Luke 3:1

Luke 3:1 says, Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,  This time was dated by the rule of Tiberius, the last and most cruel of the the Caesars according to Matthew Henry.  Luke also named Pilate as the ruler of Galilee and his brother Philip as ruler of Itheruria and Trachonitis and Lysanias as ruler of Abilene.  The people of Isreal were once again under the rule of another nation.  Verse two adds, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  Anna and Caiaphas were listed as being high priests.  God had ordained that there be but one high priest, but His people now had two.  Matthew Henry says they rotated years of service as high priest.  We as followers of Christ must make sure that we don't attempt to change any of God's law.  We, like the people of Israel, have but one High Priest, and that is Jesus Christ.  During this time, John was still in the wilderness when the word of God came to Him.  God's word will reach us wherever we are, if we are listening for it.  Verse three states, And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;  At God's direction, John left the wilderness and came into the country around Jordan preaching baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Baptism was to be a sign of their repentance, and after the death of Jesus it became the symbolism of His death, burial and resurrection to us.  Verse four adds, As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  John was the prophet who was prophesied about by Isaiah, who would call on the people of Israel to prepare for the coming Messiah by repenting of their sins.  When Jesus comes to us today, we must repent of our sins and make ourselves ready for His guidance.  Verse five continues, Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;  Matthew Henry says this refers to the distinction between those who repented and those who didn't.  Those who put their faith in God would have their ways made straight and their rough ways made smooth.  I believe this was a spiritual reference and not a physical one.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our spiritual life will be made straight and smooth, no matter what is going on in the world around us.  Verse six concludes, And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  God's coming salvation through Jesus Christ would be made available to everyone.  This has always been and always will be true.  Verse seven declares, Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  John called those who came to be baptized a generation of vipers and asked who had warned them to flee from the wrath to come.  The only way to avoid the wrath of God on judgment day is to heed His warning of its coming and repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse eight adds, Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  John told them to not put their faith in simply being descendants of Abraham.  No matter who we are descendants of, we cannot be saved by this.  Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.  Verse nine continues, And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  John said that like unproductive trees that were cut down and cast into the fire, so would those who did not bear fruit for God be.  This did not mean that their works would save them, but that if they truly put their faith in God that they would be productive in His work.  This still applies to us today as Christians.  We do not work for salvation but for God's glory after we accept His free gift of salvation.