Bible Study Reader
Luke Overview 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Luke

Introduction

The Gospel of Luke is traditionally attributed to Luke, a Gentile physician and traveling companion of the apostle Paul. Paul refers to him as "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14) and mentions him as a fellow worker (Philemon 1:24) who remained faithful even when others departed (2 Timothy 4:11). Luke is also the author of Acts, and the two books together form a unified two-volume work addressed to a certain Θεόφιλος ("Theophilus"), likely a Roman patron or official of some standing (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1). Some scholars date the Gospel to the early-to-mid 60s AD, before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, while many others place it in the 70s or 80s. The question remains debated, with arguments on both sides. Luke's prologue (Luke 1:1-4) reveals his method: he carefully investigated eyewitness testimony and existing written accounts to produce an "orderly account" of the things that had been fulfilled among the early believers.

Luke's Gospel is the longest of the four Gospels and displays the most polished literary Greek in the New Testament. It is distinguished by its universal scope -- Luke emphasizes that Jesus is the Savior not only of Israel but of all peoples, including Gentiles, women, the poor, Samaritans, tax collectors, and social outcasts. The Holy Spirit is a pervasive presence from the very first chapter, and Luke highlights prayer more than any other Gospel, frequently noting that Jesus withdrew to pray before pivotal moments. Themes of joy, praise, and worship run throughout the narrative, from the songs of Mary and Zechariah in the birth narrative to the disciples' joyful return to Jerusalem after the ascension. Luke also has a distinctive concern for the reversal of social expectations -- the humble are exalted, the rich are warned, and God's favor falls on the unlikely. Many of Jesus' most beloved parables, including the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus, are found only in Luke.

Structure

Prologue and Birth Narratives (1:1-2:52)

Luke opens with a formal literary prologue addressed to Theophilus, then presents the intertwined birth stories of John the Baptist and Jesus. This section includes the annunciations to Zechariah and Mary, the Magnificat, the Benedictus, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the visit of the shepherds, the presentation in the temple, and the boy Jesus among the teachers in Jerusalem. These chapters are rich with Old Testament echoes and hymns of praise, establishing Jesus' identity as the long-awaited Messiah and Savior.

Preparation for Ministry (3:1-4:13)

John the Baptist's ministry of repentance and baptism is set against a precise historical framework. Jesus is baptized and receives the Holy Spirit, His genealogy is traced back to Adam (emphasizing His connection to all humanity), and He is tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days.

The Galilean Ministry (4:14-9:50)

Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee, inaugurating it with His programmatic sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth, where He reads from Isaiah 61:1-2 and declares its fulfillment. This section includes the calling of disciples, healings, exorcisms, the Sermon on the Plain, parables, the feeding of the five thousand, Peter's confession, the Transfiguration, and growing conflict with religious authorities. Jesus' power and compassion are displayed alongside the cost of discipleship.

The Travel Narrative: Journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27)

This is Luke's most distinctive section -- a long, theologically rich journey narrative in which Jesus "sets His face" toward Jerusalem. Much of the material in this section is unique to Luke, including the parables of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21), the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24), the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-32), the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus teaches on prayer, wealth, the kingdom of God, repentance, and the nature of true discipleship as He moves steadily toward His appointed suffering.

The Jerusalem Ministry (19:28-21:38)

Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, weeps over the city, cleanses the temple, and engages in a series of controversies with the religious leaders over His authority, taxation, the resurrection, and the identity of the Messiah. He delivers the Olivet Discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of the Son of Man, and teaches daily in the temple courts.

The Passion Narrative (22:1-23:56)

The final events of Jesus' earthly life unfold: the plot against Him, the Last Supper (with its institution of the new covenant), His agony on the Mount of Olives, the betrayal and arrest, the trials before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod Antipas (unique to Luke), the crucifixion, and His burial. Luke's passion account uniquely records Jesus' words of forgiveness from the cross and His promise to the repentant criminal.

The Resurrection and Ascension (24:1-53)

The women discover the empty tomb, two disciples encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus (unique to Luke), Jesus appears to the gathered disciples and commissions them as witnesses, and He ascends into heaven. The Gospel ends with the disciples in the temple, continually praising God -- a note of worship and joy that sets the stage for the book of Acts.

Chapter Summaries

  1. 1The angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son named John, and then announces to the virgin Mary in Nazareth that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear a son called Jesus, the Son of the Most High.
  2. 2Jesus is born in Bethlehem during the census of Caesar Augustus, angels announce the good news to shepherds, and the infant is presented in the temple where Simeon and Anna prophesy over Him.
  3. 3John the Baptist preaches a baptism of repentance in the wilderness, Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and Luke traces Jesus' genealogy back through David and Abraham to Adam, the son of God.
  4. 4Jesus is tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days, inaugurates His ministry in the Nazareth synagogue by declaring the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, is rejected by His hometown, and demonstrates His authority through exorcisms and healings in Capernaum.
  5. 5Jesus calls His first disciples after a miraculous catch of fish, heals a leper and a paralytic lowered through the roof, calls Levi the tax collector to follow Him, and defends His disciples' practice of eating with sinners and not fasting.
  6. 6Jesus defends His disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath, heals a man with a withered hand, chooses twelve apostles, and delivers the Sermon on the Plain with its blessings, woes, and commands to love one's enemies.
  7. 7Jesus heals a centurion's servant, raises a widow's son at Nain, answers the doubts of John the Baptist about His identity, commends John as the greatest born of women, and forgives a sinful woman who anoints His feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee.
  8. 8Jesus teaches the Parable of the Sower and explains the purpose of parables, calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee, casts a legion of demons out of a man in the region of the Gerasenes, heals a woman with a flow of blood, and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.
  9. 9Jesus sends out the Twelve on a preaching and healing mission, feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fish, receives Peter's confession that He is the Christ, is transfigured on the mountain, heals a demon-possessed boy, and sets His face toward Jerusalem.
  10. 10Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples ahead of Him, pronounces woes on the unrepentant cities, rejoices that the Father has revealed His truth to the humble, tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and visits the home of Mary and Martha.
  11. 11Jesus teaches His disciples to pray with the Lord's Prayer, defends His exorcisms against the charge that He acts by Beelzebul, warns against the sign-seeking generation, and pronounces woes upon the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy.
  12. 12Jesus warns against the leaven of the Pharisees, teaches about the fear of God and the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit, tells the Parable of the Rich Fool, urges trust in God's provision, and calls His followers to watchfulness and faithful stewardship.
  13. 13Jesus calls for repentance in light of recent tragedies, tells the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath, teaches about the narrow door, and laments over Jerusalem's refusal to receive Him.
  14. 14Jesus heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, teaches on humility and hospitality at a Pharisee's dinner, tells the Parable of the Great Banquet, and warns the crowds to count the cost of discipleship.
  15. 15In response to the Pharisees' grumbling that He receives sinners, Jesus tells three parables about the joy of recovering what was lost: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.
  16. 16Jesus tells the Parable of the Shrewd Manager and teaches on faithfulness with worldly wealth, rebukes the Pharisees for their love of money, affirms the permanence of the Law, teaches on divorce, and tells the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
  17. 17Jesus teaches on forgiveness, faith, and the duty of servants, heals ten lepers on the border of Samaria and Galilee (only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks), and teaches about the sudden and unmistakable coming of the kingdom of God.
  18. 18Jesus tells the parables of the Persistent Widow and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, blesses the little children, challenges a rich ruler to sell all he has, predicts His passion a third time, and heals a blind man near Jericho.
  19. 19Jesus calls Zacchaeus the tax collector down from a sycamore tree and declares that salvation has come to his house, tells the Parable of the Ten Minas, enters Jerusalem in triumph riding on a colt, weeps over the city, and cleanses the temple.
  20. 20The religious leaders challenge Jesus' authority, and He responds with the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, answers questions about paying taxes to Caesar and about the resurrection, and silences His opponents by asking whose son the Christ is.
  21. 21Jesus commends a poor widow who gives all she has, foretells the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, describes the signs of the end of the age and the coming of the Son of Man, and urges His disciples to watch and pray.
  22. 22Judas agrees to betray Jesus, Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper at the Passover meal, predicts Peter's denial, agonizes in prayer on the Mount of Olives, is arrested, is denied by Peter, and is tried and condemned by the Sanhedrin.
  23. 23Jesus is brought before Pilate and then Herod Antipas, Pilate finds no fault in Him but yields to the crowd's demand for Barabbas, Jesus is crucified between two criminals and speaks words of forgiveness, and His body is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.
  24. 24The women find the empty tomb on the first day of the week, two disciples encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus, Jesus appears to the gathered disciples, commissions them as witnesses to all nations, and ascends into heaven as they worship Him with great joy.