Luke 3:1-6 Mountains and Valleys
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: June 21, 2018 Luke 3:1-6
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His 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, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. 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, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
(Understanding the Text) Luke gives very specific information here. The setting is that this was the 15th year that the Caesar named Tiberius had been emperor of Rome. Locally the different areas around Palestine had been divided up between Herod the Great’s sons and a Roman governor. Pilate was the governor of Judea and Herod was the ruler of Galilee during the whole period of the rest of Luke. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests during both John’s and Jesus’ ministry. By telling who was ruling where, Luke is actually introducing some of the main characters in the stories that would follow. The only one that doesn’t have a part in this seems to be Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene. Why did God inspire Luke to mention this ruler? I think maybe to prove Luke’s historical accuracy. The SDA commentary says that Luke was criticized for Lysanias because there was no evidence of him at first, but people are finding more and more indications that there really was such a person. Eventually, the criticisms will be proven wrong so that belief in Luke’s reliability will be stronger than ever.
Guzik’s commentary adds “i. Luke gives more than a chronological measure, he tells us something of the tenor of the times. Tiberius was a emperor known for his cruelty and severity. Pontius Pilate was also renowned for his brutal massacres of the Jewish people in Judea, and his insensitivity towards the Jews. The rulers from the family of Herod the Great (Herod, Philip, and Lysanias) were known for their corruption and cruelty. Luke reminds both his original readers and us today of the corruption and moral degradation of the Roman Empire, especially in the distant provinces like Judea.” The commentary also adds an interesting piece of archaeological information. “ii. In 1992, scholars discovered what they believe to be the tomb of Caiaphas. In an ancient burial box from the era is an inscription with his name. Inside the box are the only physical remains from any specific individual mentioned in the Bible.”
John had been raised by priests in a priest’s town knowing that his birth had been foretold by God and that it was a miraculous birth similar to the birth of Isaac. He was raised by elderly devout parents who had been given one great mission from God–to raise the herald of the Messiah. He had been raised with special restrictions that he knew were to help him proclaim his mission. He was also raised knowing that the Messiah had already been born and was waiting for John to prepare the way. He knew who the Messiah was even though he had never met him. His own relative was the Messiah. Thus, John was raised with a sense of purpose and authority. He knew that the responsibility of preparing the way for the Messiah rested solely on his shoulders. He knew that God had given him the authority to speak for God, yet he was also raised in humility knowing that his job was not to rule but to announce the King. He knew that he had to get his nation in shape for the King to come, and he took his responsibilities seriously.
(Revelation of God) God prepared the way for both the leaders and the common people, but he used different methods. For the leaders, he sent signs and the testimony of priests and prophets. To the common people, he sent John. To the leaders, he announced that the Messiah was coming if they would only check it out for themselves. To the common people, he sent the message that they had to search their hearts and actions to see if they were ready. The common people accepted the message sent to them, but the rulers did not turn to the scriptures and check out the messages that they had received.
(Application) Today, many religious leaders are receiving clear messages from God to check out the scriptures. Fudge, Stott, Wright, and others have pointed out the fallacy of believing in eternal hell. If the leaders go to the scriptures and study for themselves and accept and follow the messages there for them, they can help prepare the people for the coming of the King, but most will not. They will reject the King a second time and cause others to do the same. My job is not to speak to the leaders, but to herald the coming of the King to the common people telling them to prepare their hearts for the coming of their King. Humans need a heart change because too many have hard crusty hearts that refuse to let mercy in or out.
(Application) John viewed his mission as getting rid of any barriers that would prevent his people from accepting the Messiah. He took his mission from Isaiah seeing that he needed to fill in the valleys (ditches in the road) and level out the hills (push out the obstacles) and straighten out the crooked parts of the road (forge a direct path to God). That is my mission too. I need to fill in the holes in people’s knowledge of God and in their hearts from the cruelties of this world. I need to tear down the false views of God which are obstacles to people being able to see Him, as well as helping people overcome physical obstacles to actually living. I need to show people the direct path to God rather than leaving them to wander from place to place as they try to circuitously make their way to Jesus. I also need to teach them to plan on the most efficient path to their goals. In these last days, it is God’s people’s mission to prepare the way for the Lord. Maybe that is why the prophecies in the Old Testament mix up the first and second comings so much. The message that they contain is the same for both. Prepare the way for the Lord.
(Prayer) God, that job is way too big for me. I will go where You tell me to go and speak the words that You have directed me to say, but I cannot level out hills or fill in valleys. Give me the eyes to see Your work as You level out those barriers. Let me see You doing amazing things.
(Understanding the Text) The SDA commentary applies this to the transformation of our characters where the rough places like pride and selfishness are made smooth in humility and devotion to God. Guzik’s commentary points out that “John’s great message is that things can be set right. The Messiah is here to do things that are too big for man: filling valleys, leveling mountains, setting crooked roads straight and rough roads smooth. i. The Jews at that time thought that the problem was mainly ‘them’ – that is, the Romans who politically oppressed them. John made them see that when you got right down to it, the problem was really with me, not them. I have to get right with God.”
The SDA commentary says that John may have begun his ministry in the Passover season of A.D. 27 which according to the chart on page 230 would have been in the spring about a year before Jesus cleansed the temple for the first time. Thus, John began preparing the people for the coming of Jesus about five to seven months before Jesus came to be baptized.