Luke Chapter 3
Showing all 38 verses for Luke Chapter 3.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, "
"Luke dates the start of this story precisely: it was the fifteenth year Tiberius had been Roman emperor, while Pontius Pilate governed Judea, Herod ruled Galilee, his brother Philip ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruled Abilene."
My story doesn't start in myth or mystery - it starts in a specific place and time, under real rulers, in the middle of ordinary political life. I want you to know that whatever changes we work through together happen right inside your actual, dateable life, not in some separate realm cut off from the world you live in.
"Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. "
"While Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, God's message came to John, son of Zacharias, out in the wilderness."
The most important calling in my cousin John's life didn't come to him in a palace or a temple - it came to him out in the wilderness, away from official titles. I want you to know that you don't need permission from anyone powerful to hear truth or live by it; some of the clearest calls come to people the system has overlooked.
"And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; "
"John travelled through the whole region around the River Jordan, preaching that people should be washed as a sign of turning their lives around, so their wrongs could be forgiven."
I want you to know that turning your life around is always available to you, whatever you've done. It's not about punishing yourself forever for the past - it's about genuinely choosing a different direction from today, and then actually letting the past go.
"As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. "
"This fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah had written: 'A voice shouting in the wilderness - get the road ready for the Lord, make his path straight.'"
Before I could really reach people, someone had to go ahead and clear the ground, shaking people out of complacency so they were ready to actually listen. I want you to know that real change in your life sometimes needs that same honest clearing-out first, before anything new can take root.
"Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; "
"Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill flattened, crooked roads straightened, and rough patches smoothed out."
The path I'm clearing isn't only about individual hearts - it's about levelling an unfair landscape, lifting what's been pushed down and bringing down what's set itself too high. I want you to know that genuine change always has this levelling effect: it makes room for everyone, not just people already on top.
"And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. "
"And everyone - all humankind - will see God's rescue."
What's coming isn't reserved for one nation, one group, or one type of person - it's for everyone watching and willing to see it. I want you to know you are included in this, whoever you are and wherever you've come from.
"Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "
"John said to the crowds coming to be baptised by him, 'You brood of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgement?'"
I want you to know that showing up, going through the motions, or looking spiritual on the outside isn't the same as actually changing. Real transformation has to reach your actual choices and habits, not just earn you a certificate of good behaviour.
"Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. "
"'Produce a life that actually shows you've changed. And don't start telling yourselves, "We're fine, we're descended from Abraham" - because I tell you, God could turn these very stones into children of Abraham.'"
I want you to know that your family background, the group you were born into, or any label you carry doesn't earn you anything on its own. What matters is the actual fruit of your life - and that's available to anyone, not just those born into the 'right' group.
"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. "
"'Right now the axe is already resting against the base of the trees - any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire.'"
I want you to know that what matters in the end isn't what you say about yourself, it's what your life actually produces - your choices, your kindness, your honesty. There's real urgency here: don't put off the changes you already know you need to make.
"And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? "
"The crowd asked him, 'So what should we actually do?'"
I want you to know that the right response to hearing a hard truth about your life isn't to get defensive - it's to ask, honestly, 'so what do I actually do now?' That question, asked sincerely, is always the beginning of real change.
"He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. "
"He answered them, 'If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none. And if you have food, do the same - share it.'"
I want you to know that changing your life doesn't start with grand gestures - it starts with something as ordinary as sharing what's in your wardrobe or your kitchen with someone who has less. If you have two of something and someone else has none, that's your answer.
"Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? "
"Tax collectors also came to be baptised, and asked him, 'Teacher, what should we do?'"
I want you to know that no job, no reputation, and no amount of past dishonesty disqualifies you from asking 'what should I do now?' and getting a real answer. I never turn away people the rest of society has already condemned.
"And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. "
"He told them, 'Don't collect more than you're officially required to.'"
I want you to know that you don't necessarily need to abandon your job or circumstances to live rightly - you need to do what you already do honestly, without using your position to squeeze more out of people than is fair.
"And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. "
"The soldiers also asked him, 'And what about us - what should we do?' He told them, 'Don't bully or extort anyone, don't make false accusations, and be satisfied with your pay.'"
I want you to know that if you have power over other people - through your job, your position, or your strength - the test of your character is whether you use it to protect people or exploit them. Contentment with what's fair, rather than grasping for more, sits at the heart of a changed life.
"And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; "
"The people were full of anticipation, and everyone was wondering privately whether John himself might be the promised Christ."
I want you to know that even good, powerful people who point you towards the truth aren't the whole answer themselves - and it takes real humility, like my cousin John showed, to redirect attention away from yourself when people start putting you on a pedestal.
"John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: "
"John answered them all, 'I baptise you with water - but someone more powerful than me is coming, and I'm not even worthy to untie his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'"
I want you to know that what I offer isn't just an outward ritual or a symbolic gesture - it's a real, inner change that touches who you actually are, refining what's genuine in you. That's a far bigger promise than any water alone could deliver.
"Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. "
"'He's holding the winnowing fork, ready to clear his threshing floor completely - he'll gather the good grain into his barn, but he'll burn the husks with fire that never goes out.'"
I want you to know that what ultimately gets kept and valued in a life is what's substantial and real, not the husk of appearances. That sorting isn't about being harsh - it's about recognising what's actually worth keeping.
"And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. "
"And John preached many other things too, urging the people on with his message."
I want you to know that my cousin John's ministry, like mine, was bigger and more sustained than any single collection of sayings can capture. Real teaching is a whole life poured out, not just a few memorable lines.
"But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, "
"But Herod the ruler, whom John had publicly criticised for taking Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the other wrong things Herod had done,"
I want you to know that speaking truth to those in power, even when it's dangerous, is part of what genuine integrity looks like. My cousin John didn't stay quiet just because Herod had the authority to hurt him - courage means telling the truth even to people who could punish him for it.
"Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. "
"On top of everything else, Herod had John locked up in prison."
I want you to know that doing what's right doesn't guarantee an easy outcome - my cousin John paid a real price for his honesty. But that cost never made his witness worthless; if anything, it's proof of how seriously he took the truth.
"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, "
"When all the people had been baptised, Jesus was baptised too - and as he was praying, the sky opened."
I want you to know that I didn't need to stand apart from ordinary people to begin what mattered most - I stood in the same water as everyone else, and it was in prayer, not status, that the decisive moment came. Wherever you're starting from, that same openness is available to you.
"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. "
"The Holy Spirit came down on him, visibly, like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, 'You are my dearly loved Son; I am fully pleased with you.'"
I want you to know that being loved and approved doesn't have to wait until you've proven yourself through achievement - that voice spoke over me before I'd done any of the things I'm known for. You don't need to earn your worth first; you can start from being valued.
"And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, "
"Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public work, and he was thought to be the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli."
I want you to know that I didn't rush into my public work - there was a long, quiet, ordinary stretch of life first, thirty years of growing up in obscurity before anyone saw what I'd become. Good, meaningful work is rarely something you leap into unprepared.
"Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, "
"Continuing the family line backwards: Joseph's father was Heli, and further back the line ran through Matthat, Levi, Melchi, and Janna."
I want you to know that my own family line ran through generations of completely ordinary, unrecorded people - not celebrities, not famous figures. If your own story feels unremarkable or unnoticed, that's exactly the kind of soil my story grew out of too.
"Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, "
"Further back the line continues: Mattathias, Amos, Naum, Esli, and Nagge."
I want you to know that most of the people who made my birth possible left no other trace in history - and that doesn't make their lives, or yours, any less woven into something meaningful. You don't need to be remembered by the world to matter.
"Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, "
"The line continues further back still: Maath, Mattathias, Semei, Joseph, and Juda."
I want you to know that names and traditions get passed down through families across generations, carrying identity and memory forward even when individual lives are largely forgotten. Your place in your own family's story matters more than you might think.
"Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, "
"Further back: Joanna, Rhesa, then Zorobabel and his father Salathiel, and Salathiel's father Neri."
I want you to know that my family line passes directly through people who lived through national collapse and worked to rebuild what was broken. Whatever's been torn down in your own life, rebuilding is always part of the story that leads somewhere good.
"Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, "
"The line continues back through Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, and Er."
I want you to know that the people who shaped the path to my birth were mostly unfamous, unrecorded, everyday people - not just kings and prophets. Ordinary faithfulness across a lifetime matters just as much as any headline-making achievement.
"Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, "
"Further back still: Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, and Levi."
I want you to know that even names repeat and echo differently across generations in any real family - there's no need for your own story to look tidy or unique to matter. What matters is that each generation carried the story forward to the next.
"Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, "
"The line continues: Simeon, Juda, Joseph, Jonan, and Eliakim."
I want you to know that my roots run through the same ordinary Israelite families as everyone else's, carrying forward the same tribal identity and heritage shared across a whole nation. Being part of something bigger than yourself doesn't require standing out from the crowd.
"Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, "
"Further back: Melea, Menan, Mattatha, Nathan, and then David."
I want you to know that greatness in my family line didn't always run through the most famous or celebrated branch - sometimes what matters most travels through the quieter, less-celebrated path. Don't assume the significant thing in your own life has to come through the obvious, well-known route.
"Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, "
"Continuing back: Jesse, Obed, Booz, Salmon, and Naasson."
I want you to know that my own family tree includes someone who wasn't born into the 'right' nation or background, but was welcomed in because of her genuine loyalty and character. Where you come from never disqualifies you from belonging fully to the story.
"Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, "
"Further back: Aminadab, Aram, Esrom, Phares, and Juda."
I want you to know that my own family history includes real mess, real complicated choices, and real flawed people - it was never edited to look perfect. Whatever complicated history sits in your own family, it doesn't disqualify you from being part of something good.
"Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, "
"The line reaches further back: Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Thara, and Nachor."
I want you to know that the promise made to Abraham long ago - that his family would become a blessing to every nation on earth, not just his own people - runs directly through my own bloodline. What I offer was always meant to reach far beyond any single group.
"Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, "
"Continuing back: Saruch, Ragau, Phalec, Heber, and Sala."
I want you to know that I stand at the end of a story stretching back to the very origin of an entire people's identity, not just one family's. Whatever your own heritage, you too are part of something with roots reaching far deeper than you might realise.
"Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, "
"Further back still: Cainan, Arphaxad, Sem, Noe, and Lamech."
I want you to know that my roots reach all the way back to the point where humanity itself was given a fresh start after disaster. Whatever feels like it's been wiped out or ruined in your own life, a genuine fresh start has always been part of this story.
"Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, "
"The line continues: Mathusala, Enoch, Jared, Maleleel, and Cainan."
I want you to know that even this far back in my family history, there were people remembered simply for walking closely with God through ordinary daily life, not for any dramatic achievement. That kind of quiet, faithful closeness is always available to you too, wherever you are.
"Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. "
"Continuing back to the very beginning: Enos, Seth, Adam - who was the son of God."
I want you to know that my connection to you doesn't run through any one nation, religion, or bloodline - it runs all the way back to the first human being, and beyond that, to God as the true source of every life. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you and I share the same ultimate root.