What does Luke chapter 3 really mean for a person?

Answer 1

AnswerLuke chapter 3 contains the biblical story of John the Baptist, followed by Luke's version of the genealogy of Jesus, or at least of Joseph.

Verse 2 contains the curious story that there were two High Priests at the time, Annas and Caiaphas. Josephus tells us that Caiaphas was High Priest from 26 to 35 CE. Annas officially served as High Priest from 6 to 15 CE, but may have continued as the real power in the Temple, in spite of having been deposed by the Romans.

Luke 3:3-18 is an elaboration of the background story of John the Baptist, from Mark 1:1-8. Similarly, verses 3:21-22 follow Mark 1:9-12. Luke 3:19-20 look forward to the imprisonment of John, for his objections to the marriage of Herod the tetrarch to Herodias, in 34 CE.

Then, verses 3:23-38 consist of Luke's version of the genealogy of Jesus, through Joseph. It differs from Matthew's genealogy principally in that it gives Joseph's father as Heli (Matthew says Jacob) and by saying that the paternal grandfather of Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, was called Neri (Matthew says Jechonias). The genealogies also differ from each other and from the Old Testament genealogy in other minor respects, in order to suit their uses of numerology. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says that neither genealogy is likely to be strictly historical.