Luke 3 - Introduction

SECTION 2 (3:1-4:44).

The Launching of the Messiah: The Spirit-filled Ministries of John and Jesus And The Defeat of Satan (3:1-4:44).

When we come to chapter 3 we enter the second stage in Luke's message. It commences with the ministry of John, the one who is to prepare of the way, and expands into the fullblown ministry of Jesus as the Anointed Prophet of Isaiah, and both are full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15; Luke 4:1). We can analyse this section as follows:

a The powerful Spirit-filled ministry of John is described (Luke 3:1).

b One is coming Who will send the Holy Spirit and will produce wheat for the harvest and cleanse His threshing floor (Luke 3:15).

c John is rejected by Herod for teaching what he does not like (Luke 3:19).

d The Holy Spirit comes on Jesus, and God declares that He is His beloved Son, and His anointed Prophet ‘in Whom He is well pleased' (Luke 3:21).

e Jesus is the son of David (the anointed King), the son of Abraham (the One through Whom the promises are to be fulfilled), the son of Adam (the seed of the woman who is about to break the serpent's head), the son of God (the second Man, the last Adam, fully human in the same way as Adam, partaking as he had done in the image and likeness of God before the Fall), the One Who will fulfil God's purpose in creation (Luke 3:23).

f Jesus faces his temptations as to his Messiahship and defeats the Tempter who describes Him as the Son of God (Jesus ‘breaks his head' with the word of God) (Luke 4:1).

e Jesus, having as the Son of God defeated Satan, goes out in the power of the Spirit and is glorified of all (Luke 4:13).

d Jesus reveals Himself from the Word of God as the Spirit anointed prophet of Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:16).

c Jesus is rejected by the people for teaching what they do not like (Luke 4:22).

b Jesus reveals Himself as the Coming One by His power over evil spirits, (cleansing His threshing floor). They declare ‘you are the Holy One of God' but are rebuked. The people are amazed at His activity and the word spreads (Luke 4:31).

a The powerful Spirit-filled ministry of Jesus is described (Luke 4:38).

The section ends with ‘And He was preaching in the synagogues of Judaea' (Luke 4:44).

Thus in ‘a' and its parallel we have the contrasting Spirit-filled ministries of John and Jesus. In ‘b' we have the huge impact of the Coming One described, and in the parallel something of that impact. In ‘c' and parallel we have the rejection of Jesus and John because their teaching is not acceptable. In ‘d' we have Jesus anointed by the Holy Spirit for His ministry and declared by God to be His chosen Prophet, and in the parallel the Word of God declares Him to be the Spirit anointed Prophet. In ‘e' we have Jesus revealed as the fulfilment of all the past, the final fulfilment of God's purpose on creation, and in the parallel, having defeated Satan, as going out and being glorified by all. In ‘f' and central to the whole is Jesus' defeat of Satan in the wilderness.