Luke 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 28-29 (fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar)
Location
Wilderness of Judea and the Jordan River region
Audience
Primarily Gentile Christians, particularly Greek-speaking believers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and geography
Situation
John the Baptist begins his public ministry calling for repentance and baptizing in the Jordan River, preparing the way for Jesus' arrival. Jesus is baptized by John and begins His public ministry at about thirty years of age.
Key Background
Judea was under Roman occupation with Pontius Pilate as governor and Herod Antipas as tetrarch. Jewish expectations for a Messiah were high, based on Old Testament prophecies like Isaiah 40. Luke's genealogy traces Jesus back to Adam (not just Abraham), emphasizing Jesus as Savior of all humanity, which aligns with Luke's focus on the universal scope of the Gospel message.
In the fifteenth year of Tiberius's reign — while Pontius Pilate was Judea, Herod was Galilee, his brother Philip was Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was Abilene —
during the time when Annas and Caiaphas were the — came to John, Zechariah's son, out in the
So John traveled through the entire region around the Jordan River, calling people to be as a sign that they had the of their so their could be
This fulfilled what was written in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice is calling out in the wilderness: 'Get the road ready for Straighten out the paths for him!
Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill leveled down. The crooked roads will be made straight, the rough paths made smooth.
And every person alive will see God's
So John would say to the crowds coming out to be submerged by him, "You bunch of Who warned you to run from the coming
Prove that you've actually by how you live. And don't even start with 'Well, is our ancestor' — because let me tell you, God could turn these rocks into descendants of
In fact, the ax is at the of the trees. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit gets chopped down and thrown into the fire."
The crowds asked him, "So what should we do then?"
He answered, "If you have two share with someone who has none. If you have food, do the same."
Even came to be submerged and asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"
He told them, "Don't collect anything more than what you're supposed to."
Some also asked him, "And what about us? What should we do?" He said, "Don't money by force or make false accusations against people. Be content with your wages."
The people were buzzing with expectation — everyone was wondering in their hearts whether John might actually be The
John addressed them all: "I you in water. But someone more powerful than me is coming — I'm not even worthy to untie his sandals. He will you in the of and in
He has his in his hand, ready to clear his He'll gather the wheat into his barn, but the worthless husks he'll burn with fire that never goes out."
With many other appeals like these, John kept announcing the to the people.
But when John confronted the about Herodias — his own brother's wife — and about all the other terrible things had done,
Herod added this on top of everything else: he locked John up in prison.
Now when all the people were being Jesus was too. And while he was praying, the
and the of came down on him in a physical form, like a And a voice came from the sky: "You are my the one I deeply love. I am completely delighted with you."
Jesus himself was when he began his work. He was the son (so of Joseph, son of Heli,
son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph,
son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai,
son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda,
son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,
son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er,
son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi,
son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim,
son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of
son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of son of Sala, son of Nahshon,
son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of
son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of son of Terah, son of Nahor,
son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah,
son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of son of Lamech,
son of Methuselah, son of son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,
of Enosh, of Seth, of of