The Gospel of Luke

We'll be reading through the Gospel of Luke for the next 3 weeks - starting with ch.1-8 this week.

The Gospel According to Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension. The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist who also wrote the book of Acts.
Certain popular stories, such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in this gospel. This gospel also has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, and joyfulness.

According to the preface the purpose of Luke is to write a historical account, while bringing out the theological significance of the history. The author portrays Christianity as divine, respectable, law-abiding, and international. Although Luke himself was not one of the 12 Disciples, he did travel with Paul during some missionary journeys, and most believe Luke's historical account was a compilation of many stories from many of the people who followed Jesus (interviewing the men and women that traveled with Jesus).

Like Mark (but unlike Matthew), the intended audience is Gentile, and it assures readers that Christianity is an international religion, not an exclusively Jewish sect. Luke portrays his subject in a positive light regarding Roman authorities. For example, the Jewish leaders seem to be at fault for Jesus' crucifixion rather than Pontius Pilate (who found no wrong in him).

The Gospel is addressed to the author's patron, Theophilus, which in Greek simply means "friend of God" and may not be a name but a generic term for a Christian. The Gospel is clearly directed at Christians, or at those who already knew about Early Christianity, rather than a general audience, since the ascription goes on to state that the Gospel was written "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught".

This Gospel also raises up Jesus' love for the oppressed. Women, children, and outcasts (gentiles, people with illness, etc.) are shown special love and attention, and they are also commended for having great faith.

Gospel of Luke: What is the Significance?

The Gospel of Luke presents many important facts and significant lessons about Jesus Christ. First, the Gospel clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesized throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus is the Son of God as He claims. Third, it confirms that Jesus has complete authority over everything in the world, including overcoming evil (Lk 4:12, 35, 9:38, 11:14), controlling nature (Lk 8:22-25, 9:12-17, 5:4-11), overcoming death (Lk 8:41-42, 7:11-15), healing people (Lk 5:12-13, 7:1-10, 4:38-35, 5:18-25, 6:6-10, 18:35-43), the power to forgive sins (Lk 5:24, 7:48), the power to bless people (Lk 6:20-22), and the authority to give people eternal life in heaven (Lk 23:43).

Jesus displayed the miracle of overcoming death through His own resurrection after being crucified on a Roman cross. The Gospel of Luke provides a first hand account of the events of Christ's life from the Apostles and other witnesses. The Gospel has absolutely survived the historical, geographical and archaeological scrutiny of the last 2,000 years.

Of course, a summary of Luke's Gospel can only provide highlights to the actual text and cannot replace it. To everyone at Hosanna, you are encouraged to read the Gospel of Luke to learn more about Jesus Christ and the work that He can do in your life!