Who wrote Luke?

  • Consider “them” vs. “we”
    • Acts 1:1-5 – Luke obviously not an apostle.
    • Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-12; 21:1-28:16 – Was a participant in Acts
      • Shows Luke with Paul and his entourage
      • Shows companionship with Paul
  • Irenaeus, Tertullian
    • “According to Luke”
    • Mid-second to early third centuries
  • Muratorian fragment from late second century
  • Written after Mark, before Acts, circa AD 80-90

Luke 1

Luke 1:1-4 – Luke’s preamble

  • Making an account
    • From eyewitnesses
    • Investigated from the beginning
    • Wrote “in order”
    • Show Theophilus the “exact truth”
  • Inspiration?

Luke 1:5-25 – Prophecy of the birth of John

  • When? Luke dates it for us
    • In the days of Herod the king
    • When Zacharias was priest
    • When Abijah’s clan was in rotation (I Chronicles 24:5-18)
      • Eighth of twenty-four lots
      • As commanded by David – symbolic?
  • Wife also descendant of Aaron, barren
  • Both righteous
  • Both advanced in age (beyond normal child-bearing age)
  • Zacharias drew the lot to burn incense
    • Alone in the temple?
      • One cleaned the altar of incense
      • Another placed new incense into altar
      • Third priest entered alone to offer the incense and prayers
    • Altar of incense in Holy Place before the veil
      • Veil separates Holy Place from Most Holy Place
      • Veil torn at the death of Jesus
      • Offering incense, making intercession for Israel
      • People outside offering prayers
      • People beyond the courts offering prayers
    • Gabriel appears
      • Don’t be afraid – prayer heard and granted
      • A lot goes with that answered prayer
        • Son, name him John
        • No wine or liquor
        • Filled with the Holy Spirit
        • Turn many Israelites back to the Lord their God (Luke 1:16)
        • He’ll go before Him in spirit and power of Elijah
          • “Him” meaning God (Luke 1:16)
          • Between the lines: Jesus is God
        • Hearts of fathers back to children (eye to the future)
        • Disobedient to attitude of righteous
        • Preparing a path for the Lord
  • Zacharias’ response – Gabriel’s reaction
    • Questions possibility
      • What made him doubt?
      • Was that wrong?
    • Gabriel – seems insulted
      • I’m Gabriel
      • Sent to bring you this good news
      • You’ll be mute because you didn’t believe
      • Until it all takes place
      • Muteness happens immediately
  • Zacharias’ reception outside
    • Large crowd outside the temple
      • He was taking a long time – wondered why
      • He came out mute
      • They recognized he’d seen a vision
      • He spoke with his hands, couldn’t speak
    • Went home at rotation’s end
      • Elizabeth conceived
      • Secludes herself five months
      • Said God had taken away her reproach among men
        • Why reproach?
        • Instruction repeated: Be fruitful and multiply
        • She’d been unable to be part of that command and its promise

Luke 1:26-38 – Jesus’ birth foretold

  • Gabriel’s message
    • Greeting – you’ve received grace
    • The Lord is with you
    • You are blessed among women
    • Mary perplexed by the greeting
    • Gabriel saw her perplexion
    • Don’t be afraid, you’ve found favor with God
    • Conceive, bear a son, name Him Jesus
    • He’ll be great, be called the Son of the Most High
    • Lord God will give Him throne of His father David
    • He’ll reign over the house of Jacob forever
    • His kingdom will have no end
  • What does this say to Mary? Any religiously informed Jew?
    • MESSIAH!
  • Mary’s question
    • How? (Not, “will it happen” or “how can I know/believe” but “how will it be done?”)
      • How different from Zacharias’ question?
      • Belief vs unbelief
    • Answer: Holy Spirit will come upon you
      • Power of the Most High will overshadow you
      • That’s why your holy Child will be called the Son of God
  • Oh, by the way …
    • Elizabeth is in her sixth month
    • Conceived in her old age, no longer barren
    • NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD
  • Mary
    • Behold, the bondslave of the Lord
    • May it be done according to your word

Luke 1:39-45 – Mary visits Elizabeth

  • Don’t know exactly where
    • A city of Judah in the hill country
    • John leaped inside Elizabeth’s womb.
    • Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.
  • Elizabeth speaks
    • Blessed
      • You among women
      • The fruit of your womb
    • Blessed by visit of “the mother of my Lord”
    • Mary blessed for having believed that spoken by the Lord
  • Mary praises God
    • Her joy
      • In God
      • In His regarding her, His bondslave
      • She’ll always be regarded as blessed
      • Done great things, His name is holy
      • His mercy is on every generation who fears Him
      • His strength, His deeds
      • Exalts the humble
      • His help and mercy upon Israel
  • Mary’s attitude of obedience
    • Importance in God having selected her?
    • How about Joseph?
    • Obedience springs from belief – Luke 1:45
    • Jesus would learn obedience in His life

Luke 1:57-66 – The birth of John

  • Mary goes home after three months
  • Eighth day – circumcision
    • Naming was coincidental – Zacharias, after his father
    • Elizabeth: “No, John”
    • Defer to father (signing with hands) – “John” not a family name
    • Zacharias writes, “His name is John.”
    • All in the region talked about it
    • Zacharias now speaking, filled with the Holy Spirit

Luke 1:67-80 – Zacharias’ prophecies of his son

  • Praises God
  • Reminds of the covenant
  • Says John will by the prophet of the Most High
  • He will go before the Lord to prepare His ways
  • Knowledge of salvation
  • Forgiveness of sins
  • John grows up
    • And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.