Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 3:3

3 And he came into all the country about Jordan preaching the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sins.

How long the time of Iohn's Ministry was before that he was shut up by Herod in Prison, the holy Scriptures do not certainly tell us; but it must be very short, for our Saviours time was little more then three years, and we hear of his imprisonment in the beginning of our Saviour's Publick Ministry. All that we have of Iohn's Ministry is to be found either in this Chapter, or in Matth. 3. or in Mark 1. or in the first, and third Chapters of Iohn. From them all it appeareth, That the Sum of his Doctrine, was the necessity of Repentance, and Faith in Christ, in order to the Remission of Sins. His pressing Faith in Christ is most clearly declared by the Evangelist Iohn; Matthew, Mark and Luke insist more upon his Preaching the Doctrine of Repentance, for the Remission of Sins, and Baptisme as an Evidence of it. Which Doctrine of repentance he pressed, both from Evangelical Motives, the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand, and from Legal Motives, or Arguments of Terror, The Axe is now laid to the Root of the Tree. In this setting an Example to all Ministers of the Gospel, shewing them what should be the main Subjects of their Discourses, for we shall find that our Saviour Preached the same Doctrine, and in the same Method. What is here said, we before opened in our Notes, on Matth. 3.2. and Mar. 1.4. Iohn did not Preach that Baptisme was Repentance, or that Remission of Sins was infallibly annexed to it, but that the way to obtain Remission of Sins was by Repentance, and that Baptisme was an External Sign and Symbol of it.