Luke 3:18

‘With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings to the people,'

This verse parallels Luke 3:3 in the chiasmus. In Luke 3:3 he preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Here he continue in many different ways to give them the same message with ever more powerful illustrations, ‘preaching good tidings' (of the forgiveness of sins to those who come back to God) to the people, and the need for obedient response to God and His word. In these words is summarised a ministry that may have gone on for quite some time, even years. And in it he won many disciples, many of whom would become full disciples of Jesus (John 1:19 onwards), while others would await the arrival of the Good News when Jesus had risen from the dead (Acts 19:1).

It is important to recognise that John was a proclaimer of Good News, not just of judgment, for the truth is that he pointed to Christ. He did not just speak of judgment. Indeed the purpose of his ministry was in order to save men and women from the consequences of their sin. His Good News was that by turning to God from their sins they could find forgiveness and begin to live lives that were pleasing to God. It was that God was now acting positively and would shortly act even more positively in the coming of Jesus the Christ. His purpose was that all men might ‘see the salvation of God'. The Apostle John tells us that he pointed to Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God' Who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His warnings were simply the background to this purpose. His baptism which represented turning to God for the remission of sins demonstrated what was his central aim. It was the transformation of men and women by the Spirit. And that was Good News, and especially Good News about Jesus.