A lot of time passes between what we just read and where chapter 3 takes us. Jesus was 12 years old when we last read about him and here, in chapter 3, He is now 30 years old. No one has any records or accounts of what happened between age 12 and 30, but historians imagine he was increasing in wisdom through teachings.

Verse 1 This is describing the rulers at the time. So now that Herod the king has died, he left his territory to rule to his sons. He has three – Herod Antipas, who rules over Galilee; Philip, who rules over Iturea and Tracbonitus (the northeast part of the Herod’s kingdom), Archelaus, who rules over Judea. This last one, Archelaus, gets banned from Rome and Pontius Pilate takes over as the ruler of Judea.

Verse 2 This lists the religious leaders of the time. Caiaphas was the high priest, and Annas was the former high priest.

During this time of rulers, the Jewish people were oppressed by the non-Jewish, or Gentile authorities and longed to be delivered.

The last time we left off with John the Baptist was in chapter 1 verse 80. John became strong in the spirit and he went to the wilderness to meditate and commune with God. To cry out on behalf of the people’s sins. And to prepare for what was to come. The verse left off with, “until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” Here is that day. The Word of God comes to John in the wilderness.

We have wilderness seasons in our life too. Imagine being in the wilderness, a forest or desert, by yourself. It’s different, not much around, not much to do. In our lives, this might be a season of stepping away from activities, stepping back from work, or a role we’ve always filled. It’s a quiet season. And uncomfortable. A seemingly barren place where we may not be producing much because it’s a season of meditating on God, perhaps, reading His word and studying, dealing with our heart conditions and habits, praying and preparing our mind for what God will do next.

Verse 3 God called John out of the wilderness to begin his public ministry. John was going to prepare the way for their deliverer, Jesus. John’s ministry is to tell people, “The Messiah is coming, so get ready. Turn away from sin and turn to God to be forgiven.” Forgiveness requires repentance or reversing the direction they were heading, to experience the presence and grace of God. And then being baptized. Because heaven was coming down to visit earth.

The problem is that Jesus wouldn’t be the kind of deliverer they were looking for. He’s not the kind of deliverer people today are looking for either. They wanted deliverance from Rome – the Roman leaders who oppressed them. We might want deliverance from our President or governors, or deliverance from debt or fear or worry or heartache and emotional pain or physical pain. And we look to what we can see in the natural realm, physical, tangible things – our Messiah – that promise to resolve our problems. These things will deliver us. Cigarettes heal anxiety. Medication or alcohol might heal the pain. Money might solve our problems.

During this time period of Roman oppression, the people were looking for someone big and strong to come in with an army and wipe out the Roman authorities. They wanted someone to take over for the governors and rule in the people’s favor. Here’s the problem with all these things. Natural or physical things are only just temporary. Eventually, it will all fade or die. Eventually, it all runs out. And then what? We go back to wanting and seeking out more. Which that too will run dry or die.

Jesus came to deliver them from sin and judgment, which is the prerequisite for any kind of freedom we seek. We never get full healing and freedom in our lives until we get to the root of all our problems, which is in the heart. We need a heart change. A mindset change. We need to let go of grudges, let go of listening to the devil’s lies about who we are. Or what we need. We need Jesus’ deeper healing over our sin, our past, and present, over every lie we believed and acted on or retaliated in. We need real, deep, lasting forgiveness for our ways. Continual healing. Lasting healing. We need His Word to teach us how to walk in a new way that promises Life! His Word promises Freedom! His Word is called Living Water. When you swallow His Word, it’s refreshing to a dry, worn-out soul.

The devil gets us so wrapped up in the physical world that we lose sight of the spiritual nature we were created in. This isn’t our home. We have eternity waiting for us on the other side of this very temporary life. Nothing in life is as it seems in the natural sense. And this truth should get us to stop and pray about everything. As you have already read in this book alone, our Almighty God is always working behind the scenes, holding all of life together and making it all work out according to His Word. Nothing falls short of fulfilling His Word. What was said back then is all coming to the table now. It’s all proving itself true. God works in our lives today every single bit of His Word. It is as true for us today as it was for them in AD6 when this book was written. And as true for those back in 1051BC (way way way back in the days of King Saul and David).

Side note: Time has always been measured according to Jesus Christ’s arrival on earth. It doesn’t matter if you’re Christian or not, this is the way our history books tell time. Time began in B.C. (before Christ) and it counts down from the thousands to 1 B.C., which is the year before Jesus was born. When Jesus was born, time began at 1 A.D. (which means “anno domini”, or “in the year of our lord”). There is no ‘zero’ year. Everyone of every religion has always measured time in history according to Jesus’ arrival on earth. Isn’t that fascinating? Doesn’t it make you sit back in wonder and say, wow, Jesus was a big deal all the way back to the beginning of time. So much so that time was measured according to His arrival on earth. God planned Jesus to be here all the way back to the very beginning. God knew from the beginning all that would happen that required His son to come and save us. And God put that plan to save us into motion from the beginning of time. God is always ahead of your shortcomings.

We all need spiritual healing and freedom before we can have the physical manifestation of healing and freedom. John’s message is calling people back to God, which begins with acknowledging our sin and having sorrow for our actions/thoughts. And then having an inner resolve to turn from those ways. Water baptism is a visible show of this. Having this right attitude toward sin is necessary when we say we know Jesus. John is preparing people to meet Jesus.

Verse 4 tells us that the book of Isaiah predicted John the Baptist’s ministry. It would probably be good to make a note in Isaiah 40:3-5 that this is John the Baptist. Because when you end up reading the book of Isaiah, it’s easy from this description alone to think he is talking about Jesus. But he isn’t. Isaiah is referring to John the Baptist here.

This verse is describing John in the wilderness crying out for God’s children and their lack of spiritual life. John is saying, “prepare the way of the Lord” by repenting of your sin.

Verse 5 – 6 The empty places, the valleys, will be filled. The mountains and hills are prideful people and pride will be brought low. True repentance will knock every mountain of pride in us low that keeps us from Jesus.

John’s message of baptism would put people on the straight path for all – not just the Jews, but the Gentiles also – to come to Jesus and receive salvation, and all that His kingdom promises to them.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I come before you with a burden of sins that I’ve been carrying around with me. You see beyond this to the sin in my life that even I can’t see. I’m laying down the sin I know of and I call it out by name. (Name any sin you know you are struggling with). I don’t want to live this life chained to these sins and feel like a slave to them. I want to be truly free. You are my great Deliverer. Show me the sins I’m not acknowledging. Bring them to my mind so that I can see the truth and turn from any false hope, any lie, any imitation or counterfeit of You, Jesus. I don’t want to be a slave to what is temporary. I want to serve what is lasting. I am throwing off these sins with a real desire to change. I want to follow Your Word because I believe that is what brings a free life of joy that is unshakable. Fill me with satisfaction in Your Word, Lord. Fill me with contentment in You in all the areas of my life that feel empty, barren, and in need. Lay every ounce of pride in me flat on its face. I don’t want to be a slave of pride thinking I’m always right, that I always have the answers, that I’m better than others. Fill my spirit with humility to see others as your children to serve. Help me to see that showing love, being love, giving love is more important than being right. Help my heart to accept that I only know, and have, what You have given and shown me. And that is, though much to me, so little compared to what You have to give and offer in this world. Help me to be quick to hear others and slow to speak myself. Help me to walk in this new life with You, Jesus. My desire is You, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.