“What shall we do then?”
The full verse · Luke 3:10 · KJV
the , , shall we ?
Asked by
Crowd: the people who came out to be baptized of John and heard his call to repentance (Luke 3:7, 10)
Asked to
John the Baptist: the son of Zacharias, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in the country about the Jordan (Luke 3:2-3)
The Scene
John has just warned the crowds to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, because the axe is laid to the root of the trees (Luke 3:7-9).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe crowd took John's warning seriously. He had told them that every tree that does not bring forth good fruit "is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Luke 3:9). "Then" ties their question to that warning: if repentance must bear fruit, what does the fruit look like? Gill says they were the common people who, hearing John speak of wrath and repentance, "were filled with concern." Barnes notes that John had called for fruits of repentance, and they "very properly, therefore, asked how it should be done." They did not argue or defend themselves. They asked how to change.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJohn gave them a plain, practical answer: "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:11). The same question came from other groups, and John answered each in terms of their daily work. To the publicans: "Exact no more than that which is appointed you" (Luke 3:13). To the soldiers: "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsLuke calls them simply "the people" (Luke 3:10). Gill holds that they were not the Pharisees and Sadducees John rebuked (Matthew 3:7) but "the common people, that stood by." After them, "publicans" (tax collectors) and "soldiers" asked the same question (Luke 3:12, 14). John did not tell any group to leave their work. "Meat" in the KJV does not mean only flesh; Barnes defines it as "Provision of any kind." The command is to share food as well as clothing (Luke 3:11).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThis question shows that repentance is not only a feeling but a change that reaches daily life. John's answers are simple: share, be honest, do not abuse power, be content (Luke 3:11-14). Matthew Henry says those who "profess and promise repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and conditions."
The same question is asked again in the New Testament. When Peter preached at Pentecost, his hearers "were pricked in their heart" and asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). In both places, the honest question receives a clear answer.
Look Closer
What led the crowd to ask, "What shall we do then?"
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, what does turning to You look like in my everyday life right now?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The crowd asked what to do instead of defending themselves. What makes it hard to ask that question honestly?
- John's answers fit each person's daily work. Share a simple, practical change that has helped you live out your faith at work or at home.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
"What shall we do?" is a good question to bring to God. John's answers show that repentance is often less dramatic than we expect. It looks like sharing what you have with someone in need, being honest in your work, not using power to hurt people, and being content (Luke 3:11-14). Barnes sums up John's word on sharing: "be benevolent, and you will thus show that your repentance is genuine."
Start where you are. John did not send the publicans or soldiers somewhere new. He told them to live differently right where they were.
This does not mean that good deeds make a person right with God. John preached "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3:3) and pointed to the One coming after him (Luke 3:16). The fruit comes from turning to God, not in place of it.
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