The Gospel of Luke – Introduction

 

 

The Gospel of Luke presents the Lord Jesus to us as the true and perfect man. But it also shows us the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More that He brought to man, for God wanted to bring people eternal salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More in the Lord Jesus. And this salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More was not only intended to reconcile people with God but also to fill people's hearts with joy.

The Man Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More

Everything that emphasizes the humanity of the Lord Jesus is dealt with in particular detail in this Gospel. Thus, we find a detailed introduction to the birth of our Lord, who was born of a woman – which impressively proves His humanity. Only in Luke do we find a reference to the manger. And only here are we given a brief insight into the youth of our Savior. The Lord Jesus was also perfect at this time: "and He was subject to them [His parents]" (Luke 2:51).

Luke deals particularly with the Lord Jesus' dependence on His God in ministry. Thus, we find prayers of Jesus in his account that we do not find in the other Gospels. This intense prayer life makes it clear that the Lord did what a person should do: align himself completely with the will of God and honor Him in everything.

His inner feelings and His distress in the face of the impending crucifixion and atoning suffering are not mentioned in any other Gospel as extensively as in Luke. Given His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read that even an angel came to strengthen Him. “And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The Lord Jesus felt deeply, especially as a human being, that death and dying are a terrible thing! He was, in truth, the man of pain and suffering (Isa. 53:3). The last chapter of this evangelist also makes His humanity clear. After the resurrection, He takes care of His disciples’ worries and needs and appears to them several times to comfort and admonish them. Even His ascension does not contribute to their sorrow but to their joy.

We are thus granted insights into the glorious person of the Lord Jesus, which we find difficult to reconcile in our minds with the fact that He is also God – because we are and remain human. This confirms the Lord's statement: "No one knows who the Son is except the Father" (Luke 10:22). For who could understand that the one who is also the eternal God, who knows, guides, and allows everything in advance, can increase in wisdom? It is clear that this statement by the evangelist – and therefore also by God Himself – can only refer to the human abilities of the Lord Jesus. But this verse makes it clear to us how truly human the Lord Jesus was. And He will remain so for all eternity!

Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More – full of graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More and leading to joy

The Gospel of Luke also shows us the coming of our Savior in graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More. Titus also writes about this: "But when the kindness and love of our Savior God appeared, he saved us" (Titus 3:4). Terms such as grace, merciful, mercy, etc. occur more than 28 times in this Gospel, for example. For instance, Mary is called a "pardoned one" by the angel Gabriel (Lk 1:28). The old Simeon and the elderly Anna also rejoice when they are given the grace of seeing the Lord Jesus before them. The conversion of the "prodigal son" (Lk 15), the publican (Lk 18), and Zacchaeus (Lk 19) are also evidence of the grace and mercy that appeared through the coming of the Lord. But Luke also leads to joy. The Gospel indeed begins with a man (Zacharias) who becomes mute and unable to praise God. But Elizabeth, Zechariah's wife, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are already full of joy and praise. This continues with the angels and then the shepherds who marvel at the birth of the Lord. And again and again, we read about the joy that seizes people who come into contact with the Lord Jesus. This joy culminates at the end of the Gospel. One would normally assume that the Lord's disciples were sad that He was no longer with them. But the opposite is the case. "And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the templeThe house and dwelling place of God in Jerusalem in the OT. The forerunner was the tabernacle.  It consisted of two main rooms, the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies,... More praising and blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More God. AmenThe Hebrew expression can be translated as "faithful," "certain," "so it shall be, "and "let it be confirmed." Under the law, the truth was to be affirmed in solemn moments... More." (Luke 24:52, 53). This is how the goodness of God changed people back then through the work of Jesus – and it still brings us genuine joy today.

Author and structure of the Gospel of Luke

Luke wrote the longest of the four Gospels. Like Mark, he was not one of the Lord's twelve disciples but a companion of Paul. As with the other Gospels, the author does not name himself. Nevertheless, he was recognized from the beginning as the writer of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. We read many mentions of him in the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of the apostleApostle (Greek) means "sent one." Today, we are "messengers" for Christ when we pass on the gospel (2 Cor. 5:20). But the highest-ranking messenger is Jesus Christ himself (Heb 3:1;... More Paul. Luke was a physician (Col 4:14) and apparently not a Jew. This makes him probably the only writer in the Bible who was not Jewish.

Luke's profession made him the perfect person to describe the Lord Jesus as a human being. After all, who could make it clearer that Jesus is truly human if not a doctor whose normal occupation is to help people with their physical needs? Paul refers to Luke as the "beloved" physician. Luke obviously had a very empathetic nature. He also stayed with Paul until the end – presumably until his martyrdom.

In connection with the description of our Lord's life in Philippians 2, we can distinguish the following four major sections in Luke:

1. Luke 1-2: “ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”
2. Luke 3-19:28: “ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More Jesus, who, being made in the likeness of men, humbled himself.”
3. Luke 19:29-23:49: “ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More Jesus, who became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
4. Luke 23:50-24:53: “Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”

The quotation from Luke in Paul's writing

It is worth looking at a few peculiarities in the Gospel of Luke. One of these is that Paul quotes a verse from this Bible book. While all other quotations come from the Old Testament, God has taken care to confirm the inspiration of this part of the Bible by quoting a word from the New Testament. In 1 Timothy 5:18, the apostle Paul quotes words from Luke 10:7: "For the Scripture says: ... 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'"

The Spirit of God thus places the New Testament on the same level as the Old Testament. He prevents man from shaking the authority of the whole Word. At the same time, this quote makes it clear that the Gospel of Luke – in contrast to many Bible-critical voices – was written very early on and was available to people. God watches over His word.

The "Son of Man"

Since Luke describes the Lord Jesus especially in His nature as a human being, it is not surprising that he often writes about the "Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More." A core verse of the Gospel reads: "For the Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). First of all, it is striking that it is only the Lord Himself who speaks of Himself as the Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More. No one else in the Gospels uses this title for Him.

What does this title refer to? First of all, according to Psalm 8 and Daniel 7, this expression refers to the great ruler, the Messiah. This reference to power and dominion is also found in the Gospels (John 5). This title then distinguishes Jesus from Adam. While the latter was created as an adult man – he is man, but not the son of man – the Lord Jesus was born into this world. He is fully human and, at the same time, fully man. But of course, this form of address says much more. "Son of Man" speaks of the fact that the Son of GodThe term "Son of God" in the singular always refers to the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, He is the only begotten (unique) and eternal Son of God, who... More became man in order to save us because we were lost. Through this designation, the Lord Himself – and therefore God – insists that He is truly and fully human.

We find the "Son of Man" both in connection with His suffering and with His glorification after His death. Jesus repeatedly made it clear to His disciples that the "Son of Man" would have to suffer and be rejected and die. This expression is thus explicitly linked to His rejection as the man sent by God. At the same time, the Lord Jesus connects the "Son of Man" directly with the work of redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More.

But God also insists that the Risen One, the glorified Lord Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More, is and remains man. Therefore, people will see the Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More when He will come back to this earth together with the believers in the future (Acts 1:11).

Parables and incidents that only Luke reports

A series of parables and incidents that children often learn at home or Sunday school can only be found in the Gospel of Luke. At this point, I will only go into particularly striking passages.

• Announcement of the birth to Mary:

Only Luke tells us about the announcements of the births of John the Baptist to Zechariah and of the Lord Jesus to Mary. The events connected with these announcements are also found exclusively in Luke. Is it not appropriate for the account of the "man Jesus" that the events associated with a birth – pregnancy, Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, etc. – are reported? This also includes the circumstances of the birth.

• The youth of Jesus:

We find virtually no statements about our Lord's youth in the Bible. But Luke does report an event that took place during his childhood. Every adult person has a childhood behind them. Even the man Jesus!

• The sending out of the 70 disciples:

While the first sending out of the 12 disciples and apostles is reported by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, only Luke writes about the sending out of the 70 disciples (Luke 10:1-24). Remarkably, it is not said where the Lord Jesus sends the disciples. This makes the unlimited mission clear. In Matthew, we repeatedly hear the message to the Jews: the work of the Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More is for the whole worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More.

• The Good Samaritan:

We find this very familiar parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More only in Luke (10:25-37). It compares the love and care of the Samaritan, who helps the man who has fallen among the robbers, with the love and care of the Lord Jesus, who has delivered us from the hand of SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More and heals us with love and care and provides us with the protection of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More. Incidentally, most of Luke's account in chapters 10-18 is not contained in any other gospel.

• The parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the great supper:

This parable (14:16-24) shows how divine grace is manifested in unworthy people. "For the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More of God has appeared, bringing salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More to all people" (Titus 2:11). Israel had been invited but had shown no interest in this invitation.

• The rich man and poor Lazarus:

This parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More follows on from the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More about the unjust steward, also recorded only by Luke (16:1- 31). The Lord Jesus teaches us here not to trust in earthly possessions and to live in the present with a view to the future and eternity.

• The healing of the ten lepers:

The Lord Jesus heals ten lepers (17:11-19). They are then told to show themselves to the priestThe priests in the Old Testament were fully occupied with serving God. They offered the ordered sacrifices and were thus the link between the people and God. They had to... More, but only one returns to Jesus to thank Him and prostrate himself before Him. Only faith recognizes where the cause of the healing lies and returns to glorify the Saviour.

• The Pharisee and the tax collector:

Who is not familiar with these two contrasting prayers said by the Pharisee and the tax collector, respectively (18:9-14)? In order to be accepted by God, repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More, self-judgment, and self-denial are necessary.

• The conversion of Zacchaeus:

This incident also shows us what kind of people those who follow the Lord Jesus are (19:1-10). They are sinners whom the Lord Jesus has chosen to become his disciples. And it is precisely for such disciples that ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More died. The Son of Man"Son of Man" is a designation for our Lord Jesus Christ. In many Scriptures, it means that He really became man through His birth (Gal 4:4). Like every human being,... More sought them and found them, but there was also a moment in their hearts when they sought Jesus (v. 3).

The 14 (2x7) prayers of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke

1. Luke 3:21: Only in Luke do we find this prayer on the occasion of the Lord's baptismRefers to the immersion of a person (in a body of water) and has a symbolic meaning: someone who is baptized acknowledges that they deserve to die. By being baptized,... More – before His public ministry. He thus shows from the beginning that He is the dependent and humble man who has His ear opened every morning (Isa. 50:4).
2. Luke 5:16: The second prayer comes after the first time of miracles. And it comes between two great miracles that particularly characterized His ministry. Just as He is truly God, He was also fully human, who not only fully observed the law but also lived in complete dependence on God – even and especially when He worked miracles. In this, we see the perfect unity of prayer and service.
3. Luke 6:12: At that time, people were taking counselThe counsel (purpose) of God is his plan. What God plans will happen. There is a counsel of God with his people Israel (Isa 46:10). This counsel has existed since... More to kill the Lord Jesus, to do Him evil. At the same time, He had an extremely important task ahead of Him: the electionAll believers in the assembly of God were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). This is also confirmed by the expression "before eternity" in 2... More of the disciples. Before this task, the Lord takes a whole night to pray. We can assume that the disciples stood before the Lord's heart one by one: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Matthew, Philip ... The Lord will have been thinking of Judas in particular: What feelings will He have spread out before the Father when He spoke to Him about Judas?
4. Luke 9:16: From this verse, we can learn that the Lord Jesus also gave thanks for the food. He is the Creator (Col 1:16). All things are not only created by Him but also for Him, for His own personal pleasure. But when He eats food – even when He distributes it to others – He thanks God for it in prayer.
5. Luke 9:18: The Lord Jesus prayed alone: This is also an example for us. After great miracles, He always went back into silence. The Lord Jesus knew what now lay before Him: this great confession by Peter that He was the Son of the living God. And the Lord also knew that He would announce His suffering in this connection.
6. Luke 9:28: Only Luke tells us that the Lord Jesus went to the so-called "Mount of Transfiguration" to pray. This scene presents to us "in miniature" what will become a reality in the 1,000-year kingdom: The Lord Jesus will be recognized as Lord and King and will reign in the midst of heavenly and earthly believers beholding His glory. We can also think of PsalmPsalm simply means "song." In the Old Testament, this word only occurs in connection with the Psalms of David and the Book of Psalms. Singers sang a psalm with instrumental... More 110 in this passage: during His painful journey on this earth, the Lord was allowed to drink from the refreshing stream that God gave Him.
7. Luke 10:21: Here we have a very sublime prayer of our Lord before us. Precisely in a situation in which the disciples show that they did not really know the Lord Jesus – and following His prayer, the Lord even affirms the impossibility for people to really know Him (Luke 10:22) – the Lord expresses a heavenly joy that united Him with His Father. Can we understand something of this exceedingly great joy?
8. Luke 11:1: When people sat at the Lord's feet, He showed that reading the Word, for that is what we hear and learn at His feet, also involves prayer. The divine Word brings knowledge of Jesus to the soul, just as prayer leads the heart to Him who has given and shown us mercy. The disciples felt that they needed prayer. And they did not know how to pray. Ultimately, this is how we all feel, but especially our children. And we can also teach them – or other people who come to faith – how and what to pray.
9. Luke 22:17: At the institution of the memorial meal (Lord's SupperOn the night when the Lord Jesus was going to be delivered into the hands of His enemies, He instituted the Lord’s Supper so that the believers may always think... More), we also read that the Lord Jesus thanked the Father for the meal. It is striking that this is a very simple Thanksgiving. What did the Lord give thanks for? For the bread and the cup. And at the same time, this meal symbolizes His death. What thanks the Lord gave!
10. Luke 22:32: Here we find the prayer for Peter, who had to give up all self-confidence. We know the Lord Jesus as High PriestIn the OT, the high priest was the "head" of the priests. Aaron was the first to be appointed to this office. The letter to the Hebrews makes it clear... More (Heb 7:25-26) and AdvocateAn advocate is a person who helps and comforts someone. Advocates in the Bible: • The glorified man Jesus Christ is active in heaven for the children of God in... More (1 John 2:1-2). This is exactly what the Lord Jesus does here. This work of the Lord on Peter's soul already begins here: before the actual fall; then the announcement that he would deny ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More; then the look into Peter's eyes; then the personal correction in private; finally, the public restorationWhen a believer turns away from God, He works on them so that they turn back to God through repentance and confession. Then, the believer can once again honor God... More before all the disciples.
11. Luke 22:41: This prayer is unique because it directly distinguishes the will of the Lord and the will of the Father. In this prayer in Gethsemane, the Lord lays out before God all the hardship of the cross and the atoning suffering before Him. In this respect, it is an occasion in which the Lord Jesus is unique, no longer our model, though, of course, an application can be made. We find that the Lord Jesus asks the disciples to pray. But we are only told of Him saying a prayer. And although the whole work of the cross was before His soul, He confidently calls God His Father in prayer.
12. Luke 23:34: This is the first of seven sayings of the Lord on the cross. And this spoken word is a prayer. Although the Lord prays to "God" in His prayer that is in the middle of the seven sayings ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"), in the first and the last, He speaks to His Father. And here again, He is thinking only of others, not of Himself.
13. Luke 23:46: This is the Lord's last word on the cross. And here again, the Lord Jesus speaks to the Father. It shows the Lord's unshakeable trust in the Father. And it shows the death of the man who will remain man forever.
14. Luke 24:30: Although the Lord Jesus was in the house of the so-called Emmaus disciples and was, therefore, a guest, He was also the host. It is He who thanks God for the meal. How often did He give thanks for meals during His ministry? We do not know. But His disciples knew His thanksgiving and also the character of His thanksgiving so well that the two Emmaus disciples recognized Him by His prayer. In a way, you recognize the Lord by His prayers.

There is nothing more beautiful than to spend time with the Lord Jesus. And it is a beautiful task for all of us to contemplate Him in the Gospel of Luke – and then to praise and worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More Him. This article aimed to provide a little help in this.

 Questions for personal study

• Who is the writer of this Gospel? Why did God choose him?
• From what perspective is the Lord Jesus shown in this Gospel? Look for examples of this!
• In each Gospel, the Lord Jesus is not seen from just one perspective. Where can we see Him in Luke's Gospel as the Son of GodThe term "Son of God" in the singular always refers to the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, He is the only begotten (unique) and eternal Son of God, who... More, as King, as Servant, as ProphetA prophet is someone who receives a message from God and passes it on to a specific group in the Old Testament, very often Israel. Prophets are, therefore, in close... More?
• What "structure" does this Gospel have? Why does it have to be like this?
• The "sacrificial death" of the Lord Jesus and the sacrifices in Leviticus 1-5 have some similarities. Which ones stand out in particular?
• The Gospels in the New Testament each have a more or less direct connection to individual other books/letters in the New Testament. Which books have a special connection to the Gospel of Luke?
• In each Gospel, the disciples of the Lord are also seen from a special perspective. Which one is in the Gospel of Luke?
• Why do we find so many prayers of the Lord in the Gospel of Luke?
• There are a number of parables and accounts in Luke's Gospel that no other Gospel contains. Why do they fit into this Gospel in particular?