Luke 3 3

Luke 3:3 kjv

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luke 3:3 nkjv

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

Luke 3:3 niv

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

Luke 3:3 esv

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:3 nlt

Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

Luke 3 verses

Luke 3 3 Meaning

Luke 3:3 describes the beginning of John the Baptist's public ministry, immediately after the historical and chronological settings of the previous verses. It states that John went throughout the region surrounding the Jordan River, openly declaring and urging people to embrace a "baptism of repentance." The essential purpose of this repentance was "for the forgiveness of sins," indicating a direct link between genuine internal transformation, outward symbolic act, and divine remission. This was a preparation for the imminent arrival of the Messiah, calling God's people back to Him in anticipation of His kingdom.

Luke 3 3 Context

Luke 3:3 forms a crucial bridge in the Gospel narrative. Prior to this verse, Luke meticulously sets the stage by providing precise chronological and historical markers (Lk 3:1-2), detailing the reigns of Roman and Jewish leaders and the Jewish high priesthood. This emphasis on historical accuracy highlights that John's ministry, and subsequently Jesus's, was not mythical but rooted in specific time and place, validating the divine work unfolding. This verse then immediately plunges into the active commencement of John's ministry, placing his divinely ordained role as the "voice crying in the wilderness" (as prophesied in Isa 40:3, explicitly quoted in Lk 3:4-6) at the forefront. It marks the end of a long prophetic silence and the start of a preparatory movement before the Messiah's arrival, fulfilling God's long-awaited promise of a prophet preceding the Lord. The message of repentance was paramount as the spiritual landscape of Israel was rife with external piety but internal compromise, necessitating a deep change of heart to truly receive the Kingdom of God.

Luke 3 3 Word analysis

• And he went (καὶ ἦλθεν, kai ēlthen): Signifies the immediate, purposeful initiation of John's public ministry after the divine call in Lk 3:2. This active movement reflects a divinely commissioned urgency.
• into all the region (εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον, eis pasan tēn perichōron): Indicates a widespread, inclusive ministry, not confined to one locality. It speaks of a sweeping movement, accessible to many, demonstrating the urgency and universality of the call.
• around the Jordan (τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, tou Iordanou): The Jordan River served as a significant geographical and symbolic boundary in Israel's history (crossing into the Promised Land, Elijah and Elisha's miracles). Choosing this region, historically linked to covenant and new beginnings, underscores the preparatory nature of John’s work and a new divine epoch. It evokes wilderness and a return to origins.
• proclaiming (κηρύσσων, kēryssōn): From kēryssō, meaning "to preach" or "to proclaim as a herald." This is a public, authoritative declaration, not merely teaching or advising. It carries the weight of a divine announcement, summoning people to respond.
• a baptism (βάπτισμα, baptisma): Refers to a specific act of ritual immersion in water. While ritual washings existed in Judaism (mikveh), John's baptism was unique because it was a one-time public confession of sin, an act of repentance for an individual Israelite, unlike the self-administered and repetitive Jewish purifications, or the one-time baptism for gentile converts to Judaism. It signified a covenantal turning point for those within God's chosen people.
• of repentance (μετανοίας, metanoias): From metanoia, which literally means "a change of mind" or "a turning around." It signifies a fundamental change of heart, a conscious decision to turn away from sin and self and turn toward God. It implies more than mere regret; it involves a spiritual reorientation leading to new action. This term emphasizes the nature or character of the baptism—it was a baptism that required and signified repentance.
• for the forgiveness (εἰς ἄφεσιν, eis aphesin): The preposition eis (for/unto) indicates purpose or result. Aphesis means "release," "remission," or "pardon." This phrase connects the act of repentance (and the baptism signifying it) directly to the divine act of absolution from sins.
• of sins (ἁμαρτιῶν, hamartiōn): From hamartia, meaning "missing the mark" or "transgression" against God's law. This confirms that John's message was rooted in the reality of human brokenness and the need for divine grace. The collective "sins" signifies the accumulation of unrighteous acts and spiritual rebellion against God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And he went into all the region around the Jordan": This phrase details the scope and setting of John's ministry. His physical movement demonstrates an active obedience to his divine calling. The "Jordan region" itself, historically significant as a transition point into the Promised Land, emphasizes the transformative nature of John's message—preparing for a new spiritual entry or covenant with God through Christ. It suggests that John's message was not confined but spread widely, touching all within reach, reminiscent of the widespread judgment and cleansing represented by the ancient Jordan crossings.
• "proclaiming a baptism of repentance": This highlights the method and message of John. His role was that of a herald (kēryx), an official messenger. The public proclamation carried authority. His baptism was fundamentally defined by its association with "repentance" (metanoia). This wasn't merely a ritual cleansing; it was an outward symbol of an inward, transformative decision to turn from sin to God. This challenged the self-righteousness common among many in Judaism who relied on ancestral lineage or external observance without internal transformation, calling for a radical reorientation of life and heart. It served as a distinct polemic against the complacency derived from being "children of Abraham" (Lk 3:8).
• "for the forgiveness of sins": This phrase clarifies the purpose and outcome of John's ministry and the response he called for. The preposition "for" (eis) indicates that repentance and the associated baptism were the divinely appointed path or means by which forgiveness from God would be received in anticipation of the Messiah. It linked a necessary human response (repentance) with a gracious divine provision (forgiveness), demonstrating that divine pardon was contingent upon a change of heart, foreshadowing the greater work of Christ. It implies that without true repentance, forgiveness cannot be realized.

Luke 3 3 Bonus section

John's baptism, while critical for preparing Israel for the Messiah, should be carefully distinguished from Christian baptism, which institutes entry into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13), signifies identification with Christ's death and resurrection (Rom 6:3-4), and is associated with the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Tit 3:5). John's baptism, performed "with water" (Lk 3:16), pointed forward to the one "who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." John himself, in John 3:30, emphasized that he must decrease so that Christ might increase, indicating the temporary and preparatory nature of his role and ministry. His call to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Lk 3:8) also underscored that this repentance was not a mere ritualistic act but demanded a genuine, visible transformation in the lives of the people, warning against reliance on Abrahamic lineage alone.

Luke 3 3 Commentary

Luke 3:3 captures the essence of John the Baptist's foundational ministry, marking the pivotal transition from a long era of prophetic silence to the dawn of the Messiah's coming. John, operating under divine mandate, undertook a public, widespread declaration across the Jordan region. His core message was a summons to "baptism of repentance." This was a profound call to Israel to undergo a radical internal change, a turning away from sin and a turning towards God, to prepare their hearts for the approaching Christ. The "baptism" he administered was not a means of automatically conveying grace, nor was it equivalent to Christian baptism, but rather a public symbol of this inward commitment to repentance. The ultimate aim and glorious consequence of this penitential turning was the "forgiveness of sins," signifying that God's pardon would be bestowed upon those who responded genuinely to John's prophetic invitation. His ministry thus paved the way for Jesus by awakening spiritual conscience and highlighting the desperate need for God's grace and restoration.