Introduction to Luke

Bible Project-

I really love the way the bible project shows us a visual commentary/overview of different books of the bible. I want to share this wonderful video with you and then tear into it a bit together by way of introduction.

My teaching style

Here is the way I’m going to walk you through this book. I want to teach you the bible. That’s my heart. I want you to know your bible so well. One of my most cherished verses in the bible is what Pastor Rusty shared with us and over me last week. It’s found in

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Sometimes in sermon writing, us pastors can get excited about a word or a point and it’s not the main word or point. So I’d like to teach you the bible first and foremost. And then I’d like to, by way of application, preach the word. I’d like to show you a few words and points that we can take with us afterwards into our everyday life. This will be my most common approach to this book. It’s the only way that I feel that we can do it justice. So you may find me saying write this down, or highlight this in your bible, etc. I’m not certain of what tools you bring with you to church. I, most times, will bring my iPad and a paper bible. I don’t hand write my notes anymore because my writing looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics. But I take notes on my iPad and sometimes I even just read my bible from my iPad because I’ve got 3 kids and don’t have enough hands to carry all the things I want to carry. I’m old school in the sense that I still prefer a paper bible, but man does crossway’s ESV and Youversion ever have a good bible app, amen? I’m not concerned with which bible you have, digital or hard copy, just that you have one and a way to take notes in some way. Not because I think I’m anything special that you need to take notes, but I believe in the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and in your life and that we should take note of where the Spirit leads us in understanding His word together; Are you with me?

Paul on Trial:

I’m going to take you on a journey with me to understand why our beloved Luke writes both Luke and Acts. See, Luke, as we have learned, is a gentile doctor. Luke is a brilliant man who loves Jesus and I believe that this happens to every Christian at some point: You stop, and look at your life, and you say, “God, how do I use all that I am for your glory?” So Luke uses his writing skills, his research skills, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, He writes some of the greatest literature known to human history. But Why? Here is the greatest theory, and I believe in it wholeheartedly and will show you from the scriptures why I believe in it.

Put your mind in the bible with me for a second; at the very end of the book of Acts. Paul is awaiting trial, not just for his life but for the sake of the gospel. The gospel is on trial, Jesus is on trial. Are you with me? Paul is in need of a document that can comprehensively share what it is that he believes and what has happened, accurately, from the moment Jesus is born, to the very moment he is awaiting trial. I believe, for such a time as this, that Doctor Luke is given a God ordained opportunity to use all that he is for the kingdom of God and writes a profound account of the life, teachings, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus who is the Christ and the birthing of the Church in all of her glory. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke, and Acts, becomes a 2 part Testimony and court document that will display Jesus and His good news for the world to see, amen? Now with that Lengthy introduction, Let’s partake of the Gospel of Luke together.

The first four verses of Luke’s gospel are one sentence in the original Greek. They are written in refined, academic, classical style. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man. Through this, Luke says to us, “This account has all the proper academic and scholarly credentials, use it. But it is written for common people like you and me to understand.” Luke wrote so that people would understand Jesus, not so they would admire his brain and literary skill. This is a key concept for you and I when we evangelize or share the good news, isn’t it? Would you give them Jesus? That’s what they need. Don’t share how great your brain and skills are, they don’t need that, it won’t get them into right relationship with Jesus. Give them Jesus and let his Spirit do the work, amen?

Verse by Verse teaching:

Many have taken in hand: Luke wrote his gospel knowing that many had already written histories of the life of Jesus. This may be a reference to the works of Mark and Matthew (most people think John was written after Luke), and it may also refer to other biographies of Jesus not directly inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Those things which have been fulfilled among us: The previously mentioned writings contain things already commonly known and believed among Christians of Luke’s day. When Luke wrote, most Christians already knew all about the life of Jesus, both from the oral accounts passed on by the original disciples, and by the biographies that had already been written.

With the word us, Luke put himself in the community of Christians who believed and received the accounts of Jesus’ life. Luke was a companion of Paul (Acts 16:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24) and Paul called him the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14). Luke was a doctor and therefore a man of science and research, and this is reflected in his history of the life of Jesus.
ii. By every indication, Luke was a Gentile. Colossians 4:10-11 and 4:14 show that he wasn’t Jewish, because he was not included in the group who are of the circumcision. This makes Luke unique in that he is the only New Testament writer who was a Gentile.
iii. God gave this lone Gentile writer a great privilege. Because he also wrote the book of Acts (which makes up the second volume of this Gospel), Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other human writer did (assuming that Paul did not author the letter to the Hebrews).

Main Point 1: “US”

Do you know how powerful this word is to the church? We, us. Hey, in a world fixated on pronouns right now friends, I want you to know Church pronouns. We/us. These are our pronouns. Are you hurting? Are you sick? Do you need a people to rally with you and for you? Someone to share the load, someone to do life with. A people who love fiercely, who rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Well, that is who WE are. This is a loose translation of Jesus’ words but it’s written in a way that really ministers to my heart. If you need Jesus right now, would you hear the words of the lover of your soul right now:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

This is why our pronouns matter. There’s no I or me in church. We are people that’s others focused. If you want to get technical about your letters, like when they say there’s no I in team, well there’s no I in Church. But there is a U in church. You belong in this church. And if you haven’t felt that in awhile or you never knew that, and you are here today or online, know that this church is here for you. Arms open wide like the arms of your heavenly father saying come. Be with us. You are a part of our we and us. You’re probably thinking how could you possibly know that? You are so brand new to this church. Yeah, that’s true. But I know this church to be a tangible source of the love of Jesus in my life. Through every meal, every jar of honey, every sip of elderberry syrup, every prayer, every present under our christmas tree that I didn’t deserve, the way you’ve loved and accepted my boys and my wife, the way you’ve accepted me. Yet I know the love of God. and I know the love of God because of Friends Church.

Those who from the beginning were undoubtedly the apostles, who were with Jesus from the very start. But those who from the beginning would also include people such as Mary herself, whom Luke probably interviewed in his research for this history of the life of Jesus.

It seemed good to me also: Luke was not one of those who was an eyewitness of events from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Yet he put himself in the same line as others who wrote their accounts of Jesus’ life from first-hand experience (such as Matthew and Mark), because his account was based on diligent research and a perfect understanding of events.

To write to you an orderly account: Having already read Matthew and Mark’s account, Luke wanted to give a third account with an emphasis on comprehensiveness and order. Therefore, Luke is the most comprehensive gospel. He documents the story of Jesus’ all the way from the annunciation of John the Baptist to Jesus’ ascension.

• Luke is the most universal gospel. In Luke, Gentiles are often put in a favorable light- I think this might also be a form of flattery as a trial document for a gentile court who’s reading it.
• Luke’s gospel is the one most interested in the roles of women, children, and social outcasts. We’ll dig into these things as the book leads us there.
• The gospel of Luke is the one most interested in prayer. He has seven different references to Jesus praying that are found in this gospel alone.
• Luke’s gospel is the one with the most emphasis on the Holy Spirit and on joy.
• Luke’s gospel is the one with the most emphasis on preaching the good news (the gospel). This term is used ten times in this Gospel (and only once in any other Gospel) as well as fifteen additional times in Acts.

Most excellent Theophilus: Luke addressed his gospel to a man named Theophilus, but it was also written with a wider audience in mind. By his title (most excellent), we gather that Theophilus was probably a Roman government official. The fact is that we really do not know who Theophilus was, which is why there are several different theories as to who he might be. No matter how much evidence there may or may not be for each theory, the simple fact is we do not know who Theophilus was because the Bible does not identify who he was. And this leads me to a point of concern as we approach our bible as a whole, please write this one down for our learning together: Where the bible speaks, I am to speak. Amen? In its reciprocal form, which is just as trustworthy and true for us today: Where the bible is silent, we must remain silent.

The name “Theophilus” literally means “loved by God,” but carries the idea of “friend of God.”

Main Point 2: Theophilus- This Gospel is for you

This leads us to our second main point. You are theophilus. Yes, of course I believe that Luke was writing this to a man named Theophilus who was probably a Roman official for Paul’s trial, but I don’t believe God makes mistakes or that “coincidentally” the guy’s name means loved by God or friend of God. God chose and elected that very man to be on that trial. And God chose that name Theophilus for a dual purpose: the man’s name, and so that when it would be read for all of eternity as the word of God, we would be reminded that the gospel is for us! It’s for me. It’s for you. It’s for those who are loved by God, those who are the friends of God. If you are here today, friend, the gospel is for you. God wanted you to be here, and it has a dual purpose as well: You are here to hear the gospel, and you are here to respond to the gospel. We hear God’s word, and by faith, we respond to God’s word amen? This has been specifically and corporately addressed to each and every one of us and I take great joy in that.

We are going to close with this final verse and our final point together where Luke writes his why: Here is his why, why is he writing this at all?

Luke 1:4 “So that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

Isn’t that powerful? I want to have certainty about the things of God, don’t you? I want to know that God is with me and I want to live my life with certainty that this God cares for me. Luke is going to lay out the life and ministry of Jesus to us and I want to know that this same Jesus said and meant those things to me also. I need that in my life. You need that in your life. So by way of introduction, welcome to the book of Luke.