Catholic Commentary on Luke 3

"You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)

A Voice in the Wilderness

Luke situates the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry with extraordinary historical precision: the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee. He names six rulers. Then he says: the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. Not to any of the six rulers. Not to the High Priest. To a man in the desert, the son of an elderly priest, living on locusts and wild honey. This is how God operates: the word comes to the margins, to the unexpected, to the wilderness, and from there it goes to the centre.

John's message is the fulfilment of Isaiah 40: A voice of one calling in the wilderness: prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. He preaches a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The crowds come. They ask: what should we do? His answers are concrete and unsentimental. The person with two tunics must share with the one who has none. Tax collectors must collect only what they are authorised. Soldiers must not extort money or make false accusations. Repentance is not a feeling. It is a change of behaviour.

The Baptism of Jesus

Jesus comes to be baptised with all the people. After the baptism, while he is praying, heaven opens, the Holy Spirit descends on him in bodily form like a dove, and the Father speaks: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Three persons of the Trinity are present and distinct: the Son in the water, the Spirit descending, the Father speaking from heaven. The Catechism calls the Baptism of Jesus the supreme manifestation of the Holy Trinity in the New Testament, foreshadowing the Trinitarian formula of Christian Baptism (CCC 535).

The detail that Jesus is praying when the Spirit descends is uniquely Luke. In Luke's Gospel, the great moments of revelation occur while Jesus prays. He is baptised while praying. He is transfigured while praying. He chooses the Twelve after a night of prayer. Luke is the Gospel of prayer because it is the Gospel written by the companion of Paul, who prayed without ceasing. The prayer of Jesus is the model and the source of all Christian prayer.

The Genealogy

Luke traces Jesus' genealogy not forward from Abraham as Matthew does, but backward, all the way to Adam, the son of God. Matthew is telling a Jewish story: Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham, the fulfilment of Israel. Luke is telling a universal story: Jesus is the son of Adam, the new Adam, the representative of all humanity, the one who will restore what the first Adam lost. Where Matthew's genealogy establishes Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, Luke's establishes him as the Saviour of the whole human race.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, John's answer to the question "what should we do?" is always practical and always about the next person in front of you: share your tunic, be honest in your work, do not exploit your position. Repentance is not an emotion confined to the interior life. It shows up in how you treat the person in front of you today. What is your tunic? Who needs it?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, at your baptism the Father declared his love for you and the Spirit rested upon you. In our own Baptism we were claimed as beloved children of the same Father and anointed with the same Spirit. Help us to live from that identity today: loved, chosen, sent. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3
The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; John 1:19–28)
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
 
3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
 
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for Him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
and every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked ways shall be made straight,
and the rough ways smooth.
6 And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’ ”* 3:6 Literally And all flesh will see God’s salvation; Isaiah 40:3–5 (see also LXX)
 
7 Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
 
10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
 
11 John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
 
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
 
13 “Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.
 
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
 
“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”
 
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. 16 John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water,† 3:16 Or in water but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.‡ 3:16 Cited in Acts 13:25 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.§ 3:16 Or in the Holy Spirit and in fire 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
 
18 With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34)
 
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus
(Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:1–17)
 
23 Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.
 
He was regarded as the son of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum,
the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,
the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Sala,* 3:32 BYZ and TR Salmon; see Ruth 4:20–21 and Matthew 1:4–5. the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin,† 3:33 BYZ and TR Aram; others Ram; see Ruth 4:19 and Matthew 1:3–4. the son of Arni,‡ 3:33 WH, BYZ, and TR do not include the son of Arni.
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg,
the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared,
the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enosh,§ 3:38 Greek Enōs, a variant spelling of Enosh; see Genesis 5:6. the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.

*3:6 3:6 Literally And all flesh will see God’s salvation; Isaiah 40:3–5 (see also LXX)

†3:16 3:16 Or in water

‡3:16 3:16 Cited in Acts 13:25

§3:16 3:16 Or in the Holy Spirit and in fire

*3:32 3:32 BYZ and TR Salmon; see Ruth 4:20–21 and Matthew 1:4–5.

†3:33 3:33 BYZ and TR Aram; others Ram; see Ruth 4:19 and Matthew 1:3–4.

‡3:33 3:33 WH, BYZ, and TR do not include the son of Arni.

§3:38 3:38 Greek Enōs, a variant spelling of Enosh; see Genesis 5:6.

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