What does Luke 3:1 mean?
In several instances, Luke ties his account of Jesus' life to major figures of that era (Luke 1:5; 2:1–2). Here, again, is a list of then-well-known names meant to establish a timeframe for these events. Most important of those is the Roman Emperor, Tiberius, whose reign began after that of Augustus (Luke 2:1). That establishes this moment somewhere around AD 29.Pontius Pilate (John 18:28–29) took over as governor of the province of Judea, replacing Valerius Gratus in AD 26. Pilate was removed shortly after Jesus' crucifixion, ending his term around AD 36. He was deposed, in part, for the way his brutal, reactionary style triggered unrest among the Jewish people.
As a conquered people, Israel did not have legitimate kings during this era. Rather, Rome appointed certain men and their families as regional authorities. One such family was the Herods. Ironically, they were Idumeans: the surviving remnants of Edom, themselves descendants of Esau (Genesis 36). This was the twin brother and rival of Jacob, the man later renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10).
At the time of Jesus' birth, Herod the Great held control over the entire region of Judea. Two of his sons, Herod and Philip, were given a portion of territory to rule after his death. They were installed as tetrarchs, a term used by Rome for those not deemed important enough to call "kings." The "Herod" mentioned during the adult life of Jesus later took on the name Antipas, though he is most often referred to using his inherited name. This is the ruler who jealously imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him executed (Matthew 14:10–12). He was later replaced by Agrippa, who interacted with the apostle Paul (Acts 25:13).
History records almost nothing about Lysanius, though he seems to have been given power like that of the sons of Herod.
Luke will continue to tie these events to history, noting the service of two men carrying the title "high priest" (Luke 3:2). This list of powerful, important people is followed by noting that God's message came to an obscure person living in an obscure place.
