THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
(Lesson 02 – Jan 21, 2024)
Background - 2
Author, Date, and Audience: Luke was a physician (Col 4:14) and a travel companion of Paul. The
possible date of Luke–Acts is AD 62 in the events of persecution (Acts 28).
Luke and Acts are addressed to “Theophilus” (Lk 1:3; Acts 1:1) about Jesus.
Aim: Jesus is the promised one of God as prophesied in the Old Testament for
all, Jews and Gentiles alike to see God’s saving activity in Jesus’ life,
death, and resurrection.
Purpose: Luke probably had several goals in writing:
(1) Assure the truth of Christ
(2) Understand how Israel
rejected Jesus and welcomed the Gentiles into the kingdom of God
(3) Universality of
Salvation
(4) The fulfillment of the
OT promises
(5) Jesus does not return
immediately but there is a period between his resurrection and his return
(6) Emphasize not to be
terrified of any earthly power such as Rome.
(7) Importance of Women
Main Themes
1. God’s sovereign rule
over history (Lk 13:33; 22:22, 42) – Jerusalem, the city of destiny
2. The arrival and actual
presence (though not yet the completion) of the kingdom of God (Lk 11:2;
17:20–21; 21:34–36) - “the Kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:20-21)
3. The coming and presence
of the Holy Spirit for Jesus and his followers (Lk 1:15–17, 35; 2:25–27;
3:16, 22; 4:1, 18; 24:49).
4. The great reversal in
the world. The first become last and the last become first, the proud
are made low and the humble are exalted (Lk 1:48; 6:20–26; 13:30; 14:11).
5. Invitation to live a life
of prayer practicing good stewardship with their possessions (Lk 6:12;
9:28–29; 11:1–4; 12:33–34; 18:1; 22:40).
6. The danger of riches
(Lk 6:20–26; 8:14; 12:13–21; 16:10–13, 19–31).
Outline
I. The Prologue (1:1–4)
II. The Infancy Narrative
(1:5–2:52)
III. Preparation for the
Ministry of Jesus (3:1–4:15)
IV. The Ministry of Jesus
in Galilee (4:16–9:50)
V. The Journey to
Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)
VI. The Ministry of Jesus
in Jerusalem (19:28–21:38)
VII. The Suffering and
Death of Jesus (22:1–23:56)
VIII. The Resurrection of
Jesus (24:1–53)
TEXT ANALYSIS OF LUKE: CHAPTER 1
(vv 1-9)
Vv. 1-4: It is a prologue in the way of Hellenistic Greek writers, and contemporary
Greco-Roman literature. Ex: Herodotus begins, “These
are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus.” A much later historian,
Dionysius of Halicarnassus, tells us at the beginning of his history,
"Before beginning to write I gathered information, partly from the lips of
the most learned men with whom I came into contact, and partly from histories
written by Romans of whom they spoke with praise."
Not only Luke writes the words and deeds of
Jesus but also of his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection as
fulfillment of OT. He acknowledges his debt to earlier eyewitnesses and
ministers. Real religion is never a second-hand thing. It is a personal
discovery. Luke had to rediscover Jesus Christ for himself. Personal
experience is required. True inspiration comes when the
seeking mind of man joins with the revealing Spirit of God (Mt 7:7)
Adding his source in a complete
and accurate account writes to “Theophilus” (Friend of God)
V. 5a: Herod, king of Judea
also known as Herod Antipas. He ruled as a tetrarch (a title, a ruler of one fourth
in GK) of Galilee and Perea after the death of his father, Herod the Great. He
was declared “king of Judea” by the Roman senate in 40 BC. but became
undisputed ruler of Palestine only in 37 BC.
How does Luke see Christ?
Vv. 5b, 8, 9: Abijah to Zachariah:
Zachariah was a priest who belonged to the section of Abijah/ Abihu. Who
was Abijah? He was a descendant of Eleazar, the son of Aaron. Aaron
was the brother of Moses (Ex 4:14). He is identified as the brother of Moses, a
Levite {(Jochebed - a daughter of Levi tribe, mother of Miriam, Aaron, and
Moses (Num 26:59)}. How many sons did Aaron have? Aaron had four sons (Lev 10:
1, 6): Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. All four were ordained as priests. Moses
instituted priests and Levites. Priests were direct descendants of Aaron. Priests
offered the sacrifices and Levites helped the priests in the ceremonies. Who
were the Levites? Levites were the descendants of Levi (Num 1:49).
Read the Book of Numbers
1:47-54
Abijah/
Abihu was a chief of the eighth (1
Chro 24:10) of the twenty-four
orders into which the priesthood was divided (1 Chro 24: 7-19) and
small groups of Levites (1 Chro 24: 4-6) by David (1 Chro 28:12-13). Moses instituted and David
divided for the sake of the liturgy.
Priests could get an opportunity to serve a week at a time, twice a year. Abijah/ Abhihu was an ancestor of Zechariah, the priest who was the father of John the Baptist. He is not to be confused with Abijah daughter of Zechariah seen at 2 Kings 18:2 who gave birth to Hezekiah king of Jerusalem who reigned for 29 years.
What happened to the sons
of Aaron and Moses?
Aaron had 4 sons. The first older sons Nadab and Abihu “offered fire that had
not been commanded” to be consumed by the fire (Lev. 10:1). Another set of sons
namely Eleazar and Ithamar were almost consumed because they did not obey the
command of Moses (Lev. 10: 6, 8, 12, 17). V. 17 is most important.
What happened to the sons
of Eli? The wickedness of Eli’s sons (1 Sam 2: 12—17; 25, 12-13; 34).
What happened to the sons
of Samuel? Joel and Abijah,
the first judges (1 Sam 8:1-3) sought illicit gains. God needed to appoint a
king.
Duty of the
priests: “Aaron shall bring
forward the live goat. Laying both the hands” (Lev. 16:20, 21,22). Does
the blood of an animal remove our sins?
Leviticus 10:17 says, “it was given to you to take
away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the Lord”.
God’s Decision: “I will choose a faithful priest who shall do what I have in heart and
mind, I will establish a lasting house for him which shall function in the
presence of my anointed forever” (1 Sam 2: 35)
Jesus Christ the
High Priest “the impossibility of the blood of the animals to take
away the sins” (Heb 10:3); Jesus Christ offered himself once and for all
(Heb 10:9); became one of us (Heb 2:17) and “let us hold him fast” (Heb 4:14).
For this, God prepares the path for his coming to his humanity.
V. 7: “Childless” – it was looked upon in
contemporaneous Judaism as a curse or punishment for sin. It was intended to
present Elizabeth in a situation similar to that of some of the great mothers
of important OT figures like Sarah (Gen 15:3; 16:1); Rebekah (Gen 25:21) Rachel
(Gen 29:31; 30:1); the mother of Samson and wife of Manoah (Jds13:2-3); Hanah
(1 Sam 1:2). Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. Both were from the priestly
class. Pure blood.
God makes
his chosen fruitless first to make them exemplary and fruitful next to
generation after generation to come.
Christ comes from the tribe of Judah to be the King
of Kings, the high priest from the pure Blood to
rule out the priestly class of the Old Testament, and Messiah
prophesied by the prophets (John the Baptist, being the bridge between the OT
and NT).
“Do not be afraid”
(Lk 1:13)
