www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
The Gospel of Luke Chapter 3:1-20 John’s Ministry Begins 3:1-2 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Luke is always specific in dating the times of the events he records, although as Green correctly observes, he is not merely interested in the chronology of the events he describes. He rather wishes to depict the socio-historical climate in which John was to operate, and his naming of characters such as Pilate and Caiaphas introduces the reader to important actors in the later drama. Since Tiberius Caesar had been Roman Emperor for fifteen years, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod Antipas tetrarch of Galilee, historians believe the year to be either A.D. 28 /291 or A.D. 26/27 – the latter option is interesting since it is known to have been a Jewish Jubilee year.2 Annas and Caiaphas could not have been both High Priest at the same time; Annas had been removed from office by the Romans in favour of his son in law Caiaphas, but the Jews would have still referred to both as High Priest. It was in this setting that a revelation of the Word of God came to John the Baptist in the wilderness, as it had to the Old Testament prophets before him, disclosing to him God’s will and purpose for that time. It may be that Luke wants us to see how important John is, and how universal his message would eventually become by locating his ministry within the framework of these political leaders.3 It is perhaps also significant that this coincided with Jubilee, a year in which debts were cancelled and slaves were released; for John’s message dealt with forgiveness for sin and liberation from corruption. Those who felt themselves oppressed by Rome may have expected a message to bring them liberation from Roman rule. Ironically, John’s preaching of the kingdom of God has long outlasted the rulers listed here. Rome may have ruled Palestine, the priesthood may have been 1
So Green, Luke, p. 167 August Strobel, “Plasdoyer fur Lukas: Zur Stimmigkeit des Chronistischen Ramens von Lk 3.1,” NTS 41 (1995):466-69 cited by Garland, Luke, p. 151 3 So thinks Joel B. Green, Luke, p. 166 2