JOURNEYS THROUGH THE BIBLE #5. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 1. LUke s Gspel is the prduct f the Belved Physician (Clssians 4:14), wh was a traveling cmpanin f Paul (frm Acts 16: 29 - until Paul s death - 2 Timthy 4:11). Luke wrte nt nly this Gspel, but the Bk f Acts as well. Luke is generally cnsidered t be a Greek, and therefre wuld be the nly nn-jewish writer f Scripture. Careful examinatin, hwever, places sme dubt n that assumptin. His name is Greek, but s were several thers in Scripture wh were identified as Jewish. Eusebius and Jerme (early church histrians) identified him as a resident f Antich. If true, it may reveal hw Paul and Luke became acquainted (Acts 11:19-27; 13:1-3; 14:26; 15:22, 23, 30-35; 18:22-23). Luke s purpse was t present Christ as the Perfect Human and the Secnd Adam described by Paul in 1 Crinthians 15:45. As a physician, it is nt unexpected that Luke wuld take special care t recrd Jesus healing ministry in cnsiderable detail (4:38-40; 5:15-25; 6:17-19; 7:11-15; 8:43-56; 9;2-11; 13:11-13; 14:2-4; 17:12-14; and 22:50,51). 2. Luke s name means Light Giver. 3. Luke s emphasis is t circulate a glbal message f Christ s missin and message. Bth his gspel and the Bk f Acts are written t Mst Excellent Thephilus (which means lver f Gd - Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), but this shuld be seen as similar t a dedicatin in a mdern bk, nt as the destinatin f the letter such as we see in many f Paul s epistles. Thephilus may have been a patrn, underwriting the cst f the prject, r he may simply have been a friend. Althugh the dedicatin fcuses n Thephilus, we can be fairly certain Luke s target was a wrldwide audience, nt just an individual. 4. The Date f writing is abut 60-62AD. 5. Key Chapters Chapter 1:1-4:13 discusses in great detail the birth f Jesus and His preparatin fr public ministry. Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 1
Chapters 4:14-21:38 fcuses n Jesus ministry (1) in and arund Galilee, (2) n the way t Jerusalem, and (3) His latter ministry in that city. Chapters 22:1-24:53 are the accunt f the death and resurrectin f Jesus. 6. Key Verses Luke 1:1-4 NASB Inasmuch as many have undertaken t cmpile an accunt f the things accmplished amng us, 2 just as they were handed dwn t us by thse wh frm the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants f the wrd, 3 it seemed fitting fr me as well, having investigated everything carefully frm the beginning, t write it ut fr yu in cnsecutive rder, mst excellent Thephilus; 4 s that yu may knw the exact truth abut the things yu have been taught. Luke 19:10 NASB Fr the Sn f Man has cme t seek and t save that which was lst. 7. Key Peple Jesus the Messiah - The Messiah (the same term as Christ - the aninted ne). In Mark, Jesus is seen particularly as Gd s Servant; a true man n a missin. Mary and Jseph - the mther and earthly father f Jesus. Jhn the Baptist - the cusin f Jesus wh came in the spirit and pwer f Elijah t prepare the way fr the presentatin f the Lrd t Israel first, and als t the wrld. Herd The Great - leader in Jerusalem wh was secretly called Herd The Great Pervert because f his ruthless barbarism. Even family members were nt spared his wrath. He killed wives and several ffspring. It was said that it was safer t be Herd s sw than Herd s sn. Upn his death, Herd had left instructins t kill many prminent family leaders in Jerusalem in rder t ensure the day f his death wuld be a day f murning, and nt a day f celebratin. Thankfully, his rder was nt carried ut. Zechariah and Elizabeth - a priestly family wh were relatives f Mary. They became the parents f Jhn the Baptist when Gd healed their barrenness. The Twelve Disciples (the riginal Apstles) Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 2
Andrew Nathaniel (als called Barthlmew) James, the Elder James, the Lesser r Yunger Jhn The Belved Judas Iscarit Jude (als called Thaddeus) Matthew (als called Levi) Simn Peter (als called Cephas) Philip Simn the Zealt Thmas (als called Didymus) 8. Key Places Nazareth - the hmetwn f Mary, and subsequently f Mary, Jseph, and Jesus. Tday it is primarily a Muslim and Christian cmmunity in Israel and the largest city in the Nrth Regin f Israel. Jerich - a city f Palm trees and the lcatin f at least 22 varius settlements thrughut histry. In this city Jesus healed tw blind beggars, cnverted Zacchaeus the tax cllectr, and used the area as the setting fr the stry f the Gd Samaritan. Bethany - a village near Jerusalem; the hme f Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. A city f retreat and refuge fr Jesus frm time t time. Munt f Olives - a place f prayer and retreat fr Jesus; scene f a large Jewish cemetery, and the site f Jesus Ascensin. It was the lcatin where Jesus wept ver the city f Jerusalem. Glgtha - a hill just utside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. It is als knwn as the place f the skull. Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 3
Jerusalem - the scene f intense cnfrntatin between Jesus and the civil and religius leaders f Israel. Capernaum - a fishing village n the nrth shre f Galilee; hmetwn t Peter, Andrew, James, and Jhn. A scene f cnsiderable ministry during Jesus life. Galilee - a large lake regin in nrthern Israel; several lcatins were the scene f many miracles and teaching events by Jesus. Judea - a muntainus regin in suthern Israel, knwn tday as the West Bank. 9. Key Themes Jesus is the Sn f Gd sent t redeem the lst - the message f Jesus divinity and missin f redemptin is clearly presented in Luke just as it is in the ther Gspels. The emphasis is upn His sacrifice and cmpassin fr the lst. Jesus is the Cmpassinate Savir wh is energized by the Hly Spirit - Jesus respnded t every class f peple and catching the eye f the cmpassinate physician. We see a clearer presentatin f the Hly Spirit in Luke s accunt. The Spirit is seen at Jesus birth, baptism, ministry, and resurrectin. We see in at least three ccasins, the expulsin f demns by the pwer f the Hly Spirit (Luke 9:1; 9:49; 10:17-20). Als, in additin t Jesus, we see tw resurrectins frm the dead in this Gspel (Jairus daughter in Luke 8 and the sn f the Widw f Nain in Luke 8). This Hly Spirit pwer encunter theme is carried frward int Vlume Tw f Luke s writings - The Bk Acts. Prayer is seen as a central part f the Christian experience. Jesus prayed: at His Baptism - 3:21 in the wilderness - 5:16 befre chsing His disciples - 6:12, 13 a blessing as He fed 5,000-9:16 n the Munt f Transfiguratin - 9:28, 29 a prayer f gratitude t Gd - 10:21 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 4
when teaching the disciples hw t pray - 11:2-4 when blessing the Last Supper - 22:17-19 fr Peter s faith - 22:31, 32 fr strength and blessing in Gethsemane - 22:39-46 He prayed n the Crss - 23:46 when He blessed the fd after the Emmaus Rad encunter - 24:30 Others prayed: Simen prayed in the Temple - 2:29-32 the leper prayed fr healing - 5:12 the Rman Centurin prayed - 7:6,7 the Gadarene demniacs prayed - 8:28 Jairus prayed - 8:41,42 the Ten Lepers prayed - 17:12,13 the blind men at Jerich prayed - 18:38-41 10. The Cntents f Luke The Birth f Jesus and His Prelude t Ministry - 1:1-4:13 Dedicatin - 1:1-4 The birth f Jesus - 1:5-2:38 The byhd f Jesus - 2:39-52 The baptism f Jesus - 3:1-4:13 Jesus Ministry in Galilee - 4:14-9:50 Jesus begins His public ministry - 4:14-44 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 5
Jesus calls His Disciples - 5:1-6:16 Jesus preaches and ministers healing and deliverance in the cities f Galilee - 6:17-9:50 Jesus Jurney t Jerusalem - 9:51-19:27 Samaria (the inclusin f all int the Kingdm) - 9:51-10:37 Bethany and Judea (lessns n prayer, devtin, and lyalty) - 10:38-13:35 Perea (the Friend f Sinners teaches Kingdm principles) - 14:1-19:27 The Passin Week - 19:28-23:56 Sunday - 19:28-44 Mnday - 19:45-48 Tuesday - 20:1-21:38 Wednesday -22:1-6 Thursday - 22:7-53 Friday - 22:54-23:55 Saturday - The Sabbath - 23:56 The Resurrectin and Ascensin f Jesus - 24:1-53 The Resurrectin - 24:1-12 The Walk t Emmaus - 24:13-45 The Ascensin - 24:46-53 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 6
Wrth nting 1. Luke pays special attentin t the wmen wh played a part in the stry f Jesus and the Early Christians. Church traditin tells us that Mary, the mther f Jesus, was a surce fr Luke s material. Many schlars believe the genealgical recrd in Luke was that f Mary s side f the family, while Matthew s recrd established Jseph s credibility. In Luke s writings we read abut Anna (Luke 2:36-38), Bernice (Acts 25:13), Damaris, and a grup f wmen cnverted in Athens (Acts 17:34), Drcas (Acts 9:36-410; Drusilla (Acts 24:24), Elizabeth (Luke 1:5, 13), Janna (Luke 8:3), Lydia (Acts 16:14), Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), Priscilla (Acts 18:2), Sapphira (Acts 5:1), and Susanna (Luke 8:3). 2. Luke s Gspel helps us understand the chrnlgy f the Passin Week and Resurrectin Day. Sunday The Triumphal Entry - Mark 11:1-11 Mnday Jesus cleanses the Temple - Mark 11:15-19 Tuesday The Sanhedrin challenge Jesus authrity - Luke 20:1-8 Jesus predicts the destructin f the Temple - Matthew 24:25 Jesus predicts His Secnd Cming - Matthew 24:25 At Bethany, Mary anints Jesus fr His burial - Jhn 12:2-8 Wednesday Judas strikes a deal t betray Jesus - Luke 22:3-6 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 7
Thursday Jesus and His Disciples eat the Passver meal, thus instituting the Sacrament f The Lrd s Supper - Jhn 13:1-30; Mark 14:22-26 In Gethsemane, Jesus prays fr His Disciples - Jhn 17 Friday Thursday night and Friday befre dawn was a night f illegal trials. Three religius trials (illegal because they were cnducted at night) ccurred under Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. Civil trials ccurred under Pilate (twice) and Herd. Jesus is betrayed and arrested after praying in Gethsemane (Mark 14:43-50). Jesus is questined by Annas, the frmer High Priest. - Jhn 18:12-24 Jesus is fund guilty by Caiaphas and The Sanhedrin. - Mark 14:53-65 Peter denies Jesus three times. - Jhn 18:15-27 Jesus is frmally cndemned by the Sanhedrin. - Luke 22:66-71 Judas cmmits suicide. - Matthew 27:3-10 Jesus is brught t trial befre Pilate. - Luke 23:1-5 Jesus appears befre Herd Antipas. - Luke 23:6-12 Jesus is frmally sentenced t death by Pilate (this had t be dne under Rman authrity). - Luke 23:13-25 Jesus is mcked, then led away t be crucified between tw thieves. - Mark 15:16-27 The veil f the Temple is trn in tw as Jesus dies. - Matthew 27:51-56 Upn Jesus death, sme graves f the righteus were pened, and they were seen Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 8
after His resurrectin by citizens in Jerusalem. - Matthew 27:52, 53 Jesus is buried in the tmb f Jseph f Arimathea. -Jhn 19:31-42 Saturday The wmen rest n the Sabbath Day, awaiting an pprtunity n Sunday t prepare the bdy f Jesus fr prper burial. - Luke 23:56 Sunday Jesus is raised frm the dead. - Luke 24:1-9 Three wmen g t the tmb in rder t prepare Jesus bdy fr prper burial. - Luke 23:55-24:1 They find the stne has been rlled away. - Luke 24:2-9 Mary Magdalene leaves in rder t infrm the disciples. - Jhn 20:1, 2 Mary, the mther f James, sees the tw angels. - Matthew 28:1, 2 Jhn and Peter arrive and see that the tmb is empty. - Jhn 20:3-10 Mary Magdalene returns, sees the angels, and then sees Jesus. - Jhn 20:11-18 Mary, the mther f James, returns t the tmb with the ther wmen. - Luke 24:1-4 That grup f wmen see the angels. - Luke 24:5; Mark 16:5 The angel tells them Jesus has risen. - Matthew 28:6-8 Jesus appears t them as they depart. - Matthew 28:9, 10 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 9
When reading the Gspel f Luke 1. Remember this is a cmpanin t the Bk f Acts. 2. Pay attentin t material fund nly in Luke s Gspel. Special events preceding the births f Jesus and Jhn - 1:5-80 Certain scenes frm Jesus childhd -2:1-52 The imprisnment f Jhn the Baptist by Herd - 3:19, 20 The rejectin f Jesus at Nazareth - 4:16-30 The special calling f the first disciples - 5:1-11 A widw s sn is raised frm the dead. - 7:11-17 A wman anints Jesus feet. - 7:36-50 A grup f wmen minister t Christ. - 8:1-3 Sme teaching leading up t Jesus death ccur in Luke. - 10:1-18:4 Christ and Zacchaeus - 19:1-27 Herd and Christ - 23:6-12 Final wrds befre the Ascensin - 24:44-49 Dr. J. Stephen Chitty 10