Testifying to Jesus' Divinity (preaching resource for Epiphany 1: 1/12/25)

This exegesis of Luke chapters 3 and 4 provides context for the RCL Gospel reading on Epiphany 1 (1/12/25). Insights are drawn from vaious sources includingWarren W. Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary") and I. Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary"). 

"Baptism of Christ" by Willman
(public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Introduction

In Luke chapter 2 we lear about Jesus’ birth and childhood, Luke emphasizes our Lord’s humanity. Now in chapters 3 and 4, telling about Jesus early ministry, Luke emphasizes our Lord’s divinity. He does so by sharing the testimonies of five witnesses: John, God, Satan, Holy Scripture, and some demons. Though this is a mixed group, their testimonies agree on this: Jesus is the divine Son of God, now incarnate for us, and ministering among us. The questions raised by these testimonies are these: Do we believe in Jesus? Will we follow him?

1. John testifies 

Luke 3:1–20

The first testimony witnessing to the divinity of Jesus is our Lord’s cousin John, son of Zechariah—the one we know as John the Baptist. John was the last of the Old Testament type prophets and thus served as a bridge from the era of law and promise (the old covenant), to the era of fulfillment in Jesus (the new covenant). Luke locates this monumental transition in a specific point in history:

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-- when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

The time setting is A.D. 27-28 or perhaps 28-29. Other notables of the time include the governor of Judea, three tetrarchs (including Herod), and two Jewish high priests. However, God’s word came not through these notables. Rather it came through John, a humble Jewish prophet who came with a religious ceremony of washing (baptism), which pledged forgiveness of sin:

3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 1:17 prophesied that John would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Now he comes to the Jordan River and begins to fulfill that prophecy through a ministry of preaching and baptizing. His message was the gospel (Luke 3:18), which included the announcement of Messiah’s coming (Mat. 3:3) and a call to repentance. Centuries before, Israel crossed the Jordan (a sort of national baptism) to enter the Promised Land. Now God summons them through his prophet John to turn from their sin and enter a spiritual kingdom. John introduces the King of this kingdom in the person of Jesus and calls upon people to give their allegiance to him. Baptism was an expression of that. It was nothing new, for Jews had long baptized Gentile proselytes. But John’s baptism was radically new because he baptized Jews, and pointed them to their Messiah who would come with his own, even more radical, baptism (Luke 3:16).  

Luke next tells us more about the ministry of John the Baptist:

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. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" 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? 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. 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." 

10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked. 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." 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. 14 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." 

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 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. 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." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. 19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

In telling us about Jesus, we learn several things about John:

•  John was like a king’s herald, going before a royal procession, making sure the roads are clear for the king’s coming. John “cries out” in the wilderness, preparing the way for King Jesus. The nation of Israel was in the midst of a “wilderness” of unbelief, and its spiritual roads were in disrepair. The people desperately needed direction from God, and John was God’s faithful voice.

• John was like a hard-working farmer, chopping down useless trees (v9) and winnowing grain to separate out the chaff (v17). Many Jews thought they were destined for the eternal kingdom simply because they were descendants of Abraham. John reminds them that God gets to the root of things and calls people not to a religion, but to a relationship with a person, Jesus. In the last judgment, the “wheat” (those who embrace Jesus) will be separated through winnowing from the “chaff” (those who repudiate Jesus). In 3:7, John pictures the self-righteous as snakes who slither out of the grass because a fire is coming. Jesus later compares them to vipers (Mat. 23:33) because their self-righteousness and unbelief make them act as though they are children of the devil. How tragic that the religious leaders refused to obey John’s message and submit to his baptism (Luke 20:1–8). They not only failed to enter the kingdom themselves, but their bad example and false teaching kept other people from entering.

• John came as a teaching prophet (v12), declaring the faith of Jesus, and teaching how to participate in Jesus’ life (vv10–14). He instructed them not to be selfish but to share their blessings. Even tax collectors came to John for counsel. Fellow Jews despised these men because they worked for the Romans and usually extorted money from the people. Luke emphasized the fact that Jesus is the friend of all sinners (tax collectors included, see Luke 5:27ff). John did not tell them to quit their jobs but to do their work honestly. Likewise, John did not condemn soldiers for their vocation, but exhorted them to refrain from using their authority for personal gain. Through this teaching, John was preparing the hearts of people for their Messiah. He stated clearly that Jesus is “Lord” (Luke 3:4) and the Son of God (John 1:34). Because John rebuked Herod Antipas for his adulterous marriage to Herodias, he was imprisoned by the king and later beheaded. However, he had faithfully finished his God-given assignment and prepared the people to meet their Messiah. 

2. God testifies 

Luke 3:21–38

Here are the highlights of this section:

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." 23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph… 31 the son of David... 38 the son of Adam, the son of God.

One day, Jesus joined the crowds coming to John to be baptized in the Jordan. In this way, Jesus aligned himself with sinners. John at first refused him (Mat. 3:13–15)—he knew Jesus was the perfect Son of God who needed no cleansing. Why then was Jesus baptized? As Jesus begins his public ministry we are given a picture of what his ministry was (and is) all about: identifying with all humanity; including us with him as the sinners that we truly are. Jesus was thus baptized as our representative and substitute—the vicarious (stand-in) human. He was baptized (just as he later died on a cross) for us—as one of us. In doing so, he “fulfilled” on our behalf, “all righteousness” (Mat. 3:15). 

When Jesus rose from the waters of the Jordan, the Father spoke from heaven and identified Jesus as his beloved Son. The Holy Spirit adds his affirmation by descending upon Jesus visibly in a form like a dove. Here is a clear statement about God’s tri-unity with Jesus shown to be co-equal with the Father and Spirit. Moreover, Jesus is shown to be one with our humanity—now baptized on our behalf. This is the first of three occasions recorded in the Gospels when the Father speaks from heaven. The second is at Jesus’ transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36), and the third is during Jesus’ last week before the cross (John 12:28). Note also that Luke mentions that Jesus prayed to the Father. Jesus operated out of his humanity as the Son of man—and as a human, he depended fully on his Heavenly Father. 

Luke again emphasizes Jesus’ humanity (and God’s sovereignty over history) by giving us Jesus’ legal genealogy through Joseph. Matthew gives a similar genealogy, but in reverse order and going no further back than Abraham. But Luke works backward from Joseph all the way to Adam. Thus, Luke reminds us that the divine Son of God is also the human Son of man, thus identifying completely with our needs and problems as one with us.

3. Satan testifies 

Luke 4:1–13

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Having been baptized on our behalf, Jesus is now led (the word in Greek means “driven”) by the Spirit to suffer and be tempted in the desert on our behalf. Here Satan unwittingly testifies to Jesus’ divinity. Satan’s words, “if you are the Son of God” (vv 3, 9)—are better translated, “since you are the Son of God.” Satan’s point is that Jesus, as God, can indeed change stones into bread. Satan uses this fact to tempt Jesus to disobey his Father’s will by using his own divine powers to save himself. However, Jesus will have none of it—he knows that the Father’s will is that he minister out of his humanity, with us and for us as one of us. Note that in his reply to Satan in v4, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, emphasizing the word man. As a human, Jesus remained totally dependent on his Heavenly Father, here recognizing that humankind does not live by physical bread alone.  

• In the first temptation, Satan suggests that there must be something wrong with the Father’s love since his “beloved Son” was hungry. In years past Israel hungered in the wilderness and God sent them bread from heaven, so surely Jesus could use his divine powers to feed himself and save his own life!  Satan had used the same approach with Eve: “God is holding out on you! Why can’t you eat of every tree in the Garden? If he really loved you, he’d share everything with you!” Nevertheless, Jesus knew that it is better to be hungry in the will of God than to be made full outside the will of God. The first Adam was tempted in a beautiful Garden and failed on our behalf. The Last Adam was tempted in a dangerous desert and succeeded on our behalf. Temptation is Satan’s weapon to defeat us, but Jesus is stronger, and won the victory for us.

• In the second temptation, Jesus is tempted to receive from Satan what the Father had already promised to give him—all the kingdoms of the world. In the Father’s order, Jesus would first suffer and die—suffering then glory (Luke 24:25-27). The adversary offered Jesus the glory without the suffering, if only he would worship Satan. Satan’s offer was not bogus—he actually does have a certain authority over the world’s kingdoms granted him by God on a temporary basis. However, the terms of Satan’s offer were unacceptable; and Jesus refused, again quoting Scripture, this time Deuteronomy 6:13. Satan had said nothing about service, but Jesus knew that whatever we worship, we will serve. Service to the Lord is true freedom, but service to Satan is utter bondage. 

• In the third temptation, Satan questioned the Father's faithfulness when he asked Jesus to jump from the temple and prove that the Father would keep his promise of protection (Psalm 91:11-12). Satan misquotes and misapplies this Scripture, cleverly omitting "in all your ways." In reply, Jesus quotes Deut. 6:16. Unlike Satan who proof-texted, Jesus understood how to rightly use Scripture to understand the true and total expression of God's will. Jesus came out of the desert temptations a victor, but Satan did not give up. He watched for other opportunities to draw Jesus away from the Father's will. He never succeeded.

4. Holy Scripture testifies 

Luke 4:14-30

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'" 24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-- only Naaman the Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

By now, news had spread about Jesus as a miracle-worker. His family, friends, and neighbors in Nazareth were, no doubt, anxious to see and hear from him. While visiting his hometown, Jesus attends the local synagogue Sabbath service, as was his custom as a Jew obedient to the Law of Moses. A typical service opened with an invocation for God's blessing and then the recitation of the Hebrew confession of faith (Deut. 5:4-9: 11:13-21). This was followed by prayers and then a prescribed reading from the Torah (the Law) and a reading (at the discretion of the reader) from the Prophets. This was then followed by a brief sermon (homily) given by one of the men of the congregation or perhaps by a visiting dignitary. In this particular service, Jesus was asked to read the scriptures and give the sermon. For the reading from the Prophets, Jesus chooses Isaiah 61:1-2. Jewish rabbis interpreted this text as referring to the Messiah, and the people in the synagogue knew it. You can imagine their shock at hearing Jesus’ assertion that this scripture refers to him—that he is God’s chosen servant to usher in “the year of the Lord’s favor." This “year” is a reference to the "year of Jubilee" (Lev. 25) which came around every 50th year. Its main purpose was to re-balance the economy: slaves were set free and returned to their families, property that was sold reverted to the original owners, and all debts were canceled. Now Jesus applies all this to his own ministry—he is the Messiah who brings true deliverance. Indeed, his arrival means that the ultimate "Year of Jubilee" has arrived!

But the congregation refuses to believe Jesus—in their eyes, he is no more than Mary and Joseph’s boy.  They had seen him grow up. They had, no doubt, heard the rumors that he was a miracle-worker—and they wanted to see him perform. But Jesus, knowing their unbelief, refuses. And so their partial admiration for Jesus turns quickly into antagonism. Why? Probably largely because Jesus is telling them of God's goodness to all humanity—Gentiles included! Just as Elijah bypassed Jewish widows to help a Gentile widow (1Kings 17:8-16), and just as Elisha healed a Gentile leper (2Kings 5:1-15), Jesus comes in the same Spirit, proclaiming that God’s saving grace is for all humanity. Because that message strikes a blow at their Jewish exclusivism, the congregation is furious with Jesus and takes action to lynch him!  How ironic! Though their own scriptures declare Jesus to be God’s divine Son, the promised Messiah, they will have none of it—and thus they are unable to receive at that time the deliverance that Jesus has for them. And so Jesus moves on.

5. Some demons testify 

Luke 4:31-44

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!" 35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. 

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. 40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. 

42 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus leaves Nazareth in the hill country and goes to the lakeshore at Capernaum—home of Peter, Andrew, James and John. He teaches regularly in the synagogue there and astonishes the people by the authority of his messages. He further astonishes them by his authority over demons. We might wonder why a demonized man would attend synagogue. Did he know Jesus would be there? Jesus did not want demons to bear witness to him, so he commands them to be silent and casts them out. Of course, the demons know that Jesus is God’s divine Son (vv 34, 41). Following the service, Jesus goes to Peter's home, and there heals Peter's mother-in-law. At sundown, many people bring their sick and afflicted and ask Jesus for healing. Again, Jesus silences the demons who confess him to be the Son of God and the Christ. 

No doubt, Jesus is weary after such a demanding day. Yet, the next morning he is up early to pray (see Mark 1:35). It was in prayer that Jesus found strength and power for ministry, and his call to that ministry now takes him to other towns in the region where he proclaims the good news of the kingdom (the reign) of God, which is now present because he has come and ministering in their midst.

Conclusion

In these sections of his Gospel, Luke is showing us that Jesus is both divine (the Son of God, the Messiah) and human. He is God with us and for us—on earth as one of us. He has come to include us all in his divine life and love, and thus, in his own Person, to save humanity—both Jew and Gentile. 

Some believe the testimony given concerning Jesus’ identity and thus the message of his gospel; others do not. Where do we stand? Amen.