Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Mark John
Luke 3
Concise Complete
John the Baptist's ministry. (1-14) John the Baptist
testifies concerning Christ. (15-20) The baptism of Christ. (21,22) The
genealogy of Christ. (23-38)
Verses 1-14 The
scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins,
and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession;
the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John
preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and
that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and
renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well
as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures,
isaiah 40:3 , in the
ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down
high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by levelling the
soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then
preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings
and exhortations which John gave. The guilty, corrupted race of mankind is
become a generation of vipers; hateful to God, and hating one another. There is
no way of fleeing from the wrath to come, but by repentance; and by the change
of our way the change of our mind must be shown. If we are not really holy, both
in heart and life, our profession of religion and relation to God and his
church, will stand us in no stead at all; the sorer will our destruction be, if
we do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance. John the Baptist gave
instructions to several sorts of persons. Those that profess and promise
repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and
conditions. The gospel requires mercy, not sacrifice; and its design is, to
engage us to do all the good we can, and to be just to all men. And the same
principle which leads men to forego unjust gain, leads to restore that which is
gained by wrong. John tells the soldiers their duty. Men should be cautioned
against the temptations of their employments. These answers declared the present
duty of the inquirers, and at once formed a test of their sincerity. As none can
or will accept Christ's salvation without true repentance, so the evidence and
effects of this repentance are here marked out.
Verses 15-20 John
the Baptist disowned being himself the Christ, but confirmed the people in their
expectations of the long-promised Messiah. He could only exhort them to repent,
and assure them of forgiveness upon repentance; but he could not work repentance
in them, nor confer remission on them. Thus highly does it become us to speak of
Christ, and thus humbly of ourselves. John can do no more than baptize with
water, in token that they ought to purify and cleanse themselves; but Christ
can, and will baptize with the Holy Ghost; he can give the Spirit, to cleanse
and purify the heart, not only as water washes off the dirt on the outside, but
as fire clears out the dross that is within, and melts down the metal, that it
may be cast into a new mould. John was an affectionate preacher; he was
beseeching; he pressed things home upon his hearers. He was a practical
preacher; quickening them to their duty, and directing them in it. He was a
popular preacher; he addressed the people, according to their capacity. He was
an evangelical preacher. In all his exhortations, he directed people to Christ.
When we press duty upon people, we must direct them to Christ, both for
righteousness and strength. He was a copious preacher; he shunned not to declare
the whole counsel of God. But a full stop was put to John's preaching when he
was in the midst of his usefulness. Herod being reproved by him for many evils,
shut up John in prison. Those who injure the faithful servants of God, add still
greater guilt to their other sins.
Verses 21-22 Christ
did not confess sin, as others did, for he had none to confess; but he prayed,
as others did, and kept up communion with his Father. Observe, all the three
voices from heaven, by which the Father bare witness to the Son, were pronounced
while he was praying, or soon after, Lu 9:35; Joh 12:28. The Holy Ghost
descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and there came a voice from
heaven, from God the Father, from the excellent glory. Thus was a proof of the
Holy Trinity, of the Three Persons in the Godhead, given at the baptism of
Christ.
Verses 23-38
Matthew's list of the forefathers of Jesus showed that Christ was the son of
Abraham, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed, and heir to the
throne of David; but Luke shows that Jesus was the Seed of the woman that should
break the serpent's head, and traces the line up to Adam, beginning with Eli, or
Heli, the father, not of Joseph, but of Mary. The seeming differences between
the two evangelists in these lists of names have been removed by learned men.
But our salvation does not depend upon our being able to solve these
difficulties, nor is the Divine authority of the Gospels at all weakened by
them. The list of names ends thus, "Who was the son of Adam, the son of God;"
that is, the offspring of God by creation. Christ was both the son of Adam and
the Son of God, that he might be a proper Mediator between God and the sons of
Adam, and might bring the sons of Adam to be, through him, the sons of God. All
flesh, as descended from the first Adam, is as grass, and withers as the flower
of the field; but he who partakes of the Holy Spirit of life from the Second
Adam, has that eternal happiness, which by the gospel is preached unto us.
Chapter 3:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Mark John
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
