The dates are given in Luke reckoning from the years of the Roman Empire. Judea is but a province of it, the Herods are in power. All this was a very humiliating and significant circumstance for Israel—impossible if the people had been faithful to God. But God does not hide the shame of His people; on the contrary He makes it manifest by this very fact—He gives it a record in His own eternal word, the word that liveth and abideth forever.
“Now, 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 Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests.” We see from this that, although the high priests were there, yet even this holy office was affected strangely by the new circumstances of Israel. There was not one high priest but two; there was disorder that not only dislocated the people politically but tainted their religious relations. However, God was faithful and His word “came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness” —even in spite of these circumstances, but in the wilderness. It is no question of the city of the great King now, but of the wilderness; and John the Baptist's dwelling in the wilderness, and the word of God coming to him there, speak volumes as to the real state of the Holy Deity, It was not to Zion that the word of God came.
Accordingly, John “came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Ver. 3.) Repentance was what characterized John's preaching; not but what repentance was and abides always a truth obligatory upon every sinful soul that comes to the know, ledge of God. Under Christianity repentance, so far from being lessened in its character, is deepened yet you could not say that it is characteristic of Christianity—faith is much more so. Hence in Galatians the apostle speaks of “when faith was come.” When repentance was come would be no description of the new thing, whereas in John the Baptist's preaching it was the emphatic word that description the character of his message. John came therefore “preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” He had indeed a peculiar position. It was not law simply nor even prophets, though in truth he was the greatest of prophets; none had arisen greater than John the Baptist. But it was one who was the herald of the Messiah whom he proclaimed to be just at the doors—yea, in their midst, as he says—and in view of His immediate coming he calls men to repentance. It was the confession of utter failure with respect to the law and despising of the prophets, but it was also to confess their sins in view of One just coming who could and would forgive their sins. He preached therefore “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” This was not arbitrary but of divine authority. “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” He was really sent to baptize with water; but at the same time there was an intimation given to him that he should see the Spirit descending upon some special individual—the Messiah; and that the Messiah should be a baptizer (not with water, but) with the Holy Ghost. This was his peculiar mission. Christ and He alone baptizes with the Holy Ghost, and this the Lord Jesus did when He went up to heaven. But John baptized upon earth with water. No doubt under Christianity baptism with water still continues and has a very important meaning—I do not doubt a good deal deeper than John's. It is not merely baptism unto repentance that “they should believe on him which should come after him.” But now baptism is founded on the faith of Him who has already come and died; consequently, the great point of Christian baptism is burial (not into Christ's life of course, but) into His death. John could not say this; He saw a living Christ though he spoke by the Holy Ghost of His being “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” How far he entered into the meaning of what he said is another matter. We know for certain that when he was thrown into prison himself afterward, he was somewhat offended or stumbled and sent some of his disciples to ask, “Art thou he that should come or do we look for another?” It is clear therefore that he looked for a Christ in power to break the chains of the oppressed and to deliver the captives, as well as to preach the gospel to the poor. But to see a Savior despised and rejected more and more, and himself His forerunner languishing in a prison, these were altogether new and strange thoughts to John the Baptist. Nevertheless God had taken care that his lips should proclaim the mighty work of Christ in both its parts, as the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and as the One who baptizes with the Holy Ghost.
Now we have John the Baptist acting here according to Isaiah the prophet. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Only the Spirit of God in Luke takes pare to give it the utmost breadth, “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” We have not this elsewhere. In Matthew, Mark, and John, the quotation stops short of this. But Luke, though he begins with the Jew, does not end with him; but very decidedly goes out to all the nations. Hence expressions that would add largeness and comprehensiveness are particularly added by the Spirit here. (Ver. 4-6,)
But another peculiarity of Luke is exemplified here also. There is not only exceeding breadth given to the ways of God, but also the word of God in its moral power is continually enforced. So when John the Baptist speaks to the multitudes that come to be baptized of him, be warns them, as the other evangelists do also, to flee from the wrath to come and not to presume upon their privileges of birth, saying, “We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Moreover, already “the ax is laid unto the root of the trees;” judgment was at the door; “every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Ver. 7-9.) This process was what was now going on. So far we have what is common to Luke with Matthew. But we have afterward what is peculiar. “And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?” and then we have John the Baptist's detailed exhortation to different classes of men. “He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat let him do likewise.” (Ver. 10, 11.) Although John called to repentance, it is a poor and superficial sorrow for sins that simply owns the past and judges, however strongly, the evil that has hitherto broken out in our ways. John lays down suitable conduct for those who professed to repent. God was acting Himself for His own glory in the spirit of this same grace. Repentance prepares the way for grace; it is produced by grace of course, but at the same time it leads into a path of grace.
So also (ver. 12, 13) when the publicans came to be baptized, instead of dismissing them contemptuously as a mere Jew would have done, He answers their question, “Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.” Notoriously they were extortioners, their rapacity was proverbial, they plundered the people of whom they were the official tax gatherers. The soldiers similarly (ver. 14) “demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” It is clear that there we are warned against violence and corruption, the two great features of men left to themselves. But, besides, contentedness with their wages is pressed upon them. It is remarkable how much the spirit of contentment has to do not only with the happiness of a soul but with its holiness.
There is scarcely another thing that so tends to disturb our relationship with God and man as discontent. It makes an individual ripe for any evil. It helps, on a great scale, to the revolutions of nations and other social ruptures. On a smaller scale, it subverts the equilibrium of families and the right attitude of individuals as nothing else can. So we read of “unthankful, unholy” classed together by the Spirit of God. We also find unthankfulness mentioned as leading into idolatry. The Gentiles not only did not glorify God as God, but they were unthankful, and they fell into all kinds of moral depravity. There is nothing more important than to cherish a thankfulness of heart, sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts, having confidence in His goodness, and also in the certainty that He has given to ourselves individually exactly the thing that is best for us. But the only way to be thus content, whatever may be our lot, is to look at God as dealing with us in Christ for eternity.
There is thus, under the most homely words of John the Baptist, real moral wisdom from God suitable to men's circumstances here below. We have not here heavenly things; these are the fruit of Christ's redemption. Nevertheless, the sketch that is given us of John the Baptist's teaching, is eminently practical, and suited to deal with the conscience and heart. And we shall find this to be always true as we advance farther in our gospel.