Text: That thou mightest know the certainty of
those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. Luke 1:4
Today we are in the Gospel of Luke. Luke is only mentioned by name three times in
Scripture, and all three references are in Paul’s letters: Colossians 4, 2
Timothy 4, and Philemon 1.
The Gospel of Luke has been called the Gospel of
Infancy. The first chapters held this
name because as the only one of four gospels that are in the Bible tells
anything about the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus being announced
beforehand. He writes about the birth,
the epiphany, the escape to Egypt and the presentation in the Temple. It also
mentions about Jesus aged 12 discussing with Jewish wise men in the Temple. The
next chapters tells the same story as three other gospels, with more details,
but the meaning is the same.
Luke is the only one of the four Gospels where the writer did
not personally know Christ. He had never met Jesus yet as an educated man
(Colossians 4:14), he chose to follow Him. His Gospel provides a unique
perspective on Jesus' birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. The Gospel of
Luke is the longest of the four and is the only one with a sequel - The Book of
Acts. It records the Ascension of Christ, an event only he describes. Luke
captures a wide variety of miracles, teachings, and parables which make it the
fullest portrait of Jesus' ministry - one-third of Luke's Gospel is unique -
differing from the synoptic classification it has received. Luke presents Jesus
as the promised Messiah (1:31-35), the Son of God (9:35), the Servant whom God
works through (4:16-18), and the Lord who sits at God's right hand exerting His
authority and giving the Spirit of God (aka Christ) to those who believe
(compare 22:69 to Acts 2:30-36). All aspects of God's Plan for Mankind have
been fulfilled or will be fulfilled through Jesus alone (21:5-36; Acts
3:14-26). Luke wrote this to Theophilus, a Gentile and new believer assuring
him that God was still at work in the Church founded by Jesus. Luke presents
God's grace as revealed in Jesus' ministry on Earth - emphasizing that His
Grace is available to Gentiles even with the fact of the promises given to the
Israelites. The rejecting Jesus was by Israel was part of God's Plan to 'graft'
the Gentiles onto the Kingdom of God.
Here are some interesting facts about Luke:
• Luke was not
present with Jesus during His ministry and likely was not a believer until after
Jesus’ resurrection.
• Luke’s attention
to detail and eyewitness accounts serve him as a credible historian for the
life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
• Luke’s gospel
contains several parables and eyewitness accounts that are only in his gospel,
such as a pre-birth account for John the Baptist, the story of the two men who
met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus, as well as stories of
miraculous healing.
• His gospel is the
longest of the four gospels and includes the most healing stories, showing his
interest in and compassion for the sick.
• His gospel also
has the most detailed birth account and a more descriptive death and
resurrection account for Jesus.
• The Gospel of Luke
and the Book of Acts total 52 chapters, making Luke the author of 1/3 of the
New Testament, just like Paul.
• Luke was a friend
and travel companion of Paul.
• He wrote the book
of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
• The book of Luke
was written to give a reliable and precise record of the history of Jesus
Christ's life.
• Luke spelled out
his purpose for writing in the first four verses of chapter one.
• A theme that is
emphasized in the Gospel of Luke is the humanity of Jesus Christ and his
perfection as a human.
• Luke was written
to Theophilus, meaning "the one who loves God." Historians are not
sure who this Theophilus (mentioned in Luke 1:3) was, although most likely, he
was a Roman with an intense interest in the newly forming Christian religion.
• The book is written
to the Gentiles as well, and all people everywhere.
• Luke's Gospel
gives particular emphasis to prayer, miracles, and angels as well. Women are
given an essential place in Luke's writings.
• Only Luke records
something about Jesus’ youth as a 12-year-old and His human growth, thus
strengthening the argument that Luke intends to portray Jesus as a normal and
real man. In Matthew, there are 31 verses on Jesus’ birth, but the whole
description lends to evidence of His kingly status. In Mark and John, there is
no record of His birth or childhood.
“And the little child grew and became strong, being filled
with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” -Luke 2:4
One area Luke shows the humanity of Jesus was in the Garden
of Gethsemane when He prayed.
In this prayer, the Lord’s insight of His death on the cross and
the horror of its reality resulted in a traumatic human experience. The
certainty and finality of everything were nearly impossible to bear as a man.
This was the point of no return. Any logical alternatives at this point were
gone. His prayer, the Father’s will and ‘the cup’ merged.
Jesus’ fear and shock are explicitly described, in a way
quite unlike Jewish and Christian stories of martyrdom. The sufferer here is
not stoic, nor superman strength. He is a man in the fullest sense, tempted and
tried, but not understood at all by his closest friends, who even went to sleep
during his agony.
Although here the synoptic Gospels are similar, only Luke
mentions an angel strengthening Jesus, His being in agony, praying more
earnestly, and sweat becoming like great drops of blood.
“And an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
And being in agony He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like great drops
of blood falling down upon the ground.” -Luke 22:43-44
It’s easy to forget that Jesus was a man in all of this. When
He was arrested, every gospel mentions that Peter cut off the ear of the high
priest’s slave, but only Luke says that Christ healed him. There was no
righteous gloating or secret satisfaction that at least they got a little taste
of their own medicine. He healed him! What did those arresting Him think?
The manner of the healing is also moving. It wasn’t barked
out as a disinterested and slightly annoyed royal command. I can’t imagine the
tension, rage, confusion, and chaos of that scene. I don’t think Peter took off
that ear like a fencer with an expert flick of the wrist. Evidently, he was
swinging for the head to cut into. And right in the middle of that scene was
Jesus, the Son of Man who had not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them
(Luke 9:56). Jesus rendered His healing power by human touch, not by merely
speaking it forth. Although the healing was undoubtedly a divine miracle, it
was performed with the warmth and affection that only the human touch
communicates.
Only in Luke’s account does the Lord here, as He does in so
many other places in this Gospel, refer to Himself as the Son of Man.
Matthew’s version emphasizes Christ’s Kingly status and
authority in verse 53. In Mark’s record, Jesus is hardly visible in the arrest
scene. His submission to the fulfillment of the Scriptures and his silence
toward those arresting Him and leading Him away are seen in verses 49 and 53.
John’s account strongly emphasizes Christ’s divinity in verses 4-6, 8, 9, and
11. “Knowing all the things” shows His omniscience; “I am” is His claim of
absolute deity.
“Jesus answered and said, Let them go this far. And touching
his ear, He healed him.” –Luke 22:51
“Or do you think that I cannot beseech My Father, and He will
provide Me at once with more than twelve legions of angels?” –Matt. 26:53
“But may the Scriptures be fulfilled.” -Mark 14:49
” Whom do you seek? They answered Him, Jesus the Nazarene. He
said to them, I am. And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with
them. When therefore He said to them, I am, they drew back and fell to the
ground.” -John 18:4-6
The Lord only spoke seven sentences on the cross. Three of
the things He said were out of His care for man. While He was dying, He was
concerned, not for Himself, but for His fellow man- for their forgiveness,
salvation, and relationships after His departure.
Only Luke records Jesus’ prayer to the Father for His
murderers’ forgiveness in verse 34 and His conversation with the robber
resulting in his salvation in verses 40-43.
“And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing…” –Luke 23:34
“And He said to him, Truly I say to you, Today you shall be
with Me in Paradise.” –Luke 23:43
If you want to know what a man is, look at his beginning and
end. From the manger to the cross, the two defining and most significant
moments in Jesus’ life, Luke furnishes a touching and compelling testimony.
Some may struggle with the fact Christ was both human and
divine. How do you reconcile the perfect
humanity of Christ with His absolute deity? In answering that question let us
say that our limited knowledge of spiritual things does not enable us to
understand all the mysteries of God fully, but this need not interfere with our
wholehearted acceptance of both doctrines - the humanity and the deity of
Christ. There is one excellent Scripture passage from the writings of Paul that
will help us understand Christ's humanity and His deity. It is Philippians
2:5-8, and states, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus: Who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
This passage makes it understandable that Christ voluntarily took this humanity
upon Himself, and that specific functions of deity were held in abeyance by Him
so that by His humanity He might accomplish a particularly important
purpose--the salvation of lost humanity.
Does it make any difference that our Savior is a man? Yes, it
makes a vast difference. Hebrews 4:15-16 state,
"For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One Who has been tempted in every
way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of
grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us
in our time of need."
The Lord Jesus can sympathize with us in all our trials
because He has had similar experiences to ours. He can rejoice with us and weep
with us. He can enter our experiences.
A little girl came home from school one day and told her
mother, "I just love Mary more than anybody else." And her mother
asked her, "And why do you love her the most?" The child replied,
"Because she cries with me when I cay." It was true empathy that
drew this child to her friend. And it is empathy that brings us to the Son of
God who is also Son of Man. Let us thank God that Jesus Christ is a man as well
as God. No other Person could meet the needs of poor lost humanity. Jesus
Christ is God manifest in the flesh. He
came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Have you accepted this gift of life? No matter your condition in life, Jesus
understands and is willing to help change your life if you only receive His
gift of salvation.
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