Tag: Luke

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Luke: The Boy Jesus at the Temple

Read: Luke 2:41-52

Today we read a story that I’ve read a hundred times. It reveals the incredible truth that Jesus was fully human and, we later appreciate, fully God. Of all the stories, I’m so grateful that Luke was careful about choosing this one.

There are times when I read a verse that my head seems to spin, my thoughts get completely lost and I simply have to stop. This is one of those:

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. Luke 2:41

I’m sure that most will read that verse and continue on to the main point of the story, but when I read the first four words today, I froze.

Every year

This young couple (well, at least Mary was young) invested 30 years into Jesus’ life before His public ministry began. Three-Zero. Something like 11,000 days Mary and Joseph woke up to see Jesus. At first they tended to Him when He was a baby. Feeding, dressing, holding, cleaning. Routine things you do with an infant. Later, getting excited about first steps, walking, talking, playing.

I don’t know when Joseph left the scene, but I can’t help but imagine the looks they gave each other and the conversations that began with, “what do we teach the Son of God?” Seriously!

Jesus’ parents

Jesus’ parents were so faithful, so obedient, completely confident that God would do what He said, that they raised Jesus in a home alongside other families, John the Baptist, His cousin, other children, James. I know I’m rambling a bit because, as I said, I’m lost in the wonder of thousands of days when Jesus called Mary and Joseph–mom and dad.

Perhaps this is the perfect couple. Jesus would later be referred to as the simple one that came from a lowly village, but no words are recorded that belittle Mary and Joseph. Not once do we read something negative about Jesus’ parents.

Thank you Lord for such an example of faithful, loving parents.

And then, the rest of the story. These perfect parents lose Jesus.

Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. Luke 2:44-45

They went back to find Him…oh my! They went back kicking and screaming, hair on fire, holy fill-in-the-blank, weren’t you paying attention, he said, she said–where is Jesus?!?!

I don’t know about you, but I’m sure that most of us have misplaced a child at least once, or maybe it’s just me. Like the Sunday when our oldest two, Miranda and Katrina, decided to walk to church, 12 miles away. Talk about panic! Or they time Alyssa took a nap in the third seat of our 15-passenger van. Oh yes, when we did not find them, we went looking with all kinds of thoughts running through our minds, no doubt. Looking back, knowing the complete story, I can be calm–not in the moment.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Luke 2:48

Anxiously searching, to say the least. Jesus was merely sitting with the elders having a conversation. I wonder if some of these same elders would later be early Christians, memories of this time flooding their minds when they heard stories about the preacher on the hillside.

Jesus’ response is amazing:

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Luke 2:49-50

No worries mom and dad, we were just walking to church, I was just taking a nap, or we decided it would be fun to walk in the woods, etc. We weren’t trying to upset you, we were just doing our own thing. Isn’t this what we want? Eventually, our children grow up and become independent of parents. Just not starting at 12!

The Son of God continues to amaze us as He shows His reverence for mom and dad, the earthly parents:

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. Luke 2:51

As a parent, this chapter tugs and pulls on my heart. You’ve probably figured that out by now. It’s such a challenging task to raise children, constantly wondering if this was the right discipline or if we should just let that slide with a glance and raised eye-brow. It simply amazes me that Jesus was obedient to his parents on earth. He walked and talked with his relatives and friends for many years before His ministry began.

Lord, of all the stories You could tell, all the books You could have inspired, thank you for giving us this insight into the early life of Jesus.

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Luke: Jesus Presented in the Temple

Read: Luke 2:22-40

The narrative of Jesus’ early life is brief, sometimes too brief. We wonder what He was like as a child, did He play? did He say incredibly funny things as He learned to talk? Are these thoughts irreverent? I have Rich Mullins moments at times–this is one of those times: Boy Like Me/Man Like You. Hope you take a few minutes, skip the ad, and enjoy that song (especially the fretless bass).

Mary and Joseph

Today’s passage invites us to consider Simeon and Anna, the old and faithful along with the young and humble parents, Mary and Joseph.

The young parents continue to do their duty with great faith. I’m so amazed by their testimony. Very few words in scripture about Mary and Joseph, especially Joseph, but each time we read them we’re left with more and more respect for them. Here, they are once again simply doing their duty. No fanfare, no huge announcements, just going to the temple as required.

and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:24

The simple sacrifice gives us the impression that Joseph was not among the wealthiest, just a simple man taking care of his family. Let that thought sink in for a moment. These two are God’s choice of parents. No flash, no pizzazz. Simple. Faithful. They won’t pastor a megachurch or host a YouTube channel. All they would do is raise the savior of the world. That’s all.

Simeon

Simeon waited his whole life for this moment and here it is, the chance to see the savior in the flesh as promised. Faithful through the decades, Simeon finally gets to recite the blessing I suspect he practiced for years.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34-35

Notice he said this to Mary. He didn’t shout it from the mountaintops, though I suspect he wanted to! Mary and Joseph let the words sink deep in their hearts. There’s no way they can understand the depth of the words. They’re just doing their duty.

Anna

To round out the scene, Luke presents a prophet who is able to see beyond the years and know that this very child is the child.

Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38

She will not keep silent, but she doesn’t appear to be some radical zealot. She begins by thanking God, there’s something in that simple statement for us to consider. It’s interesting that she speaks to those looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem, not everyone.

There you have it — young, old, male, female, Luke covers the bases by showing us that God is speaking to everyone.

Jesus, the child

And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. Luke 2:40

Given the lack of insight into His early years, I suppose I shouldn’t dwell on the thought much, but I would love to see how he interacted with the kids in the neighborhood. Seems like I could learn a lot as a parent. Then again, my children are not born of the Holy Spirit! They come from broken parents attempting to keep it together day by day. We’ll keep doing the best we can, looking to each other for help and support as we celebrate success and mourn shortcomings.

Lord, let us learn from these examples of humble service to Your church, the body of Christ.

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Luke: The Birth of Jesus

Read: Luke 2:1-21

Without a doubt, this passage is one of my all time favorites. I can still close my eyes and see myself as a pre-teen reading this in front of Church of The Way Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (a very long time ago). Luke’s masterful writing of Jesus’ birth is a wonderful work of art that gives us historical context, the intrigue of angels, interaction with shepherds, and a view of the most humble servants on the planet: Mary and Joseph.

Humble beginnings is certainly one of the themes we take from this passage. A young couple, a manger, shepherds, in a small town. Nothing about this evokes the beginnings of a kingdom. No doubt by design, of course, as Herod and the Roman authorities are unaware of the details.

Joseph

I wish we knew more about Joseph. Matthew provides a bit more detail about how Joseph accepted his role (see Matthew 1:18-25 and my thoughts from August 2017 and May 2015). Suffice it to say, Joseph was a man of honor.

In the past, I read this verse as a simple statement of fact:

He went there to register with Mary, … Luke 2:5a

But in researching the passage, one author noted that Mary didn’t have to go with Joseph to complete his obligation for registration. Perhaps this would be better stated, from an ancient viewpoint, as Joseph didn’t need to take Mary with him. They weren’t married, she was pregnant, and he simply had an obligation to fulfill.

In my worldview, of course they went together, but in ancient days, the husband/wife roles were much different. Luke’s observation provides insight into the humble birth of the Son of God while giving us a glimpse into the worthiness of Mary and Joseph, as noted in my opening remarks, an incredibly humble young Jewish couple.

Shepherds

The long awaited Messiah is announced to the average Joe, just common folk out doing their very ordinary job of tending to sheep. This is incredibly encouraging for us to consider. The Creator of the universe demonstrates His desire to be with His people by walking with us as a human (honestly, this concept is far to grand for me to consider, but I’m over that by now!). What could be more fitting than to involve the average working class people: shepherds.

The NIVAC makes an important observation to complete this thought:

Noteworthy too is the choice of shepherds to be among the first to hear about the new child and see him. Some commentators argue that the shepherds symbolize God’s meeting the despised, but this negative reputation for shepherds is later than the first-century Judaism. 1NIV Application Commentary

From King David’s upbringing as a shepherd to the imagery in Psalm 23 and many other places throughout the Bible, we walk away with the idea that being a shepherd isn’t a grand job, but it is one that fuels the agricultural economy of the day. Shepherds might have later become a despised bunch, but in context, we hope to learn how to shepherd flocks as pastors tend to wayward sheep.

Angels

I really wish I could see something even remotely close to this scene.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14

Even if I needed a change of clothing after the event (use your imagination), I would love to witness something this spectacular! I hope that there is a video replay room in heaven that allows us to see what that looked like and how the shepherds responded. I’m lost in the wonder of the scene.

The angels can’t sit idle, they simply must enter the scene in full chorus. This is the moment they’ve been waiting for, the day that has been foretold for so many years. How magnificent and how wonderful is our God who wants to be with us!

Mary

Our Catholic brothers and sisters honor Mary with great dignity, seeing her as one who must be highly regarded. Luke’s words are few and yet powerful:

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Having watched a few videos recently of the Gospel accounts, Mary is depicted as one of few words, but careful actions. When we fast-forward to the crucifixion scene, we know Mary is there and I’m sure this moment comes to mind. She’s been visited by an angel, told of her role, knows beyond a doubt that she is a virgin (I’m confident most would not agree), and delivers Jesus in a manger, gently wrapping him in cloths.

Mary is an amazing example of a humble servant.

Humble

I know I’ve used the word humble a five or six times in this post, but I can’t help but consider the significance of the word. The opposite might be arrogant or pretentious, a position Mary could have taken given the fact that this is the Messiah she’s holding! But the lesson here is for us to consider and the repetition of the word is fitting in my mind.

As we attempt to spread the Gospel of Jesus throughout our world, we must learn from Joseph, the shepherds, and Mary — we must exude humility. In fulfilling our roles as disciple makers, we build relationships by loving people, not by cowering over them. Yes, we are heirs to the kingdom that will never end, members of a select group that embody the power of the universe, but we have no right to inflect a pious attitude on anyone.

If some loud proclamation is appropriate, let’s let the angels enter the scene with their heavenly trumpets!

Lord, thank you for this beautiful passage. Help us to be like Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, humble servants of the King of kings.

 

Note:

  1. Wilkins, Michael J.; Garland , David E.; Bock, Darrell L.; Burge, Gary M.; Fernando, Ajith. NIVAC Bundle 6: Gospels, Acts (The NIV Application Commentary) (Kindle Locations 45918-45920). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Luke: The Birth of John the Baptist and Zechariah’s Song

Read: Luke 1:57-80

I’ve been using the NIVAC (NIV Application Commentary) to unpack each section of scripture, to learn from scholars who’ve invested their lives in understanding Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and complex histories about the life and time of those who walked with Jesus. Today’s passage is wonderful. I’m excited to add some thoughts on Luke’s words here, but please take time to read the next post that focuses on the NIVAC’s prophetic coverage of this section.

We start off with the birth of John the Baptist. He’s born to parents who have been blessed by God to have a child in their old age that will serve the Lord like no other. Elizabeth has no doubt spoken to her neighbors and relatives about the favor shown on her.

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. Luke 1:58

She uses this as an opportunity for evangelism in an age were mysticism and a plethora of gods would have been sought for fertility and help. This is not some goddess, this is a gift from the one true God—have no doubt people!

After all these years, Zechariah’s son would surely carry his name, right?

but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” Luke 1:60

It makes sense to name the boy Zechariah, but Elizabeth and Zechariah both knew this was a sign from God. Did God reveal the name to Elizabeth? Or did Zechariah write that out at some point in the last 9 months?

Does peer pressure win? Is doing what the Jones’s would do more important than what God requires? My imagination runs a bit wild here. What would it be like to have 9+ months of silence to reflect on my life and service to God? Would I be bitter? Or would I fully confess Christ as savior? I know what the church answer is, but I wonder how well I would do after the third or fourth day, week or month.

I get the idea that Zechariah had a lot of time to reflect about this event. He was a priest, a godly man; married to a woman who also honored God. They’ve be careful to honor the Lord for decades, why would this change now?

Zechariah reinforces his wife’s assertion that his name will break tradition, that he will be called John.

Silence is broken.

With that public proclamation, the curse of Gabriel is broken and Zechariah can now speak again. The first words from his mouth are those of praise to God. Surely, he’s rehearsed the words in his mind over the last months. He’s not been in solitary confinement, but unable to orally express thoughts in a culture steeped in oral tradition must have been trying to say the least.

Zechariah’s had lots of time to consider this moment and he wastes no time in declaring God’s sovereignty over this child’s role in life:

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; 
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Luke 1:76, 78-79

Luke sets up his message carefully, with great intentionality. This would be a special child indeed!

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. Luke 1:80

Secluded. Shielded from others. Sometimes I wonder if it is necessary to be so worldly in order to be effective.

Will I be a saint in my seventies? Continuously looking to serve the Lord, to understand Him better? Surely there is much to learn, more lessons for myself, more things to do for Christ. I hope and pray I can keep learning until my days on earth are done.

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Luke: Mary Visits Elizabeth; The Magnificat

Read Luke 1:39-56

A remarkable meeting of Mary and Elizabeth followed by Mary’s Song, The Magnificat. The two women play such a significant part of the male dominated history of our ancestors. It seems fitting that Luke would take time and space to honor them by recording an exciting moment when they meet during pregnancy: Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. Mary pours our her soul in the words of the Magnificat as a result of this moving moment.

The key word I take from this meeting is humility. Mary and Elizabeth show themselves as completely humber servants of the Lord Almighty. Neither attempt to jockey for position as better or more fitting. They are equal heirs in the kingdom of God.

God Does What He Says He Will Do

In the Gospel of Mark, we focused on that which Jesus did, His actions. One of the key aspects of Luke’s writing is to demonstrate that God keeps His end of the covenant–He does what He said. This is one of the big take-aways from reading the Bible in general, something I hope to encourage more people to do on a consistent basis this year.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

After the angel’s visit, Mary hurries to meet Elizabeth, to this other miracle firsthand. Mary’s excitement is eclipsed by Elizabeth’s reaction:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41

Even in the womb, Elizabeth’s baby is stirred by the Spirit. The meeting causes Elizabeth to make some astounding proclamations:

  • Mary is blessed among women
  • Mary’s baby is blessed
  • Elizabeth is richly favored by Mary’s presence

Elizabeth’s loud announcement ends with this fitting tribute:

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:45

Mary’s Song — The Magnificat

Mary’s humility is noteworthy and provides an example for us to consider as we think about our prominent positions as heirs in Christ’s kingdom:

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. Luke 1:46-48

Mary receives the blessing from Elizabeth in complete humility by pointing to the One who is the Lord of all. Although Mary will be remembered throughout generations, it’s His mighty works and great deeds that cause us to sing.

The last words punctuate the significance of Mary’s song:

just as he promised our ancestors. Luke 1:55

It is this very promise that inspires us to follow Jesus. This promise inspires us to write, to sing and play music, to help others selflessly, to be the creative beings God calls us to be.

As the new year kicks off in full swing now, I pray you will be inspired by the humility of the one young lady chosen by God as worthy to carry His Son.

 

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Luke: The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Read: Luke 1:26-38

Another visitation to fulfill the prophesy of old, the One who would come into the world and redeem its people. I’m in awe of this young woman as I read through this passage over and over again. It seems the best I could hope for is one percent of the faith of Mary. Perfect timing for the beginning of a new year. May God bless you with these words from Luke this morning.

The Angel Gabriel has another message for the world, again in private, this time to a young woman who will become known as the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28

Luke makes note that this is in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, one month after her seclusion. Perhaps the high-risk pregnancy has reached the point that Elizabeth is able to let people see that she is with child. Now, to this extended family, Mary is singled out as one who is worthy of carrying the Christ child to birth.

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Luke 1:29

Greatly troubled indeed! The appearance of an angel has to be frightening for anyone. Gabriel assures Mary that she has found favor with God, that his visit is not to be construed as anything other than something good. Ok, calm down heart, I’m not about to be erased.

Then Gabriel tells Mary something no one would have expected or even considered as a possibility. She will conceive a son, the Son, and His kingdom will have no end.

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, but there’s a problem: Mary is a virgin. It’s impossible for her to have a child at this time–she’s not even married yet. In my mind I see the interaction between Mary and Gabriel as one of quiet words, of off-glances, afraid to make eye contact, then staring intently trying to accept the words.

Mary hears the words clearly. I’m guessing there was a moment of silence as she listened again before she asked:

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34

This is a significant question. Look carefully, she doesn’t doubt Gabriel’s words one bit, she’s just looking for clarification. Zechariah’s question of Gabriel was one filled with anxiety, “How can I be sure of this” (Luke 1:18). He wanted a sign to point to as evidence. Mary simply seeks to understand, she gets that this thing is about to happen.

Gabriel explains the process and reveals to Mary that Elizabeth is already in month six of a pregnancy that few knew about (my guess).

Then he says this remarkable thing:

For no word from God will ever fail. Luke 1:37

Slow down this morning and let that sink in: no word from God will ever fail. Here we have a visit from the very throne room of God, providing a word for a private audience of one young woman who is the delight of the Father. Rest assured, what He has spoken will happen.

Mary’s response overwhelms me to consider:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:38

She humbly accepts the word spoken over her. No doubt. No sign required. No safety net requested. Complete faith. Amazing.

Last night, our worship pastor challenged us to step out in faith this year. She offered a personal story that changed her course dramatically, a point in time when it was clear that God required her to alter her plans in favor for God’s better direction. Since that time I think it’s fair to say that she now listens most carefully to what God is saying, to His word.

I suspect there are seminal moments in each of our lives that can do the same if we were to pause and consider Mary’s response: May your word to me be fulfilled.

William Wallace is credited with the quote:

Every man dies, but not every man really lives.

Those of us who have received the Holy Spirit by faith, not because we earned anything, listen to that voice that’s whispering inside your heart right now. Go and live out your faith. Shine bright so the world can see. Be the Lord’s servant as Mary so boldly declared.

Receive these words from Paul as he wrote to the young believers in Galatia:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

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Luke: The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

Read: Luke 1:5-25

Luke takes some time to introduce Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist, as they are blessed by a visit from the angel Gabriel. This is a story of devotion to service that is rewarded far beyond expectation. Zechariah’s immediate reaction results in losing his ability to speak while Elizabeth quickly figures out this is a sign from God. It’s most interesting to read that John will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he’s born. What an amazing child he must have been!

Zechariah and Elizabeth

John’s parents are shown here as honorable, righteous servants of God, devout followers of His commands. Since we know Jesus has many harsh words for the Jewish leadership, it’s significant to note that all are not bad, there are those among the masses that truly follow the Lord.

Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Luke 1:6-7

Zechariah’s Service & Gabriel’s Announcement

One day while Zechariah was simply performing his honorable service, he’s visited by the angel Gabriel. But before we skip ahead, consider that he had no idea this day was going to be the day.  He and Elizabeth are very old, so they’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands of days in the service of God in various ways at the temple. It’s simply what they do and apparently they do it well.

Gabriel appears on the scene and as we come to expect, the visitation is frightening!

the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John…he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. Luke 1:15-16

The announcement is amazing! The angel knows his desire for a son, but the sense I get from the testimony is that Zechariah and Elizabeth are not bitter about their predicament; rather, they’ve accepted their positions and chose to serve the Lord faithfully. This is a great example for us to follow as we pray, as we serve the Lord.

Gabriel tells him John will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. Seriously! What kind of baby will this be? Their devoted lives will be blessed by a very special child, one who will prepare the way for Jesus.

Zechariah’s Not So Sure, Wants a Sign

Perhaps the visitation was too much for Zechariah, or maybe the years of unanswered prayer put him in a defensive posture. I truly appreciate his attitude. How often do we pray for something that seems to go unanswered? How would I react if an angel visited and not only answered my prayer, but went on to explain the result would change the world? I guess I would slip just like Zechariah:

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Luke 1:18-20

Oops! Not a good plan to question one who dwells in the presence of God! Gabriel takes his voice. Zechariah will be silent until John is born. He won’t be able to say the required words of blessing, nor explain what he saw. Instead, he will spend months listening to what others say. Interesting. I wonder how much I could learn if I listened more.

Elizabeth Becomes Pregnant

His silence is significant and in a matter of weeks, Elizabeth puts the pieces of the puzzle together:

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1:25

She’s no fool. At a very old age she becomes pregnant–that’s not normal! Zechariah’s silence and their answer to prayer mean that there is something significant at play here. She’ll have to wait for the verbal explanation, but for now, at her age, she goes into seclusion, a high-risk pregnancy for sure.

Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a son, just to be blessed with a family. What they received was a visitation from the throne room of God and a soon-to-be prophet that would rock their world!

Lord, we know that there are no guarantees for rewards on earth, even for those who are completely faithful and committed to Your ways. It’s wonderful to read this story that gives us hope, not necessarily a visit by an angel, but the assurance that You hear our prayers. May we be faithful to our calling, to that which you place before us each day. May that be enough.

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Luke: Dedication to Theophilus

Today we begin to read through Luke’s gospel account of the life of Jesus. Here’s an overview of where we will venture over the next several weeks:

  1. The Preface (1:1–4)
  2. The Births of John the Baptist and Jesus (1:5–2:52)
  3. The Preparation of Jesus for His Public Ministry (3:1–4:13)
  4. His Ministry in Galilee (4:14–9:9)
  5. His Withdrawal to Regions around Galilee (9:10–50)
  6. His Ministry in Judea (9:51–13:21)
  7. His Ministry in and around Perea (13:22–19:27)
  8. His Last Days: Sacrifice and Triumph (19:28–24:53)

As usual, I’m in no hurry and always appreciate your thoughts as I ponder each paragraph (section) at a time. Obviously, some of those above will take time to consider. That’s the joy of walking through the Bible!

The NIVAC notes that this is the longest gospel account in terms of verses, plus this surprising trivia fact:

Luke as an author is the largest contributor to the New Testament with a total of 2,157 verses (Luke + Acts). Paul has a total of 2,032 verses.NIV Application Commentary, Introduction to Luke

All that to say, don’t be in a hurry to get through Luke! This is gonna take some time and we get to hear from an author who was very intentional about his thoughts.

Pull up a chair, grab some coffee, and let’s get started.

Read: Luke 1:1-4

Between Luke and Paul, we are truly blessed that these two invested their time in writing down their God-inspired words for their followers, words we are able to consider in our daily walk.

Luke begins by telling us that like others who have reported on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies through the life of Jesus Christ, he will consider all the facts and provide a detailed perspective on these significant events. Everything will be considered, but as we know, not everything will be written.

With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Luke 1:3-4

Careful Investigation

No doubt other writings were circulating when Luke worked on his volume (between the 60s and 80s A.D.). Given the careful attention to oral histories, the eyewitnesses that were still around provide him with a wealth of information. Cities still existed and the destruction of the temple (~70 A.D.) was still current news. Luke has much to consider as he begins.

Theophilus

Some speculate that Theophilus was a Gentile that was first converted to Judaism, then Christianity. From this view, he’s an outsider trying to fit in; one who wants to understand how all this works. I love this perspective as it gives us a framework to work within as we seek to spread the gospel to others in our contemporary context. We need to learn not to speak in churchese, like secret buzz words, etc. We need to be able to talk to the Theophilus’ of today. Luke honors Theophilus by given him the title, “most excellent.” I wonder how much better our conversations might go if we greeted other Christ followers as most excellent. Something to consider!

Certainty of the Things You’ve Been Taught

This is all about the call to make disciples who will make disciples. This is why we need to take time to write things down. We don’t need to publish a book or post blogs everyday, but it is important to pause and write your thoughts down. This is an important way to work out your faith and confirm what you’ve been taught. We are not blindly following the blind. As we invest time to journal (or blog), we get better at making disciples! Our primary mission in life is to go into the world and make disciples. We need to keep this in mind at all times, our motto, our mission, our purpose.

Consider this thought: If the only thing I was good at was making disciples, what more could I possibly want? If I couldn’t write code or play guitar, if I couldn’t create videos or write music, but I could make disciples, how would my life look when it is done and I come face-to-face with Jesus? I think He would be pleased.

That’s not a ticket to disregard our gifts! We must not act like fools. We know the Spirit has given us gifts for the building up of the church, the body of Christ. All I’m suggesting is that this all fits under the umbrella of discipleship. Use your gifts, you must. Make disciples, it’s a command.

I’m so excited to learn from Luke! Lord, help us to read and understand what we need to learn from Your word and how to go and make disciples.

Love God. Love Others. Love Yourself.

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