3:1 凱撒提庇留在位第十五年，本丟•彼拉多作猶太巡撫，希律作加利利分封的王，他兄弟腓力作以土利亞和特拉可尼地方分封的王，呂撒聶作亞比利尼分封的王，
3:2 亞那和該亞法作大祭司。那時，撒迦利亞的兒子約翰在曠野裡，上帝的話臨到他。
3:3 他就來到約旦河一帶地方，宣講悔改的洗禮，使罪得赦。
3:4 正如先知以賽亞書上所記的話，說：在曠野有人聲喊著說：預備主的道，修直他的路！
3:5 一切山窪都要填滿；大小山岡都要削平！彎彎曲曲的地方要改為正直；高高低低的道路要改為平坦！
3:6 凡有血氣的，都要見上帝的救恩！
3:7 約翰對那出來要受他洗的眾人說：「毒蛇的種類！誰指示你們逃避將來的忿怒呢？
3:8 你們要結出果子來，與悔改的心相稱。不要自己心裡說：『有亞伯拉罕為我們的祖宗。』我告訴你們，上帝能從這些石頭中，給亞伯拉罕興起子孫來。
3:9 現在斧子已經放在樹根上，凡不結好果子的樹就砍下來，丟在火裡。」
3:10 眾人問他說：「這樣，我們當做甚麼呢？」
3:11 約翰回答說：「有兩件衣裳的，就分給那沒有的；有食物的，也當這樣行。」
3:12 又有稅吏來要受洗，問他說：「夫子，我們當做甚麼呢？」
3:13 約翰說：「除了例定的數目，不要多取。」
3:14 又有兵丁問他說：「我們當做甚麼呢？」約翰說：「不要以強暴待人，也不要訛詐人，自己有錢糧就當知足。」
3:15 百姓指望基督來的時候，人都心裡猜疑，或者約翰是基督。
3:16 約翰說：「我是用水給你們施洗，但有一位能力比我更大的要來，我就是給他解鞋帶也不配。他要用聖靈與火給你們施洗。
3:17 他手裡拿著簸箕，要揚淨他的場，把麥子收在倉裡，把糠用不滅的火燒盡了。」
3:18 約翰又用許多別的話勸百姓，向他們傳福音。
3:19 只是分封的王希律，因他兄弟之妻希羅底的緣故，並因他所行的一切惡事，受了約翰的責備；
3:20 又另外添了一件，就是把約翰收在監裡。
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the
wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make
straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every
mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the
rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”[a]
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[b] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
**************
路加不斷地留下立是的軌跡在這福音書中，正如：「凱撒提庇留在位第十五年，本丟•彼拉多作猶太巡撫，希律作加利利分封的王，他兄弟腓力作以土利亞和特拉可尼地方分封的王，呂撒聶作亞比利尼分封的王，亞那和該亞法作大祭司。那時，撒迦利亞的兒子約翰在曠野裡，上帝的話臨到他。」
然而施洗約翰的出現是應驗先知以賽亞所說的：「在曠野有人聲喊著說：預備主的道，修直他的路！一切山窪都要填滿；大小山岡都要削平！彎彎曲曲的地方要改為正直；高高低低的道路要改為平坦！凡有血氣的，都要見上帝的救恩！」
也因為他的出現，使人想到上帝所預備的基督，但是他不趁這個機會自稱為基督。反到宣告基督的特質：「我是用水給你們施洗，但有一位能力比我更大的要來，我就是給他解鞋帶也不配。他要用聖靈與火給你們施洗。他手裡拿著簸箕，要揚淨他的場，把麥子收在倉裡，把糠用不滅的火燒盡了。」
然而先知或上帝真正的僕人，當然不會受到世人的歡迎，尤其是當權者。正如施洗約翰指責希律王的作為，讓他被下到監裡，最後是被殺！所以，成為上帝的牧者要覺悟，不是為了討人喜歡，而是要討上帝喜歡！
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