“The Truth Can Be Hard”
Luke 3:1-20
This morning you we are going to be introduced to the ministry of John the Baptist. If we were to judge John the Baptist by today’s formula for a successful ministry, he pretty much did everything wrong. He did not go to where the people were he made them come to him. He did dress in the most modern style, in fact his dress was pretty weird. He did not speak pleasantly or speak to his listeners about how to “live your best life now.” He used harsh words and told some of his listeners that they were hypocrites and “snakes in the grass.” He confronted the nation of Israel as the first authentic prophet in over 400 years: as God’s messenger, with God’s message and declaring God’s judgment. And Jesus declared that he was the greatest man born of woman (Matt.11:11).
Approximately eighteen years have passed since Mary and Joseph found their lost twelve-year old son in the temple, “going about his father’s business” (2:49). During the years after their return to Nazareth, Luke says that Jesus kept “increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men” (2:52). At the same time Luke writes that that our Lord’s cousin, John “…continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (1:80).
Luke wanted his friend Theophilus, for whom this gospel account is written, to remember how spiritually dark the world scene was before the appearance of John the Baptist, began to “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” and John’s cousin Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, was revealed as “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He therefore begins by looking at who occupied the seats of highest authority in the land at the time. In verse one we read, “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea (I’-tu-re’-ah) and the region of Trachonitis, (Tra-ko-ni’-tis) and Lysanias (li-sa’ni-as) tetrarch of Abilene, (2) while Annas (also Ananias) and Caiaphas were high priests,”
Luke as an able historian prepares us for John abrupt appearance on the world’s stage by listing no less than seven historical figures to establish the date
and context of John’s ministry. It would take some doing to assemble a more wicked company of scoundrels; Tiberias, the Roman emperor wanted to be a god; Pilate, the Roman governor was despised and feared; Herod, the occupant of the Jewish throne, (although he was not Jewish) was unbalanced, dangerous and cruel; all were noted as men who wanted more than anything else to retain their power. Annas’ legacy was that although deposed by the Romans he continued to control the Jewish High Priest office for three decades first through his sons (6-15 A.D.) and then his son-in-law, Caiaphas (18-36 A.D.). It was against this backdrop of political and religious darkness that “the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” (v. 2).
Born as a son of a legitimate priestly family John could have served in the Temple, dressed in the finest clothes, eaten from the best of meats and bread sacrifices. However, he came dressed in a camel hair garment, a leather belt and had a daily diet of locust and wild honey (Mark 1:6). I believe that what John was saying through his appearance was, “What you see in me and where I am from is what you are spiritually.” The wilderness where John preached was a symbol of the spiritual barrenness that Israel was experiencing. Spiritually speaking the nation of Israel was living in the wilderness of unbelief, and the road to spiritual truth were twisted and in despair. The priesthood was corrupt and scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites. The people desperately needed to hear a voice from God.
Note with me three things about Truth.
First, The Truth May Not Be Easy To Hear. (3:3-6)
“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, (4) as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. (5) Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight, And the rough ways smooth; (6) And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
• Baptism of Repentance.
John came preaching the “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin” (v. 3). This does not mean that baptism brings forgiveness of sins. But rather it means baptism which follows repentance and is a sign of it. John called on people to turn away from their sins and their baptism was a sign that they had. “John’s baptism did not give salvation; it prepared the person to welcome the coming Messiah and receive HIS message and HIS baptism.” [Life Application Commentary: Luke.(Wheaton: Tyndale, 1997) p. 70]
“Repentance is the fruit of a heart yielded to God. (It is) not just regret when things don’t turn out well after sin. (It is) not merely remorse, the emotional sorrow of getting caught in sin. Repentance is an ongoing, conscious decision to turn away from sin and to pursue God’s plans.”
[Charles Swindoll. “Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Luke.” (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2012) pp.88-89]
The word “repent” today carries a lot of baggage. The Hebrew and Greek behind the English word means “turn back,” “change,” and “turn around.” They imply an understanding that the simple act of turning is reflective of a change of heart and mind. Repentance prepares the way for Jesus to come into our hearts.
A unique feature of John’s ministry was baptism. Baptism was nothing new to the people; the Jews baptized Gentile converts to Judaism. But John was baptizing Jews and this was unusual. By submitting to baptism these individuals were admitting that they were no better than Gentiles and needed a fresh start with God. John’s preaching stressed the need for people to take an honest look at themselves and then to change. Regardless of their station in life; whether they were young or old, high born or common man, priest or soldier they were all asked to face the truth.
John was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk.1:15) and his preaching was so powerful that the multitudes that came out to hear him visibly fell under conviction, resulting in many repenting of their sins and then asking for John’s baptism. Entering the waters of the Jordan physically demonstrated the person’s spiritual willingness to have the Messiah forgive his sins.
Quoting from Isaiah the prophet John stated that his mission was to (v. 4) “prepare the way of the LORD.” How did John prepare the way for Jesus Christ? His task was not building a road in the wilderness, filling up bumps, leveling the hills and straightening out hairpin curves, he prepared people. How did he prepare people? He taught them about their need for repentance. He paved the way with his demands for repentance and the changed lives that it produced.
Not only May Truth Not Be Easy To Hear but….
Secondly, The Truth Demands Change. (3:7-14)
• The Demand of Repentance. (vv. 7-8a)
The problem with repentance is that it is very difficult for anyone to tell if anyone is truly repent-ant. So John the Baptist taught the people that they must bear fruit worthy of repentance.
Some people came to John with no intention of changing. John was no softy. He laid into the people when they made only a half-hearted attempt to identify with his message. When they thought that they could just turn up and listen to a few sermons and then go through baptism and then everything would be alright, he surprised them with harsh words: “You bunch of snakes.” He said that they were like snakes fleeing from a brush fire, trying to escape but having no intention of allowing their evil natures to be changed. Verse seven says, “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance…”
• The Danger Of False Confidence. (vv. 8b-9)
John destroyed their sense of false confidence. Many of the Jews believed that their Jewish heritage (blood privilege) guaranteed them a place in God’s Kingdom – they thought that simply having Abraham as their ancestor made them accept-able in God’s sight no matter what how they acted or what they believed.
John repudiated the teaching of the spiritual leaders that because they were Jews by birth they had nothing to worry about. In the second part of verse eight warns them, “… do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (9) And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The Apostle Paul would later explain this to the church at Rome, “Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children…It is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:6-8 - NIV)
• The Demonstration of Repentance. (vv. 10-14)
Repentance must be tied to action or it is not real (James 2:14-26). John was not impressed with a religious profession that does not produce fruit. This teaching shocked the people and according to verse ten the people were asking John, “What shall we do then?”
John’s answer is somewhat surprising. We might have expected that he would ask them to do something to be forgiven. But John did not point out something that they had to do in order that they would be forgiven. He did not say, “Go do four good things for those less fortunate in your town.” Nor did he ask them to do something religious like, “Go to church four times and recite the Apostle’ Creed twelve times a day or read through your Bible in 3 days.” The people asked and John’s answers were painfully practical. He pointed out to them that true repent-ance means to rethink one’s life-style and goals and to carry out the results. For this reason John add-ressed himself specifically to the ethical problems of his time.
To the general public he said in verse eleven, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” For the general public the fruit of repent-ance was a spirit of generosity – the willingness to share with those in need.
To the tax-collectors who were notorious for overcharging the people he said in verse thirteen, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” For the tax collectors, the fruit of repentance is honesty. John did not tell them to quit their jobs. He told them to do their work honestly.
And to the soldiers, who often misused their authority he said in verse fourteen, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” The soldiers here are probably not Roman soldiers, but Jewish soldiers whose responsibility it was to keep the peace, perhaps equivalent to police in our day. For soldiers the fruit of repent-ance is gentleness. Jesus did not condemn their vocation he told them to stop abusing their authority. It is significant that much of what he has to say have to with money and material possess-ions.
John was pointing out that if repentance is genuine then it will impact the way that we live our daily lives. It may begin with a sorrowful heart, but it must end with determined action. Repentance was a way of life not just a one-time event. The fruits of repentance were not an effort to earn being delivered from our sins but rather concrete practical evidence that a life had been touched and moved by God’s mercy. Yet John’s call for action as a result of repentance does not mean that we are saved by works, one is saved by grace, not works. In Ephesian 2:8-10 we are told, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.” But do not forget what Paul said in the next verse, verse 10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” One is not saved by good works but good works are a sign that we are saved!
Not only does The Truth Demands Change but ….
Third, The Truth Is The Same For Every One. (3:19-20)
“But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, (20) also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.”
Alanis Morrisett a contemporary singer/ songwriter was interviewed about her work. When asked to characterize her music she replied, “I sing about truth.” And then she added, “My truth.” What she has bought into is the current notion that, “My truth may not be your truth.” It is the idea that even the truth is sub-jective and is not the same for everyone. But truth is truth, the same for everyone.
The story behind these verses is a tangled one indeed. Herod Antipas has several half-brothers, and one of them was married to a woman named Herodias –the daughter of another half-brother. Antipas became infatuated with Herodias, who being an ambitious woman, agreed to divorce her husband and marry him, if he got rid of his present queen. After divorcing and disgracing his wife, Antipas eventually got his beloved Herodias. Only John had the courage to bring this dark and sorted affair to light and for his trouble he was thrown into prison and eventually beheaded.
Conclusion
So how does one respond to a text like the one we have examined today? The proper response would be to view it as you would if your doctor told you have cancer and you need to have surgery immediately. He tells you that you need treatment but the treatment is painful, but if you submit to it you will be cured. So what do you do? You could look for another doctor, one that will tell you that everything is fine, not to worry. But if you have cancer you need the truth.
It is easy to be offended by the truth. But this is serious stuff! If you claim to be a Christian but you are living like your non-Christian neighbors, you are just playing the Church game and your faith is more a matter of convenience than reality. It’s time to get real. If what I just said you made mad you really need to do some serious reflection, because I don’t know if you’re just playing or not, but God does.
Let me close with this illustration.
“It was a bright Sunday morning in 18th century London, but Robert Robinson’s mood was anything but sunny. All along the street there were people hurrying to church, but in the midst of the crowd Robinson was a lonely man. The sound of church bells reminded him of years past when his faith in God was strong and the church was an integral part of his life. It had been years since he set foot in a church—years of wandering, disillusionment, and gradual defection from the God he once loved. That love for God—once fiery and passionate—had slowly burned out within him, leaving him dark and cold inside.
Robinson heard the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horse-drawn cab approaching behind him. Turn-ing, he lifted his hand to hail the driver. But then he saw that the cab was occupied by a young woman dressed in finery for the Lord’s Day. He waved the driver on, but the woman in the carriage ordered the carriage to be stopped.
“Sir, I’d be happy to share this carriage with you,” she said to Robinson. “Are you going to church?” Robinson was about to decline, then he paused. “Yes,” he said at last. “I am going to church.” He stepped into the carriage and sat down beside the young woman.
As the carriage rolled forward Robert Robin-son and the woman exchanged introductions. There was a flash of recognition in her eyes when he stated his name. “That’s an interesting coincidence,” she said, reaching into her purse. She withdrew a small book of inspirational verse, opened it to a ribbon-bookmark, and handed the book to him. “I was just reading a verse by a poet named Robert Robinson. Could it be…?” He took the book, nodding. “Yes, I wrote these words years ago.” “Oh, how wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Imagine! I’m sharing a carriage with the author of these very lines!”
But Robinson barely heard her. He was absorbed in the words he was reading. They were words that would one day be set to music and become a great hymn of the faith, familiar to generations of Christians:
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace’
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
His eyes slipped to the bottom of the page where he read:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it—
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
He could barely read the last few lines through the tears that brimmed in his eyes. “I wrote these words—and I’ve lived these words. ‘Prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love.’” The woman suddenly understood. “You also wrote, ‘Here’s my heart, O take and seal it.’ You can offer your heart again to God, Mr. Robinson. It’s not too late.”
And it wasn’t too late for Robert Robinson. In that moment he turned his heart back to God and walked with him the rest of his days. [Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again, (Harvest House, Eugene, OR; 1978), pp. 145-147]
“The Truth Can Be Hard”
Luke 3:1-20
Approximately eighteen years have passed since Mary and Joseph found their lost twelve-year old son in the Temple (2:49). It was against the backdrop of political and religious darkness that “the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” (v. 2). John was the first authentic prophet in Israel in over 400 years.
First, The Truth May Not Be Easy To Hear. (3:3-6)
Secondly, The Truth Demands Change. (3:7-14)
• The Demand for Repentance. (vv. 7-8a)
• The Danger Of False Confidence. (vv. 8b-9) (Rom.9:6-8 )
• The Demonstration of Repentance. (vv. 10-14)
Specifically address the ethical problems of his time.
For the general public (v. 11) –the fruit of repentance was generosity.
For the tax-collectors (vv. 12-13) - the fruit of repentance is honesty.
For the soldiers (v.14) - the fruit of repentance is gentleness.
(Ephesian 2:8-10)
Third, The Truth Is The Same For Every One. (3:19-20)
“The Truth Can Be Hard”
Luke 3:1-20
Approximately eighteen years have passed since Mary and Joseph found their lost twelve-year old son in the Temple (2:49). It was against the backdrop of political and religious darkness that “the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness” (v. 2). John was the first authentic prophet in Israel in over ____ years.
First, The Truth May Not Be ________ To Hear. (3:3-6)
Secondly, The Truth Demands _________. (3:7-14)
• The Demand for Repentance. (vv. 7-8a)
• The Danger Of False Confidence. (vv. 8b-9) (Rom.9:6-8 )
• The Demonstration of Repentance. (vv. 10-14)
Specifically address the ethical problems of his time.
For the general public (v. 11) –the fruit of repentance was ____________.
For the tax-collectors (vv. 12-13) - the fruit of repentance is ____________.
For the soldiers (v.14) - the fruit of repentance is ____________.
(Ephesian 2:8-10)
Third, The Truth Is The ________ For Every One. (3:19-20)
