Luke presents today the beginning of the Baptist’s public ministry against the backdrop of universal history and at the same time against the backdrop of a triple calendar. The calendar of the Roman emperors; we hear here about Tiberius, who ruled from 14 to 37 CE. The calendar of the rulers of Palestine, which was part of the Roman province of Syria – Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, who was governor of Galilee from 4 BC to 39 AD and Pontius Pilate, who held office in the years 26-36 AD. And finally, the high priestly calendar – Annas and Caiaphas mentioned here – both bore the honorific title of cohen gadol – and held their offices in the years 6-15 and 18-37 AD respectively. Luke therefore informs us today that John began his public ministry between September 27 AD and October 28 AD.
Then the Evangelist indicates that John's speech is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, who announced the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing for the coming of the Messiah. Luke uses the formula "as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah" – which for Jews meant the highest, indisputable authority, which is not disputed, accepted as a certainty revealed by God himself.
The last verse of today's Gospel - And all flesh shall see the salvation of God - literally repeats Is 40:5b in the LXX version. However, the Hebrew text says that all flesh shall see it together - וְרָאוּ כָל־בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו - in reference to God's glory (כָּבוֹד). David Stern rightly notes that the Hebrew text, which is the basis for the Greek translation, would have the word yeshu'a in place of the word "salvation" if it matched the Luke/LXX. So, we are dealing with a pun here, because yeshu'a is the feminine form of the name of the Messiah - since the noun "salvation" is feminine in Hebrew.
In the face of the coming Messiah, John calls for conversion and repentance, preaching and administering the baptism of conversion. This practice was not an exceptional phenomenon in John's time, as can be deduced from the Writings of Flavius Josephus, who mentions that at that time there were various preachers calling for ritual purifications. This practice also existed, among others, in the Qumran community. The expression "the way of the Lord" that appears in John's message in the OT means the way of obedience to God and His commandments. So, may this Gospel today help us to straighten our path of life, remaining ready for the coming of the Messiah.
About the Author:
Rev. Dr. Piotr Herok, a priest of the Diocese of Opole, is a graduate of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome (Ph.D. in Biblical Sciences) and Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw (M.A. lic. in Canon Law). He works as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Theology in Opole and as a judge in the Opole Diocese Court.