Good morning, everybody!
So, I noticed something this past week as I was preparing to share God’s Word with you today. From the beginning of our tag team teaching, Pastor Mike has mainly spent his time introducing us to John the Baptist and I have mainly focused on Jesus. For the past couple of weeks that’s changed and today, I have the honor of shifting the focus of my Biblical character to John.
I find it rather appropriate, considering that the shift in presenters aligns with a shift in the Biblical narrative of John and Jesus. In the case of John, we are no longer dealing with a baby who is learning to walk in the ways of Lord, now we have a mature man who stands firmly committed to carrying out the mission his father sang over him by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:76–79 NKJV
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
That’s in chapter one. The entire chapter two is about Jesus. His birth, the searching of the shepherds to find this Lamb of God, His presentation in the temple and blessing by Simeon, the joy with which Anna the prophetess spoke of Him, His return to Nazareth and finally, how He stunned the religious scholars in Jerusalem at only twelve years of age. For an entire chapter we have heard nothing of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s boy, John. As a matter-of-fact, the last thing we were told of John was that,
Luke 1:80 NKJV
80 [he] grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Well, that day has finally arrived. Before now, we have heard nothing from John directly. But today, we get to hear his first words recorded in Luke’s Gospel.
So grab your Bibles and go with me to Luke chapter 3.
Luke 3:1-14
1 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.’ ”
7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
The Influencers (Lk. 3:1-2a)
Luke is a high ranking documentarian. In chapter 3 of this Gospel we are introduced to the public ministry of John the Baptist as we watch him live out his God-ordained purpose of preparing the way for the Messiah.
Chapter 3 starts out like many of the prophetic books of the OT. It’s a historical roadmap retracing the authenticity of this important Gospel figure (Lk. 3:1-2). Again, Luke has done his research and what he has discovered is that the story of the Jewish Messiah is no fairytale. This is real life!
Luke 3:1–2 ESV
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas...
Luke lists two groups of highly influential figures to open this chapter. The first group is political. We have an emperor, Tiberius Caesar, who was the stepson of Caesar Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar. We also have a governor, Pontius Pilate, and three tetrarchs, Herod, son of Herod the Great and Herod’s brothers Philip and Lysanias.
The second group is religious. Luke mentions one office of the high priest but tells us that two men occupied this position - Annas and Caiaphas. The reason Luke included both men as high priest was because Annas, who served in this role at the appointment of Quirinius in AD 6, but later was ousted by Valerius Gratus in AD 15, still held significant influence over the people. Caiaphas, the de facto high priest, was the son-in-law of Annas. If you remember, when Jesus was arrested, He was brought to Annas before He ever stood before Caiaphas (Jn. 18:13)
John 18:13 NKJV
13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
Chuck Swindoll describes Annas as a “mafia ‘Godfather’ of the foremost crime family in the capital city.”[1]
These are the people who are in power when John begins his public ministry. But something rather interesting is mentioned in Luke’s account that isn’t included in any of the other Gospel records - the coming of the Word of God.
The Coming Word (Lk. 3:2b)
Luke 3:2 NKJV
2 ...the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
There are two things to highlight from this verse. Number one is this: For four hundred years silence plagued the people of God, but here again we find Him speaking. This is reminiscent of the start of Samuel’s prophetic ministry.
1 Samuel 3:1 NKJV
1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.
The way in which Luke highlights the coming of the Word of God to John strikes with a tone of disapproval and judgement against the aforementioned leaders. These political and religious figures were men of great worldly influence, they had the ear of the people, but Yahweh had the ear of John. As we have learned of King David’s rise to power, this is also true of John,
1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV
7 For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The Word of God didn’t come to the powerful or to the wealthy nor to the wise. It came to the weak and foolish. (1 Cor. 1:27-31). It didn’t come to the ones who had cloaked themselves in robes of self-righteousness. It came to one who was clothed with the garments of humility. The word of God came to John! Not to the policymakers, the powerbrokers or the religious elite. It didn’t appear in the pristine cathedrals of calloused ritualism. It came into the wilderness.
And this is the second highlight of this verse.
Through the prophet Hosea God spoke these words to His people,
Hosea 2:14 ESV
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
John was in the wilderness when the word of God came to him. He wasn’t in the ivory towers of academia. He wasn’t in the pious palaces of impure motives. He was in the wilderness.
The word translated as wilderness in our Bibles comes from the Greek word eremos. In our Practicing the Way study on Wednesday nights we learned about the significance of the eremos. Eremos can mean a wilderness, but it can also mean a desert, a lonely place, and a place of solitude. The eremos (wilderness) could be a prison cell, it could be a hospital room, it could even be your cubicle. This could also be your little reading nook where you have your quiet time with God each day. It was in that place of solitude that the word of God came to John.
Henri Nouwen said that,
Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life.
But we do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him.[2]
Let me encourage you this morning, do not forsake the wildernesses of your life. Do not avoid those dry and barren places of solitude where you find yourself struggling against the influences of this world. Embrace that space and let the Word of God come to you there.
The Call to Repent (Lk. 3:3-6)
What was God’s Word that came to John in the wilderness?
Luke 3:3–6 NKJV
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 Word of God that came to John was a call to be baptized as a sign of repentance for the remission of sins, and this was to be done in preparation for the coming Messiah. I like to define repentance in this way:
Repentance is a change of mind/heart that leads to a change of behavior.
It’s what Rosaria Butterfield calls a “launching pad to holiness.”[3]
Luke, it appears, uses the word for forgiveness or remission more often than the other gospel writers. As a physician, Luke chooses a term which can also be used medically to refer to “the relaxation of disease.”[4]
What this tells us is that the disease hasn’t been cured, it’s still at work in the body, but its symptoms have been temporarily eased. It’s not as harmful as it once was, but there is a chance that it could return. We often talk about cancer survivors as being in “remission”. They aren’t completely healed of cancer, but they may not have symptoms anymore. They may not need radiation or chemo treatments now, but there is always the possibility that the cancer will return.
John’s baptism didn’t remove the people’s sins; it was only preparatory. It was setting them up for the Great Physician to come and completely heal them of their sinful disease. Their sin could not be fully removed or forgiven until the Lamb of God had been nailed to the cross.
Yahweh, speaking through Moses, told the people in Lev. 17:11.
Leviticus 17:11 NKJV
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
And the Author of Hebrews adds depth and clarity to this passage by stating,
Hebrews 9:22 NKJV
22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
And this is why we sing, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb”. This is why we lift our voices to proclaim, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
A baptism of repentance doesn’t heal us, it just helps us feel better. Only by the stripes of Jesus are we completely relieved of the deadly disease of sin at work in our bodies (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pt. 2:24). But still, we must repent.
The Fruit of Repentance (Lk. 3:7-14)
Luke 3:7–9 NKJV
7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The Gospel of Matthew and Mark (Mk. 1:5) records that in all the areas where John preached people were convicted and came to him to be baptized.
Matthew 3:5–6 NKJV
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Luke, when compared to Matthew and John, is more general about these details. The “Brood of vipers” in Luke’s record seems to be directed at the crowd that gathered around, but Matthew makes it seem as though it was directed toward the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 3:7). “Brood of vipers” was a common description for these religious leaders (Matt. 12:34; 23:33).
Part of the problem here, I believe, is that many of these folks wanted the benefits of baptism without paying the price of repentance. This is very commonplace among us today. There are many who align themselves with Jesus without the alleviation of a sinful or ungodly life. They enjoy the feeling left behind because of holy rituals like communion, baptism, giving, serving and so on, but they are not yet committed to the long-term calling to turn from their sin. This is the problem that faced John when folks started coming to his baptism.
So, he says, what is your proof that you are ready to give up your godless life in exchange for the God of the Living?
Resting fully upon their Judaic ancestry, John anticipates that they would respond by saying that they are descendants of Abraham, and he pulls the chair from under them.
What proof do you have that you’ve really changed? And don’t give me that mess about being Abraham’s descendants. This was always something the Jews fell back on when confronted with their unrighteousness.
John 8:31–33 NKJV
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
You may have grown up in a home where your parents loved the Lord. They were fully committed to living their lives in such a way that He was glorified through them. You may even watch your parents grab their coffee and Bibles every morning as they meet with Jesus in their quiet time. You may have even been invited to join them in their pursuit of holiness as they grow in their relationship with Christ, but that does not mean that you are a Christian. You do not get to ride the coattails of your parents and grandparents and mentors into the kingdom. Growing up in a Christian home does not make you right with God, you will have to choose Him for yourself like everyone else.
What proof do you have that you are turning from the world to Jesus?
Remember this, in the book of Revelation, five out of seven churches who thought they were on the right track discovered that they were off target as Jesus called them to turn back from the world and return to Him.
John’s message must’ve struck a chord with the crowd, because one by one they started asking a very important question - “What now?”.
Luke 3:10–14 NKJV
10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
At this point, they have nothing to support themselves and they are left to ponder their horrible condition. In response, they ask, “What shall we do then?” This is identical to the response that Peter received after preaching the Gospel in Acts 2:36-38. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas the same question, in Acts 16:29-31.
At John’s baptism each group was given a specific task to prove their repentance. Notice too, what John counsels them to do is not beyond their abilities. It simply requires a reversal of thinking and feeling that leads to a change in behaving.
Give to the needy. Be generous.
Stop cheating people. Be honest.
Stop abusing your power and authority. Show compassion and be content with what you have.
Respond: What should I do?
Let me ask you a serious question. I want you to really think about this for a moment.
Imagine that you were physically present in the crowd along the Jordan River, listening intently as John the Baptist delivered his powerful, unvarnished message. He's calling people out, from the tax collectors to the soldiers, to the average Joe, and he’s demanding a change of heart/mind and a public display of repentance. If John were to catch your eye, what specific course corrections do you honestly believe he would have insisted that you make? Take a quiet moment and truly consider that.
When it was all said and done, what tangible, visible evidence of repentance would your life have offered? Don't be like my kids who I often have to guide in prayer, encouraging them to confess their sins, only to find they develop a sudden case of spiritual amnesia. They insist they can't think of a single thing to confess. I then have to gently, or sometimes not so gently, remind them.
So, let me offer you the same “gentle” hand as you think about what John have put his finger on in your life?
Next week, we will gather for Thanksgiving. You’ll be surrounded by family, with a feast laid out that will inevitably exceed what anyone could reasonably consume. Would John’s prophetic voice cut through the noise of tradition and tell you to actively look beyond your immediate circle? Would he challenge you to welcome the stranger among you—the lonely neighbor, the immigrant, or even the difficult family member—and insist that you extend your invitation and your table to them?
Christmas is right around the corner. As you make your lists and check them twice, and perhaps calculate how to upgrade what you received last year, would John stand as a stark contrast to the commercialism? Would he instruct you to put aside your own desire for newer, bigger, or better, and instead find a family in genuine need—a local mission, a single parent struggling—that you can wholeheartedly bless with your resources and time?
What about your closest relationships? Would John’s message be a sharp rebuke concerning your treatment of your spouse and kids? Would he challenge the way you nitpick, criticize, or withdraw, and instead command you to show love, patience, and compassion?
What about you business owners? What would John say to you as you review your records and manage your staff? Would he say that you need to stop driving your employees to exhaustion and to ensure you are paying them a wage that reflects their dignity and effort?
Consider the digital landscape that consumes so much of your attention. Would John tell you to get off of social media, step away from the endless scrolling, and deliberately create a "wilderness" for yourself—a quiet, intentional space to get alone with God?
Would his call to repentance include a command to turn off Fox News, CNN, and these other lopsided media outlets that often serve to divide and inflame, and instead dedicate that precious mental space to spending significantly more time in the living Word of God?
What would he say to you?
I want to challenge you this morning: Let us not be passive. Let us begin this week by entering into a season of prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide. Ask the Lord to search our hearts—to reveal every corner, every hidden motive, and every area of our lives where we have drifted off course. Ask Him to show us where we need to repent and turn back to Him.
This isn’t something we can accomplish by checking off a list of resolutions. It begins at the altar of God where the Lamb of God was slain. It is only through the finished work of Christ that we are given the grace and the power to produce the genuine fruit of repentance.
If you don’t know Jesus personally as your Lord and Savior, I want to invite you to come and repent as you confess your need for Him this morning.
All you need to know is that you’re a sinner. You need a Savior. Jesus is the Answer.
If you are a follower of Christ, but you hear the Lord calling you to turn back to Him in any particular way, we want to pray with you.
Tre Clark
Britton Christian Church
11/23/2025
[1] Swindoll, Living Insights: Luke, p94
[2] Renovaré | Bringing Solitude into Our Lives - Henri J. M. Nouwen; https://renovare.org/articles/bringing-solitude-into-our-lives
[3] The Gospel Comes with a House Key (chp 6, p133)
[4] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 280
