Saturday, June 20, 2020

The writings of Luke the physician starting with his version of the gospel - Luke 3:15-20 comments: Herod imprisons John the Baptist




Luke 3:15 ¶  And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 18  And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John the Baptist prophesies both advents of Christ; the first to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin against God for those who would receive the gift and trust in Christ’s righteousness and not their own for salvation receiving the Holy Ghost, the very mind of God indwelling them. Then the judgment at the end of human history in which all those who reject Him are judged for their sins against God.

Revelation 20:11 ¶  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

This method of incorporating a nearer prophecy and a future prophecy is performed in Isaiah 61 and other Old Testament passages, as well. In the passage in Isaiah both advents are listed, separated for our understanding by a comma in verse 2. Jesus will quote the verse up to that point in chapter 4 of Luke referring to Himself.

Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

While he was preaching Herod the tetrarch, who was angry at being called out for his adultery, arrested John and locked him up.

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