His Time – Christian Bioethics, John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1. Christian Bioethics

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Bioethics is the study of controversial ethics brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy.

About Dr. Weise: Dr. Robert W. Weise is professor of practical theology. Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois (B.S. in Ed. 1967); University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois (M.S. 1970, Ph.D. 1973); Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (M.Div. 1982); instructor, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas (1972-73); research associate, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (1973-74); assistant professor (1974-78); pastor, Zion, Bunker Hill, Illinois (1982-85); senior pastor, Our Savior’s, Springfield, Illinois (1985-92); associate professor, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri (1992-2002); professor since 2002; The Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis Chair in Pastoral Ministry and the Life Sciences since 1992. Click HERE to read more about Dr. Weise.

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2. Daily Lectionary

Rev. Tod Shouse of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Zephyrhills, FL looks at Luke 3:1-20 “John the Baptist Prepares the Way“.

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Luke 3:1-20

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

⁷ He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” ¹¹ And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics^[b] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” ¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 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.