City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
    and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Luke 3:1-6 ESV

Reflection

Luke provides the setting (est. somewhere between AD 24-26). Tiberius Caesar’s face was on the denarius (Matthew 22:19-21), nearly 11 years prior, he forcibly conscripted 4,000 Jews for military service, despite them not being considered Roman citizens. Pontius Pilate promoted emperor worship, and he was responsible for the deaths of multiple Galileans during Passover (Luke 13:1). Despite his military background he was a coward, more interested in pleasing the crowd than doing what was right (Mark 15:9-15). Herod Antipas and Philip had a very complicated relationship, Philip was Herod’s half-brother, Herodias his wife divorced him and married Herod (John the son of Zechariah called him out on this (Mark 6:17-18)). Not much is known about Lysanias, only that he was both a tetrarch and a high priest, maybe not during Annas and Caiaphas’ priesthood. How did Annas and Caiaphas agree to both be high priests at once? Joint high priesthood was not allowed in Judaism, it was like having two Popes in charge. Annas was Caiaphas’ father-in-law, imagine the complications, theological, factional, and familial.

To say this was a very difficult political time, particularly for the Jews, is an understatement.

Everybody expected John, the miracle son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, to follow in his father’s footsteps as a priest. He did become one, but in an unorthodox way. What was John doing in the wilderness in the first place? Did God call him there? Perhaps God called John to the desert and not to an orthodox priestly division to let the people see the Messiah is for all people, no matter their socioeconomic status. But there may be another reason. Biblical wilderness is often a desert, a place of spiritual purification. It took forty years in the desert for the Hebrews to get rid of their slavery mentality, maybe John was purifying his mindset as well.

After the Word of God came to him, John went around the Jordan River area and preached a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. Baptism came from Jewish purification practices (the Book of Leviticus has many rules involving purification with water). John was tilling the soil of people’s hearts for the arrival of Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah 40:3-5. The valleys will be filled and the mountains will be lowered, the exalted will be humbled and the humbled will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). The crooked will be straight, rough paths will be level. And all people, not just Jews, will see God. Finally, hope was coming.

Application

Politics can be really nasty, and it always seems like the world is going downhill. But God has not abandoned us (Deuteronomy 31:6). Where in your life have you seen God? Are you on a hill or in a valley? Where in your life is it crooked and needs straightening?

Prayer

Dear Lord, despite all of the negativity going on in the world, You ultimately reign. Fill my valleys and lower my mountains. Grant me the courage to see what in my life needs straightening. Help me to fix my eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.