Lesson

#5
Prelude to Ministry
(3: 1 4: 13)

Prelude to Ministry

With Johns birth in Chapter 1, we moved seamlessly to Jesus

birth in Chapter 2. As Lesson #4 opened, Luke set the scene,
both historically and geographically. Historically, the scene
opened when Caesar Augustus (in Rome) issued a decree that
a census be taken of the enHre Roman.
Consequently, Mary and Joseph made their way 100 miles
south from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Josephs ancestral home
and the town of David, where Jesus will was born, fullling
the prophecy of Micah 5: 1-2.

Prelude to Ministry

As we enter Lesson #5 Jesus is about thirty years of age (3: 23).

Eighteen years have ashed by between the closing of chapter 2 and
the opening of chapter 3, eighteen years during which Jesus grew up in
Nazareth.
As chapter 3 opens, Luke again anchors his narraHve in historical Hme
and place, creaHng verisimilitude: In the Beenth year of the reign of
Tiberius Caesar, when PonGus Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod
was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of
Ituraea and TrachoniGs, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during
the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas . . . (3: 1-2): it is now A.D.
27-29.

Prelude to Ministry

As Luke anchored the birth

of John the BapHst (1: 5)
and Jesus (2: 1-2) in
historical Hme, so does he
anchor the public ministries
of John and Jesus (3: 1-2) in
historical Hme, establishing
the narraHves sense of
verisimilitude.

Prelude to Ministry

Tiberius Caesar succeeded Augustus as emperor in

L; A.D. 14, and he reigned unHl his death in A.D. 37, the
enHre period of Jesus adult life.
PonHus Pilate was prefect of Judea from A.D. 26 to
36.
Herod AnHpas, the son of Herod the Great (37 -4
B.C.), ruled over Galilee and Perea from 4 B.C. to A.D.
39, Jesus enHre lifeHme.
Philip, the brother of Herod AnHpas, ruled over the
territory north and east of the Sea of Galilee from 4
B.C. to A.D. 34, Jesus enHre lifeHme.
Lysanias is menHoned as tetrarch of Abilene, but
nothing else is known about him.
Annas was high priest from A.D. 6-15. He was
deposed by the Roman government in A.D. 15 and
succeeded by his son-in-law, Caiaphas, who was high
priest from A.D. 18-36.

Prelude to Ministry

We then focus directly

on John himself and on
his message:

Prelude to Ministry

He went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,

proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of
the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
(3: 3-6)

Prelude to Ministry

Israel

Jordan
Jericho!

5 miles to
Jordan River;
8 miles to
Qumran

"John bapHzing here.

Jordan !
River

Qumran!

Home of the
Dead Sea
Scrolls

Dead Sea

The scene takes place on the east bank of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho.
Prelude to Ministry

Signicantly, Johns message

and the quote from Isaiah 40:
3-5is the exact message being
proclaimed in the Community
Rule of the Essenes at Qumran:
When these things shall come to pass in
the Community of Israel, according to these
rules, they shall withdraw from the city of
the men of iniquity [i.e., Jerusalem] to go
into the wilderness to clear the way of the
Lord as it is wriTen: In the wilderness clear
the way of the Lord, make level in the
desert a highway for our God.

Prelude to Ministry

(1QS 8: 12-15)

Dead Sea Scrolls, Community Rule, Qumran. Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

10

It seems quite likely that

John the BapHstand
perhaps Jesus, as well
Not m
e. E ssene
were inuenced
by
thinking.

Prelude to Ministry

I wonder if John
was part of the
community at
Qumran?

11

L;

The Essenes were one of four major divisions

in Judaism at the Hme of Jesus: Sadducees,
Pharisees, Essenes and Zealots.
Essenes
The Essenes were a separaHst group, highly criHcal
of the Sadducees and to a lesser degree criHcal of
the Pharisees. They are rst menHoned by Pliny
the Elder (A.D. 23-79) in his Natural History,
where he writes that they do not marry and
possess no money.
Josephus (A.D. 37-95) discusses the Essenes in
greater detail in his History of the Jewish War,
where he says they are celibate; have no
possessions; live in community; pracHce extreme
forms of asceHcism, including frequent ritual
immersion; await the coming of the righteous
one; and have a decidedly apocalypHc vision of
the future.
Prelude to Ministry

12

L; Cleansing ones self by ritual immersion dates

back to the puricaHon laws in LeviHcus.

Scripture presents many examples:
1.
2.

3.

4.

A man or woman with a bodily discharge must

wait seven days and then cleanse him/her self
by immersion in living water (LeviHcus 15);
In the David & Bathsheba story, when David
sees Bathsheba she had been purifying
herself from her monthly uncleanness (2
Samuel 11);
The prophet Elisha tells Naaman, the
commander of Arams military, to dip himself
seven Hmes in the Jordan to cleanse himself of
leprosy (2 Kings 5);
Jesus tells the leper he cures to present himself
to the priest and oer the gio prescribed,
which includes ritual immersion. (Luke 5:
12-16).

Prelude to Ministry

13

L; Ritual immersion at Qumran, however, went

considerably beyond the scriptural

prescripHons. Ceremonial puricaHon was an
integral part of community life among the
Essenes, as indicated by the Community
Rule.
Ritual immersion was used for:
1. IniHaHon
2. Annual renewal
3. Daily puricaHon

Prelude to Ministry

14

Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1946/47.

This is Cave #4.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

15

The Scriptorium of Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls were copied.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

16

The Essenes pracHced ritual immersion in a Mikevh, or ritual bath.

There were ten mikvaot at Qumran.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

17

This is a Mikevh at Masada, Israel.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

18

L; John the BapHst took ritual immersion

even further than ritual puricaHon,

however. Johns bapHsm was an
iniGaGon rite, requiring a candidate:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

to reect upon the condiHon of his soul;

to feel remorse for his sins;
to confess his sins;
to repent of his sins;
to show the fruits of his repentance;
to prepare for the coming of the
Righteous One, [e.g., Christ]; and
7. to be incorporated into the covenant
community by being bapHzed, fully
immersed in water (Greek, baptizo = to
dip).

Prelude to Ministry

19

John is bapHzing people on the

east side of the Jordan River,
opposite Jericho, and he has a
ery message!
Read Luke 3: 7-20.

Prelude to Ministry

20

Masa PreH. St. John the BapGst Preaching (oil on canvas), 1665.
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Prelude to Ministry

21

Herods Fortresses
Herodium !

" Machaerus

Hedium
Masada !

Masada
Prelude to Ministry

22

Archaeological excavaHons on the top of

Machaerus.

Tel of Machaerus, located in Jordan,

15 miles southeast of the Jordan River,
as it empHes into the Dead Sea.
Prelude to Ministry

23

Lukes gospel presents a

very brief version of Jesus
bapHsm.
Read Luke 3: 21-22.

Prelude to Ministry

24

After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also
had been baptized and was praying, heaven opened and
the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like
a dove. And a voice came from heaven, You are my
beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.
(3: 21-22)

Prelude to Ministry

25

Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci. The BapGsm of Christ

(oil on panel), c. 1475. Uzi Gallery, Florence.

Prelude to Ministry

26

Israel

Jordan
Jericho!

5 miles to
Jordan River;
8 miles to
Qumran

"Jesus bapHsm here.

Jordan !
River

Qumran!

Home of the
Dead Sea
Scrolls

Dead Sea

Jesus bapHsm takes place on the east bank of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho.

Prelude to Ministry

27

Standing on the east bank of the Jordan River as it ows south into the Dead Sea.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

28

Modern-day bapHsmal site in Jordan, the tradiHonal site of Jesus bapHsm.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

29

Walking to a very nice teaching site near John the BapHsts spring.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

30

Dr. Creasy teaching about Jesus bapHsm onsite.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

31

Jordan is famous for its mosaics, and this one rests where Jesus was bapHzed.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

32

NoHce the mosaics similariHes with the del Verrocchio/da Vinci

BapGsm of Christ that we saw earlier.

Prelude to Ministry

33

Aoer Jesus bapHsm, but before his

temptaHon, Lukes gospel inserts
Jesus genealogy, one very dierent
from Maxhews.
Recall that Maxhew begins his gospel with
a 3-part genealogy:
1. Abraham to David
2. David to the Babylonian capHvity; and
3. the Babylonian capHvity to Christ.
Moving from Abraham through David and
the kings of Judah emphasizes Jesus linear
descent from Abraham and establishes his
claim to Jewish kingship.

Prelude to Ministry

34

Luke, however, begins his

genealogy with Jesus, and he works
backward, ending not with
Abraham, but with Adamand
ulHmately, with God! In doing so,
Luke emphasizes Jesus kinship
with all of humanity, not just with
the Jewish kingship, leading to the
universality of the gospel message.
Maxhew and Luke present
genealogies that are similar in
some ways, but radically dierent
in others.
Prelude to Ministry

35

L;

Overall

Maxhews list descends from

Abraham to Jesus and uses the
A was the father of B; B was
* formula

the father of C.
Lukes list ascends from Jesus through
Adam to God and uses the formula A,
(son) of B, (son) of C.
Since Lukes genealogy extends
beyond Abraham to Adam and to God,
his list is naturally longer, 77 names
compared to Maxhews 41.
Prelude to Ministry

36

L;

Pre-monarchical Period
(c. 2100 B.C. - 1010 B.C.)

During the period between Abraham

and David, Maxhew and Luke agree,
although some manuscripts of Luke
place Arni and Admin between Hezron
and Amminadab, while Maxhew has
only Ram.

Prelude to Ministry

37

L;

Monarchical Period
(1010 B.C. - 586 B.C.)

During the period between David and

the Babylonian capHvity the lists are
totally dierent, agreeing only on
David. Luke lists 21 names, Maxhew
15. Of the 21 listed by Luke, only
David and Nathan occur in the Hebrew
Scriptures.

Prelude to Ministry

38

L;

Post-monarchical Period
(586 B.C - 6/5 B.C.)

During the period from the Babylonian

capHvity to the birth of Jesus, Luke
lists 22 names, Maxhew 13.
The lists only agree on the rst two
and last two names (ShealHel and
Zerubbabel/Joseph and Jesus). These
four are the only names for which
there is any biblical informaHon. The
others do not occur anywhere in the
Hebrew Scriptures.

Prelude to Ministry

39

NoHce the major dierences.

Since Luke emphasizes Jesus relaHonship
to the enHre human family, he naturally
extends his genealogy back to Adamand,
indeed, to God, reinforcing the voice from
heavens claim at Jesus bapHsm that he is
the Son of God (Luke 3: 22).
Since Maxhew emphasizes Jesus Jewish
roots, he begins with Abraham. From
Abraham to David, Maxhew and Luke
agree. But at David the lists separate.

Prelude to Ministry

40

Maxhew traces Jesus descent through

Solomon, Davids son to Bathsheba and
heir to his throne; Luke traces it through
Nathan, one of four sons born to him by
Bathsheba (the four sons were Shimea,
Shobab, Nathan and Solomon).
(1 Chronicles 3: 5).
The lists converge again in the post-
monarchical period with ShealHel and
Zerubbabel, and then they separate again.
The most glaring dierence is with Jesus
grandfather: Maxhew lists him as Jacob,
while Luke lists him as Heil.

Prelude to Ministry

41

Holy cow, this is

Not me.
complicated!

Prelude to Ministry

Im gesng a
headache! I think
Ill chew on a bone.

42

Two explanaHons have been oered to

explain the dierences in the
genealogies:
1. both Maxhew and Luke present
Josephs genealogy, but there was a
levirate marriage at one or more
points in the line, and;
2. Maxhew gives Josephs lineage,
while Luke gives Marys.
Frankly, neither argument is very
convincing; both contain daunHng
complexiHes and glaring weaknesses.
Untangling the two makes untying the
Gordian Knot look easy by comparison!

Prelude to Ministry

43

Complexity need not imply

error, however.
More likely, the twin
genealogies oer dierent
perspecHves on Jesus
ancestors, each composed
for its own purpose within
the narraHve framework.

Prelude to Ministry

44

Onward to the
temptaHon!

Luke

Prelude to Ministry

45

Boscelli. The TemptaGons of Christ (fresco), 1481-1482.

SisHne Chapel, VaHcan.

Prelude to Ministry

46

Jericho !

" Jesus bapHsm

Judean wilderness

Prelude to Ministry

47

The Judean wilderness, place of Jesus temptaHon.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

48

Simon Bening. Command this stone to become bread (illuminaHon), 16th century.

Prelude to Ministry

49

The TemptaGons of Christ [kingdoms of the earth, center] (mosaic), 12th century.
St. Marks Cathedral, Venice.

Prelude to Ministry

50

Pinnacle of the Temple (tempera on wood), 1308-1311.

Museo dellOpera del Duomo, Florence.

Prelude to Ministry

51

Eastern Wall

The Temple in Jesus day, as he would have seen it from the Mt. of Olives.
(1.50 scale model of 1st-century Jerusalem, Israel Museum.)
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

52

Place of TrumpeHng !
(pinnacle of the temple)

Southern wall

Southern side of the Temple.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

53

Southwestern corner !

Stones that fell from the Temple when it was destroyed in A.D. 70.

Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

54

The Pinnacle stone that fell from the top of the southwest corner [replica].
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

55

Original pinnacle stone. The inscripHon reads, Place of trumpeHng.

Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Photography by Ana Maria Vargas

Prelude to Ministry

56

TiHan. Adam and Eve (oil on canvas), 1550.

Prado Museum, Madrid.

Duccio di Buoninsegna. The TemptaGon of Christ (tempera

on panel), 1308-1311.
The Frick CollecHon, New York.

Prelude to Ministry

57

NoHce the parallels between the

temptaHons of Adam & Eve
(Genesis 3: 1-7) and those of Christ
(Luke 4: 1-13):
Adam & Eve
1. Good for food
2. Pleasing to the eye
3. Gaining wisdom

Christ
1. Stones to bread
2. Throw yourself down
3. Kingdoms of the world

Prelude to Ministry

58

1. John the BapHst may have been inuenced by

the thinking of the Essene community at
Qumran. What evidence suggests this?
2. What was the purpose of Johns message and
of his bapHzing people?
3. Can you reconcile Jesus two dierent
genealogies, one in Maxhew and a dierent
one in Luke? If so, how?
4. Why does Maxhew open his gospel with a
genealogy and Luke places his between
Jesus bapHsm and temptaHon?
5. How many temptaHons did Jesus suer
during his 40 days in the wilderness?

Prelude to Ministry

59

Copyright 2015 by William C. Creasy

All rights reserved. No part of this courseaudio, video,

photography, maps, Hmelines or other mediamay be
reproduced or transmixed in any form by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any
informaHon storage or retrieval devices without permission in
wriHng or a licensing agreement from the copyright holder.

Prelude to Ministry

60