Scripture
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Reflection
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—“. We often see passages like this in the Bible and either take a glance at them or skip them altogether to get to the “meat” of the passage. Honestly, they can be quite dry and hard to read, let alone pronouncing the names correctly! But if all scripture is God breathed, then even these mundane passages must be important. The importance of these passages is that they act as historical markers and dates that help us to know the exact era these events happened in. The Bible is audacious in this way. It dares you to say, disprove me! And surely as God is faithful, even the greatest minds cannot disprove these events (or at least when they happened and if these people really existed, hint: they did). This brings about a case of surety. It is another way in which we can truly trust the bible, that it truly is God’s written word and full of truth (Josh).
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God, Jesus and people?
- What stands out to you in particular and why?
- How can you apply this truth in your life?
- Who do you know who can benefit from hearing this story or truth?
Prayer
Look around and pray. It’s easy to forget to pay attention when making the same journey every day. Use your travel time to look around and pray for what you see. Pray for the buildings you pass; the people you see, your fellow travelers. Invite God’s presence to show you your commute through His eyes.
