Luke 3 – The 4 Questions

4 Questions from Luke 3

— Historical Context

B: Christ is born just as the scripture said He would. Of a virgin, in Bethlehem, in a place that had no room for Him. Shepherds came to His birth. All the OT prophesies came true of His birth, not missing one. The Bible also mentions His growth as a child a little as well. He makes a comment that is not understood by His earthly parents at the time. “Wist ye not that I must be about my father’s business?” In those days, whatever your father was, that is what you were going to be as well. Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter. We even see later in scripted that Jesus is referred to as “the son of the carpenter.” But here, Jesus was in the temple asking questions and giving answers. Then He says, He must be about His Father’s business. He was talking about His Heavenly Father.

— Theology

• Once again we see God keeping His promise from all the way back in Isa 40:3-4. (4)
• John makes it clear that it wasn’t by “birthright” that the Jews could have salvation. It’s only by the goodness of God that we have salvation because we deserve death. (8)
• It is clear that repentance is a change of lifestyle and heart. John told each person to “bring fruits worthy of repentance.” Only those that had fruit were not cut down and thrown into the fire. (8-14)
• John says that the One coming was going to baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. (16)
• God was/is going to divide the wheat from the weeds. (17)
• The voice of the Lord says about Jesus “This is my beloved Son; in thee, I am well pleased.” (22)
• The chapter ends with the genealogy of Christ pointing all the way back to the first Adam. Luke is making a point that Jesus is all man and He is the promise made by God in Gen 3.

— How is it fulfilled in Jesus?

• It was never about the birth or where they came from for salvation. It is only by the goodness of God that we can be saved. Jesus is the perfect picture of God’s goodness and love to us. Jesus later puts it this way, that He is the vine and we are the branches. Our fruit of repentance truly comes from Jesus. It’s only by His blood on the cross we can be placed in the family of God.
• Easily we see that Jesus is the promise made in the OT and that all the prophesies made are kept in Him. He is the ONLY One that all the prophesies are kept in.
• We see the answer to the question of chapter two when Jesus says He is about His Father’s business then once He is baptized the heavens open up and God says “This is my beloved Son.” We also see this back in Gen 22:2 when Abraham is told to offer his son as a sacrifice. Abraham was told not to sacrifice his son eventually and a substitute was given. Jesus is that substitute for our sins!

— Application

The time is coming when Christ will return and “purge his floor”. I know that I am in the family of God because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice of His life for me on the cross. My tree has the fruit that He produces through me as I am attached to Him. But there are millions of souls that have no fruit because they are not part of the family of God. They are counting on their birthrights and status to make it to a better place but that will never get them there. My King and Lord, Jesus Christ, has given me a command to tell the world of who He is. My job is to work the field and point the world to Him before it is too late.