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God’s Prophet Prepares God’s People • 02.22.26
God’s Prophet Prepares God’s People
Luke 3:1-20
Understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! Introduce self + welcome guests
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Luke 3; page 1020)
By way of reminder, Luke has spent the first several chapters of his Gospel building up to the public life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Remember he told us in 1:3-4 that he had written so that Theophilus could have certainty of what he had been taught and believed in. This is going to be an important point to remember as we read and continue to progress through Luke’s gospel. He writes purposefully. And God ensured that Luke recorded the details just as he desired.
I share that with you this morning to help you understand the gravity of what we see addressed in Luke’s writings. As we dive back into chapter 3 today, we are going to hear John the Baptist confronting our sin problem. I am well aware that some might be tempted to groan, “Here we go again. Talking about sin! Why does it always come back to that?!” To which I would simply say because it is that big of a problem. God speaks to and addresses things just as much as are needed in His perfect, holy Scripture. So, when he confronts sin in the sending of the prophets and his Son, that should tell you that sin is a really, really big deal that each one of us needs to take seriously. And that we need an answer for our sin. Our sin or rebellion is the fundamental human problem whose only solution comes from God. So please keep that in mind as we study God’s Word today and you listen to the message and ministry of John the Baptist.
Let’s dive into our text for today.
Luke 3:1–20 (ESV)
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region 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 the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“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 shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
Did you notice the point Luke made in verse 18? “So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people…” The teaching of John the Baptist, with all its confrontational content and calls to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, was good news! Don’t think about preaching that addresses sin in another way! This is life-giving news for them and for us today. If you don’t understand the problem of sin and necessity of forgiveness, then you will not have the hope of salvation that God provides through his Son, Jesus Christ! Far too many people get hung up on their self-righteous indignation about being called sinners and then they miss the truth of the matter – the God who made them is the one declaring they are sinful! And he is telling them that he has provided a way of salvation from their sin! Don’t miss the salvation God provides due to your own pride and self-righteousness…
Let’s consider what else we can learn from this text from God’s Word. As you may have noticed the sermon is titled “God’s Prophet prepares God’s people”. In previous weeks, we have explained that John the Baptist was the final prophet sent by God under the Old Covenant. God broke 400 years of prophetic silence by sending John to declare to the people how God was at work and their necessary response to his work. If today is your first day with us, I would recommend going back and listening to the previous sermons in this series to get the larger context of what we’re talking about. The big picture is that God has a grand plan of redemption that he has been working out for a LONG time. And, through John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, he is revealing the next stage of that plan. And, as we have just heard, that next stage is further revealing the problem of sin and God’s solution for it… Thus, our aim today is…
Understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution
We’re going to work our way through the text sequentially. Luke has given us an orderly account here, beginning with the historical details surrounding the start of John the Baptist’s ministry. Look with me at verses 1-6. You likely noticed that Luke provided quite a few names at the start of this section. Ever the historian, Luke makes sure to record just who is in power from greatest to least in the time of these events. So he begins with the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar, and works his way down to the local governors of the area and concludes with the family of high priests that were in power at that time.
Why does Luke share these details? So that Theophilus (and readers down through the ages) can KNOW with certainty when these things happened. The events recorded in the Bible are world history, not a fairytale. Some of you need to hear that today because you grew up in a household that treated these things like a fairytale. “It’s just a bunch of make-believe that has no bearing on our lives today.” FALSE. Nothing could be further from the truth! Do not believe that lie. Pay attention to the details of what you are hearing today! This is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. *pause*
So, our first observation in understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution is…
The language used by Luke in verse 2 to describe John’s calling is intentional – it is just like the calling of other Old Testament prophets. The word of God came to John in the wilderness, just as the word of the Lord came to Isaiah and Hosea and Jeremiah before him. The wilderness is where Luke had left off describing John back in chapter 1:
Luke 1:80 (ESV)
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
John wasn’t sitting in the temple, under the teaching of the Pharisees or Sadducees or scribes. He was in the wilderness with the Spirit of God instructing him in the word of God. This is not intended to be a dig at formalized learning, but rather a reminder that God works as he wills, often with those who are considered low and foolish in the eyes of the world. John was a prophet, not a priest like his father. And his mission from the Lord was to call people to repentance.
Luke 3:3 (ESV)
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
(MAP) I have a map on the screen showing where John was carrying out his ministry. He was not in the city centers. He was out in the countryside, along the river Jordan, calling out the people’s sin problem and pointing to their need to prepare for the salvation of the Lord! People had to come to him and be willing to hear and heed his message of turning from sin to follow God. (Main Points)
That might sound a bit ridiculous to you as a modern-day reader, but this was God’s plan to prepare the way of the Lord. That is what Luke reminds us of in verses 4-6 when he quotes the prophet Isaiah. He reminds Theophilus (and us) that this is not a new plan but rather a plan foretold of and began long ago. This is simply the next stage of that grand redemption plan! And what a plan it is.
Luke’s use of Isaiah reveals that John’s role is to prepare the people so that all flesh can see the salvation of God. Luke specifically carries this quote from Isaiah further than the other gospel writers, because he wants to emphasize the opportunity the gospel presents to both Jews and Gentiles. This is a consistent theme in his gospel account. He also slightly modifies the Isaiah text to say “make his paths straight” to apply this specifically to Jesus. He wants the reader to know that Jesus is the fulfillment – Jesus is God the Savior.
This is Good News this morning! God’s plan is to make a people for himself and be in relationship with those people. But that requires holiness for the people, which is impossible for those who are dead in sin and rebellion. John is addressing the sin problem that every one of us wrestles with, whether you acknowledge it or not. To be in a peaceful, restored relationship with your Creator requires the forgiveness of your sins, which requires confessing them as sin, asking forgiveness, and then living out repentance (turning from sin to follow God).
Do you recognize your need for repentance and forgiveness? Theophilus had. Luke had. Many people here today have. But do you? There is a reason why this topic comes up over and over again in the Scriptures. We are people in need of salvation! And it is necessary for each person to recognize that reality for their own life.
Further evidence is provided for understanding the problem of sin in verses 7-14…
Luke 3:7–14 (ESV)
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
In these verses…
Beginning with his warning about the wrath to come. John’s preaching style, if we can call it that, was to sound the alarm about the danger of sin! He wanted the people to know that sin invites God’s wrath, and they needed to flee from it. You do not want to be the “offspring of the snake” (brood of vipers). This title would have been shocking to people who called themselves “offspring of Abraham”. They believed their physical ancestry was enough to guarantee their favor in God’s sight. God, through John, will not allow them to think this way if they are not bearing the fruit of repentance. God wants true worshippers, not those who offer him lip service but have hearts far from him!
This is an important point in the preaching of John – authentic faith bears authentic fruit. If someone’s fruit (speech, behavior, thinking) is sinful, yet they claim to follow God, then they are either lying or they need to repent. An important spiritual reality is “root produces fruit” or to put it another way “what is in your inner-man will inevitably come out in your outer-man”. Jesus would later preach a very similar message:
Luke 6:43–45 (ESV)
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What kind of fruit do you bear? Those who truly recognize their sin problem and seek God’s forgiveness will bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Meaning they will make it their daily effort to turn from the ways of sin to walk in the ways of God.
This is necessary to avoid being cut down and thrown into the fire! John paints a very vivid picture of God’s wrath poured out on the unrepentant. If you are comfortable in your sin and unwilling to change to please God, then you should have GREAT concern for your soul. There is no hope of eternal life for those who remain in unrepentance. (Luke 3:10-14)
You may have noticed the very practical examples that John provided in verses 10-14. The crowd asks the right question – “What then shall we do?” And we see from his answers that he is speaking to specific groups of people who were convicted of their sin. He begins with an overall command to live generously but then gives specifics for those who are tax collectors or soldiers – men of authority and power who often abused their positions for their own benefits. He calls them to turn from such behavior.
If you’ve been around our church for any length of time, you might be thinking, “John’s only addressing the fruit of their problem! His repentance is at the behavioral level, what about the heart!?” If you’re thinking that way, good job! You are starting to detect some of the differences between John and Jesus’ ministries and the Covenants that they represent. John is a prophet under the Old Covenant, wherein there was no provision for the complete and utter transformation of a man/woman’s heart to desire to please God. However, Jesus is the Son of God who ushers in the New Covenant, which does provide an internal, spiritual transformation of our heart so that we can desire to please God!
John instructs the people in Old Covenant obedience that stems from faith in God. He warns them of the folly of trusting in their ancestry or in mere words claiming to be right with God, when their hearts were far from him. Jesus repeated similar warnings in his life and ministry. Listen to Matthew’s account of Jesus:
Matthew 15:7–9 (ESV)
7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Both John and Jesus taught that God wants obedience that comes from a changed heart. But it would be necessary for Jesus to come for repentance to be a complete surrender of the soul to God. John’s teaching is focused on individual acts, but Jesus’ call to repentance is an entire change of life, which is only possible through faith in him. *pause*
What should you take away from our study this morning?
To receive salvation, you first must recognize and confess your own sinfulness. You must see your need for the Savior, if you’re going to trust in and follow him! There is no room for self-righteousness in the kingdom of God.
In relation to this, I need to issue a warning. Salvation is not found in rote religious rituals. And it is certainly not found in outward religiosity yet inward hypocrisy. These ways of life cannot save you from your sin. Salvation is found through faith in Christ alone.
This is essential to understand. Has there been a point in time in your life where you were convicted of your sinfulness and confessed that before God? Have you committed to turning from your sin to follow Him?
You must move beyond intellectual assent to the teachings of the Bible to obedience to it in your daily life! Authentic faith leads to authentic fruit. In the life of a genuine Christian, this will not be a burden but a blessing as you faithfully obey.
In our passage today, we have had several examples of what this might look like:
Is this the posture you are living from each day? Are you seeking to bear fruit in keeping with repentance? “Lord, help me to live for you today! Teach me from your Word and help me to joyfully obey!” If you are a Christian, then you should have a growing desire to live his way.
In the past week, I was reading in the book of Acts and there is a specific example (Acts 19:1-10) within the early church where a group of people had only heard about and participated in John’s baptism. When Paul became aware of this, he proceeded to teach them that John pointed everyone to believe in Jesus. Their immediate response was to believe in Jesus and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus!
In all that we are studying in the Gospel of Luke, you must remember that it is all about Jesus! He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way of salvation except through him. And that is what John makes sure to clarify in verses 15-17.
Luke 3:15–17 (ESV)
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
In our quest to understand the problem of sin and God’s solution, we find that…
John is not the answer for our sin problem – the Christ is. In comparison to John, Jesus’ ministry is SO MUCH GREATER. John uses incredible language of humility here, “but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie…”
As I was reading about these words, commentator Darrell Bock pointed out:
One duty of a slave was to untie the sandals from their master’s feet. But in Judaism this was such a degrading act that a Hebrew slave was not to undertake it. Thus, John is saying that he is so inferior to the Coming One that he is not worthy to perform even the most menial task for his master. (BECNT)
What incredible humility! And yet the point is not for us to look to John but to look to Jesus! Jesus, the Christ, is mightier and holier and his baptism is not with mere water but with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus is the one who can change the hearts of sinful men and women. His ministry leads to true salvation of the soul. You can become a new man or a new woman through faith in him. We heard about this two weeks ago from 2 Corinthians 5-6. I share it again today:
2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2 (ESV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Do not miss what the entire Bible is pointing towards and what Luke is highlighting through John the Baptist’s ministry! The Christ has come and he has come with a winnowing fork in his hand. This is an agricultural tool used to separate the good wheat from the useless chaff for harvest. The imagery here is rich. Jesus is throwing the crops into the air so that what is good can be separated from what is evil. The wheat represents those who have repented of their sins and believed in him. They have salvation. But the chaff represents those who have not repented nor believed, and they will receive the baptism of fire – meaning judgment. (Main Points)
Scripture does not shy away from humanity’s greatest problem, sin, nor God’s solution, faith in Jesus Christ that leads to a repentant, faithful life. God’s prophet prepares God’s people! But prepares them for what? Salvation. The kingdom of God. Meeting the Messiah, the Christ, King Jesus.
This is one of the primary purposes of the Scriptures, to convict sinful men and women of their need for a Savior and to help them understand that Jesus is the Savior! You can be reconciled (at peace) with God today through Christ. Your greatest problem can be resolved in Christ. Your soul can be satisfied in Him. This is the path that leads to the good life and brings God much glory.
So how will you respond to John’s message? If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, then I pray that you would have ears to hear and a heart to believe today. There is no greater need for you than salvation from your sin and peace with your Creator. Everything else is of secondary importance. You can prayerfully confess and repent today right where you are. If you have questions about that, I’d be happy to discuss them after the service.
If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then I pray that you would bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Christian brother or sister, let us not squander our salvation with a lazy, apathetic approach towards the remaining sin and temptation we face each day! May we go to war with it. May we value holiness so greatly that we cannot stomach the idea of remaining in sin! If you have made peace with any sin or temptation in your life, then realize you are in danger. Our calling as Christians is to exert extreme effort in the pursuit of holiness! In the wise words of Jonathan Owen:
“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” (The Mortification of Sin)
James 4 speaks of this war within us that rages daily. Romans 7 speaks of this war as well, while chapter 8 gives us the hope of a Spirit ruled life. Much of 1 Peter speaks to this calling too. If you are not familiar with these sections of Scripture, then I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with them.
If you have time and would like additional equipping on the matter of fighting sin and pursuing holiness, then I have several books for you to consider. I am planning to read them again this year and have found them to be immensely helpful in my own walk with God:
Perhaps for some of you the problem is not a lack of information but rather the struggle to follow-through. Many likely fall into this category. (Main Points) It’s easier to consume material than to follow-through with real life changes! That is why I believe having close friends with whom you can live the Christian life is so important. Some may call these accountability partners and that may be an accurate term for a portion of your relationship, but I am speaking more broadly of those you trust, who you let in, who know the real you – these are true friends. These are the people you are committed to sharing everything with and allowing them to speak frankly and boldly into your life. They are the kind of people who WILL do so and will do so from a biblical perspective. If you do not have a friend or two like this in your life, then make it your aim in 2026 to find one. Perhaps that means you need to grow into being this kind of friend to another person. Be the kind of friend who is open and honest about your life, the ups and the downs, the temptations and persistent sin struggles but also the joys and victories. Care enough about others that you engage them in meaningful conversations about their life and faith too. Cultivate genuine care and concern that leads to a deep, fruitful Christian friendship, perhaps for a lifetime!
I have personally benefited from such friendships and I have sought to be such a friend. If you’ve never listened to Episode 34 of the Firm Faith podcast, I recorded an episode with a longtime friend of mine and we called it The Blessings of Faithful Friendships. Even more recently, Pastors Jack and Jordan released a two-part series on Friendship this past month that hits on some of these matters. These are more equipping resources to help you embrace and enjoy the good life that God has called us towards. I hope you will take advantage of them, but, even more importantly, that you will LIVE in light of them.
As we wrap up this morning, I want to remind you from verses 18-20 that John’s mission was temporary, but his message was not. Herod may have silenced John’s voice in his day, but the call to repentance and faith echoes on in ours. Heed the prophet’s call. Look to Jesus and live.
Point out courageous evangelism handouts in back before we pray
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God’s Prophet Prepares God’s People
Luke 3:1-20
Understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! Introduce self + welcome guests
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Luke 3; page 1020)
By way of reminder, Luke has spent the first several chapters of his Gospel building up to the public life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Remember he told us in 1:3-4 that he had written so that Theophilus could have certainty of what he had been taught and believed in. This is going to be an important point to remember as we read and continue to progress through Luke’s gospel. He writes purposefully. And God ensured that Luke recorded the details just as he desired.
I share that with you this morning to help you understand the gravity of what we see addressed in Luke’s writings. As we dive back into chapter 3 today, we are going to hear John the Baptist confronting our sin problem. I am well aware that some might be tempted to groan, “Here we go again. Talking about sin! Why does it always come back to that?!” To which I would simply say because it is that big of a problem. God speaks to and addresses things just as much as are needed in His perfect, holy Scripture. So, when he confronts sin in the sending of the prophets and his Son, that should tell you that sin is a really, really big deal that each one of us needs to take seriously. And that we need an answer for our sin. Our sin or rebellion is the fundamental human problem whose only solution comes from God. So please keep that in mind as we study God’s Word today and you listen to the message and ministry of John the Baptist.
Let’s dive into our text for today.
Luke 3:1–20 (ESV)
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region 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 the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“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 shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
Did you notice the point Luke made in verse 18? “So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people…” The teaching of John the Baptist, with all its confrontational content and calls to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, was good news! Don’t think about preaching that addresses sin in another way! This is life-giving news for them and for us today. If you don’t understand the problem of sin and necessity of forgiveness, then you will not have the hope of salvation that God provides through his Son, Jesus Christ! Far too many people get hung up on their self-righteous indignation about being called sinners and then they miss the truth of the matter – the God who made them is the one declaring they are sinful! And he is telling them that he has provided a way of salvation from their sin! Don’t miss the salvation God provides due to your own pride and self-righteousness…
Let’s consider what else we can learn from this text from God’s Word. As you may have noticed the sermon is titled “God’s Prophet prepares God’s people”. In previous weeks, we have explained that John the Baptist was the final prophet sent by God under the Old Covenant. God broke 400 years of prophetic silence by sending John to declare to the people how God was at work and their necessary response to his work. If today is your first day with us, I would recommend going back and listening to the previous sermons in this series to get the larger context of what we’re talking about. The big picture is that God has a grand plan of redemption that he has been working out for a LONG time. And, through John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, he is revealing the next stage of that plan. And, as we have just heard, that next stage is further revealing the problem of sin and God’s solution for it… Thus, our aim today is…
Understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution
We’re going to work our way through the text sequentially. Luke has given us an orderly account here, beginning with the historical details surrounding the start of John the Baptist’s ministry. Look with me at verses 1-6. You likely noticed that Luke provided quite a few names at the start of this section. Ever the historian, Luke makes sure to record just who is in power from greatest to least in the time of these events. So he begins with the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar, and works his way down to the local governors of the area and concludes with the family of high priests that were in power at that time.
Why does Luke share these details? So that Theophilus (and readers down through the ages) can KNOW with certainty when these things happened. The events recorded in the Bible are world history, not a fairytale. Some of you need to hear that today because you grew up in a household that treated these things like a fairytale. “It’s just a bunch of make-believe that has no bearing on our lives today.” FALSE. Nothing could be further from the truth! Do not believe that lie. Pay attention to the details of what you are hearing today! This is a matter of eternal life or eternal death. *pause*
So, our first observation in understanding the problem of sin and God’s solution is…
The language used by Luke in verse 2 to describe John’s calling is intentional – it is just like the calling of other Old Testament prophets. The word of God came to John in the wilderness, just as the word of the Lord came to Isaiah and Hosea and Jeremiah before him. The wilderness is where Luke had left off describing John back in chapter 1:
Luke 1:80 (ESV)
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
John wasn’t sitting in the temple, under the teaching of the Pharisees or Sadducees or scribes. He was in the wilderness with the Spirit of God instructing him in the word of God. This is not intended to be a dig at formalized learning, but rather a reminder that God works as he wills, often with those who are considered low and foolish in the eyes of the world. John was a prophet, not a priest like his father. And his mission from the Lord was to call people to repentance.
Luke 3:3 (ESV)
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
(MAP) I have a map on the screen showing where John was carrying out his ministry. He was not in the city centers. He was out in the countryside, along the river Jordan, calling out the people’s sin problem and pointing to their need to prepare for the salvation of the Lord! People had to come to him and be willing to hear and heed his message of turning from sin to follow God. (Main Points)
That might sound a bit ridiculous to you as a modern-day reader, but this was God’s plan to prepare the way of the Lord. That is what Luke reminds us of in verses 4-6 when he quotes the prophet Isaiah. He reminds Theophilus (and us) that this is not a new plan but rather a plan foretold of and began long ago. This is simply the next stage of that grand redemption plan! And what a plan it is.
Luke’s use of Isaiah reveals that John’s role is to prepare the people so that all flesh can see the salvation of God. Luke specifically carries this quote from Isaiah further than the other gospel writers, because he wants to emphasize the opportunity the gospel presents to both Jews and Gentiles. This is a consistent theme in his gospel account. He also slightly modifies the Isaiah text to say “make his paths straight” to apply this specifically to Jesus. He wants the reader to know that Jesus is the fulfillment – Jesus is God the Savior.
This is Good News this morning! God’s plan is to make a people for himself and be in relationship with those people. But that requires holiness for the people, which is impossible for those who are dead in sin and rebellion. John is addressing the sin problem that every one of us wrestles with, whether you acknowledge it or not. To be in a peaceful, restored relationship with your Creator requires the forgiveness of your sins, which requires confessing them as sin, asking forgiveness, and then living out repentance (turning from sin to follow God).
Do you recognize your need for repentance and forgiveness? Theophilus had. Luke had. Many people here today have. But do you? There is a reason why this topic comes up over and over again in the Scriptures. We are people in need of salvation! And it is necessary for each person to recognize that reality for their own life.
Further evidence is provided for understanding the problem of sin in verses 7-14…
Luke 3:7–14 (ESV)
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
In these verses…
Beginning with his warning about the wrath to come. John’s preaching style, if we can call it that, was to sound the alarm about the danger of sin! He wanted the people to know that sin invites God’s wrath, and they needed to flee from it. You do not want to be the “offspring of the snake” (brood of vipers). This title would have been shocking to people who called themselves “offspring of Abraham”. They believed their physical ancestry was enough to guarantee their favor in God’s sight. God, through John, will not allow them to think this way if they are not bearing the fruit of repentance. God wants true worshippers, not those who offer him lip service but have hearts far from him!
This is an important point in the preaching of John – authentic faith bears authentic fruit. If someone’s fruit (speech, behavior, thinking) is sinful, yet they claim to follow God, then they are either lying or they need to repent. An important spiritual reality is “root produces fruit” or to put it another way “what is in your inner-man will inevitably come out in your outer-man”. Jesus would later preach a very similar message:
Luke 6:43–45 (ESV)
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What kind of fruit do you bear? Those who truly recognize their sin problem and seek God’s forgiveness will bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Meaning they will make it their daily effort to turn from the ways of sin to walk in the ways of God.
This is necessary to avoid being cut down and thrown into the fire! John paints a very vivid picture of God’s wrath poured out on the unrepentant. If you are comfortable in your sin and unwilling to change to please God, then you should have GREAT concern for your soul. There is no hope of eternal life for those who remain in unrepentance. (Luke 3:10-14)
You may have noticed the very practical examples that John provided in verses 10-14. The crowd asks the right question – “What then shall we do?” And we see from his answers that he is speaking to specific groups of people who were convicted of their sin. He begins with an overall command to live generously but then gives specifics for those who are tax collectors or soldiers – men of authority and power who often abused their positions for their own benefits. He calls them to turn from such behavior.
If you’ve been around our church for any length of time, you might be thinking, “John’s only addressing the fruit of their problem! His repentance is at the behavioral level, what about the heart!?” If you’re thinking that way, good job! You are starting to detect some of the differences between John and Jesus’ ministries and the Covenants that they represent. John is a prophet under the Old Covenant, wherein there was no provision for the complete and utter transformation of a man/woman’s heart to desire to please God. However, Jesus is the Son of God who ushers in the New Covenant, which does provide an internal, spiritual transformation of our heart so that we can desire to please God!
John instructs the people in Old Covenant obedience that stems from faith in God. He warns them of the folly of trusting in their ancestry or in mere words claiming to be right with God, when their hearts were far from him. Jesus repeated similar warnings in his life and ministry. Listen to Matthew’s account of Jesus:
Matthew 15:7–9 (ESV)
7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Both John and Jesus taught that God wants obedience that comes from a changed heart. But it would be necessary for Jesus to come for repentance to be a complete surrender of the soul to God. John’s teaching is focused on individual acts, but Jesus’ call to repentance is an entire change of life, which is only possible through faith in him. *pause*
What should you take away from our study this morning?
To receive salvation, you first must recognize and confess your own sinfulness. You must see your need for the Savior, if you’re going to trust in and follow him! There is no room for self-righteousness in the kingdom of God.
In relation to this, I need to issue a warning. Salvation is not found in rote religious rituals. And it is certainly not found in outward religiosity yet inward hypocrisy. These ways of life cannot save you from your sin. Salvation is found through faith in Christ alone.
This is essential to understand. Has there been a point in time in your life where you were convicted of your sinfulness and confessed that before God? Have you committed to turning from your sin to follow Him?
You must move beyond intellectual assent to the teachings of the Bible to obedience to it in your daily life! Authentic faith leads to authentic fruit. In the life of a genuine Christian, this will not be a burden but a blessing as you faithfully obey.
In our passage today, we have had several examples of what this might look like:
Is this the posture you are living from each day? Are you seeking to bear fruit in keeping with repentance? “Lord, help me to live for you today! Teach me from your Word and help me to joyfully obey!” If you are a Christian, then you should have a growing desire to live his way.
In the past week, I was reading in the book of Acts and there is a specific example (Acts 19:1-10) within the early church where a group of people had only heard about and participated in John’s baptism. When Paul became aware of this, he proceeded to teach them that John pointed everyone to believe in Jesus. Their immediate response was to believe in Jesus and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus!
In all that we are studying in the Gospel of Luke, you must remember that it is all about Jesus! He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way of salvation except through him. And that is what John makes sure to clarify in verses 15-17.
Luke 3:15–17 (ESV)
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
In our quest to understand the problem of sin and God’s solution, we find that…
John is not the answer for our sin problem – the Christ is. In comparison to John, Jesus’ ministry is SO MUCH GREATER. John uses incredible language of humility here, “but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie…”
As I was reading about these words, commentator Darrell Bock pointed out:
One duty of a slave was to untie the sandals from their master’s feet. But in Judaism this was such a degrading act that a Hebrew slave was not to undertake it. Thus, John is saying that he is so inferior to the Coming One that he is not worthy to perform even the most menial task for his master. (BECNT)
What incredible humility! And yet the point is not for us to look to John but to look to Jesus! Jesus, the Christ, is mightier and holier and his baptism is not with mere water but with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus is the one who can change the hearts of sinful men and women. His ministry leads to true salvation of the soul. You can become a new man or a new woman through faith in him. We heard about this two weeks ago from 2 Corinthians 5-6. I share it again today:
2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2 (ESV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Do not miss what the entire Bible is pointing towards and what Luke is highlighting through John the Baptist’s ministry! The Christ has come and he has come with a winnowing fork in his hand. This is an agricultural tool used to separate the good wheat from the useless chaff for harvest. The imagery here is rich. Jesus is throwing the crops into the air so that what is good can be separated from what is evil. The wheat represents those who have repented of their sins and believed in him. They have salvation. But the chaff represents those who have not repented nor believed, and they will receive the baptism of fire – meaning judgment. (Main Points)
Scripture does not shy away from humanity’s greatest problem, sin, nor God’s solution, faith in Jesus Christ that leads to a repentant, faithful life. God’s prophet prepares God’s people! But prepares them for what? Salvation. The kingdom of God. Meeting the Messiah, the Christ, King Jesus.
This is one of the primary purposes of the Scriptures, to convict sinful men and women of their need for a Savior and to help them understand that Jesus is the Savior! You can be reconciled (at peace) with God today through Christ. Your greatest problem can be resolved in Christ. Your soul can be satisfied in Him. This is the path that leads to the good life and brings God much glory.
So how will you respond to John’s message? If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, then I pray that you would have ears to hear and a heart to believe today. There is no greater need for you than salvation from your sin and peace with your Creator. Everything else is of secondary importance. You can prayerfully confess and repent today right where you are. If you have questions about that, I’d be happy to discuss them after the service.
If your faith is in Jesus Christ, then I pray that you would bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Christian brother or sister, let us not squander our salvation with a lazy, apathetic approach towards the remaining sin and temptation we face each day! May we go to war with it. May we value holiness so greatly that we cannot stomach the idea of remaining in sin! If you have made peace with any sin or temptation in your life, then realize you are in danger. Our calling as Christians is to exert extreme effort in the pursuit of holiness! In the wise words of Jonathan Owen:
“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” (The Mortification of Sin)
James 4 speaks of this war within us that rages daily. Romans 7 speaks of this war as well, while chapter 8 gives us the hope of a Spirit ruled life. Much of 1 Peter speaks to this calling too. If you are not familiar with these sections of Scripture, then I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with them.
If you have time and would like additional equipping on the matter of fighting sin and pursuing holiness, then I have several books for you to consider. I am planning to read them again this year and have found them to be immensely helpful in my own walk with God:
Perhaps for some of you the problem is not a lack of information but rather the struggle to follow-through. Many likely fall into this category. (Main Points) It’s easier to consume material than to follow-through with real life changes! That is why I believe having close friends with whom you can live the Christian life is so important. Some may call these accountability partners and that may be an accurate term for a portion of your relationship, but I am speaking more broadly of those you trust, who you let in, who know the real you – these are true friends. These are the people you are committed to sharing everything with and allowing them to speak frankly and boldly into your life. They are the kind of people who WILL do so and will do so from a biblical perspective. If you do not have a friend or two like this in your life, then make it your aim in 2026 to find one. Perhaps that means you need to grow into being this kind of friend to another person. Be the kind of friend who is open and honest about your life, the ups and the downs, the temptations and persistent sin struggles but also the joys and victories. Care enough about others that you engage them in meaningful conversations about their life and faith too. Cultivate genuine care and concern that leads to a deep, fruitful Christian friendship, perhaps for a lifetime!
I have personally benefited from such friendships and I have sought to be such a friend. If you’ve never listened to Episode 34 of the Firm Faith podcast, I recorded an episode with a longtime friend of mine and we called it The Blessings of Faithful Friendships. Even more recently, Pastors Jack and Jordan released a two-part series on Friendship this past month that hits on some of these matters. These are more equipping resources to help you embrace and enjoy the good life that God has called us towards. I hope you will take advantage of them, but, even more importantly, that you will LIVE in light of them.
As we wrap up this morning, I want to remind you from verses 18-20 that John’s mission was temporary, but his message was not. Herod may have silenced John’s voice in his day, but the call to repentance and faith echoes on in ours. Heed the prophet’s call. Look to Jesus and live.
Point out courageous evangelism handouts in back before we pray
Pray