Luke: Jesus Christ, Savior for the Nations

By Practical Christianity Foundation

Jesus Christ is a light that will reveal salvation to the nations...
So wrote Luke, the only Gentile writer found in the New Testament Scriptures. Luke saw in Jesus Christ the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy: "Arise! Shine! Your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." In clearly described themes, Luke takes his readers on a journey of discovery, finding in Jesus Christ, not only the light for Israel, but for people of all nations of the world.
"The book you hold in your hands is no dry seminary text, nor is it a feel-good self-help devotional. There is a wealth of information here, presented in a clear and accessible writing style that makes this commentary a great read for new believers and seasoned theologians alike. Luke's Gospel is examined not in a vaccuum, but in the context of the totality of Scripture where frequent references to supporting verses serve as roadsigns, assuring the reader that he is on the right road. This commentary informs and delights!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Practical Christianity Foundation
• Release date: Aug 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781600980664

Book preview

3:18).

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Luke derives its name from its author in the same way that the other gospel accounts do. What we know of the author, Luke, comes from glimpses found mostly in the Book of Acts, which he also wrote. In these two volumes, Luke provided a narrative of the life of Christ and a sequential narrative of the history of the beginning of the evangelization of the world with the Good News of Christ’s redemption and growing Kingdom.

Luke was not one of the twelve original apostles. In fact, we have no evidence to suggest that he ever met Jesus. In his writings, Paul(view image) identified Luke as the beloved physician (Colossians 4:14) and Paul’s fellow-worker (Philemon 24). Luke wrote a history based on the testimony of eyewitnesses who accompanied Jesus during His earthly ministry (Luke 1:1–4).

Many references in the Book of Acts confirm Luke’s association with early Jewish believers, however, he was not a Jew (Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16). He was a Gentile and a physician (Colossians 4:11, 14). His love of history and interest in the sciences made him a reliable contributor to an otherwise Jewish compilation of biblical literature. Early church fathers Eusebius and Jerome confirm Luke’s authorship of this gospel and further reveal that he was a native of Antioch.¹ The earliest tradition of the church unanimously attributed this gospel to Luke.

Luke addressed both this gospel and the Book of Acts to an unknown person by the name of Theophilus. Scholars wonder about the recipient of these works since the name means lover of God.² Some speculate that these books were written to those who love God.³ Others believe that the address of Your Excellency demonstrates that the recipient of these books was a real person, possibly a well-known Roman dignitary, perhaps one of those who had turned to Christ in Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22).⁴

Luke’s careful recording of the history immediately surrounding the emerging church provides reasonable evidence to believe that both Luke and Acts were written about A.D. 61–62. Like the other Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Mark), Luke recorded the Olivet Discourse in which Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem(view image). Acts records nothing of the great Christian persecution by the Roman Emperor Nero(view image) in A.D. 64. These facts, then, suggest a possible date of A.D. 63 for Acts and maybe a year or two earlier for Luke’s gospel narrative.⁵

Luke approached the writing of his gospel with meticulous care, providing details that help us understand the historical context of some of the events in Jesus’ life. He provided the greatest detail of Jesus’ birth of any of the gospel writers. He illuminated the details surrounding the birth of Jesus’ relative, John the Baptizer. He clearly outlined the fact that Jesus came to save those considered to be the outcasts of Jewish society—the tax collectors, the physically handicapped, children, and Gentiles. He provided particular insight into Jesus’ compassion, demonstrating how the Great Physician provided restoration and healing to those most aware of their need (5:31–32; 15:4–7, 31–32; 19:10).

Luke also provided the most detailed information of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem(view image). Starting with 9:51, Luke devoted ten chapters to his description of this journey, much of the information unique to Luke’s gospel. Throughout these ten chapters, Luke emphasized the significance of Jesus’ unswerving commitment to the Cross. Nothing deterred the Son of Man in that final journey from Galilee(view image) to Judea(view image). He was deeply cognizant of the purpose for which He had come to earth, and Luke described that overriding theme with genuine appreciation for what Christ was going to do (9:22–23; 17:25; 18:31–33; 24:25–26, 46).

Luke told Christ’s story primarily to a Gentile audience, much like John Mark did in his gospel. Because Luke was a Gentile and therefore comfortable with the Greek language, he often used Greek expressions rather than Hebrew or Aramaic equivalents. He referred to the place of Jesus’ execution as Calvary rather than Golgotha. He avoided use of Aramaic terms like Abba, rabbi, and hosanna. When he quoted the Old Testament Scriptures, he often paraphrased the original wording rather than quoting directly.

Perhaps because of his close association to Paul(view image), the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:12–13; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11), Luke emphasized the universal scope of the gospel. He showed, like John did in his Gospel account, that Christ was rejected by Israel and then proclaimed to the whole world.

Because of the universal appeal of Luke’s Gospel, showing that Christ was sacrificed for the sins, not only of the Jews but of the Gentiles as well, the Gospel of Luke holds a special place in the canon of the Christian Scripture. The clear and flowing style of Luke’s narrative, presenting Jesus to a non-Jewish world, draws readers. They find in the pages of Luke’s Gospel both the relief they seek from the guilt and pain of their sin, as well as the offer of restoration to wholeness in the hands of the compassionate Great Physician.

CALVARY—The name occurs once only in the King James Version, in Luke. 23:33, and not at all in most English versions. The word comes from the Vulgate, where the Latin calvaria translates the Greek kranion; both words translate from the Aramaic gulgoltâ, the ‘Golgotha’ of Matthew 27:33, meaning ‘skull’. Three possible reasons for such a name have been propounded: because skulls were found there; because it was a place of execution; or because the site in some way resembled a skull. All we know of the site from Scripture is that it was outside Jerusalem, fairly conspicuous, probably not far from a city gate and a highway, and that a garden containing a tomb lay nearby.

Two Jerusalem localities are today pointed out as the site of the Lord’s cross and tomb; the one is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the other Gordon’s Calvary, commonly known as the Garden Tomb. Unfortunately it has always proved difficult to debate the question objectively; in some quarters the identification one accepts is almost the touchstone of one’s orthodoxy. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher marks the site of a temple to Venus which the emperor Constantine removed, understanding that it stood over the sacred site. The tradition thus goes back at least to the 4th century. But in view of the operations and activities of Titus in the 1st century and Hadrian in the 2nd, the identification must still be viewed as precarious. It has at least been clarified by recent excavations that the traditional site lay outside the city walls in the time of Christ. On the other hand, the evidence of the church itself may indicate a tomb of slightly too late a date to be authentic.

The Garden Tomb was first pointed out in 1849; a rock formation there resembles a skull; and admittedly the site accords with the biblical data. But there is no tradition or anything else to support its claim. The more ancient site is much more likely; but any identification must remain conjectural.¹

¹D. F. Payne, Calvary, New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996). 160.

EUSEBIUS—Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. A.D. 260–340), bishop of Caesarea and prolific historian, biblical scholar, and Christian apologist. Educated in the Alexandrian tradition by the presbyter Pamphilus (hence his designation also as Eusebius Pamphilii), his text-critical skills were employed as copyist for the emperor Constantine. His ten-volume Historia ecclesiastica (Church History) records the history of the Church from apostolic times until ca. 323; the many quotations and paraphrases preserve portions of ancient works which otherwise have not survived. Eusebius’ earlier Chronicle provides a comparative chronology of ancient Near Eastern, classical, and biblical history. Although he composed extensive commentaries using literal and allegorical modes of exegesis, Eusebius’ most important contributions to biblical studies were his Onomasticon, a topographical catalogue of biblical sites, and the Eusebian Canons, a system of tables indicating parallel passages in the Gospels.¹

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¹Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 358.

GALILEE—a Roman province of Palestine during the time of Jesus. Measuring roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) north to south and about 58 kilometers (30 miles) east to west, Galilee was the most northerly of the three provinces of Palestine—Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. Covering more than a third of Palestine’s territory, Galilee extended from the base of Mount Hermon in the north to the Carmel and Gilboa ranges in the south. The Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River valley were its western and eastern borders, respectively.

Originally a district in the hill country of Naphtali (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 6:76), Galilee was inhabited by a mixed race of Jews and heathen. The Canaanites continued to dominate Galilee for many years after Joshua’s invasion (Judges 1:30–33; 4:2). It was historically known among the Jews as Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:15).

Galilee had such a mixed population that Solomon could award unashamedly to Hiram, king of Tyre, 20 of its cities in payment for timber from Lebanon (1 Kings 9:11). After conquest by Tiglath–Pileser, king of Assyria (about 732 B.C.), Galilee was repopulated by a colony of heathen immigrants (2 Kings 15:29; 17:24). Thus the Galilean accent and dialect were very distinct (Matthew 26:69, 73). For this and other reasons, the pure-blooded Jews of Judea, who were more orthodox in tradition, despised the Galileans (John 7:52). Rather contemptuously Nathanael asked, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46).

Galilee consisted essentially of an upland area of forests and farmlands. An imaginary line from the plain of Acco (Acre) to the north end of the Sea of Galilee divided the country into Upper and Lower Galilee. Since this area was actually the foothills of the Lebanon mountains, Upper and Lower Galilee had two different elevations.

The higher of the elevations, Upper Galilee, was more than 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level; and in the days of the New Testament it was densely forested and thinly inhabited. The lower elevation, Lower Galilee, averaged between 500 to 700 meters (1,500 to 2,000 feet) above sea level; it was less hilly and enjoyed a milder climate than Upper Galilee. This area included the rich plain of Esdraelon and was a pleasant land (Genesis 49:15). Chief exports of the region were olive oil, grains, and fish.

Galilee was the boyhood home of Jesus Christ. He was a lad of Nazareth, as it was prophesied: He shall be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). Here He attempted to begin His public ministry, but was rejected by His own people (Luke 4:16–30).

All the disciples of Jesus, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, came from Galilee (Matthew 4:18; John 1:43–44; Acts 1:11; 2:7). In Cana of Galilee He performed His first miracle (John 2:11); in fact, most of His 33 great miracles were performed in Galilee. Capernaum in Galilee became the headquarters of His ministry (Matthew 4:13; 9:1). Of His 32 parables, 19 were spoken in Galilee. The first three gospels concern themselves largely with Christ’s Galilean ministry. Most of the events of our Lord’s life and ministry are set against the backdrop of the Galilean hills.

When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., Galilee fell to the authority of Antipas; Herod, who governed until A.D. 39. He built his capital city at Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and was succeeded by HEROD I who took the title of king. After Agrippa’s death in A.D. 44 (Acts 12:23), Galilee became a ZEALOT stronghold until the Romans crushed Jewish resistance in Palestine between A.D. 66 and 73.¹

¹Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison and Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

GENTILES—People who are not part of God’s chosen family at birth and thus can be considered pagans. Though not synonymous in English, Gentiles, nations, pagans, heathens are variants chosen by translators to render goyim in Hebrew and ethnoi in Greek. Gentile and nation suggest race or territory, while pagans and heathen suggest religion.

The loss of political autonomy and the spread of Hellenism caused the Jews to be increasingly wary of Gentiles during the intertestamental period (cf. Wis. 10–19). Many in the early Church, which had emerged among the Jews of Palestine, maintained this opposition to Gentiles, viewing them as morally and religiously inferior (Matt. 5:47; 6:7; Luke 12:30; Eph. 4:17; cf. 1 Cor. 5:1, pagans; 12:2; 1 Thess. 4:5, heathen). Indeed, both Gentiles and Jews rigidly opposed the followers of Christ (Acts 14:1–2; 2 Cor. 11:26).¹

¹Jack P. Lewis, Gentiles, ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 638.

cf. compare, see

Wis. Wisdom of Solomon

GOLGOTHA — (Gk. Golgotha). The site of Christ’s crucifixion. The name, defined by the Gospel writers as the place of a skull (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17; cf. Luke 23:33; KJV Calvary), is the Greek transliteration of Aramaic gûlgaltā skull (Vulgate Latin Calvaria, whence English Calvary). According to Origen, Golgotha was named after the skull of Adam, who was allegedly buried there. It is more likely that the name derived from a rocky protuberance located there that had the shape of a skull, but other explanations have also been given.

The New Testament reports that Jesus’ crucifixion took place outside the city (Hebrews 13:12), in keeping with both Roman custom and Jewish law. The site was near the city (John 19:20), and since it is said that there were many passersby (Matthew 27:39; Mark 15:29), it was probably beside a road.

In 336 Constantine the Great (284–337) built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on what is said to have been the traditional site of Golgotha. The church stands in what is now the western part of the Old City; inside is a pile of rock about 3meters (15 feet high, and 40 meters (130 feet) away is a site that has been identified as the tomb of Jesus. The church was destroyed by the Arabs and then rebuilt by the Crusaders in 1130; after its destruction by fire in 1808, it was restored again but very imperfectly. The church has long been a focal point of political agitation among Arabs, Jews, and Christians, and it is now controlled by the Muslims.

The main question about this traditional site of the tomb of Jesus has been whether it lay outside the city walls during the New Testament period. A further difficulty is presented by the possibility that the hill changed a great deal under Emperor Hadrian (117–138), who rebuilt Jerusalem into the thoroughly pagan city of Aelia Capitolina and declared it off limits to Jews. Discussions have long been more emotional than factual, but most scholars now favor this traditional location as the correct one.

In 1885 the British general Charles Gordon suggested that Golgotha lay farther to the north, proposing a site on a hill north of the Turkish city wall, near the modern Damascus Gate. The area contains a number of simple graves from the Byzantine period, one of which is designated the Garden Tomb. This rock formation, roughly resembling a human skull and called Gordon’s Calvary, lacks the support of both archaeology and early Church tradition.¹

¹Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 430–431.

JEROME — (c.345–420), Eusebius Hieronymus, biblical scholar. The date of Jerome’s birth at Strido, near Aquileia, has been the subject of dispute: Prosper of Aquitaine says that he was 90 when he died, implying that he was born in 330; though a chronology based on Prosper’s statement has recently found some support, most scholars argue for a later date. Jerome studied at Rome, where he was baptized, and then travelled in Gaul before devoting himself to an ascetic life with friends at Aquileia. About 374 he set out for Palestine. He delayed in Antioch, where he heard the lectures of Apollinarius of Laodicea until self-accused in a dream of preferring pagan literature to religious. He then settled as a hermit at Chalcis in the Syrian desert for four or five years, and while there learned Hebrew. On his return to Antioch he was ordained priest by Paulinus, next spent some time in Constantinople, and from 382 to 385 was back in Rome, where he acted as secretary to Pope Damasus and successfully preached asceticism. After Damasus’ death he visited Antioch, Egypt, and Palestine, and in 386 finally settled at Bethlehem, where he ruled a newly founded men’s monastery and devoted the rest of his life to study.

Jerome’s writings issued from a scholarship unsurpassed in the early Church. His greatest achievement was his translation of most of the Bible into Latin from the original tongues, to which he had been originally prompted by Damasus. He also wrote many biblical commentaries, in which he brought a wide range of linguistic and topographical material to bear on the interpretation of the sacred text. Further, he anticipated the Reformers in advocating the acceptance by the Church of the Hebrew Canon of Scripture, thereby excluding those Books which came to be called the Apocrypha. In addition to his biblical work, he translated and continued Eusebius’ ’Chronicle’; compiled a ’De Viris Illustribus’, a bibliography of ecclesiastical writers; and translated into Latin works by Origen and Didymus. His correspondence is of great interest and historical importance. His passionate nature also led him to throw himself into many controversies and to attack Arianism, Pelagianism, and Origenism (the last of which had led to a bitter quarrel with his friend Rufinus of Aquileia who had remained faithful to Origen). In some of his letters to friends and in his tracts against Helvidius and Jovinian, he advocated extreme asceticism.

Since the 13th century he has often been depicted in art with a red hat, on the supposition that Damasus created him a cardinal. He is also often represented with a lion at his feet. His feast day is 30 Sept.¹

¹F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. rev. (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005). 872.

THE FIRST JEWISH REVOLT AND THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM — Uprising in A.D. 66–70, occurred as the result of a series of ineffective Roman governors in Judea.

The last Jewish king, Agrippa I (the Herod of Acts 12), died in A.D. 44, and the next 20 years were filled with persecution and humiliation for the Jews in Palestine. The unrest needed only a spark to flame into open revolt; the spark was provided by Florus, the Roman governor appointed in A.D. 64. His demand for money from the temple treasury, and the slaughter and pillage by Roman soldiers, provoked the Jews into an uprising in the year 66.

Rebellion quickly spread throughout Palestine, accompanied by a general struggle between Jews and pagans in several eastern Mediterranean cities. The revolt in Palestine was led by the Zealots, a Jewish group that had long wanted the Romans to leave Palestine. After an initial Jewish victory at the pass of Beth-horon, the emperor Nero dispatched his most able general, Vespasian, to direct the operation of punishing the rebels. By the autumn of A.D. 67 all of Galilee and other northern lands were back in Roman hands. In 67 and 68 further operations in Samaria and Judea left only four strongholds in Jewish control. At this point the Roman campaign slackened. Nero committed suicide in A.D. 68, and after three short-lived emperors, General Vespasian gained control of the empire in A.D. 69. His son Titus took command of the forces in Palestine, and laid siege to Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

The Jews in the capital might have been better prepared had they taken advantage of the turmoil in Rome to consolidate their own position and resolve disputes among warring Jewish factions. As it was, the arrival of Titus with 80,000 soldiers forced them to unify for a last defense of the city.

The siege of the city lasted for some 5 months. Jerusalem held out heroically against the advancing Romans, forcing a step-by-step conquest of the city. A tragic moment in Jewish history came early in August, A.D. 70, when for the first time in centuries, the morning and evening sacrifices were not offered at the temple. About August 29, under circumstances still not clear, the sanctuary was put to the torch and the temple destroyed, thereby fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy (Matthew 24:1, 2; Mark 13:1, 2; Luke 19:43, 44; 21:5–7). For another month some resistance continued, but by the end of September the conflict was over in the desolated city. In all, perhaps 1,000,000 Jews were killed and 900,000 taken captive during the course of the revolt.¹

¹Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988). 792.

JERUSALEM — Jerusalem is one of the world’s famous cities. Under that name, it dates from at least the 3rd millennium BC; and today is considered sacred by the adherents of the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The city is set high in the hills of Judah, about 50 km from the Mediterranean, and over 30 km west of the north end of the Dead Sea. It rests on a none-too-level plateau, which slopes noticeably towards the southeast. To the east lies the ridge of Olivet. Access to the city on all sides except the north is hampered by three deep ravines, which join in the Siloam Valley, near the well Bir Eyyub, southeast of the city. The eastern valley is Kidron; the western is now called the Wadi al-Rababi, and is probably to be equated with the Valley of Hinnom; and the third cuts the city in half before it runs south, and slightly east, to meet the other two. This latter ravine is not mentioned or named in Scripture (although Maktesh, Zephaniah 1:11, may well have been the name of part of it), so it is usually referred to as the Tyropoeon Valley, i.e., the Valley of the Cheese-makers, after Josephus.¹

¹D. F. Payne, Jerusalem, New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996). 557.

JOHN THE BAPTIST (JOHN THE BAPTIZER) — Forerunner and herald of the Christ. Hewas of the priestly race by both parents, for his father, Zacharias, was himself a priest of the course of Abia or Abijah(1 Chronicles 24:10), and Elisabeth was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5). His birth was foretold by an angel sent from God, and is related at length in Luke 1. The birth of John preceded by six months the birth of Jesus. John was ordained to be a Nazarite from his birth (Luke 1:15).

Dwelling by himself in the wild and thinly-peopled region westward of the Dead Sea, he prepared himself for the wonderful office to which he had been divinely called. His dress was that of the old prophets—a garment woven of camel’s hair (2 Kings 1:8), attached to the body by a leathern girdle. His food was what the desert provided—locusts (Leviticus 11:22), and wild honey (Psalm 81:16).

Then the long-secluded hermit came forth to the discharge of his office. His supernatural birth, his life, and the general expectation that some great one was about to appear, were sufficient to attract a great multitude to him from every quarter (Matthew 3:5). Many of every class pressed forward to confess their sins and to be baptized. Jesus himself came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John.

From incidental notices we learn that John and his disciples continued to baptize for some time after our Lord entered his ministry (John 3:23; 4:1; Acts 19:3). John instructed his disciples in certain moral and religious duties, as fasting (Matthew 9:14; Luke 5:33), and prayer (Luke 11:1). But shortly after he had given his testimony to the Messiah, John’s public ministry was brought to a close.

In daring disregard of the divine laws, Herod Antipas had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip; and when John reproved him for this, as well as for other sins (Luke 3:19), Herod threw him into prison (ca. March, A.D. 28). The place of his confinement was the castle of Machaerus, a fortress on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. It was here that reports reached him of the miracles which Jesus did in Judea.

Nothing but the death of the Baptist would satisfy the resentment of Herodias. A court festival was kept at Machaerus in honor of the king’s birthday. After supper the daughter of Herodias came in and danced before the company, and so charmed was the king by her grace that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for. Salome, prompted by her mother, demanded the head of John the Baptist. Herod gave instructions to an officer of his guard, who went and executed John in the prison, and his head was brought to the adulteress whose sins he had denounced. His death is supposed to have occurred just before the third Passover, in the course of the Lord’s ministry. (March, A.D. 29.)¹

¹William Smith, Smith’s Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

JOHN MARK—an occasional associate of Peter and Paul, and the probable author of the second gospel. Mark’s lasting impact on the Christian church comes from his writing rather than his life. He was the first to develop the literary form known as the gospel and is rightly regarded as a creative literary artist.

John Mark appears in the New Testament only in association with more prominent personalities and events. His mother, Mary, was an influential woman of Jerusalem who possessed a large house with servants. The early church gathered in this house during Peter’s imprisonment under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:12). Barnabas and Saul (Paul) took John Mark with them when they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch after their famine-relief visit (Acts 12:25). Shortly thereafter, Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey as far as Perga. He served in the capacity of assistant (Acts 13:5), which probably involved making arrangements for travel, food, and lodging; he may have done some teaching, too.

At Perga John Mark gave up the journey for an undisclosed reason (Acts 13:13); this departure later caused a rift between Paul and Barnabas when they chose their companions for the second missionary journey (Acts 15:37–41). Paul was unwilling to take Mark again and chose Silas; they returned to Asia Minor and Greece. Barnabas persisted in his choice of Mark, who was his cousin (Colossians 4:10), and returned with him to his homeland of Cyprus (Acts 15:39; also Acts 4:36).

This break occurred about A.D. 49–50, and John Mark is not heard from again until a decade later. He is first mentioned again, interestingly enough, by Paul—and in favorable terms. Paul asks the Colossians to receive Mark with a welcome (Colossians 4:10), no longer as an assistant but as one of his fellow laborers (Philemon 24). And during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul tells Timothy to bring Mark with him to Rome, for he is useful to me for ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). One final reference to Mark comes also from Peter in Rome; Peter affectionately refers to him as my son (1 Peter 5:13). Thus, in the later references to Mark in the New Testament, he appears to be reconciled to Paul and laboring with the two great apostles in Rome.

Information about Mark’s later life is dependent on early church tradition. Writing at an early date, Papias (A.D. 60–130), whose report is followed by Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150–215), tells us that Mark served as Peter’s interpreter in Rome and wrote his gospel from Peter’s remembrances. Of his physical appearance we are only told, rather oddly, that Mark was stumpy fingered. Writing at a later date (about A.D. 325), the church historian Eusebius says that Mark was the first evangelist to Egypt, the founder of the churches of Alexandria, and the first bishop of that city. So great were his converts, both in number and sincerity of commitment, says Eusebius, that the great Jewish philosopher, Philo, was amazed.¹

¹Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds.,Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

JUDEA — Place-name meaning Jewish. In Ezra 5:8 the Aramaic designation of a province that varied in size with changing political circumstances, but always included the city of Jerusalem and the territory immediately surrounding it. The area, formerly called Judah, was first given the name Judea following the Babylonian exile. During the Persian period, Judea occupied a very small area. Under the Maccabees, however, the territory was expanded in size and enjoyed a period of political independence. Herod the Great, appointed over roughly the same territory by Rome, had the title king of Judea. Judea, Samaria, and Galilee were generally considered, in Roman times, to be the three main geographical divisions of Palestine.¹

¹Judea, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen and Trent C. Butler (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003). 960-61.

LUKE — Author of the Third Gospel and the book of Acts in the New Testment, as well as a close friend and traveling companion of Paul. The apostle called him loved (Colossians 4:14). Luke referred to his journeys with Paul and his company in Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16. Many scholars believe Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts while in Rome with Paul during the apostle’s first Roman imprisonment. Apparently Luke remained nearby or with Paul also during the apostle’s second Roman imprisonment. Shortly before his martyrdom, Paul wrote that only Luke is with me (2 Timothy 4:11).

Early church fathers Jerome (ca. A.D. 400) and Eusebius (ca. A.D. 300) identified Luke as being from Antioch. His interest in Antioch is clearly seen in his many references to that city (Acts 11:19–27; 13:1–3; 14:26; 15:22, 35; 18:22). Luke adopted Philippi as his home, remaining behind there to superintend the young church while Paul went on to Corinth during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:40).

Paul identified Luke as a physician (Colossians 4:14) and distinguished Luke from those of the circumcision (Colossians 4:11). Early sources indicate that Luke was a Gentile. Tradition holds that he was Greek. The circumstances of Luke’s conversion are not revealed. An early source supplied a fitting epitaph: He served the Lord without distraction, having neither wife nor children, and at the age of 84 he fell asleep in Boeatia, full of the Holy Spirit.¹

¹T. R. McNeal, Luke, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen and Trent C. Butler (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003). 1056-57.

MATTHEW/LEVI—Personal name meaning the gift of Yahweh. A tax collector Jesus called to be an apostle (Matthew 9:9; 10:3). Matthew’s office was located on the main highway that ran from Damascus, down the Jordan Valley to Capernaum then westward to Acre to join the coastal road to Egypt or southward to Jerusalem. His duty was to collect toll or transport taxes from both local merchants and farmers carrying their goods to market as well as distant caravans passing through Galilee. He was an employee of Herod Antipas. Matthew knew the value of goods of all description: wool, flax, linen, pottery, brass, silver, gold, barley, olives, figs, wheat. He knew the value of local and foreign monetary systems. He spoke the local Aramaic language as well as Greek. Because Matthew had leased his toll collecting privileges by paying the annual fee in advance, he was subjected to the criticism of collecting more than enough, growing wealthy on his profit. Thus he was hated by his fellow Jews.

Matthew is the same person as Levi, a tax collector (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27), and thus the son of Alphaeus. James the son of Alphaeus is also listed among the apostles (Mark 3:18; Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). This indicates that both Matthew and his (half) brother were in close association with Jesus. Mary, the mother of James, keeps the vigil at the foot of the cross with Mary, the mother of Jesus (Matthew 27:55–56; Mark 15:40). If the James mentioned here is the same as the son of Alphaeus, then we have a larger family closely associated with the family of Jesus.

Later legendary accounts tell of Matthew’s travel to Ethiopia where he became associated with Candace, identified with the eunuch of Acts 8:27. The legends tell us of Matthew’s martyrdom in that country.

Matthew had the gifts to be trained as a disciple, could keep meticulous records, and was a potential recorder/author of the Gospel. From earliest times Christians affirmed that Matthew wrote the Gospel that bears his name.¹

¹Oscar S. Brooks, Matthew, ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1090–1091.

NERO — Emperor of Rome A.D.54-69; successor to Claudius.

The transition of power from Claudius to Nero went smoothly, under the direction of the Praetorian Guard. The early years of Nero’s reign were remarkably stable and free of the excesses characteristic of his later years. Tutored by the Stoic philosopher Seneca and ably assisted by the Praetorian prefect Burrus, the young Nero gained favor with both the Senate and Rome, despite the meddling of his dominating mother, Agrippina. Nero’s Hellenism, demonstrated in his fondness for the arts and athletics, surfaced in these years.

In A.D. 59 Nero murdered his mother and began to pull away from his close advisors. He became a tyrannical despot who ruled with increasing terror. Under the sway of his mistress, Poppaea Sabina, Nero jettisoned Seneca and turned to a prefect, Tigellinus, who catered to Nero’s vanity. Nero crushed opposition in the Senate while pressing his claims to divine status, yet he maintained favor with the common people by staging lavish entertainments. He frequently toured as an actor, musician, and charioteer, entering (and winning!) numerous contests.

On July 19, A.D. 64, a fire broke out in Rome that consumed much of the city and afforded Nero the opportunity to rebuild Rome on a grand scale. His new palace, the Golden House, was the epitome of opulence. Suspicions grew, however, that Nero had purposely set the fire to carry out his grandiose scheme. In an effort to place blame elsewhere, Nero pursued a brief but intense persecution of the Christians in Rome in the aftermath of the fire (perhaps a year or more later). Christians were burned alive or savaged by animals in spectacles before a Roman audience. Tradition counts Paul and Peter among the victims.¹

¹Thomas V. Brisco, Holman Bible Atlas, Holman Reference (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998). 236-37.

OLIVET DISCOURSE—Jesus’ discussion on the Mount of Olives about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world (Matthew 24:1–25:46; Mark 13:1–37; Luke 21:5–36).

In response to Jesus’ prophecy that the Temple would be destroyed, the disciples asked when this would occur and how they would know it was about to happen. The disciples believed that the Temple would be destroyed at the end of the world when, among other things, Jesus would return. That is why Matthew records the two questions, When will these things [the destruction of the Temple] be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3). What makes the Olivet discourse difficult to understand is that Jesus intermingles His answers to these two questions.

The key to unraveling His answers is the repetition of the key phrase take heed (Mark 13:5, 23, 33). The disciples’ first question was, When will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled? (Mark 13:4). Jesus began by saying, Take heed that no one deceives you (Mark 13:5); then He described the events leading up to the Temple’s destruction (vv. 6–22). He then said, But take heed; see, I have told you all [these] things beforehand (Mark 13:23). By repeating the phrase these things He provides a conclusion to the first answer.

The key note in this first answer is the warning take heed: there will be persecutions (Mark 13:9–13), wars and famines (13:7–8), false prophets, and false messiahs (13:6), all of which will lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem (13:14–23). But despite all these woes, the disciples must take heed because the end [of the world] is not yet (13:7). Mark 13:6–23 is therefore the answer to the question of when the Temple will be destroyed. Furthermore, it is an accurate picture of the havoc that existed in Jerusalem during the Roman siege of A.D. 70 when the city and the Temple were finally destroyed. Jesus’ prophecy was therefore fulfilled in the years leading up to the Temple’s destruction (although some would say it is also a picture of what will be fulfilled again at the end of time).

The disciples had assumed that the Temple would be destroyed only at the end of the world. They were mistaken, and Jesus said that despite all the woes leading up to the Temple’s destruction, when it happens the end of the world still will not be in sight. Therefore in Mark 13:24–27 He answered the next logical question: what signs will precede the end of the world? The phrase in those days is a common Old Testament expression used when speaking of the end times. In those days there will be signs in the heavens; and then Jesus, the Son of Man, will come.¹

¹Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds.,Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

PAUL THE APOSTLE—Outstanding missionary, theologian, and writer of the early church. Paul is a very important figure in the NT and in the history of Christianity. He wrote 13 epistles that comprise almost one-fourth of the NT. Approximately 16 chapters of the book of Acts (13–28) focus on his missionary labors. Thus Paul is the author or subject of nearly one-third of the NT and the most important interpreter of the teachings of Christ and of the significance of His life, death, and resurrection.

Paul was born in a Jewish family in Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 22:3), probably sometime during the first decade of the first century. Paul’s family was of the tribe of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5), and he was named for the most prominent member of the tribe—King Saul. Paul probably came from a family of tentmakers or leatherworkers and, according to Jewish custom, was taught this trade by his father. Apparently the business thrived and Paul’s family became moderately wealthy.

Paul was born a Roman citizen. The book of Acts states three times that he possessed it, and his citizenship was accompanied by important rights that would benefit him in his missionary labors. The Roman citizen had the right of appeal after a trial, exemption from imperial service, right to choose between a local or Roman trial, and protection from degrading forms of punishment like scourging.

Paul was educated in Jerusalem in the Jewish religion according to the traditions of his ancestors (Acts 22:3). Acts 22 says that Paul was trained by Rabbi Gamaliel I, the member of the Sanhedrin mentioned in Acts 5:33–39. Gamaliel was a leading Jewish teacher in Paul’s day. Paul quickly excelled as a Jewish rabbinical student. As Paul says in Gal. 1:14, I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

Paul, more than his mentor Gamaliel (Acts 5:34–39), recognized the serious threat that the followers of Jesus posed to the traditional Jewish religion. Paul was probably in his thirties when he, with authorization from the chief priest, began to imprison believers first in the synagogues of Jerusalem and then later in Damascus.

While Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest and imprison believers there, the resurrected and glorified Christ appeared to him with blinding radiance. At the appearance of Christ, Saul immediately surrendered to His authority and went into the city to await further orders. There his blindness was healed and he received the Holy Spirit and accepted believer’s baptism. Ananias told Paul the message that the Lord had given him in a vision: This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel. I will certainly show him how much he must suffer for My name!

The res of Paul’s life was consumed by his commitment to the call that the Lord laid upon him. He made three major missionary journeys throughout the eastern region of the Roman Empire, staying eighteen months in Corinth and nearly three years in emphasis. At the end of his third journey, he carried an offering from the churches in Europe and Asia minor to relieve the suffering of the saints in Jerusalem.

While in the temple performing a ritual to demonstrate his Jewish faithfulness to some of the Jerusalem believers, Jewish opponents incited a riot, and Paul was arrested (A.D. 57). Paul was sent to Caesarea to stand trial before the procurator Felix. After two years of procrastination on the part of his detainers, Paul finally appealed to the Roman emperor for trial. After arriving in Rome, Paul spent two years under house arrest awaiting his trial. Paul wrote Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians during this first Roman imprisonment.

The record of Acts ends at this point, so information as to the outcome of the trial is sketchy. Early church tradition suggests that Paul was acquitted (ca. A.D. 63) or exiled and fulfilled the dream expressed in Rom. 15:23–29 of carrying the gospel to Spain (A.D. 63–67). Paul probably wrote 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus during the period between his acquittal and a second Roman imprisonment. According to church tradition Paul was arrested again and subjected to a harsher imprisonment. He was condemned by the Emperor Nero and beheaded with the sword at the third milestone on the Ostian Way, at a place called Aquae Salviae and lies buried on the site covered by the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. His execution probably occurred in A.D. 67.¹

¹Charles L. Quarles, Paul, ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1259–1260.

SON OF MAN — References: Mark 2.10; 2.28; 8.31; 8.38; 9.9; 9.12; 9.31; 10.33; 10.45; 13.26; 14.21; 14.41; 14.62

The term Son of man is found in both the Old Testament and the New. In the New it is used 94 times, and, with 5 exceptions, always by Christ of Himself. Clearly Jesus affirms something important about Himself in His selection and use of this term.

On the one hand, of course, the phrase Son of man emphasizes Jesus’ full humanity. But even greater significance is found in the fact that, as in Matthew 9:6, Son of man signifies Jesus’ redemptive work and mission. In the term Son of man Jesus presents Himself as the Victor, for He accomplished all that man was intended to do, and becomes all that man was intended to be.

The demons recognized and spoke to Jesus as the Son of God (8:29). They were right; they knew Him for who He is. The whole Bible makes it very clear that the One who became Man at Bethlehem truly is the Creator God. John insisted that Jesus is God, coexisting with the Father from the beginning (John 1). Jesus does not hesitate to claim equality with God (John 17). Paul’s writings affirm Jesus as God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament prophecy identifies Jesus as the Father of eternity (a phrase meaning the source or originator of eternity itself!) and speaks of the Child to be born as a Son ... given (Isaiah 9:6, KJV). The name Immanuel, as we have seen, means, With us is God. Jesus had every right to speak of Himself as the Son of God, for that is who He is.

Yet Jesus chose another title for Himself: Son of man. A Man, with God’s prerogative of forgiving sin. A Man, with power to heal and to give life. A Man, yet Victor over death.¹

¹Richards, Lawrence O., The Teacher’s Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1987.

SYNOPTIC GOSPELS — Term applied to Matthew, Mark, and Luke because they see the ministry of Jesus from generally the same point of view, which is quite different from that of the Gospel of John.

The similarities among these three Gospels include their use of a common outline: introduction; ministry of John the Baptist and the baptism and temptation of Jesus; greater Galilean ministry; journey and ministry through Samaria, Perea, and rural Judea; and passion week, death, and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem. They also record the same emphasis in the teaching of Jesus—the presence, nature, and implementation of the kingdom of God. Furthermore, these three Gospels relate much of the same material, usually in the same order, and often with similar or identical words.

In addition to similarities there are also striking differences between Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These fall into the same general categories as do the similarities—outline, material, organization, and wording. Matthew and Luke also have considerable common material notfound in Mark which, save for the healing of the centurion’s slave, is composed exclusively of words and teachings of Jesus. Each Gospel also contains accounts and teachings that are unique. The result is a rich diversity within the synoptic unity, which provides portrayals of Jesus from a variety of viewpoints. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ Jewishness and the continuity of his person and work with the OT. Mark’s fast-moving account presents Jesus as a man of action, the Son of God who was a servant among men. Luke, in exquisite Greek literary style, seems to address cultured Gentiles and shows Jesus as a friend of disadvantaged groups.¹

OT Old Testament

¹Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2008—2009.

THEOPHILUS — Person to whom the books of Luke and Acts are addressed (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Since Theophilus can be translated lover of God or loved of God, many have suggested that Theophilus is a title rather than a proper name and that it designates the general audience of the books. However, the use of such generic titles is contrary to ordinary NT practice. Furthermore, the adjective most excellent generally designates an individual, particularly one of high rank. Paul addressed Festus as most excellent, and Claudius Lysias and Tertullus addressed Felix in the same manner (Acts 23:26; 24:2–3; 26:25). Though Theophilus may well have had some noble standing, it is difficult to speculate what his position might have been.¹

¹Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale Reference Library (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 1251.

Colossians 4:14

¹⁴ My dear friend Luke, the physician, and Demas greet you.

Philemon 24

²⁴ and my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send you greetings.

Luke 1:1–4

¹ Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. ² They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. ³ I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. ⁴ In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.

Acts 16:10–17

¹⁰ As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News.

¹¹ So we took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis, ¹² and from there we went to the city of Philippi. Philippi is a leading city in that part of Macedonia, and it is a Roman colony. We were in this city for a number of days.

¹³ On the day of worship we went out of the city to a place along the river where we thought Jewish people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said. ¹⁵ When Lydia and her family were baptized, she invited us to stay at her home. She said, If you’re convinced that I believe in the Lord, then stay at my home. She insisted. So we did.

¹⁶ One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. ¹⁷ She used to follow Paul and shout, These men are servants of the Most High God. They’re telling you how you can be saved.

Colossians 4:11, 14

¹¹ Jesus, called Justus, also greets you. They are the only converts from the Jewish religion who are working with me for God’s kingdom. They have provided me with comfort.

¹⁴ My dear friend Luke, the physician, and Demas greet you.

Philippians 4:22

²² All God’s people here, especially those in the emperor’s palace, greet you.

Romans 11:12–13

¹² The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer.

¹³ Now, I speak to you who are not Jewish. As long as I am an apostle sent to people who are not Jewish, I bring honor to my ministry.

1 Timothy 2:7

⁷ I was appointed to spread this Good News and to be an apostle to teach people who are not Jewish about faith and truth. I’m telling you the truth. I’m not lying.

2 Timothy 1:11

¹¹ I was appointed to be a messenger of this Good News, an apostle, and a teacher.

1. P. Schaff, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series, Vol. I. Eusebius: Church History from 1 to 325 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), 136.

2. James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (Iowa Falls, IA: World Bible Publishers, 1986), G2321.

3. Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2052.

4. John J. MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Word Publishers, 1997), Luke 1:1.

5. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Luke 1:1.

LUKE

Luke 1:1–4

1:1 Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us.

Unlike the writers of the other three Gospels, Luke began his work with an introductory preface, describing the reason for his effort. He opened the first chapter by acknowledging that others among the Christian community had already recorded the events that took place during the same period. Although he wrote about things many people already knew and believed, Luke undertook the task of preserving a historian’s account of the reports and oral traditions of the events surrounding the life of Jesus Christ. His efforts were designed to aid the understanding of an audience that was unfamiliar with the oral tradition of the Jewish community that was so closely associated with the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

1:2 They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us.

Luke did not spend any time in validating the works of other writers who wrote about the same subject matter as his own treatise. He confirmed that those who wrote about it received their information from eyewitnesses and servants of the Word who were so appointed by God. These would certainly include the disciples that Jesus called to follow Him, men who had actually witnessed Jesus’ entire three-year ministry. It also would include those directly inspired by the Holy Spirit to record God’s Word. Like the other Gospel writers, Luke wanted to record and substantiate the history of Jesus’ life. Luke wrote for the same reasons as the apostle John: But these miracles have been written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that you will have life by believing in him (John 20:31).

Luke noted that these stewards of God’s message passed on to us what they had personally witnessed and experienced in a confirmed historical setting; therefore, we can safely surmise that Luke’s account was not a work criticizing other writers. Rather, his acknowledgment suggests that he sought to preserve the history of the revelation of God’s redemption in a manner that could be understood by others who were unfamiliar with Jewish background and culture.

1:3–4 ³I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, ⁴Theophilus. In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.

Luke, having thoroughly investigated the reports and the testimonies of others concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, felt compelled to give an orderly account of what he had learned and confirmed. All these events could be substantiated as genuine since they were verified by eyewitnesses. Luke said he would do this for the benefit of a prominent dignitary, His Excellency, Theophilus.

Some scholars encourage a cautious approach to understanding this Gospel as a public message rather than a private communication. Since the name Theophilus means lover of God, they propose that Theophilus is actually an inclusive designation embracing all who love the Lord.¹ Such scholars assume that the meaning of the name of the addressee encompasses the substance of the message. However, such positions stand in contrast to similar literary practices exercised by Paul(view image) who wrote epistles to individuals like Timothy and Titus as well as to congregations such as the Romans and the Corinthians. Furthermore, the title Your Excellency and the proper name Theophilus more convincingly suggest that Luke did indeed address his account to a distinguished Gentile individual by that name.

It is more important to recognize that Luke wrote the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a historian to validate and confirm what Theophilus had already heard and understood. Anyone else reading Luke’s account would also be enlightened by the same affirmation that validated the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notes/Applications

All Scripture is inspired by God. Like all the other inspired writers of the different books of the Bible, Luke also was inspired to investigate and affirm the truth of the Gospel and record his findings as a careful historian. God equipped Luke with a specific expertise that enabled him to discern and record the valid historical facts that eyewitnesses had reported to him.

Thus, Luke set a powerful example for believers of all ages. He faithfully obeyed what God had entrusted to his stewardship. He heard, investigated, and confirmed the truth. Finally, he recorded the truth that he had confirmed. He did not just verify what he had heard merely for his own intellectual satisfaction. He faithfully passed on to others what God had revealed to him. No one can deny that Luke was a lover of the truth. What is more, the truth Luke confirmed was important to the ongoing fight against unsubstantiated errors. In Luke’s time, Gnostics, Sophists, and many more fallacious schools of thought distorted the truth and misled many with false doctrine.

Each generation, including our own, faces similar purveyors of falsehood. As believers in the truth of the Gospel narrative, drawing on the resources of the Holy Spirit Who lives within us, we too must examine the evidence of these same eyewitnesses of which Luke spoke. Thus, enlightened by the One Jesus promised to us as the Teacher of His truth, we too should find that the life and ministry of Jesus Christ clearly imprints not just the pages of Scripture but also the pages of our hearts. Then, like Luke, we will be equipped to write down or tell others about the Person of Jesus Christ, Who has filled our hearts with joy. We do this so that others too, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, can discover in Jesus their Savior, Redeemer, and King.

Luke 1:5–10

1:5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.

Following his formal address to Theophilus, Luke began his narrative by identifying certain historical markers to help his readers recognize the time and place of the events he was about to describe. He took his readers back to the time when Herod was the governor of Judea(view image). Historians record that Herod the Great was appointed king of Judea by Rome following several appointments over the region of Galilee. He was the second son of Antipater, an Idumean, appointed the procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C.² Herod the Great(view image) finally consolidated his power over Jerusalem(view image) and became the sole Roman authority over Judea until he died shortly after the birth of Christ. It was this Herod who ordered the slaughter of boys under two years of age in Bethlehem, hoping to destroy the King of the Jews in defense of his earthly kingdom (Matthew 2:16–18).³

Although the Jews were under Roman domination, they continued to observe the temple traditions in keeping with the Mosaic Law. One such tradition was the order in which Aaron’s descendants took turns presiding over the daily sacrifices and services of the temple according to the duties assigned to each family of priests and their descendants (1 Chronicles 24:1–19). In the time of Moses, Aaron’s male descendents were set apart for the purpose of serving as Israel’s priests (Exodus 30:30; Numbers 18:7). Aaron organized his descendants’ priestly duties as a part of his godly assignment. These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at the Lord’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him (1 Chronicles 24:19). Accordingly, Zechariah belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10; Luke 1:5). Both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron and consequently belonged to the temple priesthood, living their entire lives in the service of the Lord.

1:6 Zechariah and Elizabeth had God’s approval. They followed all of the Lord’s commands and regulations perfectly.

The Lord was pleased with Zechariah and Elizabeth. They observed the Law and walked uprightly before God. This does not mean that they were sinless or perfect. Romans 3:23 unequivocally affirms that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. However, Zechariah and Elizabeth were completely submissive to the commandments and the ordinances of the Lord in everything they did. The daily service of the temple and the righteousness of the merciful God they served defined their lives. They observed the Law and fully benefited from God’s provisions of atonement and mercy. They