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Luke 3:12-14
The people in the congregation that have heard the words of John the Baptist are aware that they are in need of repentance (the need to turn away from the way they are living and toward a way of living that is acceptable to the Lord). The next step is to find out “what shall we do?” For the tax collectors, John the Baptist tells them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” (Luke 3:13, NKJV); “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19). For the soldier, John the Baptist says, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14b); “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20), “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21).
This is a teaching of the commandments of the LORD.
The teaching of John the Baptist in Luke 3:10-14 includes:
- The new commandment given by Jesus in John 13:34. It is important that this new commandment given by Jesus be introduced first in announcing the coming of the ministry of Jesus, that in Jesus, is the fulfillment of the Law, which was given to Moses by God in Exodus 20.
- Three of the Ten Commandments given to Moses from God. The use of these three moral commandments indicates that the Law, which was given to Moses from God, is not deleted or is of no further use, but that the moral requirement of the Law is embedded in the new commandment given from Jesus. Matthew 22:35-40 states, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’
“Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ [Deuteronomy 6:5]. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18]. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
Dear Lord,
The teaching of John the Baptist is rooted in the teaching of Jesus, which is rooted in Your Word. The Apostle John teaches us in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Please help us to see the light of Christ Jesus shining on our lives so that we would grasp Jesus with both hands and accept Him into our hearts in humble repentance. In Jesus name I pray, amen.