Daily Bible Reading 16th April 2026 // Luke 3:19-38
19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Comparison with Mark 1:14 and Matthew 4:12 shows that Luke's chronology of the event of John's imprisonment is different. This need not concern us, however, since he is simply rounding off the story of John's ministry before beginning the account of our Lord's. The account of the circumstances of John's imprisonment is given fully in Matthew 14:3ff. It was inevitable that such a ministry as John's, which rebuked fearlessly the evils of the time, should have disturbed and roused the opposition of the court and of Herod the king; and this serves to remind us of the cost of faithful ministry to those who exercise it. Luke's words in 20 about Herod, 'added yet this above all', seems to bear a solemn significance: certainly, in the ongoing 'saga' of Herod's spiritual history, the arrest of John marked a stage in the hardening process within his heart against the things of God. At first, when John began to preach, Herod's conscience was stirred and aroused (cf Mark 6:20). But it is clear that he let opportunity slip through unwillingness to take resolute action. He knew not the time of his visitation; and here we see him on the downward road that led finally to a conscience seared and silenced when the Son of God had nothing to say to him (Luke 23:8, 9). By then he had passed the point of no return. Solemn, frightening thought!