Journey Through The Bible: Gospel of Luke

Bible ReadingsActs 16:6-15 Page 784Luke 15:1-32 Page 740

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Saturday, 29 August 2015

• Two best known of Jesus' parables, The Good Samaritan and The Prodigal Son.

• Simeon and Anna two beautiful old people in the great Temple.

• Three of the oldest Christian hymns come from this Gospel.

- The Song of Mary known as the Magnificat, (Luke 1:46-55)

- The Song Of Zachariah known as the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)

- The Song of Simeon known as the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32)

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Special Features


• The moving repentance of the criminal on the cross and Jesus' beautiful words of acceptance:

• Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”(Luke 23:42–43, NKJV)

• Only in Luke's gospel do we meet the two humble disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of Jesus' resurrection who talk and eat with the newly risen Christ.

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Special Features


• Longest of the four gospels.

• Most complete of the 4 portraits of Jesus.

• One third of the information about Jesus and His teaching and the people He touched is found only in Luke.

• The 4 gospels each give a unique insight into the Person and work of Jesus.

• Matthew - Jesus, Messiah King for all people.

• Mark - Jesus, the suffering and victorious Servant.

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Luke’s Gospel


•Paul calls Luke his "beloved physician". (Col. 4:14)

•Luke was a Greek doctor who accompanied Paul on some of Paul's missionary journeys.

•He wrote the sequel to the gospel, the Book of Acts, which tells the story of the amazing spread of the good news from Jerusalem all round the Roman empire.

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What We Know About Luke


“After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”(Acts 16:7–10, NKJV)

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• Luke as a doctor was well educated and wrote in polished Greek with a wide vocabulary.

• He alone of the the writers of the gospels was not a Jew; he was Greek.

• The only gospel writer who did not meet Jesus personally.

• He became a believer and a companion of Paul perhaps as long as 20 years after Jesus had died and been raised.

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“Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honourable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.” (Luke 1:1–4, HCSB)

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• The birth and childhood narratives are from Mary's perspective. He probably met and talked with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

• Only in Luke do we get a detailed accounts of Mary's cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and of how Jesus came to be born.

• Only Luke retold what happened when the Infant Jesus was brought to the Temple.

• Only Luke tells the account of Jesus as a twelve year old boy talking to the scholars in the Temple.

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Eyewitness Interviews


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Adam

David

Solomon

Joseph

Jesus

Nathan

Heli

Mary

Jesus

Matthew’s Genealogy

Luke’s Genealogy


“Soon afterward He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” (Luke 8:1–3, ESV)

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Luke records the Women Disciples


• Luke notes that these women witnessed the crucifixion as well as preparing Jesus’ Body for burial,

• “And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” (Luke 23:48–49, NKJV)

• “And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:55–56, NKJV)

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Luke records the Women Disciples


• The parable about the good Samaritan. Samaritans were looked down upon and despised by Jews.

• Elizabeth, was an old childless woman, a situation that was shameful and despised.

• The prostitute who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and wipedHis feet with her hair: an act of deep humility and love.

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Luke shows Jesus cared for the outcasts


“And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.” (Luke 7:12–15, NKJV)

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• Two of the parables that only appear in Luke concern poor women, e.g. The Lost Coin

• Jesus said, “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbours and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” (Luke 15:8–10, NLT)

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• Luke often records symptoms and details, not noted in the other gospels, about the men and women Jesus healed

• “ But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.” (Luke 8:42–44, NKJV)

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Luke's shows especial interest in healing.


• “One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, He saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!” (Luke 13:10–13, NLT)

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Luke's shows especial interest in healing.


• Luke loves to show us how Jesus and those connected to Him are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, for example:

• John the Baptist is filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. The Spirit will enable John to prepare the people for the coming Messiah.

• Jesus was conceived in the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit,

• And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35, NKJV)

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Luke and the Holy Spirit


• When Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit.

• When John the Baptist is born his father Zacharias is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophecies over his new born son

• Simeon who meets Mary and Joseph in the temple is led by the Holy Spirit to meet the infant Messiah, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25–27, NKJV)

• The Holy Spirit fell upon Jesus at His baptism and then led Him into the wilderness and the time of fasting and testing. Jesus returned victorious from the wilderness in the "power of the Spirit."

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• Jesus teaching on prayer: Luke tells how Jesus taught that the best thing to ask the Father for was the Holy Spirit, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13, NKJV)

• In the book of Acts Luke continued to highlight the critical role of the Holy Spirit in the growth of the church and the spread of the Gospel.

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• When was the last time you read or listened to all of Luke’s gospel?

• Every one should make a point of reading Luke's gospel at least once a year.

• When was the last time you read or listened to all of Luke’s gospel?

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Spiritual

Journey Through The Bible: Gospel of Luke