John the Baptist Prepares the Way for the Lord (Luke 3:1-20)
Francis Blight, 15th December 2024Part of the Sermon series, preached at a Fordham Sunday Service service
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3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
3:3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
3:4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
3:5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
3:6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "
3:7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
3:9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
3:10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.
3:11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
3:12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
3:13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told
3:14 them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."
3:15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
3:16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
3:18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
3:19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done,
3:20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
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