Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 3:2

"in the highpriesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness." — Luke 3:2 (ASV)

The official high priesthood of Annas had ended in A. D. 15, but his influence was so great, especially during the high priesthood of his son-in-law Caiaphas (A. D. 18–36; cf. Jn 18:13), that his name is naturally mentioned along with that of Caiaphas. With the reference to the high priests, we move from the secular world to the religious and are ready for the introduction of the prophet John. He is in the desert, a place that held memories for the Jews as the locale of the postExodus wanderings of Israel. Luke’s interest is not only in the coming of John, but in the message he brought from God.