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Luke 3:1–3
“During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (vv. 2–3).
In Luke 1, we learned about the origins of John the Baptist, who was called to be the forerunner of the Messiah. That chapter concluded by explaining that John grew and spent time in the wilderness in preparation for the beginning of his ministry (v. 80). After describing the birth of Jesus and an important event during His childhood (Luke 2), Luke returns to the wilderness in the region around the Jordan River, describing for us John’s particular work.
Luke 3:1–2 sets the story of John and thus of Jesus firmly in history by mentioning several key historical figures and dating John’s preaching to a specific year. Luke also did this when he referenced Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah, John’s father, and when he narrated the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Luke 1:5; 2:1–2). The evangelist wants us to understand that the salvation he talks about in his gospel took place in real space and time. This is not a myth that one can take or leave without consequence but is something that truly happened and is factual (see also 2 Peter 1:16). We are concerned to defend the historical facts as presented in the Bible because the Scriptures emphasize the historicity of the events described therein. If these things did not actually occur, they have no significance for our redemption.
John began his ministry about fifteen years after Tiberius succeeded his stepfather Octavian—Caesar Augustus—as Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was the regional governor, and Herod was “tetrarch of Galilee” (Luke 3:1). This Herod is not the famous Herod the Great who attempted to kill Jesus many years earlier but rather his son who inherited part of Herod the Great’s territory. Herod the tetrarch of Galilee is also known as Herod Antipas, and while he had some authority over Galilee, the real power lay with the Romans. This is evident in that Luke identifies two Jewish high priests, Annas and Caiaphas (Luke 3:1–2; see Matt. 2:1–18). The Romans deposed Annas from the high priesthood in AD 15, with his son Caiaphas eventually being installed as his replacement. The Jews, however, still regarded Annas as the legitimate high priest, which is why Luke mentions him alongside Caiaphas. The point is that the Romans had such control over Judea that they could force the Jews to name other high priests.
In the wilderness, John proclaimed “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). The Jews prided themselves on being God’s holy people, but their need of baptism showed that they actually fell far short of the Lord’s standards.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The Bible presents itself not as a book of fairy tales or mythology but as a sober record of historical fact. To view it as anything less than that is to reject the Bible on its own terms. Thus, Christians should be equipped to defend the historicity of Scripture, and there are many fine resources that can help us do just that. It is good for all believers to have a basic understanding of how Scripture is true to the events of history.
for further study
- Proverbs 30:5
- Luke 1:1–4
- 1 Peter 3:15
- 1 John 1:1–4
The Bible in a year
- Exodus 29–30
- Matthew 22:1–22