Reading through the Good News of Luke

What you have heard is True!

Approximately 30 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it seems that a wealthy man named Theophilus became interested in Christ and Christianity. We presume that Theophilus was taught about and believed in Jesus, but some of the stories he heard about him may of seemed too strange to be true. So he asked an investigator to get the facts about what Jesus had really done and taught. This special investigator learned as much as he could about Jesus’ life, work and teachings. He then wrote a documentary about Jesus Christ. We still have it today. It is the Gospel of Luke.

Luke tells us how he went about his task: “So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught. (Luke 1:3-4) In addition, to being inspired by God to write this Gospel, it’s clear that Luke did his research, probably traveling to Judea and interviewing Christians who had known Jesus. Luke learned that Jesus took special interest in the less-respected members of society.

Luke showed Theophilus how Jesus reached out to those less respected in first-century Jewish society. Jesus loved everyone, regardless of their station in life. Even his enemies knew it: “Thus they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” (Luke 20:21). As an example; Women were prominent in Luke’s portrayal of Jesus’ life.

Luke is the most chronologically historical of the gospels. Initially, it was apparently intended for him and for Hellenistic Christians in Asia and Europe. In this first division of his two-part “Luke-Acts,” the author emphasized the “role-model” humanity of Jesus, and portrayed Christ as the “Son of Man,” a description which appears more than two dozen times in the gospel.