By T. W. Parker

This is the last Sunday in May; therefore, we will end with Luke and go into the Gospel of John for the month of June. The Gospel of Luke is the first installment of the two-volume work Luke-Acts. This first volume describes God’s climactic work in the history of salvation through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; the second volume points to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in forming a renewed people of God. Moreover, in Luke’s Gospel, the intended audience seems to point to “Theophilus” and his high social status as he is mentioned as the “most excellent” (Luke. 1:3). Also, it is applied to several Roman officers (Acts. 23:26, 24:3, 26:25).

The content of Luke’s writing points to an audience familiar with Jewish customs and culture but still at home in a Gentile environment. Indeed, it seems Luke is addressing a wider mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles, acknowledging the diversity within the early Christian community. They are likely believers who have received “the things they have been taught” (Luke. 1:4, NIV). As a result, Luke’s primary purpose for writing this letter is to strengthen and confirm the faith of the early Christians, making them feel part of a larger, inclusive community. Luke’s two-volume work is a testament to the power of the Gospel, which not only establishes the foundation and center of the Gospel but also depicts its transformative power as it spread throughout the Roman world, reinforcing the sense of belonging and inclusivity.

In addition, Luke is particularly interested in showing what the coming of Christ means for the identity of God’s people (Luke 2:30-33:4-6, 4:16-30, 24:46-47, Acts 1:8, 13:46-47, 28:28). Throughout this two-volume work, Luke highlights the powerful work of Jesus the Messiah, whose death and resurrection ushers in a new era in salvation history, an era that witnesses the power of the Gospel among both Jews and Gentiles. In both form and content, this Gospel resembles Mark and Matthew’s. All three can be read as belonging to the broad category of Greco-Roman biographies. The themes and theology are as follows: (1) fulfilling God’s promises, (2) Christ as the “Messiah” and His role as the new Adam who fulfills God’s intentions and plans for humanity, (3) The Holy Spirit in Christ birth narrative, and His disciples, (4) Salvation, Jesus is “the Son of man who came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke. 19:10), and finally, (5) Luke emphasizes how God includes Gentiles in this Gospel theme (Luke. 2:32, 3:6, 4:25-27, 7:1-10) and fully develops it in the second volume (Acts. 1:8, 10:1-11, 18, 15:1-35).

The final chapter of the book of Luke tells us that after Jesus’ ascension, “They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great Joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (Luke 24:52-53). For this reason, as believers, you and I must also display Christ’s joy in our lives and worship Him in Spirit and truth as we engage others with the Gospel message!