November 8, 2020
The Gospel of Luke
Introduction.
Luke’s story of Jesus is a sizable work – the longest book of the NT – written with extreme care. Perfectionists will love Luke. He has the mind of a scientist, the pen of a poet, and the heart of an artist…He wrote to accomplish two specific goals… to provide a factual foundation for the faith of his patron, Theophilus…to present Jesus to unbelievers, proving him to be the perfect God-man who came to save all of humanity
An orderly account of Jesus the Promised Messiah
In the very first verses of this gospel we read that Luke is writing to Theophilus to reassure him about what God’s plan is, what a disciple is called to be and how a disciple participates in the task of proclaiming Jesus. Not only is the proclamation of the message of importance but within this new Christian community the way the disciples are to live in a world hostile to this declaration is also announced. This historical document should always be considered in two parts, the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, which are both inspired by the Holy Spirit and authored by Luke the physician. Luke was Paul’s travelling companion and had access to all eye-witness’ of the life and times of Jesus. Luke wrote this history of Jesus and the formation of the church upon Jesus ascension providing an “orderly account” of what happened. Many references within the gospel of Luke allude to Jesus being the fulfillment of the OT scriptures relating to the promises of the coming Messiah.
As we read and study this book our prayer is that you will gain a fresh glimpse of God’s work in salvation, Jesus as Messiah, Servant, Prophet and Lord. The call of discipleship is summed up in Luke 9:23
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me”.
From the beginning of the gospel the intent is for Luke to provide certainty to Theophilus. To provide a depth of assurance that Jesus is Messiah, Servant, Prophet and Lord.
As a church we plan over the next several years to preach through this gospel. We will not do this consecutively, but in several block throughout the years. We encourage you all to use the ESV scripture journal of the gospel of Luke to make notes and points of application when listening to the sermons.
“Luke’s story of Jesus is a sizable work – the longest book of the NT – written with extreme care. Perfectionists will love Luke. He has the mind of a scientist, the pen of a poet, and the heart of an artist…He wrote to accomplish two specific goals… to provide a factual foundation for the faith of his patron, Theophilus…to present Jesus to unbelievers, proving him to be the perfect God-man who came to save all of humanity”[1]
As you approach each study we would encourage you to:
PRAY: Seek the Lords guidance asking him to teach you through His Word, being convicted by His Spirit, to open your heart to the self-discovery presented by the questions and text of the lesson.
SCRIPTURE: Read the texts outlined in each lesson. As you read these stories try to determine the following: Who are the major and minor characters? What is God’s role in the story? What does the narrator emphasise? What are the issues the story raises? How does this story relate to us? What are the timeless principles?
GET INVOLVED: Be prepared to share your ideas, thoughts and convictions with your small group. Encourage one another in the learning process by being
authentic, honest and practical. Pray for one-another.
[1] Swindoll, p 17.18