August 04 2024

Sunday August 04

Introduction to Luke

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

A couple of weeks ago as I was reading the Gospel of Luke, I felt impressed by the Lord to go through this wonderful Gospel on our Pastor Chats after we finished the Book of Joshua. It could also be that our grandson Luke has been on our hearts and minds over these past several weeks with his surgeries. He actually is named Michael Luke. And we still can’t thank you enough for your prayers for him through that difficult and challenging time. He appears to be doing well and recovering quickly with everything working properly.

The Gospel of Luke is a very interesting book. It is probable that Luke was a Gentile, making him the only non-Jewish author in Scripture. The early church unanimously attributed the third Gospel to Luke, and all the ancient manuscripts we have of the Gospel bear his name. Early Church fathers like Irenaeus, Ignatius, Clement, and Tertullian affirmed Luke’s authorship, considering his account of the life of Christ authoritative and inspired Scripture. We have no reason to doubt the traditional attribution of the book to Luke, and Luke is properly acknowledged as the author of the Gospel bearing his name.

Dr. Luke is named only three times in the New Testament: in Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; and Philemon 24. He wrote Acts (compare Luke 1:1-4 with Acts 1:1) and traveled with Paul (note the "we" sections in Acts 16:10-17; 20:4-15; 21:1-18, and 27:1-28:16). Paul called Luke, “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). One well-known commentator believes that it is possible that Luke was the man in the dream that Paul had of a “man of Macedonia” asking for Paul and Silas to come there and help them (Acts 16:9-10).

Luke wrote a book that is filled with good news for everybody. His key message is, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). He presents Jesus Christ as the compassionate Son of man, who came to live among sinners, love them, help them, and die for them.

In this Gospel you meet individuals as well as crowds, women and children as well as men, poor people as well as rich people, and sinners along with saints. It's a book with a message for everybody, because Luke's emphasis is on the universality of Jesus Christ and His salvation: "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10). No wonder he began his book with detailed accounts of the births of two important babies! No wonder he emphasized Christ's sympathy for hurting people! He wrote with the mind of a careful historian and with the heart of a loving physician.

The Gospel of Luke was written for Theophilus ("lover of God"), probably a Roman official who had trusted Christ and now needed to be established in the faith. It's also possible that Theophilus was a seeker after truth who was being taught the Christian message, because the word translated “instructed” in Luke 1:4 gives us our English word catechumen, "someone who is being taught the basics of Christianity."

The life and message of Christ were so important that many books had already been written about Him, but not everything in them could be trusted. Luke wrote his Gospel so that his readers might have an accurate and orderly narrative of the life, ministry, and message of Jesus Christ. Luke had carefully researched his material, interviewed eyewitnesses, and listened to those who had ministered the Word.

Most important, Luke had the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The phrase “from the very first” comes from the Greek word, “anothen”, and can be translated "from above," as it is in John 3:31 and 19:11. It speaks of the inspiration of the Spirit of God on the message that Luke wrote.

I’m looking forward to our journey with you through this wonderful Gospel.

God bless!