Jesus offers Himself as a sacrifice for sinners.
By the time Nero ascended as emperor over an increasingly troubled realm, the Christian movement had spread to most major cities of the Roman empire. The authorities at first did not view the new religion as a significant threat. Indeed, they still regarded it as a minor sect of Judaism. But the Christians’ insistence on the divinity of Christ and their refusal to pay homage to the emperors eventually resulted in state-sponsored persecution.
Against this backdrop, Luke wrote a two-part history: a Gospel account of Jesus’ life, and a sequel, the Book of Acts. In the Gospel that bears his name, Luke presents “all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). In Acts, he goes on to describe how Jesus’ followers continued their Lord’s work. The two-part narrative may have been used as a legal document by the apostle Paul while he awaited trial at Rome (22:11; 25:11; 28:30, 31; see also the introduction to Acts).
In his Gospel, Luke tells a story with universal appeal. The Jesus he portrays reaches all the way to the fringes, to people of every class and background—Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles, Roman soldiers, the poor, women, children, the powerful, the powerless, the sick, the fearful, the devout, the irreligious. Jesus has something to offer everyone. Perhaps this is why some of today’s most popular portions of Scripture come from the Book of Luke—the Christmas story, the Good Samaritan, and the Prodigal Son, for example.
As far as scholars can determine, the entire Bible was composed by Hebrew authors—with the exception of Luke, the “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). One tradition holds that he was a Greek from Antioch of Syria. His writings demonstrate that he was well educated and thoroughly acquainted with the Roman world. His writings feature a far more cultured form of Greek than the rest of the New Testament.
If Luke was a Gentile, it is unsurprising that his Gospel highlights non-Jews and their response to Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy to Abraham, the father of Israel (Matt. 1:2), but Luke traces it to Adam, the father of the human race (Luke 3:38). As Luke continues his narrative into the Book Acts, moreover, he shows the Christian movement begin to stretch beyond its Jewish origins to include peoples of every ethnic and religious background.
Luke may have used the years that Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea (Acts 24:24–27) to visit Galilee and Judea, gathering firsthand accounts of Jesus’ life. He may have interviewed Mary, Jesus’ mother, as his account describes details of her pregnancy and motherhood that the other three Gospels omit, including her song of praise (Luke 1:46–55) and her reflection on the events of which she was a part (2:19, 51). Who better to pay attention to the virgin birth from Mary’s point of view than a physician?
Luke 1:1 implies that the doctor may have visited with Matthew, Mark, or John, the other Gospel writers, or perhaps others of the Twelve. Whoever his sources were, Luke’s detailed descriptions indicate that they were actually present during the events he records. He had no need and apparently no interest in resorting to legends or hearsay. He instead wrote as a disciplined, skillful historian inspired by the Holy Spirit, compiling the material into an accurate, orderly account of the Lord’s life.
Luke addresses both his Gospel and the Book of Acts to an unidentified person named Theophilus (1:1–4), of whom many have made speculations but little is known.
The Gospel of Luke never names its author, but as early as A.D. 175, church leaders were identifying the writer as Luke. The beloved physician tells us that he drew upon earlier written accounts; one of these may have been the Gospel of Mark, believed to have been written during the A.D. 60s. If this is the case, it suggests that the Book of Luke was produced sometime around A.D. 70.
Key Events in Luke
• John the Baptist’s birth is predicted and comes to pass (Luke 1:5–25, 57–80).
• An angel informs Mary that she will bear God’s Son (Luke 1:26–56).
• Jesus is born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–20).
• Simeon and Anna greet the baby Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:22–38).
• Young Jesus converses with religious teachers (Luke 2:41–50).
• Jesus calms a storm (Luke 8:22–25).
• Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37).
• Jesus weeps for Jerusalem (Luke 13:34, 35).
• Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32).
• A rich young ruler comes to see Jesus (Luke 18:18–30).
• Zacchaeus is transformed by meeting Jesus (Luke 19:1–10).
• Jesus and His disciples celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:14–20).
• Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39–46).
• Jesus promises a place in Paradise to a thief on a cross (Luke 23:39–43).
• Jesus rises from the dead (Luke 24:1–12).
• Jesus ascends to heaven (Luke 24:50–53).