Luke 3

King James Version

Full text for Luke Chapter 3

1¶ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways [shall be] made smooth;

6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages.

15¶ And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

16John answered, saying unto [them] all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

17Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

21¶ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli,

24Which was [the son] of Matthat, which was [the son] of Levi, which was [the son] of Melchi, which was [the son] of Janna, which was [the son] of Joseph,

25Which was [the son] of Mattathias, which was [the son] of Amos, which was [the son] of Naum, which was [the son] of Esli, which was [the son] of Nagge,

26Which was [the son] of Maath, which was [the son] of Mattathias, which was [the son] of Semei, which was [the son] of Joseph, which was [the son] of Juda,

27Which was [the son] of Joanna, which was [the son] of Rhesa, which was [the son] of Zorobabel, which was [the son] of Salathiel, which was [the son] of Neri,

28Which was [the son] of Melchi, which was [the son] of Addi, which was [the son] of Cosam, which was [the son] of Elmodam, which was [the son] of Er,

29Which was [the son] of Jose, which was [the son] of Eliezer, which was [the son] of Jorim, which was [the son] of Matthat, which was [the son] of Levi,

30Which was [the son] of Simeon, which was [the son] of Juda, which was [the son] of Joseph, which was [the son] of Jonan, which was [the son] of Eliakim,

31Which was [the son] of Melea, which was [the son] of Menan, which was [the son] of Mattatha, which was [the son] of Nathan, which was [the son] of David,

32Which was [the son] of Jesse, which was [the son] of Obed, which was [the son] of Booz, which was [the son] of Salmon, which was [the son] of Naasson,

33Which was [the son] of Aminadab, which was [the son] of Aram, which was [the son] of Esrom, which was [the son] of Phares, which was [the son] of Juda,

34Which was [the son] of Jacob, which was [the son] of Isaac, which was [the son] of Abraham, which was [the son] of Thara, which was [the son] of Nachor,

35Which was [the son] of Saruch, which was [the son] of Ragau, which was [the son] of Phalec, which was [the son] of Heber, which was [the son] of Sala,

36Which was [the son] of Cainan, which was [the son] of Arphaxad, which was [the son] of Sem, which was [the son] of Noe, which was [the son] of Lamech,

37Which was [the son] of Mathusala, which was [the son] of Enoch, which was [the son] of Jared, which was [the son] of Maleleel, which was [the son] of Cainan,

38Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Luke chapter 3 begins by establishing the historical context for John the Baptist's ministry, who preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in the wilderness, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. John sternly called people to produce fruits worthy of repentance and foretold the coming of one mightier than himself, who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Following John's imprisonment by Herod, Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in a bodily shape, while a voice from heaven declared Him to be God's beloved Son.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens by meticulously detailing the political and religious leaders during the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign, marking the time when the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. John then traveled throughout the region of Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, aligning his ministry with the prophecy of Isaiah concerning one preparing the Lord's way. He challenged the multitudes, including publicans and soldiers, to demonstrate genuine repentance through specific ethical actions, warning against relying solely on their Abrahamic lineage. John also clarified that he baptized with water, but a more powerful figure was coming who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire, bringing judgment and purification. After John was imprisoned by Herod for his reproofs, Jesus was baptized. As Jesus prayed, the heavens opened, the Holy Ghost descended upon Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven affirmed, saying, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." The chapter concludes with a detailed genealogy of Jesus, tracing His lineage through Joseph back to Adam, and ultimately, to God.

Long Summary

Luke chapter 3 meticulously sets the stage for John the Baptist's ministry by providing a precise historical context, naming key Roman and Jewish rulers during the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign. It states that the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness, from where he embarked on a mission throughout the Jordan region, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. This ministry is explicitly presented as the fulfillment of the prophet Esaias' words, calling for the preparation of the Lord's way and the leveling of all obstacles so that all flesh might see the salvation of God. John confronted the multitudes, whom he called a "generation of vipers," demanding that they produce "fruits worthy of repentance" and warning against presuming their salvation based on their descent from Abraham, for God could raise up children to Abraham from stones. He emphasized that the axe was already laid at the root of the trees, signifying imminent judgment for those not bearing good fruit. When asked what they should do, John gave specific ethical instructions: to share coats and food, for publicans to exact no more than appointed, and for soldiers to do no violence, accuse no one falsely, and be content with their wages. As people pondered if John might be the Christ, he clarified that he baptized with water, but one mightier than he was coming, whose shoes he was unworthy to unloose, and who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire, separating the wheat from the chaff with unquenchable fire. John's ministry, however, led to his imprisonment by Herod the tetrarch, whom he had reproved for his marriage to Herodias and other evils. Following this, Jesus Himself was baptized among the people. As Jesus prayed after His baptism, the heaven was opened, the Holy Ghost descended upon Him in a bodily shape like a dove, and a voice from heaven declared, "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." The chapter concludes by presenting a comprehensive genealogy of Jesus, tracing His lineage through Joseph back through many generations, ultimately to Adam, "which was the son of God."

Core Concepts

  • John the Baptist's Prophetic MinistryJohn's ministry in the wilderness is presented as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, preparing the way for the Lord by preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
  • Call for Repentance and Ethical LivingJohn sternly called the multitudes, including publicans and soldiers, to demonstrate genuine repentance through specific acts of charity, honesty, and contentment, rather than relying on ancestral lineage.
  • Distinction of BaptismsJohn clearly distinguished his water baptism from the coming 'mightier one's' baptism, which would be with the Holy Ghost and with fire, signifying a deeper spiritual transformation and judgment.
  • Jesus' Baptism and Divine AffirmationJesus' baptism by John is a pivotal event where the Holy Ghost descends upon Him in a visible form, and a voice from heaven publicly declares Him as God's beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased.
  • Genealogy of JesusThe chapter includes a detailed lineage of Jesus, tracing His ancestry through Joseph back through many generations, ultimately connecting Him to Adam and, by extension, to God Himself.
  • Imminent JudgmentJohn's preaching frequently warned of impending judgment, using metaphors like the 'axe laid unto the root of the trees' and the 'fan' for purging, indicating a separation of the righteous from the unrighteous.