October 14, 2025 • 23 mins
We explore Luke’s Gospel as a careful, compassionate portrait of Jesus—fully God, fully human—who brings salvation “today” and welcomes outsiders to the table. From certainty and song to meals, prayer, and the Spirit’s power, we trace why Luke still speaks to weary hearts.
• Luke’s purpose of clarity and certainty
• Salvation as forgiveness, welcome, and healing now
• The theme of “today” in Luke’s narrative
• Outsiders welcomed: Zacchaeus, Samaritans, sinners
• Songs, joy, and worship that shape the story
• Meals as moments of mercy and change
• Prayer and the Holy Spirit guiding Jesus’ mission
• Women’s faith and witness honored
• The humanity of Jesus and hope for the weary
• Simple reading plans and reflective questions
Pick one of those reading options and begin. Maybe start with Luke chapters 1 and 2 this week. Let the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and the angels lead you into the story. And maybe text a friend to join you.
RELATED EPISODE:
The Gospels: A Four-Fold Portrait of Jesus Christ (Encore)
RESOURCES:
- Carson, D. A., & Moo, D. J. (2005). An introduction to the New Testament (Kindle ed.). Zondervan.
- Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. (2002). How to read the Bible book by book: A guided tour (Kindle ed.). Zondervan.
- MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2010). The John MacArthur study Bible (New International Version). Thomas Nelson.
- Nelson, T. (Ed.). (2011). The NIV, open Bible: Complete reference system (Kindle ed.). Thomas Nelson.
- Zondervan. (2016). NIV, cultural backgrounds study Bible: Bringing to life the ancient world of Scripture (Kindle ed.). Zondervan.
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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
JACQUI (00:12):
Greetings, listeners.
Maybe you've asked yourself,would God really welcome
somebody like me?
Luke's gospel answers thatquestion with a resounding yes.
In these pages, we see Jesusembracing outsiders, lifting up
(00:34):
the overlooked, and throwingopen the door of God's kingdom.
If you've ever felt left out,Luke wants you to know there's a
seat at the table for you.
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
(00:55):
Podcast, where every two weekswe break down the basics of the
Bible into understandablebite-sized chunks.
Today we're opening up theGospel of Luke together.
The Gospel of Luke is actuallypart one of a two-volume story,
(01:17):
Luke and Acts.
Both were written to someonenamed Theophilus, which means
beloved by God.
Now we don't know for sure whoTheopolis was.
Maybe a Roman official, maybesimply a believer Luke wanted to
encourage.
What we do know is that Lukewanted him and us to be certain
(01:43):
about what we've been taught.
He says that right in theopening lines, chapter one,
verses one through four.
I carefully investigatedeverything from the beginning so
that you may know the certaintyof the things that have been
taught.
(02:03):
Now let's talk about the manbehind this gospel.
Luke wasn't one of Jesus'original disciples.
Instead, he was a physician, adoctor, who later became a close
companion of the apostle Paul.
We see that in Colossianschapter four, verse 14.
(02:27):
And being a doctor, he noticedthings others didn't.
Luke notices pain, paysattention to detail, and records
Jesus' compassion with the careof someone who's used to
tending to people's needs.
He shows us a Savior who healsmore than bodies.
(02:49):
There's something else that'sunique about Luke.
He's the only non-Jewish writerin the entire Bible.
That means he wrote as anoutsider to Israel's traditions.
And that matters because Luke'sbig theme is that Jesus didn't
(03:11):
come just for one group ofpeople, but for all of us.
And if you're curious about thesize or the scale of this
gospel, Luke is considered themost comprehensive.
It gives us a narrative fromthe birth of Jesus to his
ascension.
And the events that aredescribed in this book are
(03:35):
described in great detail.
So it ends up being the longestgospel.
Matthew has 28 chapters, Markhas 16, but Luke gives us 24
chapters packed with detail.
And when you add Acts, Lukeactually wrote more words in the
(03:56):
New Testament than Paulhimself.
Think about that.
More than a quarter of the NewTestament comes from Luke's pen.
In his gospel, you'll find 20miracles, 23 parables, and
nearly half of those parablesyou won't find anywhere else.
(04:17):
Stories like The Good Samaritanand the Prodigal Son are
treasures we would never know ifnot for Luke.
That's why some people havecalled this the most beautiful
book ever written.
Luke's gospel was writtensomewhere around 60 to 61 AD,
(04:41):
about thirty years after Jesus'death and resurrection.
And what he gives us is thefullest account of Jesus'
humanity, his birth, hischildhood, his tears, his
prayers, his joy from the mangerto the empty tomb.
(05:02):
Luke paints Jesus' story infull color.
Now let's focus on the purposeof this book.
What is Luke really trying todo with this gospel?
Well, let's look at the keythemes.
First, he's given us clarityand certainty.
(05:23):
Right at the start, Luke tellsus in chapter 1, verses 1
through 4, he wants us to becertain about what we've been
taught about Jesus.
Let me read these verses to youin the NLT or the New Living
Translation.
Many people have set out towrite accounts about the events
(05:44):
that have been fulfilled amongus.
They use the eyewitness reportscirculating among us from the
early disciples.
Having carefully investigatedeverything from the beginning, I
also have decided to write anaccurate account for you, most
honorable Theophilus, so you canbe certain of the truth of
(06:09):
everything you've been taught.
The second thing Luke focuseson is salvation.
In Luke's gospel, salvationdoesn't mean going to heaven
someday.
It means God's forgiveness, hiswelcome, and his healing right
here and now.
We see forgiveness when Jesustells a paralyzed man, Friend,
(06:35):
your sins are forgiven.
That's chapter 5, verse 20.
And in chapter 7, verse 50, hetells a woman who anointed his
feet, Your faith has served you.
Go in peace.
And in chapter 5, 29 to 32, and15, 1 and 2, we see welcome
(07:00):
when Jesus eats with taxcollectors and sinners, even
when people criticize him forit.
And we see healing in storyafter story, like when he
touched a man with leprosy andsaid, Be clean.
That's chapter 5, verse 13, orchapter 18, verse 42, when he
(07:22):
gave sight to a blind beggarnear Jericho.
The next thing we seethroughout this book is that it
focuses on present tense.
And there's this word that Lukeloves, and that word is today.
(07:44):
In chapter 4, verse 21, todaythe scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing.
In chapter 19, 9, todaysalvation has come to this
house.
And in chapter 23, 43, todayyou will be with me in paradise.
(08:04):
In Luke, salvation is neverjust someday.
It's here and it's now.
Luke picks up an old testamenttheme that God's Messiah would
(08:28):
bring good news to the poor,freedom for the oppressed, and
hope for the broken.
In chapter four, verseseighteen and nineteen, Jesus
reads from Isaiah, The Spirit ofthe Lord is on me because he
has anointed me to proclaim goodnews to the poor, freedom for
(08:50):
the prisoners, recovery of sightfor the blind, and to set the
oppressed free.
And then he says, That's me.
Later, when John the Baptist'sfollowers ask if he's the
Messiah, Jesus answers inchapter seven, verse twenty two,
go back and report what you'veseen.
(09:14):
The blind receive sight, thelame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, thedead are raised, and the good
news is proclaimed to the poor.
And Luke drives this home insome powerful ways.
For example, his genealogy inchapter three doesn't stop at
(09:35):
Abraham like Matthew's does.
Luke traces Jesus' family lineall the way back to Adam, the
very first human being.
We see that in chapter 3, 23through 38.
Why does he do that?
Because he wants us to see thatJesus isn't just the savior for
(09:57):
Israel, he's the savior for allpeople everywhere.
And this last theme we seerunning through Luke is faith.
Luke often flips ourexpectations about who has real
faith.
Sometimes it's not thereligious leaders, it's the
(10:18):
outsiders, like the taxcollector in Jesus' parable, who
simply prayed, God have mercyon me, a sinner.
And he left and went home inright standing with God.
That's chapter 18, verse 13 to14.
Or also there was Zacchaeus,another tax collector, who
(10:40):
climbed a tree just to see Jesusand ended up receiving
salvation that very day.
That's chapter 19, verses 1through 10.
That's Luke's purpose to showus that Jesus is God's Messiah,
the Savior, whose life, death,and resurrection bring salvation
(11:03):
for everyone everywhere, Jewand Gentile, rich and poor, men
and women, the insider and theoutcast.
Or to put it simply, Jesus camefor the lost.
And in Luke's gospel, thatmeans every single one of us.
(11:28):
Now let's look at how Luketells the story.
In every episode, I've remindedyou that while God is the true
author of the Bible, he workedthrough human writers, letting
their personalities and stylesshine through.
So what does that look likehere?
(11:50):
Let's see how God used Luke totell the story of Jesus.
One thing you'll notice is thatLuke has a special way of
highlighting ideas that run allthe way through his gospel.
Let me point a few out for you.
First, there are songs and joy.
(12:11):
Luke's gospel is full of music.
In the first two chaptersalone, we get Mary's song of
praise called the Magnificant.
That's in chapter 1, verses 46to 50.
And then there's Zachariah'ssong, the Benedictus in chapter
(12:31):
1, verse 68 to 79.
The angels are singing, Gloryto God in the highest.
That's in chapter 2, verse 14.
And then there's Simeon's song,the Nunc Dimittis.
These aren't just poems,they're worship, and they set
(12:56):
the tone for the whole book.
Joy keeps bubbling upeverywhere, whether it's the
shepherds celebrating, chapter2, verses 10 to 20, a lost son
coming home, chapter 15, verses11 to 24, or disciples rejoicing
when they recognize the risenJesus, chapter 24, verses 30 to
(13:21):
52.
The second thing, aside fromthe joy and the music, are
meals.
If you pay attention, Jesus isconstantly at someone's table in
Luke.
He eats with the Pharisees,736, with tax collectors like
Levi in 529, and Zacchaeus in1957, with his disciples twenty
(13:49):
two, fourteen to twenty, andwith strangers on the road to
Emmaus twenty four thirty.
In Luke, these meals are neverjust about food, they're moments
of mercy, forgiveness, and lifechange.
The third element that we seethroughout Luke is prayer and
(14:15):
the Holy Spirit.
Luke shows Jesus praying moreoften than any other gospel.
He prays at his baptism threehundred twenty-one, before
choosing his disciples, sixtwelve, before Peter's
confession, nine eighteen, athis transfiguration, nine twenty
(14:37):
eight and twenty nine, and onthe cross twenty three, thirty
four and forty-six.
Out of the fifteen prayers ofJesus we have in the Gospels,
eleven are in Luke.
And the Holy Spirit is presentat every stage of this story,
(14:59):
from Jesus' conception onehundred thirty five to his
baptism three hundred twenty twoto his ministry for one
fourteen and eighteen.
And even his resurrection.
Luke is showing us that Jesus'life and mission are carried out
in the power of the Spirit, andhe invites us to pray and live
(15:25):
the same way.
A fourth element we see is theministry of women.
Luke highlights women more thanany other gospel writer.
The birth story is told fromthe perspective of Mary and
Elizabeth.
Women are also the last at thecross, 2349, 55, and 56, and the
(16:13):
first at the empty tomb, 24, 1through ten.
In a culture where women'svoices were often dismissed,
Luke goes out of his way tohonor their faith and their
place in God's story.
And finally, Luke highlightsthe humanity of Jesus.
(16:36):
More than any other gospel,Luke shows us a Jesus who feels
what we feel.
He gets tired eight hundredtwenty three.
He weeps over Jerusalemnineteen forty one.
He sweats drops of blood inprayer twenty two forty-four.
(16:56):
And on the cross, he showscompassion to the criminal
beside him.
Luke wants us to see that Jesusis fully God and fully human,
the Son of Man who understandsour struggles.
(17:17):
Well, we've been walkingthrough Luke's story, and by now
you can see the portrait he'spainting of Jesus.
Let's pull it together and seewhy it still matters for us
today.
We meet Jesus, the Spirit'sanointed Savior.
(17:38):
In the synagogue, Jesus readsfrom Isaiah and says, The Spirit
of the Lord is on me.
He has sent me to proclaim goodnews to the poor and freedom
for the oppressed.
That's chapter 4, verses 18,19, and 21.
Luke reminds us that Jesusstill meets us in our need,
(18:02):
spiritually, emotionally, and inthe places we feel stuck.
If you've ever felt unseen awaydown, this is the Savior who
notices you and brings freedomthat reaches the heart.
We also meet Jesus, a friend ofoutsiders.
(18:23):
He heals lepers in chapter 17,verse 12 to 14, welcomes tax
collectors like Zacchaeus, andmakes a Samaritan the hero of
his story.
Chapter 10, verse 33.
No one is too far gone or toofar outside.
If you've ever felt like youdon't quite fit in, Luke shows
(18:47):
us that Jesus moves towardpeople just like that.
We meet Jesus, the Son of Man,who came to seek and save the
lost.
And that's not just ancienthistory, it's personal.
Whenever or wherever we findourselves lost, confused,
(19:09):
guilty, or just unsure where toturn, Jesus seeks us out.
Luke also shows us Jesus'humanity.
He gets tired and falls asleepin a boat, 823.
He weeps over Jerusalem, 1941.
He sweats drops of blood inprayer, 2244.
(19:32):
And he shows compassion to athief hanging next to him on the
cross, 2343.
At the same time, he rises fromthe dead, eats with his
disciples, and opens thescriptures so they can see God's
plan from beginning to end.
When you feel exhausted,overwhelmed, or afraid, you're
(19:59):
not alone.
Jesus has felt it too.
We can see through thisportrait of his humanity.
He understands our strugglesfrom the inside out.
Luke's Jesus is fully God andfully human.
Powerful enough to save anyone,and tender enough to understand
(20:26):
everyone.
That's hope you can hold on totoday.
Maybe as you hear all that,something in you wants to know
Jesus more for yourself, to seewhat he said, how he lived, and
who he welcomed.
That's exactly what Lukeinvites us to do.
(20:47):
So let's talk about how you canread this gospel for yourself
this week.
Let me give you three simpleoptions.
Option one, you can read it inone sitting.
If you've got two or threehours, read the whole gospel
straight through.
From manger to empty tomb,you'll feel the sweep of the
(21:12):
story in one sitting.
Option two, read six chapters aday.
Or option three, read it slowand steady.
Just ten minutes a day.
And whichever option youchoose, pay attention to the
details Luke loves.
(21:32):
Circle every time you see theword today.
Notice how often Jesus ispraying and watch what happens
around the dinner table.
And don't stress if you don'tcatch everything.
The two big questions to carrywith you are these.
Who is Jesus and what does itmean to follow him?
(21:55):
Remember how we started askingif God would really welcome
someone like me?
In Luke 15, Jesus tells aparable, a story that answers
that question.
A father sees his son cominghome, dirty, ashamed, smelling
(22:20):
like failure.
And instead of a lecture orpunishment, the father runs down
the road, throws his armsaround him, and calls for a
feast, a celebration.
That's the kind of welcome Lukewants us to see in Jesus.
So let me ask you, do you needthat kind of welcome?
(22:45):
And where might Jesus beinviting you to take one step
toward him today?
Here's your challenge.
Pick one of those readingoptions and begin.
Maybe start with Luke chapters1 and 2 this week.
Let the songs of Mary,Zechariah, and the angels lead
(23:06):
you into the story.
And maybe text a friend to joinyou.
You never know who needs thereminder that God's table still
has a chair open.
Thank you so much forlistening.
Until next time, keep reading,keep seeking, and keep growing
(23:31):
in your faith.
Greetings, listeners.
Maybe you've asked yourself,would God really welcome
somebody like me?
Luke's gospel answers thatquestion with a resounding yes.
In these pages, we see Jesusembracing outsiders, lifting up
(00:34):
the overlooked, and throwingopen the door of God's kingdom.
If you've ever felt left out,Luke wants you to know there's a
seat at the table for you.
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics
(00:55):
Podcast, where every two weekswe break down the basics of the
Bible into understandablebite-sized chunks.
Today we're opening up theGospel of Luke together.
The Gospel of Luke is actuallypart one of a two-volume story,
(01:17):
Luke and Acts.
Both were written to someonenamed Theophilus, which means
beloved by God.
Now we don't know for sure whoTheopolis was.
Maybe a Roman official, maybesimply a believer Luke wanted to
encourage.
What we do know is that Lukewanted him and us to be certain
(01:43):
about what we've been taught.
He says that right in theopening lines, chapter one,
verses one through four.
I carefully investigatedeverything from the beginning so
that you may know the certaintyof the things that have been
taught.
(02:03):
Now let's talk about the manbehind this gospel.
Luke wasn't one of Jesus'original disciples.
Instead, he was a physician, adoctor, who later became a close
companion of the apostle Paul.
We see that in Colossianschapter four, verse 14.
(02:27):
And being a doctor, he noticedthings others didn't.
Luke notices pain, paysattention to detail, and records
Jesus' compassion with the careof someone who's used to
tending to people's needs.
He shows us a Savior who healsmore than bodies.
(02:49):
There's something else that'sunique about Luke.
He's the only non-Jewish writerin the entire Bible.
That means he wrote as anoutsider to Israel's traditions.
And that matters because Luke'sbig theme is that Jesus didn't
(03:11):
come just for one group ofpeople, but for all of us.
And if you're curious about thesize or the scale of this
gospel, Luke is considered themost comprehensive.
It gives us a narrative fromthe birth of Jesus to his
ascension.
And the events that aredescribed in this book are
(03:35):
described in great detail.
So it ends up being the longestgospel.
Matthew has 28 chapters, Markhas 16, but Luke gives us 24
chapters packed with detail.
And when you add Acts, Lukeactually wrote more words in the
(03:56):
New Testament than Paulhimself.
Think about that.
More than a quarter of the NewTestament comes from Luke's pen.
In his gospel, you'll find 20miracles, 23 parables, and
nearly half of those parablesyou won't find anywhere else.
(04:17):
Stories like The Good Samaritanand the Prodigal Son are
treasures we would never know ifnot for Luke.
That's why some people havecalled this the most beautiful
book ever written.
Luke's gospel was writtensomewhere around 60 to 61 AD,
(04:41):
about thirty years after Jesus'death and resurrection.
And what he gives us is thefullest account of Jesus'
humanity, his birth, hischildhood, his tears, his
prayers, his joy from the mangerto the empty tomb.
(05:02):
Luke paints Jesus' story infull color.
Now let's focus on the purposeof this book.
What is Luke really trying todo with this gospel?
Well, let's look at the keythemes.
First, he's given us clarityand certainty.
(05:23):
Right at the start, Luke tellsus in chapter 1, verses 1
through 4, he wants us to becertain about what we've been
taught about Jesus.
Let me read these verses to youin the NLT or the New Living
Translation.
Many people have set out towrite accounts about the events
(05:44):
that have been fulfilled amongus.
They use the eyewitness reportscirculating among us from the
early disciples.
Having carefully investigatedeverything from the beginning, I
also have decided to write anaccurate account for you, most
honorable Theophilus, so you canbe certain of the truth of
(06:09):
everything you've been taught.
The second thing Luke focuseson is salvation.
In Luke's gospel, salvationdoesn't mean going to heaven
someday.
It means God's forgiveness, hiswelcome, and his healing right
here and now.
We see forgiveness when Jesustells a paralyzed man, Friend,
(06:35):
your sins are forgiven.
That's chapter 5, verse 20.
And in chapter 7, verse 50, hetells a woman who anointed his
feet, Your faith has served you.
Go in peace.
And in chapter 5, 29 to 32, and15, 1 and 2, we see welcome
(07:00):
when Jesus eats with taxcollectors and sinners, even
when people criticize him forit.
And we see healing in storyafter story, like when he
touched a man with leprosy andsaid, Be clean.
That's chapter 5, verse 13, orchapter 18, verse 42, when he
(07:22):
gave sight to a blind beggarnear Jericho.
The next thing we seethroughout this book is that it
focuses on present tense.
And there's this word that Lukeloves, and that word is today.
(07:44):
In chapter 4, verse 21, todaythe scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing.
In chapter 19, 9, todaysalvation has come to this
house.
And in chapter 23, 43, todayyou will be with me in paradise.
(08:04):
In Luke, salvation is neverjust someday.
It's here and it's now.
Luke picks up an old testamenttheme that God's Messiah would
(08:28):
bring good news to the poor,freedom for the oppressed, and
hope for the broken.
In chapter four, verseseighteen and nineteen, Jesus
reads from Isaiah, The Spirit ofthe Lord is on me because he
has anointed me to proclaim goodnews to the poor, freedom for
(08:50):
the prisoners, recovery of sightfor the blind, and to set the
oppressed free.
And then he says, That's me.
Later, when John the Baptist'sfollowers ask if he's the
Messiah, Jesus answers inchapter seven, verse twenty two,
go back and report what you'veseen.
(09:14):
The blind receive sight, thelame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, thedead are raised, and the good
news is proclaimed to the poor.
And Luke drives this home insome powerful ways.
For example, his genealogy inchapter three doesn't stop at
(09:35):
Abraham like Matthew's does.
Luke traces Jesus' family lineall the way back to Adam, the
very first human being.
We see that in chapter 3, 23through 38.
Why does he do that?
Because he wants us to see thatJesus isn't just the savior for
(09:57):
Israel, he's the savior for allpeople everywhere.
And this last theme we seerunning through Luke is faith.
Luke often flips ourexpectations about who has real
faith.
Sometimes it's not thereligious leaders, it's the
(10:18):
outsiders, like the taxcollector in Jesus' parable, who
simply prayed, God have mercyon me, a sinner.
And he left and went home inright standing with God.
That's chapter 18, verse 13 to14.
Or also there was Zacchaeus,another tax collector, who
(10:40):
climbed a tree just to see Jesusand ended up receiving
salvation that very day.
That's chapter 19, verses 1through 10.
That's Luke's purpose to showus that Jesus is God's Messiah,
the Savior, whose life, death,and resurrection bring salvation
(11:03):
for everyone everywhere, Jewand Gentile, rich and poor, men
and women, the insider and theoutcast.
Or to put it simply, Jesus camefor the lost.
And in Luke's gospel, thatmeans every single one of us.
(11:28):
Now let's look at how Luketells the story.
In every episode, I've remindedyou that while God is the true
author of the Bible, he workedthrough human writers, letting
their personalities and stylesshine through.
So what does that look likehere?
(11:50):
Let's see how God used Luke totell the story of Jesus.
One thing you'll notice is thatLuke has a special way of
highlighting ideas that run allthe way through his gospel.
Let me point a few out for you.
First, there are songs and joy.
(12:11):
Luke's gospel is full of music.
In the first two chaptersalone, we get Mary's song of
praise called the Magnificant.
That's in chapter 1, verses 46to 50.
And then there's Zachariah'ssong, the Benedictus in chapter
(12:31):
1, verse 68 to 79.
The angels are singing, Gloryto God in the highest.
That's in chapter 2, verse 14.
And then there's Simeon's song,the Nunc Dimittis.
These aren't just poems,they're worship, and they set
(12:56):
the tone for the whole book.
Joy keeps bubbling upeverywhere, whether it's the
shepherds celebrating, chapter2, verses 10 to 20, a lost son
coming home, chapter 15, verses11 to 24, or disciples rejoicing
when they recognize the risenJesus, chapter 24, verses 30 to
(13:21):
52.
The second thing, aside fromthe joy and the music, are
meals.
If you pay attention, Jesus isconstantly at someone's table in
Luke.
He eats with the Pharisees,736, with tax collectors like
Levi in 529, and Zacchaeus in1957, with his disciples twenty
(13:49):
two, fourteen to twenty, andwith strangers on the road to
Emmaus twenty four thirty.
In Luke, these meals are neverjust about food, they're moments
of mercy, forgiveness, and lifechange.
The third element that we seethroughout Luke is prayer and
(14:15):
the Holy Spirit.
Luke shows Jesus praying moreoften than any other gospel.
He prays at his baptism threehundred twenty-one, before
choosing his disciples, sixtwelve, before Peter's
confession, nine eighteen, athis transfiguration, nine twenty
(14:37):
eight and twenty nine, and onthe cross twenty three, thirty
four and forty-six.
Out of the fifteen prayers ofJesus we have in the Gospels,
eleven are in Luke.
And the Holy Spirit is presentat every stage of this story,
(14:59):
from Jesus' conception onehundred thirty five to his
baptism three hundred twenty twoto his ministry for one
fourteen and eighteen.
And even his resurrection.
Luke is showing us that Jesus'life and mission are carried out
in the power of the Spirit, andhe invites us to pray and live
(15:25):
the same way.
A fourth element we see is theministry of women.
Luke highlights women more thanany other gospel writer.
The birth story is told fromthe perspective of Mary and
Elizabeth.
Women are also the last at thecross, 2349, 55, and 56, and the
(16:13):
first at the empty tomb, 24, 1through ten.
In a culture where women'svoices were often dismissed,
Luke goes out of his way tohonor their faith and their
place in God's story.
And finally, Luke highlightsthe humanity of Jesus.
(16:36):
More than any other gospel,Luke shows us a Jesus who feels
what we feel.
He gets tired eight hundredtwenty three.
He weeps over Jerusalemnineteen forty one.
He sweats drops of blood inprayer twenty two forty-four.
(16:56):
And on the cross, he showscompassion to the criminal
beside him.
Luke wants us to see that Jesusis fully God and fully human,
the Son of Man who understandsour struggles.
(17:17):
Well, we've been walkingthrough Luke's story, and by now
you can see the portrait he'spainting of Jesus.
Let's pull it together and seewhy it still matters for us
today.
We meet Jesus, the Spirit'sanointed Savior.
(17:38):
In the synagogue, Jesus readsfrom Isaiah and says, The Spirit
of the Lord is on me.
He has sent me to proclaim goodnews to the poor and freedom
for the oppressed.
That's chapter 4, verses 18,19, and 21.
Luke reminds us that Jesusstill meets us in our need,
(18:02):
spiritually, emotionally, and inthe places we feel stuck.
If you've ever felt unseen awaydown, this is the Savior who
notices you and brings freedomthat reaches the heart.
We also meet Jesus, a friend ofoutsiders.
(18:23):
He heals lepers in chapter 17,verse 12 to 14, welcomes tax
collectors like Zacchaeus, andmakes a Samaritan the hero of
his story.
Chapter 10, verse 33.
No one is too far gone or toofar outside.
If you've ever felt like youdon't quite fit in, Luke shows
(18:47):
us that Jesus moves towardpeople just like that.
We meet Jesus, the Son of Man,who came to seek and save the
lost.
And that's not just ancienthistory, it's personal.
Whenever or wherever we findourselves lost, confused,
(19:09):
guilty, or just unsure where toturn, Jesus seeks us out.
Luke also shows us Jesus'humanity.
He gets tired and falls asleepin a boat, 823.
He weeps over Jerusalem, 1941.
He sweats drops of blood inprayer, 2244.
(19:32):
And he shows compassion to athief hanging next to him on the
cross, 2343.
At the same time, he rises fromthe dead, eats with his
disciples, and opens thescriptures so they can see God's
plan from beginning to end.
When you feel exhausted,overwhelmed, or afraid, you're
(19:59):
not alone.
Jesus has felt it too.
We can see through thisportrait of his humanity.
He understands our strugglesfrom the inside out.
Luke's Jesus is fully God andfully human.
Powerful enough to save anyone,and tender enough to understand
(20:26):
everyone.
That's hope you can hold on totoday.
Maybe as you hear all that,something in you wants to know
Jesus more for yourself, to seewhat he said, how he lived, and
who he welcomed.
That's exactly what Lukeinvites us to do.
(20:47):
So let's talk about how you canread this gospel for yourself
this week.
Let me give you three simpleoptions.
Option one, you can read it inone sitting.
If you've got two or threehours, read the whole gospel
straight through.
From manger to empty tomb,you'll feel the sweep of the
(21:12):
story in one sitting.
Option two, read six chapters aday.
Or option three, read it slowand steady.
Just ten minutes a day.
And whichever option youchoose, pay attention to the
details Luke loves.
(21:32):
Circle every time you see theword today.
Notice how often Jesus ispraying and watch what happens
around the dinner table.
And don't stress if you don'tcatch everything.
The two big questions to carrywith you are these.
Who is Jesus and what does itmean to follow him?
(21:55):
Remember how we started askingif God would really welcome
someone like me?
In Luke 15, Jesus tells aparable, a story that answers
that question.
A father sees his son cominghome, dirty, ashamed, smelling
(22:20):
like failure.
And instead of a lecture orpunishment, the father runs down
the road, throws his armsaround him, and calls for a
feast, a celebration.
That's the kind of welcome Lukewants us to see in Jesus.
So let me ask you, do you needthat kind of welcome?
(22:45):
And where might Jesus beinviting you to take one step
toward him today?
Here's your challenge.
Pick one of those readingoptions and begin.
Maybe start with Luke chapters1 and 2 this week.
Let the songs of Mary,Zechariah, and the angels lead
(23:06):
you into the story.
And maybe text a friend to joinyou.
You never know who needs thereminder that God's table still
has a chair open.
Thank you so much forlistening.
Until next time, keep reading,keep seeking, and keep growing
(23:31):
in your faith.
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