Every birth is a miracle, and every child is a gift from God. But 2017 years ago, the miracle of miracles occurred. A baby was born through Immaculate Conception, and he was the Son of God (fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” (written 700 years B.C.). Dr. Luke, as though he were the attending physician, provides the details of this blessed event, featuring a virgin mother, a divine Father, and a begotten Son who was destined to change the world forever.
Luke affirms Jesus as the Son of God, but his emphasis is on Jesus the Son of Man. He is writing to Theophilus and to the Gentiles. (Theophilus was probably a Roman officer or official who loved God, and most likely supported the early Church.) As a doctor, Luke was a man of science; as a Greek, he was a man of detail. In fact, he is the only Gentile author in the New Testament, authoring not only his Gospel, but also the Book of Acts. (Both writings are respected historical documents.) Luke was a friend, traveling companion and personal physician of Apostle Paul. This unique position gave him ample opportunity to interview the disciples, to access other historical documents, and to be an eyewitness to the birth and growth of the early Church. Luke’s intent was to present an accurate account of Jesus’ life (including a glimpse of his middle years) and to present him as the perfect human and Savior.
Luke’s Gospel, like Matthew’s and Mark’s, is also divided into three sections. The first is BIRTH AND PREPARATION OF JESUS, THE SAVIOR. (1:1-4:13) As you read this, I encourage you to follow along in your own Bible. This is only a structural outline, and is intended to peak your interest as I highlight the three sections by using selected Scriptures to accentuate each subsection. 1A: “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman. The Lord is with you!’ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be frightened, Mary, for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!’ Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy and he will be called the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants.” (1: 26-35; 37-38) Because it was time for the census, Joseph, a descendent of King David, and his pregnant wife, Mary, had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in Judea. “While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son, and she wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no room in the village inn. That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!’ Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.’ Then the shepherds ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. Then they told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard this story were astonished.” (1:6-18)
1B: Jesus is Presented in the Temple: According to Jewish tradition, eight days after the birth of a son, he is to be circumcised and dedicated to the Lord. “A prophet named Simeon was at the temple. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying: “Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (2:28-32)
1C: Jesus Speaks with the Teachers: When Jesus was twelve years old, his family attended the Passover festival as usual, and when the celebration was over, they returned home. But unbeknown to his parents, Jesus stayed behind. When this was discovered, his family returned to Jerusalem to search for their boy. “Three days later they found him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, discussing deep questions with them. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents didn’t know what to think. ‘Son!’ his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.’ Jesus answered, ‘But why did you need to search? You should have known that I would be in my Father’s house.’ But they didn’t understand what he meant.” (2:46-50)
Second section: MESSAGE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS, THE SAVIOR (4:14-21:38) 2A: Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues and everyone praised him. However, Jesus returned to Nazareth where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into their synagogue, as was the custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (4:14-21) After Jesus had chosen Levi (Matthew) to be one of his followers, “Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus knew their thoughts and answered them: ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (5: 29-31) When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Then he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” (9:1-5)
2B Jesus’ Ministry on the way to Jerusalem: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha’, the Lord replied, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (10:38-41) “Now tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told this parable: ‘Suppose a shepherd had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (15:1-7)
1C Jesus’ Ministry in Jerusalem: As Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, through adoring crowds and their palm branches , “some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.!” (19:39-40) In order to trick Jesus, the religious leaders sent spies to question him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ Jesus saw through their duplicity and said, ‘Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s’ They were unable to trap him. Astonished by his answer, they became silent” (20:20-26)
DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE SAVIOR (22:1-24:53) Jesus was extremely anxious about the upcoming events. He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (22:41-44) Jesus was executed outside of Jerusalem on a hill called Skull, or Golgotha. “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” as the soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots. (23:33-34) After his crucifixion and buriel, Jesus appeared to his Disciples while they were in hiding. “They were talking about what had happened when Jesus appeared among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I, myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” At a later time when Jesus met with his disciples, he said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses to these things. I am going to send to you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. (the indwelling Holy Spirit) Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany and lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” (24:36-51)
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May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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