New Testament: Book of Luke, part 1

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Matthew = Jesus the King

Mark = Jesus the servant

John = Jesus as God

Luke would focus on Jesus as the Son of Man (Mary) - the humanity of Jesus.

Who was Luke?

Not an original disciple of Jesus or 12 Apostles.

Could have been a Hellenistic Jew - a Hebrew who was influenced by the Greeks (Alexander the Great)…

More than likely he was a gentile slave trained as a physician to a wealthy Roman family and given his freedom/citizenship.

Only non Jew to write a part of the bible.

He was NOT an eyewitness to Jesus, rather collected stories and was a fellow-laborer of Paul.

He wrote a unified, two-volume work; Luke and Acts

Know when you compare Luke1:1-4 with Acts 1:1-2.

Luke 1:1-4: preface telling us how and why he wrote the book.

Why: write an orderly account of things that had been fulfilled among us.

How: consults eyewitness accounts

Why: to show that the story of Jesus fulfills the prophecies of old.

Book set up:

Chapters 1-2 = introduction

Chapters 3-9 = Jesus’ mission

Chapters 9-19 = journey to Jerusalem

Chapters 19-24 = Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem

Then the Book of Acts finishes the story.

Chapter 1-2: introduction

Parallel stories of the births of John the Baptizer and Jesus.

Elder priest couple, Zacharias and Elisabeth

Young unmarried Mary and Joseph

Both receive messages from angels that they are going to have a son…

Boths sons are born (six months apart)

Sing songs/poems to celebrate that are right out of the Old Testament.

John’s song is he is the prophetic messenger that prepares Israel to meet their God.

Jesus song is that he is the Messianic King that will rule Israel.

Jesus is taken to the Temple to named and presented and an old prophet recognized him as Messiah and Simeon says, “now I can die, I have held salvation!”.

Old prophetess Anna begins to worship him as well.

Chapter 3-9: Mission of Jesus

John is teaching repentance and baptism in the wilderness.

Jesus appears and is recognized as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Genealogy of Jesus.

Jesus to David to Abraham to Adam.

This is important because one of the things that Luke is telling us is that Jesus is not here just for the sons of David and Abraham BUT ALSO ADAM!

Matthew stopped at Abraham… Luke when all the way back to Adam!

This was not just about Jews but mankind.

Luke presents Jesus as the savior of the WORLD!

Chapter 4: Launch

Luke4.18 Jesus stands and says in the synagogue… quoting Isaiah 61

Luke 4:18 (KJV 1900)

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke highlights the social aspects

Deliverance to captives or freedom: Greek word is “aphesis” meaning release.

Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25.

Year of Jubilee: every 50 years

All Israelite slaves were to be set free.

Any land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owner or their descendants.

The land was to lay fallow and not be cultivated.

It was a time of celebration and renewal.

Poor: Hebrew word “ani”.

More than monetary implications.

Also low social status, disabilities, women, children, non-jewish, outsiders - common word would be inferior

Jesus’ mission was to these people!

Chapters 4-8 stories illustrating what the Good news for the Ani and aphesis would look like.

Heals all manor of people

Welcomes tax collector named Levi (Matthew)

Forgives a prostitute.

Stories of people on the outside being invited to the inside…

Then he forms a new Israel by appointing the 12 disciples as leaders in his new Kingdom paralleling the 12 tribes of Israel.

Then Jesus begins to teach about this new kingdom - the upside down kingdom.

God’s love for the outsider and the poor = new value system

radical generosity

serve the poor

peacemakers

forgivers

deeply spritual

reject hypocrisy

Religious leaders reject this new value system.

He dishonors our traditions

He is a drunk

He mixes with sinners

He blasphemes God

This produces a new revelation…

Jesus is the Messianic King who is going to die in Jerusalem according to Isaiah 53.

9:28-36 the Transfiguration

He took Peter, James and John into prayer and is changed before their eyes!

Voice from heaven saying “this is my beloved Son”, Moses and Elijah appears, Glory of God in a cloud…

Jesus, Moses and Elijah were talking about his “…decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”.

Decease = exodus

As Moses lead the old Israel from Egypt into the Promised Land.

Jesus would lead his new Kingdom from sin into victory!