Luke 3:15 Commentary and Bible Study

There was something about John and his ministry which made the people seriously question whether he was in fact the promised Messiah. He spoke with such authority. He had a reforming ministry, and was intent on turning the people back to God. His life was utterly consistent with his message, and they regarded him as a man of great holiness. There must have been much speculation about the coming of the Messiah. It had been many centuries since God had sent a prophet among them, and here was this man John who may not have done any miracles, but was clearly sent from God. They could see that he was not afraid of anyone and was ready to stand up to the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, which the people were only too well aware of. They mused in their hearts: this was a very serious question with them. But what did they expect the Christ to do when he came. It seems that the majority did not have a clear idea, and were expecting political revival for the nation, and freedom from the oppression of the Romans. Even the disciples were slow to understand that Christ had come to be a spiritual Messiah, who would establish his kingdom in the midst of oppression and trouble. He would call his disciples to follow him one by one as individuals, not as an entire nation. The time of exaltation for the nation of Israel was coming to an end.