FALL 2010 SESSION: The Gospel According to Luke

The first thing I look at, when beginning another study in God’s Word is… what does this portion of God’s word hold for me… what am I missing? I know I must be missing something. How does it bolster my faith?

It seems like the first thing that usually comes up is... who wrote the book? .I hope we all agree that God is the author. .... As in prayer... where we are privileged to co-labor with God....................................... in the recording of Holy Scripture, God used men! Going all the way back to Polycarp (direct pupil of the Apostle John), we find his affirmation that Luke wrote this gospel. Had you read the original document yourself, you would have wondered who wrote it… no author was named... so we have only this external evidence of authorship, the title being added later in church history. Which man God used to write is not an “essential”, I am personally satisfied with crediting Luke, I know the author!

Let me tie another thought into our examination of this detailed account of the life and times of Jesus Christ. Most of the time when we discuss our assembling together as a body, there is interest in “how many attend” and people are drawn to numbers. Is there safety in numbers?

In 1978, Jim Jones, founder and leader of the Peoples Temple led more than 900 “like minded” people to their destruction by suicide in Jonestown Guyana. There was no safety for them in their numbers! But my focus here as I relate to the Gospel According to Luke is this: Luke was addressing ONE MAN… Theophilus, and God used that effort to convince one man of the reality of eternal life through Jesus Christ… to reach the whole world! The Book of Acts also, is addressed to one man… this Theophilus and likewise Luke is credited for penning it… by church fathers… in the absence of internal evidence!

According to Colossians 4:14, Luke was a physician by profession. Think of all the scourging and stoning endured, the wounds to dress and bones to be set. No, Dr. Luke was not up to the standards of today just as the standards of today are lacking in future understanding of medicine… but he was highly skilled, respected and educated!

Dr. Luke may not have become a Christian for some time following the death and resurrection of Christ, we don't really know. It is likely, however, that Dr. Luke did not have the privilege of knowing Jesus in the flesh. Instead, Dr.Luke's gospel is a collection of various accounts from eyewitnesses and close followers of Jesus (Luke 1:1-4). Being a physician, Dr. Luke would have been well educated in matters of observation, documentation, accuracy... ... and he was inquisitive. Dr. Luke included in his gospel facts that he felt were pertinent regarding the conception and birth of Jesus… ...not brought to light in the other gospel accounts.

q Details of Mary’s family

q The aging couple Zachariah and Elizabeth and their experiences throughout the conception & pregnancy of John the Baptist.

Luke also records details of the conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary, when she is told that she will conceive and give birth to God's Son, the Messiah (Luke 1:31-35).

Luke records the circumcision of Jesus on the eighth day, and the mother's ritual purification in accordance with the Jewish law (Luke 2:21-22).

Next, Luke reports an incident from Jesus’ childhood not found in the other gospels.

When Joseph and Mary left the Temple at Jerusalem following the Feast of Passover, they believed young Jesus was with their group of travelers. An entire day passed when they discovered He was not with them! Retracing their steps and three days later young Jesus is found discussing scripture (Luke 2:40-52) with the scribes and Pharisees in the Temple! It was then, at such an early age, Jesus reveals his comprehension that He is the Messiah: "Did you not know I must be in the things of My Father?" (Luke 2:49).

The term synoptic is a Greek term expressed in English with two words: together and seen. We might say synchronized, thus the three gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke are said to be synoptic. Luke however, mentions the Holy Spirit more than the other two synoptic gospels, Luke was a thorough man.

q Before his birth, John the Baptist is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15)

q John's mother Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41)

q John's father Zachariah, filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67)

q The conception of Jesus is brought about by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)

q The Holy Spirit reveals to Simeon he will see the Messiah before he dies (Luke 2:26-27)

q John the Baptist announces one coming after him baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16)

q When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends on Him in bodily form as a dove (Luke 3:22), and God the Father audibly confirms Him!

q At this point Jesus is "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1)

q He is "led out by the Spirit into the wilderness" (Luke 4:1), to be tempted by the Devil.

q Jesus returns to Galilee following overcoming the evil one (Luke 4:14)…

q Dr. Luke uses all these references as a build-up to Jesus reading the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me" (Luke 4:18-19).

The passage that Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 states: "He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom (liberty) to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord". Is there a connection?

Some would say, and I do not know… that the 'acceptable year of the Lord' Jesus mentions (Luke 4:19) references the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus chapter 25. In the Year of Jubilee, all debts were cancelled; all lands were restored to their owners and through it… God made sure that His people's care for one another was restored. It is fascinating to consider, regardless my understanding of what Jesus meant by 'acceptable year of the Lord', how His mission on earth accomplished a work of restoration, completely eclipsing the Year of Jubilee in scope! It is significant that Jesus closes the scroll of Isaiah following the reference to the Jubilee… but before the passage continues, "and the day of vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2).

We have both the advantage of hindsight and the New Testament… we know the time for God's vengeance had not yet arrived is not to be fulfilled until the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ has been taken to the entire world.

When Jesus had rolled up the scroll of Isaiah, the people marveled at the words of grace that came from His mouth (Luke 4:20-22).

More comments to come from me... HOW ABOUT YOU?