Scripture to Read: Luke 3:1–2
God will teach us much as we walk through Luke 3. God had Luke write in Luke 3:1–2, “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.” God had Luke share about the political leaders who lived where our Lord Jesus lived. God reveals, by naming these leaders, how corrupt and godless Rome was in that day. Tiberius was an emperor known for his cruelty. Pontius Pilate was known for being brutal against the Jewish people. The Herodian rulers (Herod, Philip, and Lysanias) were corrupt and cruel. To validate God’s Word (which needs no validation), archaeologists have uncovered more than enough evidence that these people lived and ruled in these places at the time of Christ. Herod the Great had decreed that, upon his death, his kingdom would be divided among his three sons: Herod, Philip, and Lysanias. The religious leaders of Judea were Caiaphas (the High Priest) and his father-in-law Annas, who was the real leader among the priests. John the Baptist lived in the desert and “the word of God came to John.” Then, God had Luke share how John received his calling from God: to be the forerunner of our Messiah. No matter how wicked the government may be, we must fulfill God’s call to make disciples.
Challenge & Application
Why did God reveal how wicked the government was in Jesus’s day, and how does it relate to us today?
John received his calling from God and so have we. So, how are you fulfilling God’s call on your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!