The Goodnews, the birth of Christ Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior; King of all kings, Lord of all.
Starting this December, I’ve decided to embark on a journey. A Christmas journey, that will have it’s peak point at the day of Christmas Eve.
I’ve picked Luke as it perfectly aligns with the day Jesus was born, Luke has 24 chapters and at the end of this journey we’ll learn about why Jesus died and rise from the dead. Why God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son.
This is a guide based on my spiritual experience with the Lord, Fresh Start Bible, and Dr. Jon Huntzinger (Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary).
Again, all things points to scripture, so please read with me as we journey through this adventure. The Scripture is the Word of God, it is Holy, and cannot be changed.
We affrm that the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, is alone the only infallible, inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate, fnal, and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.
I’ll be using the New Living Translation, a Dynamic Equivalency Translation; but you are free to follow with Exact Equivalency [I.e. NKJV] or Paraphrase [MSG], which ever you pick; make sure you read it. (Matthew 4:3-4, Deuteronomy 8:3)
Remember: The Bible is bread: God wants to feed us daily! (Job 23:12, Joshua 1:8 NKJV, Psalm 68:19 NKJV)
Luke - Foundation;
As expressed by Dr. Jon Huntzinger (Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary)
The Gospel of Luke is the longest book in the New Testament. It was written by Paul’s traveling companion by that name, who was also a physician (Colossians 4:14). It is the first part of a two-part work, which also includes the book of Acts. Together, they make up about a quarter of the New Testament. Since Acts concludes with a description of Paul in Rome awaiting his legal hearing before Caesar, which occurred sometime in the mid-60s, many believe Luke wrote both books prior to that time but after Mark wrote his Gospel.
Luke begins his Gospel by telling Theophilus (meaning ‘friend of God’), the recipient of the book, that he has written an “accurate account” of the Good News of Jesus (1:1-3). Luke proceeds by giving attention to Jesus’ ministry among humble and poor people (1:52-53; 4:16-19; 6:20-23; 10:29-37; 14:12-14; 16:19-23; 18:35-43; 21:1-4), as well as women (1:26-56; 2:17-19, 36-38; 7:11-17, 36-50; 8:13; 10:38-42; 18:1-8; 21:1-4; 23:27-31, 49; 23:55-24:11). He also shows Jesus in relation to those who, for one reason or another (such as impurity), stand on the margins of society (416-19; 17:11-19; 23:39-43).
Luke’s Gospel may be divided into four primary parts:
— Jesus’ birth and preparation for ministry (1:1-4:13)
— Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (4:14-9:50)
— Jesus’ movement toward Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)
— Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, where He is put to death and raised to life (19:45-24:53)
Though the structure of Luke’s Gospel is similar to that of Matthew and Mark, it is notable for the very long section describing Jesus’ travel from Galilee to Jerusalem (10 chapters), which Matthew does not emphasize and Mark, though he does draw attention to it by describing Jesus “on his Way,” only gives a chapter (chapter 10) to that journey.
A primary theme in Luke’s Gospel is God’s salvation for all people. That is why he begins the Gospel by describing the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary. Gabriel declares she is favored by God and will give birth to a son whose name will be Jesus (1:26-33). The name Jesus is the English form of the Greek /ésous, which, in turn, comes from the Hebrew name Yeshua. Yeshua is derived from the Hebrew word yasah, meaning ‘to save.’ The name Jesus means ‘salvation, and Luke develops this important truth throughout his Gospel. Mary will give birth to a son who will bring salvation to God’s people.
After Mary hears the angel’s words, she sings that God is her Savior (1:47). Then the angels announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, saying the Savior has been born (2:11). Later, Luke describes the ministry of John the Baptist as preparation for Jesus’ ministry by quoting from the prophet Isaiah, who looked forward to the day of God’s salvation (3:4-6). Luke also shows that people experience salvation from Jesus in many ways: a woman is forgiven of her sins (7:47-50); a man is delivered from demons (8:26-36); another woman is healed of sickness in her body (8:43-48); and a rich man is restored to the people of his community (19:1-10). In all these stories, Luke uses a word meaning ‘to save’ to describe what Jesus has done.
According to Luke, Jesus ministers God’s salvation among His people through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is dependent on His relationship with His Father, which He cultivates through prayer, for understanding when and how He should minister, and He relies upon God’s Spirit for the performance of that ministry. Luke shows Jesus as a man of prayer in numerous passages (5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28-29; 10:21; 11:1, 5-13; 18:1-8; 22:31-32, 39-46; 23:34, 46;), even as He is shown to be a man of the Spirit (1:35; 3:21-22; 4:1,14; 10:21; 24:49). He speaks with God His Father and enjoys the immediate presence of the Holy Spirit.
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Luke 1st talks about the Birth of John the Baptist and foretold the coming of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It is really interesting to me, as Zechariah’s Prophecy reminded us of this sacred covenant that God will send a mighty Savior “He has sent us a mighty Savior*” -Luke 1:69
*Or the Morning Light from Heaven is about to visit us.
I’m really looking forward to reading Luke Chapter 2, which spoiler alert talks about The Birth of Jesus.
Until next time, see you tomorrow! Or whenever you are reading this 😕; May God Bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you and be with you.
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Excerpt from Fresh Start Bible, copyright © Gateway Press;
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.