Luke 3:15-17

[15] And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, he the Christ, [16] John answered, saying I indeed baptize with water; but one mightier than cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire: [17] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

What is the context of Luke 3:15-17?

John Preaches to the People (Luke 3:7-20 true)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus (Luke 3:1-20 true)
John the Baptist Preaches (Luke 3:1-20 true)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way .( A .) .( B .) (Luke 3:1-20 true)
John the Baptist Begins His Ministry (Luke 3:1-20 true)
The Messiah’s Herald (Luke 3:1-20 true)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way (Luke 3:1-22 true)

What does Luke 3:15-17 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Luke"s account of John"s preaching about Jesus is the longest in the three Synoptic Gospels (cf. John 1:19-25). John distinguished between his baptism and Messiah"s to show that he was not the Messiah.

Matthew"s account of these words stressed the importance of Jesus" Jewish hearers repenting personally and nationally. Luke tailored his account to Gentiles and stressed the judgment that Jesus would bring (cf. Isaiah 4:4). The presence of only one article before "Holy Spirit" and "fire" in the Greek text suggests that John was referring to one baptism. It is probably the baptism that Jesus will initiate when He returns to earth as the messianic King but which He initiated from heaven as a foreview of that event on the day of Pentecost ( Acts 1:5; Acts 2:3-4; cf. Isaiah 44:3; Joel 2:28-32). John"s water baptism prefigured Jesus" baptism. John"s reference to unquenchable fire implies eternal judgment. Jesus will be the stronger One who Judges , not just God (cf. John 5:22).