Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 3: 18-38 "WITH MANY OTHER EXHORTATIONS HE PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE" Luke 3:18"
Day 42 – Luke 3
Text: Luke 3: 18-38
“WITH MANY OTHER EXHORTATIONS HE PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE” Luke 3:18
The prophetic word of the Angel Gabriel was being fulfilled to the letter. John had been brought up well by his aged parents. Though he was their only son, they did not spoil him. Instead, they faithfully and dutifully brought him up to love the Lord. In time, Zacharias and Elizabeth passed away. Their work was done. The rest was now up to the Lord and John himself. He grew up well, being strong in the spirit (Luke 1:80). The Spirit of God who rested upon John did not leave him. That same Holy Spirit empowered him so that he had a very significant ministry.
John did more than just baptize people. He also exhorted, preached and taught the people. Soon, there were people who became his disciples. His ministry reached a very wide audience. Multitudes flocked to hear him preach.
THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We need to take a little time to understand why the Lord Jesus Christ came to John to be baptized, especially when we know that John’s baptism was for the remission of sins! If we maintain, and we do, that the Lord Jesus was sinless, then why did He seek baptism from John?
We must try and understand that John had a double-pronged ministry. The first part of the ministry, he fulfilled most admirably.
1. He preached repentance. He taught the people that they must repent of their sins. They must prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah.
2. He also baptized those who confessed their sins. This baptism was symbolic. Its significance may be said to be “preparatory”. The people who were baptized were being prepared for the Coming One.
There was another ministry that John the Baptiser had. This is not fully stated in the Gospel of Luke, only assumed. John was the forerunner of the Messiah. Who was the Messiah? The other ministry of John, which was all-important, was to IDENTIFY the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ was not for the remission of His sins. He had no sins to confess. He came as The Messiah. He was the Anointed One. John was to be an important WITNESS as to the identity of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We read about this in the Gospel of John,
“You have sent to John, and he has borne WITNESS to the truth…
I say these things that you may be saved.
He was the burning and shining lamp,
And you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.” John 5:33-35
There was another Person who bore testimony of the True Identity of the Lord Jesus Christ – God Himself. As John baptized Jesus, He was found praying. Then a voice from heaven was heard,
“You are My Beloved Son;
In You I am well pleased .” Luke 3:22
There is just one more thing that we must mention with reference to the Baptism of Jesus. We will need to turn to the Book of Hebrews to appreciate this deep insight.
In Hebrews 5, we read about Jesus being called to be a High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedec. The Lord Jesus was described as fulfilling this ministry in his flesh “. He offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7).
When did the Lord Jesus Christ become Priest? When was He “ordained” as Priest, as it were? When did He obtain His anointing?
We may look at the Baptism of the Lord Jesus as His special anointing from John. After this anointing, Jesus began His ministry. He went on to minister in more than just the capacity of Preacher and Teacher. He also had a special ministry that few appreciated. He was also High Priest! After His baptism (Identification and Anointing) Jesus began His public ministry at the age of thirty years.
ARE YOU APPRECIATING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST MORE AND MORE?
Sometimes, the reading of the Lord’s Word is a little harder than usual. However, let us not give up in our determination to read the Scriptures. Let us seek special grace and wisdom from the Lord.
Let us not impoverish ourselves by wanting only simple thoughts. Let us seek to become mature in our faith. The only way in which we can become fully mature in our understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ is to take time to digest these deep truths.
As we take time to read the Scriptures, let us try and “see Jesus”. He is more than just a historical figure. God Himself bore witness of who Jesus was, and He evidenced it through sending the Holy Spirit like a Dove to descend on Him.
What a wonderful Saviour we have. Let us renew our faith in Him. Let us learn to love Him at a deeper level.
(Luke’s genealogy traced the line of the Lord Jesus through the lineage of Mary, while Matthew’s genealogy traced the genealogy from Joseph’s ancestry. The genealogies complement each other. We will not be looking into this technical data, as our focus is to study Luke’s Gospel devotionally).