Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. A writing project covering all the books and letters of the New Testament appeared.
THE STRONG’S
NUMBERING SYSTEM
INSIGHTS ON LUKE
LUKE
INTRODUCTION
THE DOCTOR GIVES A SECOND OPINION
Luke's carefully researched and sensitively written account of Jesus' life emphasizes the God-man's humanity more sharply than the other three.
IT SEEMED FITTING FOR ME AS WELL TO WRITE”
LUKE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
First, it is possible that Luke became a believer as a direct result of Paul's ministry at Troas, where he first included himself (“we”) in the story (Acts 16:10-11). Or perhaps he was one of the many pagans who lived in the region, where the profiteers of pagan mystery religions held political sway.
AN ORDERLY ACCOUNT”
As he wrote his last letter to Timothy and prepared for the end, he mentioned that only Luke remained by his side (2 Tim. 4:11). He wrote to achieve two specific goals: first, to provide a concrete, factual basis for the belief of.
FOR YOU, MOST EXCELLENT THEOPHILUS”
For the Christian, Luke's details do not lead to faith; they support the faith that already exists in the individual's heart.
THE EXACT TRUTH ABOUT THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT”
The first man - the first "Son of God" (3:38) - fell from his place of honor as the bearer of God's image. You will feel the weight of the hanging body as he collapses on the cross.
LUKE’S PREFACE (LUKE 1:1-4)
ONLY THE BEST
As John Gardner wisely said in his book Excellence: “The society that disdains excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble occupation and tolerates sloppiness. Luke could have presented the facts – and only the boring facts – in chronological order; instead, he created a compelling story that conveys the beauty, irony, complexity, excitement, and pathos of God coming to earth to save the world from sin.
APPLICATION: LUKE 1:1-4
Setting aside excellence in pursuit of the factual and the real can make things easier in the short term. But to abandon the truth for the sake of harmony with people is to sacrifice something much greater.
Excellence as unto the Lord
We honor that which is honorable, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks.
ANNOUNCED AND APPEARING (LUKE 1:5–4:13)
KEY TERMS IN LUKE 1:5–4:13
Luke's prologue connects God's promises in Malachi with the birth of a remarkable man of God, John, whose sole purpose in life was to prepare the way for Christ and then depart. The Septuagint used christos to translate the Hebrew word mashiach [H4899] (from which we get the English "messiah"), a term reserved for king and referring to the custom of anointing a man's head with olive oil to designate him as ruler of Israel. .
A BABY? AT OUR AGE?
GET SERIOUS!”
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, the angel of the Lord appeared to him who was standing to the right of the altar of incense. Therefore, none of the men in the "royal family" could legally call themselves "King of the Jews".
HEROD THE GREAT
The diagram shows the interior of the holy place of the temple in Herod's time. As a seasoned priest and expert in the Hebrew Scriptures, Zacharias fully understood the implications of the angel's message.
No Ordinary Day
His individual response to the good news and his personal lack of faith in God's word reflect Israel's inability to bring God's word to the nations. His nine-month silence reflected the four-hundred-year silence that preceded the fulfillment of God's promises.
APPLICATION: LUKE 1:5-25
Impossible Opportunities
Through Jesus' death, resurrection and power, the Father promised all who trust in Him that He will be. Never forget that He will use His “no” to display His glory and accomplish our ultimate good.
THE DAY MARY MET GABRIEL
52 “He has deposed the rulers from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed.
NAZARETH
Gabriel's announcement to Mary alludes to his announcement to Zechariah (Luke 1:15) that the son would be "great." Herald. He declared that it would be a supernatural conception involving no man—it would be the work of the Most High God by the Holy Spirit.
Gabriel’s Heavenly Dialogue
Behold, the slave of God." In other words, I willingly devote myself to the unconditional service of God. To tie together the births of the forerunner and Christ, Luke records Mary's visit to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:39-40).
APPLICATION: LUKE 1:26- 56
It also reveals a woman deeply versed in Scripture who desperately desires the fulfillment of God's covenant promises through the Messiah. Although she was not sinless, although she was in great need of a Savior, she was nevertheless chosen as a suitable vessel to bear God's Son.
His Will, His Way, His Timing
Incarnation, she realized that the fulfillment of God's promises - all from the beginning of time - was growing within her womb. The rest of Nazareth did not receive an angelic visitation, so Mary would have to endure the sting of false accusations along with the privilege of bringing God's redemptive plan into the world.
THE PROPHET OF THE MOST HIGH
66 All who heard about this thought about these events and asked themselves, "What will become of this child?" For the Lord's hand was certainly upon him in a special way. They waited and watched for the appearance of the forerunner, knowing that the dawning of the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2) would soon dispel the darkness.
The Blessing of Hopelessness
The couple's family and friends undoubtedly heard Zacharias tell the full story of his experience in the temple sanctuary and the predictions about John's role as the forerunner of the Christ. And lest their hopes fade in the dark hours before the dawn of the Sun of Righteousness, He conspicuously announced the coming of the.
APPLICATION: LUKE 1:57- 80
The Making of a Servant
In fact, looking back, I noticed in myself a calm, longing acceptance that the Lord's disciplining—as difficult as it was—was indeed necessary. When God's discipline achieves its purpose of transformation, we have a responsibility to pass on the lessons we learn, not only to those we lead, but to all who follow us in ministry.
NATIVITY REVISITED
9 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the brilliance of the glory of the Lord surrounded them. Under the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Luke tried to describe God's indescribable gift in a carefully constructed story.
THE STAR OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS
An angel of the Lord” (not the angel of the Lord, as in the Old Testament) who appeared to the shepherds may have been Gabriel (Luke, but it could have been someone else). Luke's account of the Lord's birth leaves many details for us to see. would like to know.
APPLICATION: LUKE 2:1-20
Your Testimony
A SACRIFICE, A SAVIOR, A SWORD
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required in the Law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord, as the law required, 28Simeon was there.
RITUALLY UNCLEAN
So, without much fanfare, Christ entered the temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law and receive. Israel's sin and failure to administer God's word to the nations hindered the nation. receiving all the covenant blessings of God.
APPLICATION: LUKE 2:21- 38
In the short span of eighteen verses we discover an important relationship between the Messiah and the Law of God. While the Christ came to lead Israel into a new age of grace, He did not come to nullify the Law that God had given to Israel through Moses.
Clean and Clear
So it's especially refreshing when a person of great authority or importance is subject to the same rules that govern the rest of us. In other words, are you held to the same standards as everyone else, or do you exercise the prerogative of power to waive certain requirements and "appropriately".
THE DAY THE PUPIL STUMPED THE PROFESSORS
We first meet Noah as an adult who "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen. 6:8). If Joseph and Mary had remembered the angel's message and Simeon's prophecy, they should have known exactly where to find the Son of God.
APPLICATION: LUKE 2:39- 52
Practical Thoughts on Growing Up
Luke's description of this event in Jesus' childhood strongly suggests that this may have been the day it all came together. And then start releasing children from the first day of life to the day they leave home for good – deliberately, gradually, collaboratively, positively and consistently.
THE GREATEST MORTAL WHO EVER DIED
APPLICATION: LUKE 3:1-38
Not even justice for those who had abused and murdered the greatest of God's prophets. From heaven's point of view, however, the forerunner of the Christ was the greatest mortal who had ever died.
Lessons from the Ministry of John
Leaders usually have a fully formed picture in their mind of what ought to be, and it is radically different from the status quo. As a result, when John challenged those in power, he ended up in prison—and then died.
THE DEVIL NEVER MADE HIM DO IT
9 Then the devil took him up to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the temple, and said: The term 'the devil' (diabolos [1228]) is an adjective used as a noun and means 'accuser' or ' slanderer'. When it appears in the New Testament with the definite article, as it does here, it refers specifically to Satan – evil personified.
4:3 — A Personal Temptation
The temptation was that by receiving authority from Satan instead of the Father, He could receive His Messianic birthright without the messy details of being the Messiah. The simple act of Christ worshiping Satan would separate the Son from the Father and invalidate the Messiah's ability to represent humanity on the cross.
4:9-12 — A Pride Temptation
The prophecy in Malachi 3:1 says that the Messiah will "suddenly come into his temple." Satan's challenge to leap into the bustling courtyard below would certainly make for an entrance worthy of the Messiah. Meanwhile, Luke's focus turns away from his predecessor to emphasize the Messiah's public ministry.
APPLICATION: LUKE 4:1-13
Meanwhile, however, the Lord will encounter Satan's minions and confront the palpable presence of evil in humanity as he journeys toward his messianic destiny in Jerusalem. The next time he appears in the narrative, we find him imprisoned in the dungeon of Herod Antipas.
Triumphing over the Tempter
This means that if you are with people who weaken your resolve, Satan will tempt you. Christ triumphed over the tempter by the Word of God—the Word that was ready in His mind, in His heart, and on His lips.
MINISTERING AND SERVING (LUKE 4:14–9:50)
KEY TERMS IN LUKE 4:14–9:50
For the Jew, and therefore the Christian, pistis became a description of the means by which someone relates to God - so much so that the participative form came to designate members of the church as "believers" (e.g. ApG. Mic. 6:8), the New Testament uses it much more frequently, perhaps because of the availability of Christ's human example and his earthly relationship with his disciples.
INTO THE FIRE
to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God. Through Elijah, God promised the woman: "The bowl of flour will not run out nor the jar of oil be empty until the day that God sends rain on the face of the earth" (1 Kings 17:14. ).
APPLICATION: LUKE 4:14- 30
Swimming against the Tide of Public Opinion
He never lost sight of the mission – the cross, redeeming humanity, overcoming evil, pleasing the Father.
MINISTRY AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
According to Walter Liefeld: "Most of the rabbis based their teaching on the chain of tradition and referred to the opinions of their predecessors." [48] From Saturday to Saturday the people heard the scribes humming: "According to the rabbi so- and -therefore. Whereas "holy" things are sanctified—that is, set apart for special use in God's service—.
Modern Thinking on the Subject of Satan
In the midst of His ministry of compassion and despite His rapid rise in popularity, Jesus "left" the ministry and "went" into seclusion. Luke closed this section with a summary statement of the Lord's ministry in the "synagogues of Judea."
APPLICATION: LUKE 4:31- 44
When God became man, He voluntarily laid aside the use of His divine attributes, including omnipotence. Although “Judea” is technically the southern province of Israel—distinguished from Galilee to the north and Samaria between the two—Luke most likely means the entire nation here.
Ministry in the Rough
Or, if you are a ministry leader, gather your resources, call others to join you, and take action. If you are a ministry leader and starting a new initiative demands too much of your attention, then establish a relationship with parachurch ministries in your area and encourage others to help.
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FISH WITH JESUS
The men no doubt found the Lord's command especially irritating after dragging empty nets all night long. The disciples' unprecedented success in business that day did not encourage them to invite the Lord to become senior partners in the business.
APPLICATION: LUKE 5:1-11
Against all reason, they obeyed God's command to do something unusual, something unreasonable (from a human perspective), something that expert fishermen would otherwise refuse to do. I wonder how many amazing gifts we miss by playing it safe, by depending on our own expertise, by seeing only impossibilities in God's commandments.
Things to Remember When You’re in Deep Water
They steered their boats toward deep water—the wrong part of the lake at the wrong time of day to catch fish. Jesus had the almighty power of the Almighty at his disposal, but he deliberately involved others in his work.
GREAT DEEDS, STRONG FAITH, BIG GOD
Whether the man followed God's instructions, I think he did or not, the news about Jesus was "spreading" (imperfect tense, Luke 5:15) and great crowds were "gathering" (imperfect tense, again). As He taught from the beloved scrolls of the Jewish Scriptures—the Law of Moses, the oracles of the prophets, and the writings of wisdom—a small group of people strategized on behalf of their paralyzed friend.
THE PHARISEES
He asked, "Which [statement] is easier to say [if visual validation is not a requirement]?" It is easier for a deceiver to say, "Your sins are forgiven". It is the first time in Luke's narrative that Jesus uses the title "Son of Man". It is a very significant messianic title in Jewish theology and a particular favorite of Luke.
SON OF MAN”
As soon as the command left the lips of the Lord, the formerly paralyzed man stood up, picked up his stretcher and left the house – and this is important – “glorifying God.” He was brought to Jesus in faith in a great, great God , and he walked away with the concept of an even greater God. The Messiah is, in fact, the “Son of God” and the “Son of Man” – divine and human – perfectly united in one person, without mixture or confusion.
APPLICATION: LUKE 5:12- 26
Rather than responding to Jesus in worship, this audience cried out, "We have seen remarkable things today." Well, no joke. As they listened to Jesus' words, they saw the impact of God on the lives of those who responded in faith.
Two Ways to Maintain a Big-God Mindset
