Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

Introduction

When people in the first century heard the word "kingdom," they had a very clear picture in mind. They thought of Rome—military might, political power, vast wealth, and unquestioned authority. Kingdoms were built on strength, maintained by force, and measured by conquest. The powerful ruled, the weak served, and everyone knew their place in the hierarchy.

But through the Gospel according to Luke we are going to be challenged by a very different kind of kingdom. I have no doubt that this is going to make many of us uncomfortable and challenge some of our understandings around power, control, and strength.

This kingdom that Jesus invites us into is where the poor are blessed and the rich are sent away empty. A kingdom where the last become first and the first become last. A kingdom where a shepherd is more important than a priest, a tax collector is welcomed before a Pharisee, and a crucified criminal is crowned king. This is the upside-down kingdom of God.

Over the next several months, we're going to walk through the Gospel of Luke together, and what we're going to discover is that Jesus didn't come to reinforce the world's values—he came to flip them on their head. Everything we think we know about power, status, wealth, and belonging gets turned upside down when God's kingdom breaks into our world.

But before we dive into the story itself, I want us to understand who wrote this Gospel, why he wrote it, and how he structured it—because understanding these things will help us see what Luke wants us to see: that God's work in Jesus is both deeply rooted in ancient promises and radically moving toward a future we never expected.

So in a moment we’ll start with some important questions to ask first. But before we do, let’s read the prologue to Luke’s gospel this morning.

If you have your Bibles, or on your devices, if you would turn to Luke. We will read verses 1-4. If you are willing and/or able, would you please stand with me as I read God’s word this morning. This is the word of the Lord… praise be to God.

Let us pray.

Who wrote this?

Neither the Gospel of Luke nor the Acts of the Apostles names it’s author. A combination of external and internal evidence suggests that Luke was the author of both works.

Internal: 1) He says that he’s not an eye witness but has collected testimony from eye-witnesses, 2) that he was a companion with Paul (Philemon 24; Col 4:14) and there is a distinct shift in the book of Acts where it goes from “they” to “we” (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16)

External: 1) Church tradition has always held and accredited this gospel and Acts to Luke, 2) Justin Martyr (ca. 160), Irenaeus (ca. 175), Tertullian (ca. early 3rd cent.), and Eusebius (ca. early 4th century) all attribute in their writings that Luke wrote the gospel and Acts.

Luke: 1) Physician (Col 4:14) by trade, 2)also thought to be a Gentile as he is not listed in the run of Jewish names but it is mentioned after them (Col 4)… and when which mentions a field with a Semitic name and then speaks of “their” language (Acts 1:19), that field that was purchased with the blood many that Judas had returned for betraying Jesus. 3) Luke is also a historian. Careful with his material and detailed in many of his explanations.

*Some have thought that Luke uses very precise unique medical language for that time, however there have been discoveries of the language and words that Luke uses in common documents of that day. It doesn’t discredit anything, but I think speaks to Luke’s desire to communicate this story so that all who hear and read can understand.

When

There is much debate amongst scholarship as to the writing of Luke (as there always is)… but many believe that Luke had access to Mark and Matthew’s gospel. This fits with the prologue of the book that we just read. However it’s not a copy cat.

Matthew occupies 87 pages, Mark (through 16:8) 60 pages, and John 73 pages, while Luke takes up 96 pages. A comparison of verses reveals a similar count: Matthew has 1,071 verses, Mark has 678 verses, John has 869 verses, while Luke contains 1,151 verses Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 1). Baker Academic.

Mark relates to 406 verses of Luke’s 1,151 verses or about 35%

Matthew that relates to Luke that is not in Mark represents 241 verses, which is about 21%

Luke is very unique in what he has to say in comparison to the other gospels. Much of Luke is not found anywhere else.

If your wondering where John is on this, John’s gospel is thought to be the last of the four written.

For What Reason

Luke records them for Theophilus so that he can be reassured about what God’s plan is, what a disciple is called to be, and how a disciple participates in the community’s task to identify and proclaim Jesus, not only through the message that the new community delivers about Jesus, but also by the way that disciples live in a world hostile to that declaration. Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 2). Baker Academic.

“Theophilus” could be a title as opposed to a name. There is Biblical evidence to assume that when the title “most excellent” is used, it is of some sort of high ranking official or nobility (NOT A BILL & TED REFERENCE). Theophilus is a Roman-Grecco name that literally translates to “Lover of God” or “Friend of God”- θεος φιλεω

I think this is personally fascinating knowing that Luke was with Paul in and around time that the letter to the Romans was written. There was a great schism between the Jewish and Gentile believers during this time. Emperor Tiberius expelled Jews in 19AD for political and religious reasons. Emperor Claudius would do the same but later allow them back sometime around 54AD. But there was great division between Jew and Gentile as the wider community did not care for them… even in the newly formed church this prejudice was present.

It would make sense that Theophilus is a Gentile (possibly in Rome) and that Luke is writing this to him. Paul wrote Romans to the church in Rome, a church that was deeply segregated and had mistrust all around. I could easily envision Luke writing this for the Gentile church to fully understand and grasp the work of God in the Jews and the inclusion, grafting in, of the Gentiles and their place in redemptive history.

How many times has the church in our day created divisions that have hurt the church.

Paradigm: Die for, Divide for, Debate for, Decide for

Sexuality, Skin color, Ethnicity, Clothes, Hair length, worship styles, etc.; I’m not saying there are things to debate, discuss, but when handled well we don’t need to divide. There are some denominations that don’t handle these well, but when we take a Biblical approach to the issues and things and issues of the day… we can make unnecessary divisions. Let alone throw politics that the church can easily equate and put on par with Christian ethics… it can easily be blurred, coopted/hijacked, and then fuel division.

What a gift to even see in the early church, that when we encounter things culturally and societally, we can go back to the Word of God and find a path forward where God is honored, we are honored, our neighbor is honored, and even our enemy is honored… are we uncomfortable yet… I am a little.

The offer of the gospel openly includes Theophilus and calls him to remain faithful, committed, and expectant, even in the midst of intense Jewish rejection and with the hope that both Jews and Gentiles will turn to Jesus. Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 15). Baker Academic.

Most important to Luke’s Gospel is the role of Jesus in God’s plan and promise, while Acts describes the nature of the new community that emerged from his ministry Bock, D. L. (1994). Luke: 1:1–9:50 (Vol. 1, p. 3). Baker Academic.

Where those on the margins are moved to the center… the outsiders become the insiders. This is good news.

The Center of the Book

Most scholars do see Luke 4:16–19 as programmatic or thematic for Luke's Gospel, specifically vss.18-19

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.””

Luke 4:18-19 (Jesus reading Isaiah 61 in Nazareth) is widely recognized as Jesus's "mission statement" or "manifesto" for his ministry. It announces:

Good news to the poor

Freedom for prisoners

Sight for the blind

Liberation for the oppressed

The year of the Lord's favor

Scholars note that Luke strategically places this scene near the beginning of Jesus's ministry (moving it earlier than Mark's chronology) to set the agenda for everything that follows. The themes announced here—concern for the marginalized, reversal of fortunes, fulfillment of prophecy, and the inauguration of God's kingdom—echo throughout the entire Gospel.

This is why we are calling this series the Upside Down Kingdom. We will follow Jesus on His journey toward Jerusalem, where He reveals a kingdom that turns the world's values upside down. The poor are blessed, the last become first, outsiders are welcomed in, and the humble are exalted. Through parables, miracles, and radical teachings, Jesus shows us what it looks like when God's kingdom breaks into our world—challenging our assumptions about power, wealth, status, and belonging. As we walk with Jesus through Galilee and beyond, we'll discover what it means to live as citizens of this upside-down kingdom where mercy triumphs over judgment and love reigns supreme.

Echoes Movement of the Book: How Luke Tells the Story

Luke does something brilliant in how he structures his Gospel—he shows us that God's work in Jesus is both deeply rooted in the past and radically moving toward the future. We see this through two key patterns: echoes and movement.

Echoes of the Past. Luke 1:5-38 deliberately mirrors Israel's history. Zechariah and Elizabeth echo Abraham and Sarah—elderly, barren, receiving a miraculous promise. Mary's song sounds like Hannah's prayer. The angel's announcements parallel moments with Gideon, Samson's parents, and Daniel. Luke is connecting the present moment to the past, showing us that God is faithful to his ancient promises. What's happening in Jesus isn't random or disconnected—it's the continuation and climax of everything God has always been doing.

Why This Matters for Us Today

When Luke shows us these echoes of the past, he's teaching us something crucial about how God works: God is consistent. The same God who kept his promise to Abraham and Sarah in their old age is the same God keeping promises to you today. The same God who heard Hannah's desperate prayer hears yours. The same God who showed up for Gideon when he felt inadequate shows up for you in your inadequacy.

This means that when you read your Bible—especially the Old Testament stories that might feel distant or irrelevant—you're not just reading ancient history. You're reading your story. You're learning the pattern of how God works, and that pattern hasn't changed. God still chooses the unlikely. God still brings life from barrenness. God still hears the prayers of the desperate. God still keeps his promises even when it takes longer than we'd like.

And here's the other thing: if God's work in Jesus is the continuation and climax of everything he's always been doing, then the work he's doing in your life right now isn't random either. Your story—with all its struggles, waiting, and wondering—is connected to God's bigger story. You're not adrift. You're not forgotten. God hasn't abandoned the script. He's still writing the same faithful story he's always written, and you're part of it.

When you feel like God is absent or silent, Luke says: look back at the echoes. Remember how God worked before. That's how he's working now. And that's how he'll work in the future.

Movement Toward the Future. But notice where God's presence is moving. The story begins in Jerusalem's Temple, in the Holy of Holies—the traditional center of God's dwelling with his people. Zechariah encounters the angel in the inner sanctuary. But then the scene shifts to Mary's home in Nazareth. God's work moves from Temple to house, from the center of religious power to the margins. This pattern continues: Jesus leaves the synagogue and goes to Simon's house (Luke 4:38). In Acts, the early church gathers not primarily in the Temple but in homes. Geographically, Luke's two-volume work starts in Jerusalem and ends in Rome—the gospel moving from the Holy of Holies to the heart of the Gentile world.

Luke is reinforcing a profound reality: God is decentralizing his presence. The Temple cannot contain him. God is on the move, doing something new while remaining faithful to something ancient. The gospel is rooted in the past but moving into God's future—from sacred spaces to everyday homes, from Jews to Gentiles, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. This is the gospel of movement.

Why This Matters for Us Today

When Luke shows us this movement from Temple to homes, from Jerusalem to Rome, he's dismantling a dangerous assumption we all carry: that God only shows up in religious spaces.

We still think this way, don't we? We come to church on Sunday expecting to encounter God here—in this building, during worship, in the sermon. And God does meet us here. But Luke is saying: God doesn't stay here. God is on the move into your Monday morning kitchen, your workplace cubicle, your kid's soccer practice, your neighbor's front porch.

The gospel doesn't live at church and visit your home—it lives in your home and gathers at church.

This means your everyday life—the ordinary, mundane, seemingly unspiritual moments—is exactly where God is working. When you share a meal with friends, that's sacred space. When you have a conversation with a coworker, that's kingdom ground. When you open your home to someone in need, you're doing what the early church did. God isn't confined to stained glass and Sunday services. He's moving into the margins, the mess, the places we'd never think to look for him.

And here's the challenge: Are we moving with him? Or are we waiting for people to come to us, to our building, to our programs? Luke is saying God's kingdom advances as we go—into our neighborhoods, across cultural boundaries, toward people who don't look like us or think like us. The movement from Jerusalem to Rome wasn't comfortable or safe. It required the early church to leave what was familiar and follow God into unfamiliar territory.

So the question for us is: Where is God moving in our community? Who are the people on the margins that God is moving toward? And will we follow him there—into homes, into conversations, into relationships that might make us uncomfortable but are exactly where God's kingdom is breaking in?

Conclusion

So as we begin this journey through Luke's Gospel together, I want you to keep three things in mind.

First, this story is for you. Just like Theophilus—the "lover of God"—Luke wrote this so that you could know with certainty that God's kingdom has room for you. Not only has room for you, but a place to be loved and celebrated. Whether you're an insider or an outsider, whether you feel powerful or powerless, whether you come from a long religious heritage or you're brand new to all of this—the upside-down kingdom welcomes you.

Second, this story will challenge you. If you're comfortable with the way the world operates, if you've made peace with the pursuit of wealth, status, and power, Luke's Gospel is going to make you uncomfortable. Jesus came to flip our assumptions upside down, and that means we're going to have to examine what we value, who we welcome, and how we live.

And third, this story is moving. God isn't contained in temples or confined to religious spaces. He's on the move—into homes, across borders, toward the marginalized, into the mess of ordinary life. The question for us is: will we move with him? Will we follow Jesus on this journey toward Jerusalem, knowing that the path leads through reversals, surprises, and ultimately a cross?

Over these next months, we're going to walk with Jesus through Galilee, listen to his parables, watch him welcome sinners and challenge the religious elite, and discover what it really means to be part of God's upside-down kingdom.

Let's pray.