Studies in Luke #1
Luke 1:1-4
A Look at Luke
Some of you have been to Israel and walked where Jesus walked; the dusty highways of Judaea; the lovely shores of Galilee; the steep slopes of Mount of Olives; the narrow streets of Jerusalem; or been to the wedding church in Cana of Galilee; and even where He played as a boy in Nazareth. I have been there many times and yet I must confess that there are times when I read my Bible that I get envious of the people who lived in the days when Jesus walked the earth
If you could return to any period of history would you not go back to Palestine in the first century and see Jesus with your own eyes. At what incident would you like to have been present How about the feeding of the five thousand That’s my favourite. Which sermon would you like to have heard Jesus speak How about the upper room
If you could have been there, which group would you identify with. Scribes Pharisees Disciples who followed Him Women who helped Him Boy who gave all More than likely, we would have been like the people of His generation. We would probably have doubted as they doubted . . . and maybe even have said stupid things, as many of His disciples did. Whoever it was I would still love to have seen Him.
I would love to have witnessed His character, because then I would have known firsthand the character of God. I would love to have watched Him work, because then I would have seen with my own eyes the power of God. I would love to have felt His compassion, because then I would have experienced, up close and personal, the heart of God.
Philip once said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us" (John 14:8). I'll never forget Jesus' response: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (v.9).
Do you want to see God Then study the Son of God.
In Luke's life of Christ, you'll find God he presents the Saviour not only real but also reachable for Luke portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, the heaven-sent Savior with a human touch.
Really, we don't have to go back in time to know Jesus. Luke has lifted Him from the pages of history and brought Him to us, to where we are today.
We know Luke was a doctor from Paul's passing comment in Colossians 4:14, which revealed his profession as well as Paul's feelings toward him: "Luke, the beloved physician". In the Apostle's letter to Philemon, he mentioned Luke as one of his "fellow workers" (v.24). Although he was the only Gentile chosen by the Holy Spirit to write a book of the Bible yet he did not primarily write to us. He wrote to a man known as
If you sometimes feel lost in a world that degrades and dehumanizes, allow the ancient physician to acquaint you with the Son of Man-the divine One with the human touch.
He identifies with the real world. Jesus knows where we live and work. He toiled under the harsh sun and felt the hard earth under His feet. He understands what real life is all about.
He is touched with real needs. We might see Jesus as deity, standing in raiment of shimmering white; but we also need to see Jesus as the Son of Man, kneeling beside a ragged leper. As the Son of Man, He views our human suffering through the eyes of One who suffered Himself. As the Son of Man, He feels out pain as if it were His own.
He brings real comfort. Knowing that someone understands is reassuring, but Jesus takes us even further. He offers us real comfort as the Great Physician who not only sympathizes with souls lost in sin but saves them through the power of the Cross.
Theophilus. This man’s name simply means "Lover of God". There is not much we know about him but there are certain things we can learn about his rank and character.
First of all we can conclude he was a man of rank, wealth or great intellect. We see this in Luke addressing him as the "most excellent Theophilus". Theophilus may have been a wealthy citizen of Antioch. And since physicians were often freedmen, it could be that Theophilus once owned Luke as a slave and set him free, after educating him as a physician. The title, "most excellent", seems to bear out that contention.
Interestingly, the name Theophilus means "friend of God". Theophilus may possibly have been a Christian, and Luke might have been the one to lead him to the Lord. Later, he decided to write the gospel and Acts to help ground his friend in the Christian faith. As a new convert he needed to have his faith firmly established. See verse four – "that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou has been instructed". The word instructed is the word that gives us our English word "catechize". The word is that for a learner. Theophilus was a new convert whom Luke was nurturing and helping with him with his assurance in Christ.
John’s Gospel was written that we might believe and having believed we might have everlasting life. John 20:30,31. Luke was written that we might enjoy assurance. Acts was written to help us grow and serve. Salvation is a gift. Assurance is the honey and the cream on that gift. It was Spurgeon who said, "Faith saves us but assurance satisfies us."
Assurance is one of the things with which new converts struggle. Assurance is something that older Christians should try to help new Christians with. A little boy was asked, "Where are you going" "I am going to Sunday School". said the boy. The unbeliever asked, "Why are you going to Sunday School" "To learn about God". The boy replied. "How do you know there is a God" persisted the unbelieving boy. "I believe there is a God because my Sunday School teacher knows Him". It is good to keep company with those who know God. They help us to know Him better. Luke knew God and not only hung around with those who knew Him, he helped others to know God also.
There are three elements that Luke touched on in his introduction that help all of us with assurance.
The Revelation of God’s Word. "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us - an account of the things accomplished -fulfilled - among us…who are servants of the Word."(Luke 1:1)
One of the first hurdles for a new convert to come to terms with is the nature of the Word of God. The Bible is not a collection of facts, events and stories. It is the Word of God. That word is inerrant, inspired and wholly dependable. That word cannot be broken. When the Devil sows doubts about God and His he is contradicting the Word of God. That is what he did to Eve in the Garden. That is what he attempted to do with the Saviour in the desert. We cab depend on god’s Word. The fulfilled prophecies and promises of the Word of God are one of the great testimonies to the authenticity of the Bible.
The Confirmation of God’s Witnesses. "Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;" Eye witnesses and servants of the word..1Joh 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"
Peter also speaks of being a witness of Christ. "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty". We are surrounded by witnesses of Jesus Christ. These witnesses cannot be gainsaid.
Investigation is our work. "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus". A perfect understanding is interesting. Luke was a stickler for detail and accuracy. As a matter of fact he uses medical terms which suggests his scientific approach. The word eyewitness is the word from which we have our English word "autopsy". Luke was having an autopsy of the life of Jesus Christ. It was an investigation of the Word.
The other word is minister or servant of the Word. That is an interesting term. "Servants" simply means "under rowers". The picture is obvious. The captain is on the bridge but the under rowers are down at the water level manning the oars. However, the medical implications is that of a medical house man who is still learning who is under the tuition of the Great Physician.
How much assurance do you have. I invite you to join with us in doing an autopsy on the life of the Lord Jesus.
Luke Luke is unique amongst all the Bible writers. The Bible is very much a Jewish book. Luke was a Gentile, a Greek. It is also reputed that he was the most intellectual of the New Testament writers. Historians say that he was educated at the learning centre of Tarsus and probably Paul and Apollos were contemporaries of his at that school and as a result perhaps led him to Christ and subsequently invited him on Paul’s famous missionary journeys. Luke was a true friend. "Only Luke is with me", the aging Paul wrote to Timothy from his death cell (2Tim. 4:11). Being a man of letters and science you will find Luke to be exact and a stickler for details. See 3:1
A Christian. We are not sure how or where he was saved - some one witnessed to him.
A Physician. He was the beloved physician. Who can measure the depth of Paul's gratitude toward Luke He was more than just a physician; he was a lover of people, a healer of the soul.
He was also humble.
An Historian. Having also authored Acts, Luke penned 28 percent of the New Testament, more material than any other writer, and his Greek has been recognized as the finest in the Bible.7 Yet not once did he include his own name in his work. The closest he came was in the "we" sections in Acts, in which he referred to himself in a most understated manner, beginning in 16:10:
First, the gospel is a sizable work, written with extreme care. Luke wanted Theophilus and anyone else who might read his book to know the "exact truth" about Jesus' life (Luke 1:4). With the care of a physician examining a patient's charts, he not only studied the accounts of "eyewitnesses and servants of the word" (v.2), but he also compiled reams of data and methodically recorded the events "in consecutive order" from the beginning (v.3).
Second, Luke is not the first gospel account. Mark wrote the first gospel, casting Jesus in the role of a servant. Then he passed the gospel pen to Luke, who wrote his book sometime during the decade of the A.D. 50s. As a doctor, Luke gave a "second opinion" of Christ, seeing Him through the eyes of a cultured Greek as the ideal man.
Third, Luke is a book for the detail-oriented person. If you like knowing all the facts, you'll like Luke. Compare, for instance, the different ways Mark and Luke introduce John the Baptizer. Mark writes simply, "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness" (1:4a). But notice the precision with which Luke, the historian, writes:
"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was Tetrach of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness". (Luke 3:1-2)
Fourth, Luke highlights the humanity of Jesus. It makes sense that, of the gospel writers, the physician would be the one most interested in the man Jesus. Reading Luke, you get the feeling you are listening through the doctor's stethoscope to the heartbeat of our Lord, feeling His empathy as He reaches out to those who cross His path. Let's examine a few of the events in Jesus' life that are unique to Luke's account and that particularly draw out Jesus' humanity.
A Theologian. His theme is salvation Jesus identified with a real world – toiled in sun
Systematic "set in order" Jesus is touched with real needs - shimmering
Authoritative "declared." Jesus brings real comfort - Great Physician
A Musician - He gives a melody in your heart.
He gives three four songs Magnificat The Benedictus and the Nunc Dimittis – Gloria
There is a suggested outline for this book within the book. Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man is come… The Son of Man sent
1:1- 4:13 - Thirty years
For the Son of Man is come to seek… The Son of Man seeking
4:14 – 21:38 - Three years
For the Son of Man is come to save… The Son of Man saving
22:1- 24:53 - Eight Days
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