Luke 3:1-6 (NRSV)
Read Luke 3:1-6 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 3In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, Verse 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Verse 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Verse 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Verse 5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; Verse 6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
Devotion
In the third chapter of Luke, we encounter John the Baptist who is preparing the way for the earthly ministry of Jesus. Do we know how radical this very situation was? The chapter opens by telling us who is in charge, from the leaders of the Roman Empire to the heads of Judea to the institutional leaders of the temple system in Jerusalem. Yet, after introducing all of these important big-name people, who is it that prepares the way for the earthly ministry of Jesus? And where and to whom does he go to do this? We read in this passage, “the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
Prayer
Divine Love, help us listen to those who speak the voice of love today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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