Luk 3:1-2 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 3:1-2: 3:1–4:13 After the birth narrative, Luke sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. He tells about the ministry of John the Baptist as forerunner of the Messiah and Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and temptation. 3:1 the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius: Tiberius Caesar became co-emperor with his stepfather Caesar Augustus in AD 11 and full emperor in AD 14, reigning until AD 37. Depending on which date Luke is referring to, John’s public ministry began around AD 26/27 or AD 29/30; Jesus began his own ministry shortly thereafter. • Pilate: Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from AD 26–36 (see profile for Pontius Pilate at end of chapter). • Herod Antipas: See profile for Herod Antipas at end of chapter. • Antipas’s half brother Philip , another son of Herod the Great, was ruler (literally tetrarch ) of the region northeast of Galilee from 4 BC until his death in AD 34. Tetrarch means “the ruler of a fourth of a kingdom”; the term came to mean any minor ruler. Philip the Tetrarch was a half brother of both Antipas and Herod Philip (Matt 14:3 ; Mark 6:17 ).

a3:1–4:13►

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cMatt 14:3►

dMark 6:17►

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fJohn 18:13-14►

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hActs 4:6►

iIsa 6►

jJer 1►

‏ Luke 3:1-2

Summary for Luke 3:1-2: 3:1–4:13 ^a After the birth narrative, Luke sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry. He tells about the ministry of John the Baptist as forerunner of the Messiah and Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and temptation. 3:1 ^b the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius: Tiberius Caesar became co-emperor with his stepfather Caesar Augustus in AD 11 and full emperor in AD 14, reigning until AD 37. Depending on which date Luke is referring to, John’s public ministry began around AD 26/27 or AD 29/30; Jesus began his own ministry shortly thereafter.

• Pilate: Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from AD 26–36 (see profile for Pontius Pilate at end of chapter).

• Herod Antipas: See profile for Herod Antipas at end of chapter.

• Antipas’s half brother Philip, another son of Herod the Great, was ruler (literally tetrarch) of the region northeast of Galilee from 4 BC until his death in AD 34. Tetrarch means “the ruler of a fourth of a kingdom”; the term came to mean any minor ruler. Philip the Tetrarch was a half brother of both Antipas and Herod Philip (Matt 14:3 ^c; Mark 6:17 ^d).
3:2 ^e Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests: Annas was high priest AD 6–15 and was deposed by the Romans; his son-in-law Caiaphas was the current high priest (AD 18–36). Luke lists both names because Annas still wielded significant power behind the scenes (see John 18:13-14 ^f, 24 ^g; Acts 4:6 ^h).

• a message from God came to John: John’s calling as a prophet was similar to that of the Old Testament prophets (see, e.g., Isa 6 ⁱ; Jer 1 ^j).