Youth of Jesus and John's Ministry

The Youth of Jesus

(Lk 2:41-52)

⁴¹Every year his parents would go up to Jerusalem to the Passover Festival. ⁴²When he was twelve, they went up to the festival as usual. ⁴³After it was over, they headed back; but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem, and his parents didn’t know it. ⁴⁴They supposed he was in the caravan. They traveled for a day and started looking for him among relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem. ⁴⁶Three days later they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking them questions. ⁴⁷Everybody that heard him was surprised at his understanding and answers. ⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were astonished.

His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you, worried sick.”

⁴⁹He said, “Why were you looking all over for me? Didn’t you know I’d be in my Father’s house?”

⁵⁰They didn’t understand what he meant.

⁵¹He went down with them to Nazareth and was subject to them, and his mother treasured this up in her heart. ⁵²Jesus kept growing in wisdom and stature, in favor with God and man.

The Beginning of John’s Ministry

(Mt 3:1-6; Mk 1:1-6; Lk 3:1-6)

^3:1In the fifteenth year of Tiberias Caesar, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanius was tetrarch of Abilene. ²Annas and Caiaphas were high priests.

That’s when the message from God came to John, son of Zachariah, in the desert. He came preaching in the desert of Judaea ³and around the Jordan River, proclaiming a baptism of repentance to forgive sins: “Repent; the kingdom of heaven’s coming.” He’s the one Isaiah the prophet spoke of:

“I’LL SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU

TO PREPARE your WAY, [Ex 23:20; Mal 3:1]

⁴“ONE SHOUTING IN THE DESERT,

‘GET THE ROAD READY FOR THE LORD.

MAKE IT STRAIGHT.

⁵FILL EVERY CHUCK HOLE.

LEVEL OUT EVERY BUMP AND HIGH SPOT.

STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CURVES.

SMOOTH OUT THE ROUGH PATCHES.

⁶EVERYBODY WILL SEE GOD’S SALVATION’” [Is 40:3-5].

⁴John wore a garment made out of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He lived on locusts and wild honey. ⁵People from Jerusalem, all over Judaea, and the area around the Jordan River were going out ⁶and having him baptize them in the Jordan as they confessed their sins.

An Example of John’s Preaching

(Mt 3:7-12; Mk 1:7-8; Lk 3:7-18)

⁷He said to the crowds that were coming out to have him baptize them—including many Pharisees and Sadducees,

“Nest of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit fit for repentance, and don’t say to yourselves, ‘Abraham’s our ancestor.’ God can raise up descendants of Abraham from these rocks. ⁹An axe is already lying at the base of the trees. Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire.”

¹⁰The crowds asked him, “What should we do?”

11“Whoever has two tunics, give one to a person that doesn’t have any. Whoever has food, do the same thing.”

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized, “Rabbi, what should we do?”

13“Don’t collect more than you’re ordered.”

¹⁴Soldiers asked, “What should we do?”

“Don’t take money by force or extort it by false charges. Be satisfied with your pay.”

¹⁵While people were in suspense, wondering if John might be the Messiah, ¹⁶he said, “I’m immersing you in water to repentance, but One stronger than I am is coming. I’m not worthy to undo his sandal straps. He’ll immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clean up his threshing floor. He’ll gather the seed into his granary and burn up the chaff with a fire you can’t put out.”

¹⁸He encouraged them about many other things and proclaimed good news to the people.

The Baptism of Jesus

(Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22a)

While John was baptizing the people, Jesus of Nazareth arrived from Galilee at the Jordan to have John baptize him, but John tried to stop him, ¹⁴“You need to baptize me, and you’re coming to me?”

¹⁵Jesus answered, “Let’s do this; it’s fitting to do everything that’s right.” Then he went ahead and baptized him.

When he came up out of the water praying, the sky opened up, and John saw God’s Spirit coming down on Jesus in bodily form like a dove. A voice came out of the sky, “You’re my beloved Son that I delight in.”

The Genealogy of Jesus According to Luke

(Lk 3:23-38; cp. Mt 1:1-17)

²³Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was—as supposed—the