Preface: This is part of a larger term project on Luke 1-4:30. It will post this paper in sections as it is quite a large amount of content. This section deals with the main idea of the passage and how this main idea is supported though out the passage.
Luke Main Subject 1:1-4:30: Luke shows Jesus’ preparation for ministry and shows how he is the messiah with a gentile audience in mind.
Luke’s gospel starts with the miracle of John the baptizer’s birth (Lk 1.5-24, 1.57-80). By starting with John Luke is showing that both Jesus and John where conceived miraculously. Yet John, while a miraculous birth announced by an angle was not the messiah it was Jesus who is the messiah because of the virgin birth. That is the point that Luke is making in the first chapter of Luke. The whole ministry of John the Baptizer is to prepare the way for the coming of the Christ (Lk. 1.76-77). By placing the story of John the baptizer first Luke reinforces the ministry of John to come and prepare the way of the Christ.
Luke then moves onto the grand and awe inspiring way in which Jesus’ birth was announced (Lk. 2). While John the baptizer had a miraculous birth it pales in comparison of what happened when Jesus was born. In announcement of Jesus’ birth there were angles and shepherds, (Lk. 2.9, 2.12). The fact that angels announced the birth of Jesus shows how important this child is. The angle in its announcement says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2.11). This statement by the angel along with the statements by the angle Gabriel (Lk. 1.30-35) solidifies the fact that Jesus is the messiah.
Luke then moves onto the ministry of John the baptizer in chapter 3. Luke tells us that he, John, is the one who has come to prepare the way (Lk. 3.16). John’s ministry is to prepare the hearts and minds of the Jews to receive Jesus as the Christ (Lk. 3.3, 3.16-17). After talking about John’s ministry Luke tells us of Jesus’ baptism, which gives further credence to Jesus being the messiah (Lk 3.21-22).
Luke then goes into the genealogy of Jesus starting with Jesus and ending with the first created being Adam (Lk. 3.23-38). This shows that Jesus is in the right lineage for the messiah thus further pushing the fact that Jesus is the messiah.
After the genealogy Luke moves on to the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Lk.4.1-13). Through this temptation Jesus came up against three big issues and over came them. First he was tempted to break his fast (Lk. 4.3-4), second he is tempted to worship another god (Lk. 4.5-8), and third he tempted to succumb to pride (Lk. 4.9-12). This section of Luke shows the last phase in Jesus’ preparation for ministry.
The specific way in which Luke chronicles Jesus’ life in these first four chapters is to show the gentiles, a reasoning people, and the truth of Jesus’ life. While the Jews have the advantage of knowing about God and the prophecies the gentiles did not. This led Luke to explain things very carefully.
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