Introduction
In Isaiah chapter 30, we read about a prophecy concerning “a rebellious people.” Isaiah 30:8-11 states: “Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever. For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits, get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.”
For us, Christians today, in 2 Timothy 4:1-4, the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul, instructs Timothy—and all of us—to preach the Word of God. We are called to use Scripture to reprove, rebuke, and exhort others with complete patience and careful teaching. This passage also warns that there will come a time when people will not endure sound biblical teaching.
Currently, there are movements within some Christian churches where pastors avoid preaching about the cross, the shed blood of the Lord Jesus as the only atonement for our sins, and the concept of sin in general. Motivated by fame and wealth, they aim to attract people to their church and avoid making anyone feel condemned or offended. However, this raises an important question: How can one repent if the Holy Spirit does not convict them through His Word? Every follower of the Lord Jesus has the duty to preach the complete Gospel as given to us, urging people to repent and accept forgiveness for the salvation of their souls. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is the only way for humans to receive forgiveness for their sins.
Repent and Receive the Lord Jesus as Our God
John the Baptist was the messenger of the Lord, sent as a forerunner to prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior. He called people to repent, and he did not shy away from using strong language to condemn their sins (Luke 3:7-8). The Bible teaches that we are all sinners in need of repentance, and forgiveness of sins can be found only in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. In his message, John was blunt and direct, sometimes using harsh words to point out the right and wrong of people, exposing their sins and their need to repent so they would be ready for the coming of the Lamb of God. To recognize and receive the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, one must have a truly repentant and open heart. Let us reflect on the message of John the Baptist in Luke 3:3-14 and remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we share the good news with those the Lord places in our path.
Luke 3:3 And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance unto remission of sins;
Comments Luke 3:1-3. See Comments Matthew 3:1-2.
“Repentance unto remission of sins.” We can plainly see what John preached to people. He told them to come and receive forgiveness for their sins from the Lord. John, as a messenger, started the work by preparing the way for people to come to the Lord and pointing them to where they should go to receive forgiveness for their sins. Later, he spoke to people more clearly, saying that the Lord Jesus is the person he refers to.
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.
Comments Luke 3:4. Cited from Isaiah 40:3. See Comments Matthew 3:3 and Comments Mark 1:2-3. Verses 4 and 5 are quoted from the book of Isaiah and refer to John and his duty as the messenger of the Lord. Many people use these verses in the wrong way, but truly, they refer to John’s duty.
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” This saying applies to John as the messenger of the Lord.
“Make ready the way of the Lord.” The verse tells us of John’s duty. John announces to people how they should behave to be ready to receive the begotten Son of God, who is coming soon. His duty was to call people to go to the Lord Jesus.
“Make His paths straight.” “Straight” in the sense of direct. The duty of John, through his message, is to point to the Lord Jesus so that people can recognize Him. John’s duty is to identify the Lord Jesus to the people directly, so they know who the Lord Jesus is. The path to the Lord is straight and direct through the message of John.
5 Every valley will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be made low; And the crooked will become straight, And the rough ways smooth;
Comments Luke 3:5. Cited from Isaiah 40:4. This verse refers to the work of the Lord in people’s hearts after they listen to the message of John.
“Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low.” In Isaiah 40:4a, this part of the verse is given as “every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low,” having the same meaning. In Isaiah, “lifted up” is in the sense of being raised up or filled, because when it is filled, everything will rise up. When the glory of the beloved Son of God has shone through all the mountains (heart’s troubles), it will make straight all the land; no matter what the situation has been, it will be straight as the Lord will clear off all the obstacles. All the hearts that drop down with humility will be raised up to receive the glory of the beloved Son of God.
“And the crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.” In Isaiah 40:4b, this part of the verse is given as “the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain,” having the same meaning. In Isaiah, “uneven ground” means being crooked, not leveled, but up and down. In this place, it refers to the heart of the soul itself. When a human’s soul has no peace, the path of communication with the Holy Spirit is interrupted. When the heart obeys the deep voice that is telling the meaning of John’s message, the heart that receives the message will be filled with understanding from the Holy Spirit.
6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.
Comments Luke 3:6. This verse is cited from Isaiah 40:5, where it reads, “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,” which has the same meaning.
“And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed” refers to the Lord Jesus coming in human form when the beloved Son of God takes human flesh on Him.
“And all flesh shall see it together” has two meanings. First, when the beloved Son of God was born in human form, many humans saw God in the flesh, and second, the beloved Son of God is the salvation from God to humans.
7 He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, Offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Produce therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Comments Luke 3:7-8. See Comments Matthew 3:7-9.
This gospel says that John addressed the multitudes with this saying, while the Gospel of Matthew tells us that this saying from John was addressed only to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him to be baptized. Luke used the term “multitudes” for a reason; this term itself expands wider, and it includes all those groups that consider themselves righteous in the eyes of the Lord. As it says in verse 8, they are all children of Abraham because all Jews consider themselves in that way. That is why the term “multitudes” is used.
“Offspring of vipers.” Think of the viper snake itself. Their tongues are split in two. Those who have acted as vipers, at one moment, are glorifying the Lord and then crucifying the Lord of life. These are the offspring of vipers.
“Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.” The multitudes came to John because they were expecting John to provide the way for them, but he was not the way; he was just the messenger. But when the way to be saved has come, they have rejected the Lord of Life.
9 And even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees; every tree therefore producing not good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
Comments Luke 3:9. See Comments Matthew 3:10.
This verse gives a general warning to all humans. Both men and women should be ready and waiting for the Lord of Life to come soon. For all humans, all deeds and thoughts will be accounted for when the final judgment day comes.
10 And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then shall we do?
11 And he answered and said to them, The one that has two tunics, let him impart to the one that has none; and the one that has food, let him do likewise.
Comments Luke 3:10-11. John was a messenger of the Lord and told people what the Lord had given him. This verse clearly explains what the Lord expects humans to do to one another. They should be generous to one another, as the word says here.
12 And also came tax collectors to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?
13 And he said to them, Collect nothing more beyond that which is appointed to you.
Comments Luke 3:12-13. These verses tell us that we should do things only according to the duty required.
14 And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what shall we also do? And he said to them, Extort from no one, neither accuse anyone falsely; and be content with your wages.
Comments Luke 3:14. In this verse, we can concentrate on “be content with your wages.” We should be pleased with what the Lord provides. The Lord helps us to make a living. Some may get more, some less, but all should be content and give thanks to the Lord.
Conclusions
Our Lord Jesus Himself often used strong language when condemning sin. In Matthew 12:39, when the scribes and Pharisees were demanding a sign from Him, He responded, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet” (see also Matthew 16:4). For anyone to truly follow the Lord Jesus, His death on the cross for the sins of the world and His resurrection out of the dead must be seen as the ultimate miraculous signs. Therefore, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we have an important mission: to proclaim that the Lord Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for the sins of the world, He was buried in the tomb, He rose again out of the dead after three days, and that He is coming again to take us to Himself in His kingdom. We all must live with the hope of His return and the eternal life with Him in His kingdom.
When sharing the good news of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a right and wrong way of condemning sin. All true followers of the Lord Jesus must gently point others to the cross and to repentance, “because out of His fullness we all receive, and kindness because of grace” (John 1:16). We don’t need to publicly condemn individuals by naming them; instead, we should explain what sin is according to the Bible and share the right way to find forgiveness. We must proclaim that the Lord Jesus died for our sins and shed His precious blood for everyone, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in people’s hearts. The work of redemption and conviction belongs to the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible, not all possible sins are detailed; only those that are against its teachings are. When a teacher of the Bible wants to point out people’s sins, they should relate those sins to the teachings of the Holy Bible and explain why they are against them. If not, let people’s own hearts judge themselves—no need for humans to judge them. When you mention the sins that go against the teachings of the Holy Bible, by those sins, the Lord God Almighty will condemn people in their hearts. You don’t need to bring out or name the person who commits those sins, but just ask a question: Is your sin against what the Bible teaches or not, and the rest, the Lord God Almighty will work in people’s hearts (Matthew 12:19).
Meditation Tasks
- We encourage all readers of this blog to read and share our article titled “Teachings about the Cross of the Lord Jesus: Persecution, Betrayal, Trial, Suffering, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial.”