Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
Final Jeopardy Questions – Who wrote most of the New Testament?”
- NOT: Paul, the Apostle (Paul wrote the most BOOKS of the NT (13 of 27)
- NOT: John, the Beloved Disciple (wrote John’s Gospel, 1,2,3 John & Revelation)
- ANSWER IS: Luke
In answer to Charlie Brown’s question: What is Christmas all about?! Linus quotes from Luke 2
Matthew, Mark, and Luke at Ben & Jerry’s
- Matthew - to Jews (“fulfilled”)
- Mark – to Romans (“immediately”)
- John – to demonstrate Christ’s divinity (“believe”)
- Luke – to Greeks – the good news includes the Gentiles!
Luke and Acts are obviously companion volumes written by the same author
Both are addressed to someone named Theophilus
- Both are similar in language and style; and the latter (Acts) refers to the former (Acts 1:1-5)
- Strongest evidence of Luke’s authorship of both is found in the “we” sections of Acts: (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-21; 27:1-28:16)
- Luke was with Paul during his two-year Roman imprisonment (Philemon 24)
- Luke was with Paul near the end of Paul’s life (2 Timothy 4:11)
Theophilus means “friend of God”
- Some take this to be a general name for anyone who is a friend of God
- Others take it to refer to a particular individual
- “Most excellent Theophilus” – may reflect some official status
- Acts was written in A.D. 62 – and since Luke was written prior – A.D. 60 is projected
Purpose and Theme for writing Gospel of Luke
Luke 1:1-4 to write a consecutive, chronological account of the full and exact truth of Jesus’ ministry
Luke substantiates the certainty and accuracy of his work for four reasons
- His concern with early origins by giving priority to eyewitnesses (vs 2)
- His aim to comprehend “all things”
- His accuracy in chronology “an orderly account”
- His determination to be accurate “the certainty” (vs 4)
The Man, Luke
- Born of Greek parents, making Luke the ONLY GENTILE WRITER of the New Testament
- Luke was born about the same time as Jesus and Paul
- His parents gave him the name, “Lucas” – a form of the Roman name Lucanus
- #5 on the Enneagram – the “investigator”
- while living in Antioch, he may have been converted under the ministry of Paul (Acts 11:25,26)
Luke’s Profession:
- Physician - Col 4:14 “Luke, the beloved physician” - Luke studied for the medical profession at Athens or Tarsus; being a PHYSICIAN would make Luke a “natural” at caring for the hurting and outcasts
- Historian
- Writer – Luke’s Gospel is considered a literary masterpiece with a large vocabulary and vivid style of writing – His Gospel is directed to the Greek culture of his day
- Evangelist – Luke was Paul’s co-laborer on missionary journeys; “only Luke is with me…” wrote Paul in 2 Timothy 4
Distinguishing Feature of the Gospel of Luke
To present Jesus as the Savior of the ENTIRE world; his emphasis is on the universality of the Christian message
From Simion’s song praising Jesus as a “light to the Gentiles” (2:32) To the risen Lord’s commission to preach “to all nations” (24:47); Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry from Abraham, but Luke follows it back to Adam to connect the Lord to the ENTIRE human race
Luke shows Jesus’ particular interest in those who have been considered “socially inferior”
- To the Samaritans
He demonstrates patience when they rejected Him (9:51-56)
He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-42)
He cleanses ten lepers, and only one to return and thank Him was a Samaritan (17:11-19)
- To Women – Luke 1; 7:11-15; 7:36-48; 8:2,3; 10:38-42; 13:1—17; 21:1-4; 23:28-31)
- To the poor – Luke 6:20; 12:15; 16:19-31
- Jesus shows compassion for the “individual” – Luke 5:17-26; 7:1-10; 7:36-50; 8:26-39; 40-56; 15:1-32
Turning Point: On His Way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-19:27)
“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (9:51)
Unique to the Gospel of Luke
- Emphasis on prayer: of the four gospels, 15 occasions of Christ praying reported – 11 of which are found in Luke
Much teaching on prayer is recorded in Luke: 11:5-13; 18:1-8; 21:36
- Parables: 35 parables are recorded in the Synoptics: 19 of which are unique to Luke’s account
- Key Verse: 19:10 For the Son of man came to see and to save that which was lost – emphasis on the LOST
- Key words: lost, found, joy
- Luke 15: parables of lost sheep, lost coin, lost son
Why are we in Luke?!
- Upcoming sermons here at the Bridge will address Jesus’ compassion and ministry to the losers! the widow, sinful woman, sick woman, Samaritan, lepers, outcast…. the LOST
- Can you relate?!
Take Aways:
- Last week, Pastor Maggie – Luke 18:9-14 Pharisee & tax collector
- Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
- A theme that has run through our sermon series here at the Bridge: realizing our emptiness, spiritual bankruptcy, NEED for more and more and more of Jesus
- Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Luke 5:1-11 – Peter’s conversion
Peter’s initial encounter with Jesus - John 1:40-42
Events that took place between Peter’s initial encounter with Christ and Luke 5
- Jesus turns water to wine (John 2:1-12)
- Jesus cleanses the temple the first time (John 2:13-25)
- Jesus’ conversation w/ Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
- Jesus’ encounter/conversation w/ the woman at the well (John 4:1-26)
- Jesus heals the boy at Capernaum (John 4:46-54)
- John the Baptist is imprisoned (Luke 3:19,20)
- Jesus is rejected in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30)
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11 NIV)
The Lord knows how to get our attention with our own “miracle catch of fish”!
- To remind us of our desperate NEED for more of HIM!