Parallel LUKE Intro

The Gospel of Luke

Purpose

To write a reliable historical account of the life of Jesus that would confirm the truth of the Christian message

Author

Luke, a physician and occasional companion of the apostle Paul

Date

Either around AD 59–63, during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, or between AD 70–90, using the Gospel of Mark as a source

Setting

Written during a time of increasing tension between Jews and Christians, in which Luke sought to demonstrate that those—both Jew and Gentile—who believed that Jesus was the Messiah made up the new people of God

Luke describes the coming of Jesus as good news for the entire world—for people of every race, age, gender, ethnic group, and social position. With John the Baptist as his prophetic forerunner, Jesus came as the Son of God and as the Messiah, the King descended from David who defeats Satan and brings salvation and healing. As Jesus served and taught the people and proclaimed good news, the religious leaders opposed him. Jesus went to Jerusalem as the suffering servant, proclaimed judgment on the nation before being executed as a criminal, then rose from the dead to fulfill God’s plan and launch his Spirit-driven mission to all the world. The risen Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the Savior of the whole world.

Setting

Luke was written in the context of the growing conflict between the church and the synagogue in the mid-to-late first century AD. The early church did not view itself as a new religion, but as the fulfillment and completion of Judaism. The promises made to the Jews in the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) were fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and continued to be fulfilled through the missionary movement of the early church. During this time, more and more Gentiles (non-Jews) came into the church, while many Jews rejected the Good News. Division grew between those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah and those who denied this claim.

The pressing question in this conflict became, Who are the true people of God? Are they the church, made up of Jews and Gentiles who believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Or are they the Jews who reject Jesus as a false messiah? Luke addresses this question and demonstrates that Jesus is indeed the Messiah who calls all people, Jew and Gentile, to put their faith in him.

Summary

Luke’s Gospel begins with a formal prologue, written in the style of the fine Greco-Roman writers of Luke’s day (1:1-4). This prologue demonstrates the author’s literary skills and sets out the purpose of his work: to write a reliable historical account of the life of Jesus that would confirm the truth of the Christian message.

After this formal literary introduction, the writing style changes dramatically. Luke describes Jesus’ birth (1:5–2:51) in a Jewish manner reminiscent of the Greek Old Testament. This birth narrative clearly shows the Jewish roots of the gospel message and introduces themes that are developed in the rest of Luke and Acts.

In common with Matthew and Mark, Luke introduces Jesus’ public ministry with accounts of John the Baptist (3:1-20), Jesus’ baptism (3:21-22), Jesus’ temptation (4:1-13), and descriptions of his ministry in and around Galilee (4:14–9:50). Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, taught with authority, healed the sick, and cast out demons, demonstrating the authority of the Kingdom in his words and actions. As in Matthew and Mark, the high point of Jesus’ Galilean ministry was Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, followed by Jesus’ explanation that the Messiah must suffer and die in Jerusalem (9:18-22). Jesus then headed toward Jerusalem to fulfill this mission (9:51–19:44). In this travel narrative—the most distinctive structural feature of Luke’s Gospel—the author recounts many of Jesus’ beloved stories and parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, the story of Mary and Martha, and the Zacchaeus episode. The central theme of this section is God’s love for the lost and Jesus’ ministry to sinners, poor people, and outcasts. The theme of the entire Gospel is stated at the end of the Zacchaeus episode: “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (19:10).

The climax of the narrative is Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion (22:1–23:56). The central theme of the crucifixion in Luke is Jesus’ innocence. Jesus is portrayed as the righteous suffering servant of the Lord (see Isa 52:13–53:12). At Jesus’ death, the Roman officer at the foot of the cross cried out, “Surely this man was innocent” (Luke 23:47).

The narrative resolves with Jesus’ resurrection (24:1-12). Luke’s most distinctive contribution here is the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35). As he walked with two discouraged disciples who did not recognize him, Jesus taught them that his death was not a failure, but a fulfillment of Old Testament promises. All of Scripture anticipated this great salvation event (24:25-27). The narrative ends with a brief account of the Ascension (24:50-53), which is described more fully in the book of Acts (Acts 1:1-11).

Structurally, Luke follows Mark’s basic outline, with a Galilean ministry followed by a journey to Jerusalem and the climax of Jesus’ ministry there. The main differences are: (1) Like Matthew, Luke begins with a birth narrative, which serves as a thematic introduction to the work (Luke 1:1–2:52); (2) Luke omits one major section of Mark’s account of the Galilean ministry, sometimes called his “great omission” (Mark 6:45–8:26); and (3) Luke expands Mark’s account of the journey to Jerusalem from a single chapter (Mark 10:1-52) to ten chapters (Luke 9:51–19:44) and includes here a great deal of Jesus’ teaching and his ministry to outcasts in Israel.

Luke as Literature

Luke’s Gospel must be read and interpreted alongside its companion volume, the book of Acts. Luke and Acts are two volumes of a single work written by the same author (Luke). The two are a literary and theological unity—when Luke wrote his Gospel, he already had the writing of Acts in mind. Themes introduced in the Gospel, such as the salvation of the Gentiles, reach their narrative completion in the book of Acts. Scholars often refer to this single two-volume work as “Luke–Acts.”

Luke’s purpose in writing gives his Gospel, like the other three Gospels, a unique perspective and emphasis that can best be understood by reading Luke’s Gospel as a distinct account of Christ’s life. However, it can also be beneficial to compare the accounts in the different Gospels.

Authorship

Though all of the Gospels are, strictly speaking, anonymous (their authors do not name themselves), the author of Luke–Acts can be identified readily as Luke, a physician and sometime companion of the apostle Paul. In several first-person plural passages in Acts (the “we” sections), the author describes himself as a participant in Paul’s missionary activities (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-17; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:16). Luke was a Gentile (Col 4:11-14), and one of his central themes is that God’s salvation is for Gentiles as well as for Jews.

Luke evidently came to faith in Christ through the ministry of the apostle Paul. Even though he was not present during the earthly ministry of Jesus, he was a careful and astute historian. He drew on eyewitness accounts and on written and oral sources as he thoroughly investigated the events he reported. His purpose was to write so that “you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught” (Luke 1:4).

Occasion and Place of Writing

The specific place of writing is uncertain, but Rome, Ephesus, Caesarea, and Achaia (southern Greece) have all been suggested. The date is also uncertain. The two most common theories are that it was written at an earlier date, AD 59–63, or at a later date, AD 70–90. The earlier date is suggested by the ending of Acts, with Paul alive and in prison in Rome for two years (beginning around AD 60). If the Gospel was written before Acts, a date shortly before or during this imprisonment is likely (AD 59–63). A later date, after AD 70, has been proposed by those who believe that Luke used Mark’s Gospel as a source and that Mark was written in the late 60s, just before or during the Jewish war of AD 66–70 (see Mark 13:14).

Recipients

Luke addressed his work to a man named Theophilus (“one who loves God”), most likely a patron who sponsored the expensive task of researching and writing a book of this length. Theophilus might have been a questioning unbeliever, but more likely he was a believer who desired more instruction concerning the origin of the Christian faith. The individual address is like a dedication. Luke–Acts was probably also intended for a larger Christian audience, one made up primarily of Gentile Christians, but with some Jewish Christians as well. These believers were seeking confirmation and assurance that God’s plan of salvation was continuing, despite the rejection of Jesus by many of the Jews. Luke was affirming that the church, made up of both Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah, represents the true people of God in the present age.

Meaning and Message

The narrative of Luke–Acts positively affirms (1) that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures; (2) that his death on the cross did not negate this claim, because the Messiah’s death and resurrection were predicted in Scripture all along (Luke 24:26, 46); (3) that the mission to the Gentiles was initiated by the Spirit of God, was predicted in Scripture, and was part of God’s purpose of bringing salvation to the whole world in the last days; and (4) that the Jews and Gentiles who make up the church are the people of God. The central theme of Luke’s Gospel is that God’s salvation, promised in the Scriptures, was fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A Historical Message.  More than any other Gospel writer, Luke affirms that the story of Jesus is historical, and he assures his readers that the gospel message is authentic. He emphasizes that his account is based on reliable eyewitness testimony (1:1-4) and meticulously dates Jesus’ ministry with reference to the rulers of his day (3:1-2).

Portrait of Jesus.  Luke’s portrait of Jesus reflects a theme of promise and fulfillment. Jesus is introduced as the promised Savior, the Messiah descended from King David. He was born in Bethlehem, the city of David, and will reign forever on David’s throne (1:32-33; 2:4, 11). Jesus did not accomplish salvation through military power and conquest, but by suffering the fate of the prophets. He died as the servant of the Lord, fulfilling the promises of the Old Testament. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus became the Savior of the world (Luke 2:11; Acts 2:36; 10:36). His servants now take this message of salvation to the ends of the earth.

Salvation for Outsiders.  Luke emphasizes salvation for all who believe, especially with reference to the outsiders of Israel: the poor, sinners, despised Samaritans, women, and Gentiles.

(1) The poor. The Kingdom of God brings a great reversal of fortunes. God exalts the poor and the humble, and he will humble the rich and the arrogant (Luke 1:51-55; 16:19-31). The gospel is good news for the poor and oppressed (4:18) because they most recognize their need for God (6:20-21). It is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom when they trust in their riches instead of in God (12:13-21; 18:18-30).

(2) Sinners. God’s love for the lost is revealed most clearly in Jesus’ association with sinners and tax collectors. He called a despised tax collector, Levi, to be his disciple. As the Great Physician, Jesus came to heal the “sick” (sinners), not the “healthy” (the self-righteous; 5:27-32). He commended an immoral woman who anointed his feet because she recognized God’s forgiveness and loved greatly in response (7:36-50). He rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of religious law for their self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and lack of compassion. The repentant tax collector in the Temple received forgiveness, while the self-righteous Pharisee gained nothing (18:9-14). Even the chief tax collector Zacchaeus was forgiven when he repented and turned to God (19:1-10). Jesus forgave and offered a place in paradise to the repentant criminal on the cross (23:39-43). And Jesus’ parables express this same theme—for example, the father forgave his prodigal son when he returned to him (15:11-32). The message throughout the Gospel is that the coming of God’s Kingdom brings forgiveness to all who repent and believe.

(3) Samaritans. The Samaritans were despised outsiders, but in Luke, Jesus commends a Samaritan for his gratitude to God when he was healed of leprosy (17:11-19), and Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which a despised Samaritan was the only true neighbor to a wounded Jew (10:29-37). God’s salvation does not depend on ethnic identity or social status, but on a repentant heart and a life of love for God and others.

(4) Women. In first-century culture, women were viewed as inferiors, but Jesus elevated women to a position of dignity in the Kingdom of God. Luke’s Gospel gives special prominence to women and mentions thirteen women who are not found in the other Gospels. The birth narrative is told from the perspective of women (Mary and Elizabeth). Luke alone mentions the women who financially supported Jesus (8:1-3). And in his story of Mary and Martha, Mary is commended for learning as a disciple at Jesus’ feet (10:38-42).

(5) Gentiles. The ultimate outsiders were the Gentiles, and Luke emphasizes that God’s salvation extends even to them. Though arising within Israel, Jesus would be “a light to reveal God to the nations” (2:32), and “all people [would] see the salvation sent from God” (3:4-6; Isa 40:5). While Matthew’s genealogy (Matt 1:1-17) emphasizes Jesus’ Jewish ancestry by beginning with Abraham, the father of the Israelites, Luke’s genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, the father of the entire human race (Luke 3:23-38). In his sermon at Nazareth, Jesus declared that God had always demonstrated grace toward the Gentiles (4:24-27). Luke’s message is that God loves all people everywhere and desires that all who are lost should be found (15:1-32; 19:10).

Rejection by Many in Israel.  The dark side of this inclusion of the Gentiles and other outsiders is that Jesus’ message was rejected by many in Israel. At Nazareth, when he announced that God had blessed Gentiles in the past, the people rose up in anger to kill him (4:28-30). This episode initiated the rejection of Jesus by his own people and anticipated the Jewish opposition to the church (as recounted in Acts). Jerusalem rejected its Messiah and so stood under God’s judgment (Luke 13:33-35; 19:41-44), and this pattern continues in Acts. While many in Israel believed the gospel, still more rejected it. Israel was divided, and the gospel went out to the Gentiles. Luke emphasizes that this did not negate the gospel message; Israel’s rejection of the gospel was predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures and was a continuation of Israel’s history of stubbornness and hard-heartedness (11:29-32, 47-51; 13:34-35; 19:41-44; 23:27-31; Acts 13:46; 28:25-28; see also Rom 9–11).