Drive Thru History: Bible Backroads – The Gospel of Luke
Episodes
Background of the Book
Luke was a native of Antioch and a friend of the Apostle Paul. As a trained physician coming out of Hellenistic society, Luke would have been highly educated in the tradition of Greek and Roman composition. In fact, his writing style indicates that he had advanced instruction in medicine, history, and literature.
The Arrival of the Son of Man
As a researcher, Luke did a very good job organizing his Gospel for us. Here is an overall outline for your reading adventure: The Gospel According to Luke I. The Son of Man Seeking the Lost (Luke 1:1-19:28) A. The Arrival of the Son of Man (Luke 1:1-4:13) B. The Ministry of the Son of Man (Luke 4:14-19:28) II. The Son of Man Saving the Lost (Luke 19:29-24:53) A. The Rejection of the Son of Man (Luke 19:29-23:25) B. The Crucifixion & Resurrection of the Son of Man (Luke 23:26-24:53)
The Ministry of the Son of Man
From the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, we see the interweaving of two people: John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. John came on the scene first, but his fame gave way to Jesus. In Luke 3:16, John said: “He who is mightier than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the thong of his sandals.” Just like Matthew and Mark, Luke recorded John’s baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and Satan’s temptations of Jesus in the Judean Wilderness.
The Rejection of the Son of Man
For about three years, Jesus made quite an impact on the people of Galilee and Judea. Now it was time to make his way to Jerusalem for his final Feast of Passover and his ultimate rejection as the Son of Man.
Key Players
Jesus attracted quite the following of disciples during his time in Galilee. Some of them he hand-picked, like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Others heard his teaching or witnessed his miracles and started following him on their own. But at one point, Luke tells us that Jesus had a mission for which he needed to select a special team of twelve from the crowd.
The Great Takeaways
Perhaps the key verse in Luke’s Gospel comes near the end of Christ’s ministry: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). In one powerful statement, Jesus declared his primary mission – to seek and save a lost humanity.