the way: This citation from Isaiah 40:3–5 declares the coming of God’s deliverance. Luke cites the text more fully than Matthew or Mark. He carries the passage through to its mention of salvation being seen by all flesh, thus highlighting that the gospel is for all people. The preparation for the arrival of a king typically meant that a road was prepared for his journey. This is what Isaiah compares to the arrival of God’s salvation. The NKJV Study Bible

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. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth;

Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.