Advent Season · Second Sunday of Advent · Year C
Luke 3:1-6
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
December 5, 2027
Overview & Insights
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Nicodemus is introduced as a particular example of the “believers” mentioned in 2:23–25. As a “ member of the Jewish ruling council ” and “ Israel’s teacher ” (vv. 1, 10), he is perhaps not wholly typical of the group, though later indications are that leaders of the people were indeed conspicuous among these so-called believers (12:42). It is probably out of fear that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Speaking perhaps for the larger group, he makes a confession that puts the narrator’s summary (2:23) into his own words: Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him (v. 2).
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Commentary
Commentary on Luke 3:1-6 Working Preacher
The Lutheran home commentary on John as the threshold figure between the prophets and Jesus.
Luke 3:1-6 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed preaching commentary on the highway to salvation opening from the least likely places.
Luke 3 - The Ministry of John the Baptist Enduring Word · David Guzik
A verse-by-verse evangelical study of John's preaching and the voice in the wilderness.
Luke Commentaries and Sermons Precept Austin
An inductive study gateway with word studies and cross references across Luke, including chapter 3.
Luke 3:1 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentaries gathered verse by verse on the dating of John's ministry.
Luke 3:1 Verse-by-Verse Commentary StudyLight
A large library of expositors stacked verse by verse for a further voice on the passage.
Who Needs A Prophet?, Advent 2 (C) Sermons That Work · Episcopal Church
An Anglican homily on why every generation still needs a voice crying in the wilderness.
Background & Word Study
Book of Luke Overview BibleProject
An animated overview of Luke's structure and themes to set the Gospel in context.
Luke 3:1 Interlinear BibleHub
The Greek of the passage word by word with parsing and lexical helps.
Enter the Bible: Luke Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary's book introduction to Luke and its distinctive concerns.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is this read on Holy Cross Day?
Jesus tells Nicodemus that “as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14). The bronze serpent of Numbers 21 becomes a sign of the cross: all who look in faith to the crucified and risen Christ are healed and given eternal life. The reading holds John 3:16, the gospel in miniature.
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