Sample Studies: Old Testament | New Testament| Themes | Characters
    

Introductory Study: The World's only hope — a study in Luke's gospel

If you were a Jew living in the first century, you would be very careful not to mix with certain people indeed, you would avoid them at all costs! Who are these people?

1. Gentiles (anyone who is not a Jew). You would regard them as being irrevocably lost, outside the promises which God gave to Abraham, and therefore, beyond the scope of salvation.
2. Samaritans Samaritans. These people were descendants of Jews who had intermarried with other nations. You would consider they deserved all the hatred and scorn that respectable Jews poured on them.
3. Tax-ax-collectors and other immoral people. You would despise them and certainly never be seen in their company. They were real 'no-hopers'.
4. The poor poor. You would probably ignore them as they grovelled and begged in your pathway. You would pretend they didn't exist.
5. Women omen (presuming you are a man!). You would thank God daily, in public, that He had not made you a woman. And for a very good reason they were definitely inferior secondclass citizens.

Now Luke, living at that time, was a Gentile himself. He had spent much time in the company of the Apostle Paul, a Jew. You see, Paul's traditional Jewish attitude had been revolutionised when he came to know Jesus Christ. At his conversion, when God told him he was to carry the message of Jesus to the Gentiles, he was aghast! But as he was faithful to the task, he must have realised that this had been God's plan all along. So, when Luke wrote his gospel, he was careful to show that from the very beginning God planned that His message should be for all kinds and classes of people. Luke paints a portrait of Jesus as One whose love reaches out to every member of the human race. See how he selects incidents to emphasise this, for example, in the following references;

• Gentiles 2:28-32; 4:25-27; 7:2, 9.
• Samaritans 9:51, 52; 10:30-35; 17:12-16.
• Outcasts 7:36-39, 48; 18:13-14; 19:1-7, 23:42, 43.
• Poor 12:33; 14:13; 16:19-23.
• Women 8:1-3; 10:38, 39; 13:10-13.

So, if you had been a Jew, you might have been rather startled as you read Luke's account for the first time. But let's face it! You are not a Jew living in the first century. What difference, then, does it make to us today, that Christ's offer of salvation is open to everyone, irrespective of birth or circumstances? Discuss what kinds of people in your locality might be the parallels of those listed above.

How is the Christian community in your area trying to share the message of Jesus with these people? Do you think this is important? Are you involved on a personal level? Discuss this together.

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Read Luke 1:1-4 in different versions. From these verses, discover:

1. To whom was Luke's Gospel addressed?
2. Was he the first to write such an account?
3. Where did he get his information?
4. What was his attitude to the task?
5. What was his purpose in writing?

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Discuss:

1. How do you think Luke's 'orderly account' can help people today?
2. Why do you think Luke didn't simply write a biography of Jesus?
3. What do you expect to gain personally from the study of this book?

Michael Wilcock in his book, THE MESSAGE OF LUKE, The Saviour of the World (Pub. IVP a splendid book), comments on the first four verses of Luke:

'It should whet our appetite, especially if we have become too accustomed to living on spiritual snacks, to know what pains Luke has taken to prepare this feast. It consists, basically, of the living facts which were common to all the early 'Gospels', but it has been carefully prepared, supplemented with extra courses, and attractively served. We owe it more than a perfunctory nibble.'

Study 1
Communication — God to Man
Questions

DAY 1: Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:5-25.
a) What things did the angel tell Zechariah about the son that would be born to him and his wife?
b) What happened to Zechariah because he did not believe the message from God?

DAY 2: Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38.
a) What things did the angel tell Mary about the Son that would be born to her?
b) What explanation was given of how this Child could be born to a girl who was a virgin?
c) What was Mary's reaction to the news?

DAY 3: 1 Samuel 2:1, 2, 5, 7; Luke 1:39-56.
a) What happened to Elizabeth when she heard Mary's voice?
b) In Mary's song, what does she say about God's mercy and God's power?

DAY 4: Luke 1:57-80.
a) What are we told about Zechariah in verses 63-67?
b) For whom does Zechariah praise God in verses 68-75?
c) To whom do verses 76 and 77 refer?

DAY 5: Luke 2:1-20; Galatians 4:4-5.
a) Read these well-known verses prayerfully several times. What impresses you most about them?
b) Read Matthew 1:20-23. Who, in fact, broke into history that night?

DAY 6: Luke 2:21-40.
a) What do we read about the Holy Spirit in verses 25-27?
b) Verse 33 what do you think amazed Mary and Joseph so much in what Simeon had said?

DAY 7: Luke 2:41-52; John 4:34.
a) What was the boy Jesus doing in the Temple?
b) to His mother's question show?

Notes

Imagine Dr. Luke as he sits down to write. He has collected a wealth of information, some from the apostles, some from other eye-witnesses, some from Mary, the mother of Jesus. He ponders ... what to include, and what to leave out? He wants to make it clear that Jesus was:

1. the One for whom all sincere Jews had been waiting so long,
2. the One who came from God,
3. the One who would save His people from their sins.

He thinks for a little longer, prays, picks up his quill and inspired by the Holy Spirit begins to write ...

Zechariah and Elizabeth had been faithfully praying for the coming of a Saviour to their nation. For 400 years even the voice of prophecy had been silent, and this couple must have had great faith to continue all their lives believing that God would do what He had promised, and send a Saviour. So, the first exciting GOOD NEWS is that God is about to send a messenger to tell everyone that the Saviour is coming soon, and the surprise is that they themselves will be the parents of this man! Mary next receives some astounding news. It is no ordinary child who is to be born to her, and in no ordinary way but God Himself, coming to planet Earth, bringing Salvation to all mankind. His Name? Jesus the Lord is Salvation. In Mary Mary s s song she has a vision of what this coming Salvation will mean, nothing less than a revolution in man s thinking and attitudes. Indeed, God has already begun this revolution by choosing what the world looks down on and despises, and thinks is nothing ... (1 Cor. 1:28)

to bring about His wonderful purposes. And God breaking into history will continue to turn things upside down and show man a completely different set of values. Zechariah Zechariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, then prophesies that Jesus will save His people from their enemies but goes on to note that true Salvation means to be saved from spiritual enemies, i.e. having one s sins forgiven. So the wonderful GOOD NEWS that Zechariah rejoices in, is that Jesus has come to save His people from their sins.

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The actual happening of Jesus birth was, of course, of the greatest importance, but it is the Word of God concerning this event that Luke highlights so that we may know its significance. The word of God came first through an angel to the shepherds. The message:

The babe that has been born is Saviour (the One who alone can bring Salvation), Christ (God s promised Messiah) and Lord (God Himself).

Notice that the shepherds passed on the divine message to Mary and Joseph as well as to others that they met; notice, also, that Mary hid this word of God in her heart and thought deeply about it. A week later, the word of God came through a prophet, Simeon, and the revelation this time was that the Child would be A light to reveal God s will to the Gentiles. Mary and Joseph were amazed at this word of prophecy and could only marvel at the unexpected purposes of God. Who would ever have thought at that time, that God s saving love would reach out to the Gentiles? After 12 years, the Word of God came through the boy Jesus who was Himself, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). What revelation did these first recorded words from His lips bring? My Father, He said, meaning God not Joseph. He also showed (as He later said) that His work was to do his Father s work which was to bring Salvation to man. Although Mary did not understand His reply at the time, she treasured these things, too, in her heart. So, Luke takes us back to the beginning , and gives us not only the facts, but the Divine explanation from the mouth of God to help us understand them.

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( Christmas voices by Joseph Bayley. Reprinted from Decision magazine).