Commentary
“All Flesh Shall See the Salvation of God”
From the list of names, we have
a sense that it was not an easy time when John the Baptist began
preaching. Pilate, Herod, the high
priests Annas and Caiphas… Pilate personifies
the Roman occupation and oppression of not just Palestine but many peoples and
nations. His job is to protect Rome’s
interests in the area under his watch. He
himself is described by historians as cruel.
Herod married his brother’s wife.
He is responsible for the decapitation of John. He will appear also during the trial of
Jesus. Annas and Caiphas: we know them
from the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus. In addition, they collaborated with the Roman
occupying forces to stay in power.
Thus, by mentioning these
people, Luke draws our attention to a time that for sure was not easy. It was in fact a period of turmoil, of power
struggle. For many people, it was a dark
moment in history.
To such a time, to people who
lived in such a time, “the word of God came to John.”
John went about proclaiming to the
people who lived in such time that Savior is near. To them, he announced the time of fulfilment
of God’s promise through Isaiah, “all flesh shall see the
salvation of God.”
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