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The Bible Breakdown: Daily Bible Reading
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Welcome to "The Bible Breakdown," where we break down God’s Word so we can know God better. I'm your host, Brandon Cannon, and I'm here to guide you through the pages of the Bible, one day at a time.
Each day, we'll read through a section of the Bible and explore key themes, motifs, and teachings. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned veteran, I guarantee you'll find something insightful or inspiring. My hope is to encourage you to dive deeper and deeper.
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Remember, as we journey through the pages of the Bible together, we're not just reading a book, we're unlocking the secrets to eternal life. The more we dig, the more we find! Let's get started!
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The Bible Breakdown: Daily Bible Reading
Luke 03 Round Two: Johnny B and the Family Tree?
The third chapter of Luke's Gospel vividly captures the emergence of John the Baptist from the wilderness and the momentous baptism of Jesus that marked the beginning of his public ministry. This crucial transitional chapter bridges the prophetic anticipation of the Messiah with the actual launch of his world-changing mission.
Luke masterfully grounds these sacred events in concrete history, meticulously naming the political and religious authorities of the time - Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, and others. This isn't just historical trivia; it's Luke's way of emphasizing that the gospel isn't mythology but actual events that occurred at a specific time and place, witnessed by real people and firmly embedded in both Jewish and Roman history.
John the Baptist emerges as a wilderness prophet in the tradition of Elijah, preaching a message of repentance that was both radical and practical. When people asked what repentance should look like in daily life, John didn't prescribe elaborate religious rituals but focused on ethical behavior: share with those in need, be honest in business, don't abuse power, be content with what you have. His confrontational approach - calling religious leaders a "brood of vipers" - challenged the status quo and prepared hearts for Jesus.
The highlight of the chapter is Jesus' baptism, where the Trinity is dramatically revealed as the Spirit descends like a dove and the Father's voice declares Jesus as His beloved Son. This theophany provides one of the clearest biblical illustrations of God's triune nature. The chapter concludes with an extensive genealogy tracing Jesus back through David and Abraham to Adam himself, emphasizing Jesus' role as the "Son of Man" who represents all humanity.
Join Pastor Brandon as he breaks down this fascinating chapter, exploring John's bold ministry, the revelation of the Trinity, and the significance of Jesus' family line. Whether you're new to Bible study or a seasoned reader, you'll discover fresh insights that bridge ancient text with contemporary faith. Subscribe now and continue growing in God's Word together!
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. Every day, we take one chapter of the Bible, dig deeper and discover that the more we dig, the more we find. You can find out more at thebiblebreakdowncom. Now let's grow in God's Word together. Well, hello and welcome back through our journey through the Gospel of Luke, the investigative journalistic piece of this doctor-turned-journalist-slash journalist, slash historian man. He is letting us know what's up, and I'm excited to be doing this with you.
Speaker 1:My name is Pastor Brandon and I love God's Word. I hope you do too, and that's our hope from this is these are not going to be deep theological dives. What they are going to be is just me geeking out with you about God's Word and maybe, hopefully, just encouraging you to take a step forward. Maybe I say something that you're like where did he get that? And do your own research on some stuff, or maybe you don't agree with me on that, or maybe you have some questions I want to know. The most amazing thing to me would be is if these conversations actually turned into just that conversations. So please let me know. On social media Also, you can comment on these videos. That is the goal of this. It's not just for me just to sit and talk a while, but I want us to engage in God's word together. So I have this mental image and I want you to get out your Bible as we get ready to go through chapter three, while I'm sitting here talking, and I have this mental image of us sitting across the coffee table, got some coffee, got our Bibles and we're just walking through God's word together. And I would love to do this individually, one-on-one, with each of you, but since that's not possible, we can all do it like this together and I think of myself as, like your tour guide, just noticing things as we go and talking through it together. And I love this idea of Luke as this investigative journalist.
Speaker 1:He's been sent back to the area where Jesus lived his life, died on the cross, rose again by a guy named Theopolis from Rome. Theopolis, I guess, can't get back there. I don't know what it is, but for whatever reason, he has now tasked Luke with going. And maybe he met Luke while he was visiting Paul in prison. We don't know how he ended up with him, but we know that now Luke, who is a doctor by trade he was Paul's personal physician has now been tasked to go back and investigate. Talk to the people who got healed, talk to the other people and see if he can validate the stories and report back what he's happened. We don't know.
Speaker 1:The Bible doesn't say that. That is not the point of the Gospel of Luke to give us the blow-by-blow account of how Luke himself wrote all of this, other than to tell us that. So we have to use our imaginations, as long as it doesn't conflict with the written word. We always go back to God's word as the source of authority, so we have to be careful on that. But the Bible doesn't tell us if Luke wrote all this down at one time or if he was sending it piecemeal back to Theopolis. My imagination wants it to be piecemeal back to Theopolis, and my imagination wants it to be piecemeal because I wonder if Luke would find something. Oh, I got to tell Theo this and he'd write it down and he'd send it off. I don't know.
Speaker 1:And so all throughout this, I keep wondering who did Luke talk to so that he could get this firsthand information we're about to see right here is in chapter one. We learned about John the Baptist's parents and how there were old priests who weren't able to have kids and they were finally able to have a son. But then we realize now in chapter 3, john is by himself, so it's likely that his parents have died. But now John is most likely possibly been taken in by the Essenes. We don't know that for sure, it's just historical conjecture, but we do know that now he's about 30 years old and he is beginning to preach the gospel and preach that the king is on his way. We also had think about John is not only was he possibly taken in by the Essenes, but it's also possible that he had taken a Nazarite vow, and we know that because of what the angel had told Zechariah, that he shouldn't drink wine, shouldn't do these different things, and that's what a Nazarite would do. So I'm going to really mess up your idea of John.
Speaker 1:Imagine John with really long hair, because Nazarites couldn't cut their hair. So he had really long hair and he had these weird clothes on. So we're going to explain to you what these clothes are about as we get into it. But I don't know. I have this idea of maybe some of John's disciples. Do you know that Andrew and the apostle John were likely some early disciples of John before they went and started following Jesus? So maybe they're sitting with John, because we also know that right before Jesus died, jesus asked John to take care of Mary the apostle, john. So if Luke had just got through talking to Mary, I wonder if he said hey, by the way, john the apostle, can you tell me about John the Baptist, because I think you followed him for a little while and John's like sure. Let me tell you, and this is what he told him Chapter 3, verse 1.
Speaker 1:It was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor, pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Here, antipas was ruler over Galilee and his brother Philip was a ruler over Atura in Trachonicus, and Licinius was ruler over Albini, annas and Sapphira excuse me, caiaphas were high priests. So all of that is just to say this is exactly what time it happened. That was the way they would pinpoint accurate and once again remember that's what Luke is out to do. So you're going to see Luke do that throughout. This is pinpoint accurately, say this exactly when this happened.
Speaker 1:It was at this time that the message of God came to John through Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that the people should be baptized and show that they have repented of their sins and turn to God to be forgiven. Isaiah had spoken of John when he said this is a voice shouting in the wilderness Prepare the way of the Lord's coming, clear the road for him. The valleys will be filled and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened and the rough places made smooth, and all the people will see the salvation sent from God.
Speaker 1:When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said you, brood of vipers, who warns you to flee from the coming wrath? Prove, by the way you live, that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other we're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham. That means nothing, for I tell you, god can create children for Abraham, even from these stones. Even now, the axe of God's judgment is poised and ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
Speaker 1:The crowds asked what should we do? John replied if you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry. Even the corrupt tax collectors came to the baptism and asked teacher, what should we do? He replied collect no more taxes than the government requires. You idiots, that's just me. What should we do, said some of the soldiers? That would have been the moment where I would have said how about you? Kill people less? But John said don't extort money or make false accusations. Be content with your pay.
Speaker 1:Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying I baptize you with water, but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am, so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork and he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into the barns but burning the chaff with never-ceasing fire, never-ending fire. John used many such warnings as he announced the good news to the people.
Speaker 1:John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother's wife, and for many other wrong things he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding the sins to his many others. So, yeah, so here's the thing on that. So, john, he was an OG, he was an old school gangster. Many people call him the last prophet of the Old Testament because they think the New Testament begins with Jesus, and so you think about Ezekiel and Elijah and all these different people. John's part of those jokers. He is one of those guys who just tells it like it is. And here's the thing we get so upset about nowadays any preacher ever calling out like a public figure or whatever. John looked right at Herod Antipas and said dude, you commit adultery with your brother's wife, you need to stop it. And that he got thrown in jail. I mean, that's that. He got thrown in jail. I mean, that's it. He got thrown in jail.
Speaker 1:But before he got thrown in jail, the Bible says in verse 21,. One day, when the crowds were being baptized, jesus himself was baptized and as he was praying, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit in bodily form descended on him like a dove and the voice from heaven said you are my dearly loved son and you bring me great joy. Now, that is one of the number one verses that can prove to you what the Bible calls the Trinity. Now, the word Trinity is not actually in the Bible at all, but Trinitarian doctrine is one of the foundational structures of Christianity.
Speaker 1:What the Trinity says is that God exists as one God in three persons. One God is three persons. It would be like a baseball team. How many baseball team braves out of Atlanta? How many baseball teams are there One? How many players are on that team? I don't know. I don't know. I'm not a baseball person.
Speaker 1:So this analogy is immediately a bad one. Let's say there's like 30. So there's 30 baseball players, but one team. If you look at the 30 people, how many teams are there One? How many players are there? 30, but it's still one team. Does that make sense? Well, it's the same idea with the Trinity. We have one God existing simultaneously as three separate but equal persons. You have God the Father, god the Son, god the Holy Spirit. Which one is greater? All three are equal in value, equal in worth, different in function, but autonomous in personhood. So, pastor, prove it, okay. Well, right there. It says Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended and the Father spoke. So you have three in one.
Speaker 1:Now let's finish this up, and I'll be honest with you, I was stalling a little bit because I don't want to read these last verses, but there's a problem with these verses, but I'm going to tell you about it after I read it. Let's do this together. We're going to make it. I want you to look at your Bible with me and, if you dare laugh at how I pronounce these names, you try to do better. Okay, verse 23. Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his public ministry.
Speaker 1:Jesus was known as the son of Joseph. Joseph was the son of Heli. Heli was the son of Metat. Metat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Melchi. Melchi was the son of Jenai. Jenai was the son of Joseph.
Speaker 1:Joseph was the son of Matthias. Matthias was the son of Amos. Amos was the son of Nahum. Nahum was the son of Isli. Isli was the son of Negai. Negai was the son of Mahath. Mahath was the son of Methahias. Methathias was the son of Samin. Samin was the son of Joshek.
Speaker 1:Joshek was the son of Jodah. Jodah was the son of Jonan. Jonan was the son of Risha. Risha was the son of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the son of Niri. Niri was the son of Melchi. Melchi was the son of Adi.
Speaker 1:Adi was the son of Koshem. Koshem was the son of Almadam. Almadam was the son of Ur. Ur was the son of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Joram. Joram was the son of Metat.
Speaker 1:Metat was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Simeon. Simeon, the son of Judah, judah, the son of Joseph, joseph, the son of Jomam, jomam, the son of Alekhim, alekhim, the son of Melel, melel, the son of Mena, mena, the son of Matha, matha, the son of Nathan. Nathan was the son of David. Good old David, that's an easy name to say. David was the son of Jesse.
Speaker 1:Jesse of Obed, obed, the son of Boaz, boaz, the son of Salmon, salmon, the son of Nahashon, nahashon, the son of Amminadab, amminadab, the son of Adim, admin, the son of Arni, arni, the son of Hezron, hezron, the son of Perez Perez, the son of Judah, judah, the son of Jacob, jacob, the son of Isaac, isaac, the son of Abraham, abraham, the son of Terah, terah, the son of Nahor, nahor, the son of Sarug, sarug, the son of Rehu, rehu, the son of Peleg, peleg, the son of Eber, eber, the son of Shelah, shelah, the son of Cainan, cainan, the son of Arphaxad. Arphaxad. The son of Shem. Shem the son of Noah, noah the son of Lamech, lamech the son of Methuselah, methuselah the son of Enoch, enoch the son of Jerod, jerod the son of Mahalalel, mahalalel the son of Seth. Seth the son of Adam. I love this Seth. I mean, adam the son of God, isn't that amazing? All right, here's the one thing. And we made it. I don't ever want to do that again. But here's the thing.
Speaker 1:If you notice, if you go back to Matthew 1, because I know you study these chapter 1 has a different genealogy than Luke 3. And it has caused some difficulty among people because they say now wait a minute. How exactly does that work? Well, here's what you got to know. Matthew was concerned with showing the kingship and the right to rule from the lineage of Joseph, joseph's line. Luke is interested in showing the son of man aspect and he shows this through the line of Mary. So most scholars believe that Matthew is showing the lineage and the right to rule and the kingship from the line of Joseph and Luke is showing it from the line of the Son of man, which would have been through the line of Mary, showing that Jesus had the right to rule from both sides of his family. So there you go.
Speaker 1:The number one takeaway from this is that God uses any means necessary to move his mission forward. What I mean by that is God uses an orphan to speak and say that the kingdom is coming. God uses all of these names that you don't know, but they're special in the eyes of God. Our name isn't written in the Bible. Theirs is, so even if we don't know them, god knows them. So he moves forward with names that we may not know, but they're known by the name of God. He uses any means necessary. He uses those who are forgotten, those who aren't thought of, and he sees them and he counts them and he says that they are valuable and we all have a place in the kingdom of God. I want to know what you thought about that and tell me what was the hardest name for you to pronounce when you try to pronounce them by yourself. Okay, I'll see you next time for Luke, chapter 4. Thank you.
