The Gospel of Luke


A Physician's Compilation of the Life of Jesus


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About The Gospel of Luke

Luke was a physician, see Col 4:14. He never met Jesus personally, but did research that resulted in Luke’s­ Gospel. Great ­emphasis is placed on how the gospel is for all peoples, not just the Jews.

This is the longest of the four Gospels and the only one that also has a­ sequel, the Acts of the­ Apostles, which deals­ with the early church.

Luke is also careful to use the ”every other woman” principle. Throughout the story of healings, parables and events, the main character ­alternates between a man and a woman. This is an ­effective literary device that emphasizes that Jesus makes no distinction between men and women. Some examples:
• A man and Peter’s mother-in-law are healed, see Luke 4:33–40
• An officer’s servant and a widow’s son are healed, see Luke 7:1–15
• Jairus and a woman come to Jesus, see Luke 8:40–56
• A woman suffering from kyphosis (a curvature of the spine) and a man with edema (fluid retention) are healed, see Luke 13:10–13; 14:1–4
• Parable of a man sowing and a woman baking, see Luke 13:19, 21
• Parable where a man has 100 sheep and a woman 10 coins, see Luke 15:4–10
• Parable where a widow and two men pray, see Luke 18:1–14.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents


Persons (140) BETA

Persons in The Gospel of Luke


Places (39)

Places in The Gospel of Luke


Unique words (376)

Unique words in The Gospel of Luke



Written: Around 58-64 AD
The book was written before Acts, which was written at the earliest around Paul's ­release in 62 AD, see Acts 28:30.

Author: Luke, according to early tradition.

He traveled with Paul on several of his missionary journeys. In Acts 16:10, a ­section begins where he writes “we“, which ­indicates that Luke is included. It is ­likely that Luke was later living in Philippi since between Acts 17:1 and Acts 20:15 (when Paul leaves and then comes back to ­Philippi) the “we”-form is not used. Luke may have been a Gentile, see Col 4:11–14; if so, he is the only Gentile listed among the Bible writers.

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Total amount of words in this book: 38891

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The Gospel of Luke

The Evangelist's Foreword

11It is a well-known fact that many have already recorded (written about) the great events that have taken place among us, 22just as it has been told to us by those who from the beginning [of Jesus' ministry] were eyewitnesses and became servants of the Word. 3After thoroughly familiarizing myself with everything from the very beginning, I have decided to write it down in a detailed and structured way for you, most honorable (excellent) Theophilos [which means “the one who loves God” or “loved by God”], 4so that you may have complete certainty in (feel sure, not have to doubt) what you have been taught [by oral tradition]. [Luke wants to be clear that he is not going to introduce any new ideas. He wants to summarize and clarify what others have already written and the oral tradition that existed about Jesus. One of the sources was probably the Gospel of Mark and perhaps also the Gospel of Matthew. Luke expresses his gratitude for what has already been written, but sees the need to recount the life of Jesus to help Theophilus and his non-Jewish Christian friends understand the Gospel. These first four verses are one long well-structured sentence in Greek.]

John the Baptist and Jesus’ Childhood (1:5-2:52)

An Elderly Couple Miraculously Have a Baby!

5
(Luk 1:5) The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a large 1:50 scale outdoor model of Jerusalem as it was in the time of Jesus. The Temple seen from the east.

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a large 1:50 scale outdoor model of Jerusalem as it was in the time of Jesus. The Temple seen from the east.

During the reign of King Herod in Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was of the line of Aaron and was named Elizabeth. [King David divided the priests into 24 divisions, of which the family of Abijah was one, see 1 Chron 24:10; Neh 12:17. In Jesus’ day there were nearly 20,000 priests serving in the temple. Each department performed temple duties for a week, five times during the year. Three of these times were during the great feasts when all the priests served together.] 6Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God and lived blamelessly according to all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were old.
     8Once when the time to serve came to Zechariah’s division and he was fulfilling his priestly service before God 9it happened, in the customary drawing of lots, that he was commissioned to enter the temple of the Lord and light the incense. [The incense was lit twice a day. For the morning and evening, four lots were drawn and the priests were assigned different tasks. The third lot, to light the incense altar, was an honorable task assigned to a priest only once in his lifetime. During one of the two weeks of the year when Zechariah’s division is in charge of the sacrifices, he will now be the one to enter the Holy Place and perform this task.] 10All the people stood outside and prayed at the hour (time) of the burnt offering. 11
(Luk 1:11) The sanctuary consisted of two rooms, the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. The angel probably stands between the incense altar and the seven-branched candlestick.

The sanctuary consisted of two rooms, the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. The angel probably stands between the incense altar and the seven-branched candlestick.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. [The right side indicates that it is a positive message of favor, see Matt 25:33. Most likely the angel stood on the right side seen from the inside, i.e. between the altar of incense and the seven-armed candlestick, see Heb 9:1–5.] 12Zechariah was greatly troubled at this sight, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
    for your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
    and you will name him John. [The name John comes from the Hebrew Jochanan, which in turn is a short form of Jehochanan. The name is composed of the name of God (Hebr. ­Jahveh) and the word for mercy (Hebr. chanan). The meaning is ’God has mercy’ or ’the Lord is gracious’.]
14You will have great joy and delight, yes,
    and many will rejoice at his birth,
     15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will not drink wine nor strong drink,
    and even in his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
 16 Many of the sons of Israel (children) will turn to the Lord their God.
 17He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to
    ’turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ [Mal 3:1; 4:5]
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
    so that the Lord may have a prepared people.”
 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am old, and my wife is old.” 19The angel answered him and said: “I am Gabriel. I stand before God (in his presence). [That is His mission!] I have been sent to tell you this good news. 20Behold, you will be silent, unable to speak until the day when this happens, because you did not believe my words [which are the words of God], which will be fulfilled [regardless of your belief or disbelief] when the time comes.”[The angel’s name, Gabriel, means man of God or warrior of God. He was sent 600 years earlier to Daniel, see Dan 8:16. Six months later, after the visit to Zechariah, he is sent to Mary, see Luke 1:26. Zechariah asked for a sign in verse 18 and he receives a sign that prevents him from speaking in unbelief, see also Ezek 3:26 where muteness can be a sign.]
21The people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was lingering in the temple. [The people had stopped praying and started worrying about what had happened. According to the Talmud (a Jewish book summarizing and commenting on the Old Testament), the priest was only supposed to be in the Holy Place for a short time.] 22When he [finally] came out, he could not talk to them. [He was expected to pronounce the Aaronic blessing over the people, see Num 6:24–26. Instead, Zechariah gestures and nods there on the stairs to explain that he has experienced something special.] They understood that he had had a vision in the temple. He made signs to them again and again because he was unable to speak. 23When the time of his service was over [after the Sabbath that ended his weekly service], he went home. [Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in the countryside somewhere in Judea, see verse 39. Once home, he must have written and explained what had happened in the temple.]
24After a while his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she remained in seclusion (hidden). She said to herself: 25“The Lord has done this to me. Now he has thought of me and delivered me from my shame among men.” [From the angel’s message they understood that their son would have an important divine mission, see verse 15, which needed to be prepared in prayer and seclusion.]

The angel’s Message to Mary

26
(Luk 1:26) The modern city of Nazareth, perched high on a mountain.

The modern city of Nazareth, perched high on a mountain.

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the town of Nazareth in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, of the line of David. The maiden’s name was Mary. [It is likely that Mary is somewhere between the ages of fourteen and eighteen when this happens. She was Jewish, her Hebrew name was Miriam.]
     28He came in and said to her: “Rejoice, you higly favored (who has been chosen, received God’s favor and favor over your life). The Lord is with you.” 29But she was startled by his words and wondered (thinking back and forth) what this greeting could mean.
     30The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have received grace (favor – Gr. charis) from God. 31Behold, you will conceive (Gr. sullambano) [Luke uses a medical term, be impregnated in the womb] and bear (bring forth – Gr. tikto) a son, and you will name him Jesus.
32He will be great (powerful, important),
    called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him
    the throne of his ancestor David.
 33He will reign as King over the house of Jacob [Israel] forever (through the ages);
    there will be no end to his kingdom.”
34
(Luk 1:34) Nazareth, 1842.

Nazareth, 1842.

Then Mary said to the angel: “How can this happen, since I have not known (had a sexual relationship with) any man?”
     35The angel answered and said to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (rest over you like a cloud, Old Testament image of God’s presence). Therefore, the holy (set apart, special) child will be called the Son of God. 36Look, your relative Elizabeth [perhaps a cousin] is expecting a child despite her advanced age. She who has been called the childless one is now six months pregnant. 37For nothing is impossible to (near – Gr. para) God.” [Literally: for nothing will be powerless/impotent in the presence of every word/promise of God (Gr. rhema). No word spoken by God is without power! The same expression is found in Gen 18:14 addressed to Abraham concerning Sarah.]
     38Then Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Mary and Elizabeth

39
(Luk 1:39) Sunset across the hills at Ein Kerem.

Sunset across the hills at Ein Kerem.

A few days later, Mary set off and hurried (with enthusiasm) to a hill town in Judah. [The hill country of Judah runs north-south from Jerusalem down to Hebron. The journey from Nazareth to this area takes three to four days on foot. Zechariah was a priest in the temple, but as the service was only five weeks a year, it was not necessary to live in Jerusalem, so many priests lived in Jericho or Hebron, for example. According to Christian tradition from the 5th century, the site is Ein Kerem, seven kilometers west of Jerusalem.] 40Mary went into Zechariah’s house and greeted (saluted, blessed) Elizabeth. [A greeting in those days was not just a few words and a gesture, but was a ceremony in which the younger reverently greeted the older.] 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child kicked in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit [The prophecy of Luke 1:15 is being fulfilled]. 42She cried out in a loud voice (an emotional exclamation) and said [then, when she collected herself]:
“You are blessed (fortunate, enviable) above all other women, [you have been given a unique privilege]
    and blessed is the child you carry within you.
 43But who am I (how have I deserved this honor),
    that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44Behold, at once when my ears heard the sound of your greeting,
    the child kicked with jubilant joy in my womb. 45Blessed (happy, fortunate) is she who believed (was faithful),
    for it will be done as it has been said to her from the Lord [through the angel Gabriel].”

Mary’s Song of Praise - Exalt the Lord

[Mary bursts out in praise. The first word in the Greek is the verb exalt (Gr. megaluno). It sets the tone for the whole song. The Latin translation has the same word order, which is why this piece has come to be called the Magnificat, from the Latin word for exalt. Mary was already familiar with the Scriptures at a young age, and the whole hymn has a biblical feel. There are many similarities with Anna’s song of praise when God gave her a son, see 1 Sam 2:1-10. The song is structured as a psalmody, as are the songs of Zechariah and Simeon, see Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32.] 46Then Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord [I constantly praise and speak of the Lord’s greatness],
     47and my spirit rejoiced (leaped for joy) in (because of) God,
    my Savior (Rescuer, Deliverer)! [Ps 103:1–2; Ps 35:9; Hab 3:18]
48For he has seen (considered) the low estate (humility) of his handmaid. [1 Sam 1:11; Ps 136:23]
Behold, from this hour all generations (generation after generation)
    will call me blessed (joyful, happy) [Gen 30:13; Ps 138:6]. 49For the Mighty One has done great things (marvelous things) for me [Ps 71:19; 126:2, 3],
    and holy (set apart) is his name. [Ps 111:9]
 50His mercy (love towards those who suffer) is upon those
    who fear him from generation to generation. [Ps 103:17] [Mary begins personally, praising God for what he has done for her, see verses 48-50. The second part is prophetic, looking forward to what the Son will do for Israel. It is not uncommon for psalms to be structured in this way, see Ps 15; 69; 128; 130; 131.]
51He has done mighty works of power with his arm [Ps 98:1; 118:15].
He has dispossessed those who have haughty thoughts in their hearts. 52He has overthrown powerful rulers (leaders) from their thrones
    and exalted those of low rank.
53He has filled the hungry (needy) with his good gifts [Ps 107:9],
    and sent away the rich empty-handed. [Luke 6:20–26]
 54He has taken care of (helped and stood up for) his servant Israel [Isa 41:8],
    he has remembered his mercy (grace).
 55He spoke to our fathers (has given the promise),
    to Abraham and his children (seed, descendants) forever (to the age).” [Mary had understood that Jesus was the Lord’s Anointed One who would fulfill the promise God had made to Abraham, see Gen17:19; 22:16–18; Luke 2:26.]
 56Mary stayed with her for about three months [until John the Baptist was born], and then returned home. [The Jewish custom was that the mother did nothing but rest during the first three months of pregnancy.]

The Birth of John the Baptist

57Now it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her when they heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy [honored and showered his love on her]. [The circumcision of Jewish boys is a sign of God’s eternal covenant with Abraham, see Gen17:10–12. The ceremony is called brit mila and is performed on the eighth day after birth, even if it is a Sabbath. The Hebrew word for circumcision is mila and the covenant is brit. At the same time, the child also received his name. During the ceremony the first part of Ps 65:5 is quoted.]
59On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the baby; they wanted to call him Zechariah after his father. 60 60But his mother answered, “No, his name will be John.” [The name the angel told Zechariah his son would have, see verse 13.]
     61Then they said to her: “But none of your relatives have that name.” 62So with signs they asked his father what he wanted the child to be called.
     63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: “John [Heb. Jochanan] is his name.” Everyone was surprised (shocked). 64At once Zechariah’s mouth was opened, and his tongue was loosened. He began to speak, praising (thanking, praising) God.
     65All their neighbors were filled with fear, and everywhere in the hill country of Judea people were talking about what had happened. 66Everyone who heard it took it to heart and said: “What will become of this child?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him. 67Now his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, he prophesied and said:
[Earlier the child and his wife Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit, see verses 15 and 41. It is not unlikely that Zechariah sings out the following verses. Verses 68-75 are one long sentence in Greek.]

 68“Blessed (praised, exalted) is the Lord, the God of Israel,
    for he has come (visited) and redeemed (delivered) his people.
 69He has raised up a mighty Savior for us,
    in the house (lineage) of his servant David. [’Mighty Savior’ is literally ’horn of salvation’. The horn of a wild ox is a metaphor for military strength and victory.] 70Just as he promised through his holy prophets, long ago (ages past),
71so that we might be saved from our enemies
    and from all those who hate us. [He has raised the Savior because:]
72He wanted to show mercy (grace, faithful love) to our fathers
    and remember his holy covenant,
     73the oath he made to our father Abraham [Gen.22:16-18]: 74that we, delivered from the hand of our enemies,
    may serve him without fear,
75in holiness and righteousness
    before him in all our days.
76And you, little child [my beloved John], will be called a prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord and prepare ways for him [Mal 3:1],
77and give knowledge of salvation to his people
    through the forgiveness of their sins. [Jer 31:34]
78This will happen thanks to the inward mercy (grace) of our God,
    a light from on high will dawn on us [a metaphor for the Messiah, see Mal 4:2],
79to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death [Isa 9:2],
    and lead our feet into the way of peace. [Isa 59:8]”
80The child grew and became strong in spirit. He dwelt in the deserts (the uninhabited regions) until the day when he should appear to Israel [when he began his public ministry and was called John the Baptist].

The Birth of Jesus (Matt 1:18-25)

21
(Luk 2:1) Marble relief from the end of the first century illustrating a Roman tax assessment. Roman citizens were counted every five years.

Marble relief from the end of the first century illustrating a Roman tax assessment. Roman citizens were counted every five years.



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