A summary of the Gospel of Luke
The Gospel attributed to Luke, a physician who was the apostle Paul's companion during his missionary journeys. One of the so-called Synoptic Gospels - this term refers to the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke due to the significant similarity in the events and teachings presented. A noteworthy discrepancy concerns the words of Jesus spoken during the Last Supper, explaining the significance of the cup. According to Matthew and Mark, Jesus says that the cup is the blood of the New Covenant; according to Luke, it is the New Covenant in his blood. Luke's version is also quoted by the apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 11:25, who in turn received these words directly from the Lord (1 Cor. 11:23). Thus, it is clear that the text of the Gospel was consulted with the apostle. Luke refers in his text to most of the teachings and events that Matthew writes about, although in a slightly different chronological order, provides a somewhat abridged version of the Sermon on the Mount, and the parable of the wedding feast ends in Luke’s version with the calling of the guests. At the same time, Luke included elements in his Gospel that are missing from the other evangelists, such as expanding the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias and providing the parable of the minas:
- Luke 1 - dedication to Theophilus (1-4); birth of John the Baptist foretold (5-25); birth of Jesus Foretold (26-38); Mary visits Elizabeth (39-45); Mary's Song of Praise (46-56); the birth of John the Baptist (57-66); Zacharias' prophecy about John (67-80);
- Luke 2 - Jesus is born in Bethlehem (1-7); the shepherds and the angels (8-21); Jesus presented in the temple, Simeon and Anna (22-38); Simeon: "my eyes have seen Your Salvation which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel (30-32); and the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was on Him (40); 12-year-old Jesus in the temple (41-51); Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (52);
- Luke 3 - John the Baptist prepares the way (1-22); he came into all the country around Jordan, proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (3); fruits worthy of repentance (8); now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire (9); the people were in expectation (15); Jesus shall baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (16); he will gather the wheat into His storehouse. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (17); Jesus' baptism (21,22); the genealogy of Jesus (23-38);
- Luke 4 - the temptation of Jesus (1-13); Jesus begins his ministry (14,15); is rejected at Nazareth (16-30); heals a man with an unclean demon (31-37); heals many (38-41); preaches in synagouges (42-44); man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God (4); power of all kingdoms delivered to devil (5,6); Jesus: I must proclaim the gospel, the kingdom of God, to other cities, because I was sent on this mission (43);
- Luke 5 - Jesus calls Simon, James and John 'fishermen of men' (1-11); cleanses a lepper (12-16); heals a paralytic 'man your sins are forgiven you' (17-26); calls Levi (27-32); Jesus: those who are sound do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners (31,32); Jesus' disciples don't fast because their bridegroom is with them (33-39);
- Luke 6 - Pharisees acuse Jesus' diciples of breaking the law by plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath; Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (1-5); Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (6-11); the twelve apostles (12-16); Jesus ministers to a great multitude (17-19); the beatitudes 'blessed are you who ...' (20-23); Jesus pronounces woes (24-26); love your enemies, do good to all expecting nothing in return; offer the other cheek (27-36); judge not, and you shall not be judged (37-42); the disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect shall be like his master (40); every tree is known by its own fruit. For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit, neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth the evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (43-45); build your house on the rock. Calling Jesus Master without actually doing what he says is like building a house without a foundation (46-49);
- Luke 7 - Jesus heals a centurion's servant (1-10); raises a widow's son (11-17); John the Baptist sends two disciples to Jesus to confirm he is the One (18-23); Jesus about John: Among those who are born of woman there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (28); Jews like fickle children. They rejected John because he didn't eat and drink; now they reject Jesus because he is a gluttonous man and a winebibber (31-35); Jesus forgives sins of a sinful woman who came to a Pharisee's house to meet him and began to wash His feet with tears and wipe them with the hair of her head (36-50);
- Luke 8 - women accompanying Jesus, incl. Mary Magdalene (1-3); the parable of the sower (4-8); interpretation of the parable of the sower (9-15); Jesus: to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But to others I speak in parables, so that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand (10); a lamp under a jar (16,17); for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever has not, from him shall be taken even that which he seems to have (18); Jesus' mothers and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it (19-21); Jesus calms a storm in the lake (22-25); Jesus expels demons out of a man called Legion. Then they enter a herd of pigs and throw them down into the lake (26-39); Jesus heals a woman with a flow of blood on his way to Jairus' house, then raises from the dead his daughter (40-56);
- Luke 9 - Jesus sends out the twelve to proclaim the Kingdom, cure diseases and expel demons (1-6); Herod is perplexed by Jesus (7-9); Jesus feeds the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish (10-17); Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ (18-20); Jesus foretells his death (21,22); take up your cross and follow Jesus (23-27); Jesus: For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it (24); the Transfiguration: Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah (28-36); Jesus expels a demon from a boy, whom his disciples could not expel (37-42); Jesus again proclaims his death (43-45); disciples argue who is the greatest (46-48); Jesus: Do not prevent the man from casting out demons, for he who is not against us is for us (49,50); a Samaritan village rejects Jesus, but he forbids his disciples from commanding fire from heaven against it (51-56); the cost of following Jesus: No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (57-62);
- Luke 10 - Jesus sends out the seventy-two (1-12): the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few (2), it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city which did not receive disciples (12); woe to unrepentant cities (13-16); I saw Satan fall from Heaven like lightning (18); rejoice because your names are written in Heaven (20); I thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the sophisticated and cunning, and have revealed them to babes (21); the parable of the good Samaritan (25-37); Martha rebukes Mary for not helping with serving but Mary listening to Jesus has chosen that good part (38-42);
- Luke 11 - the Lords' prayer (1-4); ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. And he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks it shall be opened (9,10); if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (13); Jesus accused of casting out demons with the power of Beelzebul (14-23): every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And a house divided against a house falls (17), he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters (23); unclean spirit returning with seven other spirits more wicked than himself (24-26); blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it (28); the sign of Jonah (29-32); the light of the body is the eye. When your eye is sound, your whole body also is full of light (33-36); Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers (37-54): you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you have hindered those who were entering in (52);
- Luke 12 - beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (1-3); do not be afraid of those who kill the body (4); even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear (7); blasphemy against the son and the spirit (10); spirit as the power of the mind teaching disciples what to say (11,12); the parable of the rich fool, who stored a lot of goods but his soul was required of him that night and he was not rich toward God (13-21); be not anxious as to your life, what you shall eat; nor for the body (12-34); do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom (32); be ready also, for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not (35-40); who then is that faithful and wise steward (42-48); I have come to send fire on the earth (49-53); you know how to interpret the signs of the weather, but you do not discern this time (54-56); if you do not judge what is right, you pay a higher price (57-59);
- Luke 13 - repent or perish: bad things don't happen to people because they sin more (1-5); the parable of the fig tree barren for three years (6-9); a woman with a disabling spirit healed on the Sabbath (10-17); kingdom of God compared to the mustard tree and the leaven (18-21); enter at the narrow gate because the first ones will be last whereas the last ones will be first and will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and will recline in the kingdom of God (22-30); lament over Jerusalem: your house is left to you desolate (31-35);
- Luke 14 - healing on the Sabbath (1-6); choose a lower seat at the feast so that the host may offer you a higer seat, for whoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted (7-11); the parable of the great banquet: the host inviting people on the streets because guests refused to come (12-24); if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple (26,27); salt without taste is worthless (34,35);
- Luke 15 - the parable of the lost sheep: joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance (1-7); the parable of the lost drachma (8-10); the parable of the prodigal son (11-32);
- Luke 16 - the parable of the dishonest manager who writess off parts of debt people have with his lord so that he can be received by them when he is fired: He who is faithful in the least is also faithful in much, No servant can serve two masters (1-13); the Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for the heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the Law to fail (16,17); everyone putting away his wife and marrying another commits adultery; and everyone marrying her who is put away from her husband commits adultery (18); the rich man and Lazarus (19-31);
- Luke 17 - woe to him through whom the offenses will come (1,2); forgive offenses as many times as the person repents (3,4); if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this sycamine tree, Be rooted up and be planted in the sea! And it would obey you (5,6); when you shall have done all the things commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, for we have done what we ought to do (7-10); Jesus cleanses ten lepers but only one returns - and a Samaritan - to thank him (11-19); the coming of the kingdom: the kingdom of God does not come with observation (20), for as the lightning which lights up, flashing from the one part under heaven, and shines to the other part under heaven, so also shall the Son of Man be in His day (24), the return of Christ as the days of Noah and Lot (26-33), two in one bed, one will be taken and one left. For wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together (34-37);
- Luke 18 - the parable of the persistent widow, who insisted on a judge to avenge her (1-8); a Pharisee and a tax collector praying at a synagogue: one thanking God that he is not like sinners, the other asking for forgiveness. The tax collector went down to his house justified (9-14); Whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no way enter into it (15-17); a rich ruler is sorrowful because Jesus tells him to sell everything he has, distribute to the poor and follow Jesus (18-30); Jesus foretells his martyrdom and death (31-34); Jesus heals a blind beggar (35-43);
- Luke 19 - Jesus in Jericho in the house of Zacchaeus, chief tax collector, who repents and declares to give half of his wealth to the poor and restore fourfold if he had accussed anyone falsely (1-10); the parable of the ten minas (11-27); Jesus' triumphant entry to Jerusalem (28-40); Jesus weeping over Jerusalem: your enemies will not leave a stone on a stone because you did not know the time of your visitation (41-44); Jesus cleanses the temple, the Pharisees seek to kill him (45-48);
- Luke 20 - scribes ask Jesus by what authority ha does these things, but he asks them in return whether John's baptism was from God or from men. They do not answer him and so Jesus does not answer them (1-8); the parable of the wicked tenants of the vineyard: they mistreat several servants of the lord, when they come to collect the fruit, but when the son comes, they kill him (9-16); the Stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the Head of the corner (17,18); render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's (19-26); whose wife after resurrection will be a woman who in this life was a wife to seven brothers? They who shall be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. Nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, and are the sons of God (27-40); how Christ can be David's son and lord at the same time (41-44); beware of the scribes (45-47);
- Luke 21 - widow casting two lepta to the treasury has given more than rich men (1-4); Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple, disciples ask for a sign (5-7); there will be wars and presecutions (8-19); when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that its destruction has come (20-23); the times of the nations (24); signs of parousia (25-28); reading signs from a fig tree (29-31); the generation that shall not pass (32,33); take heed to yourselves for the day of the Lord shall come as a snare on all those sitting on the face of the whole earth (34-38);
- Luke 22 - the plot to kill Jesus (1,2); Judas in contact with the scribes on betraying Jesus (3-6); Peter and John prepare the Passover (7-13); institution of the Lord's Supper (14-23); the greater one should serve (24-27); I appoint a kingdom to you (28-30); Peter's denial of Jesus foretold (31-34); Jesus reckoned among the transgressors (35-38); Jesus' prayer on the Mount of Olives (39-46); betrayal and arrest of Jesus (47-53); Peter denies Jesus (54-62); Jesus mocked: prophesy, who beat you? (63-65); Jesus before the Council (66-71);
- Luke 23 - Jesus before Pilate (1-5); Jesus before Herod (6-12); Pilate proposes to release Jesus (13-17); the mob and the priests demand Jesus to be crucified and Barabas sent free (18-25); the crucifixion (26-38); Jesus and the two criminals: you shall be with me in paradise (39-43); the death of Jesus (44-49); Jesus is buried (50-56);
- Luke 24 - women find two angels at the tomb who inform them that Jesus rose from the dead (1-11); Peter confirms the tomb empty (12); Jesus meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus (13-35); Jesus appears to his disciples and convinces them he is not a spirit (36-49); tells them to stay in Jerusalem 'until you are clothed with power from on high' (49); the ascension (50-53).
Luke 16
Lk. 16:19-31
"'And a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day, (20) and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores, (21) and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; yea, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores. (22) 'And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers to the bosom of Abraham -- and the rich man also died, and was buried; (23) and in the hades having lifted up his eyes, being in torments, he doth see Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, (24) and having cried, he said, Father Abraham, deal kindly with me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am distressed in this flame. (25) 'And Abraham said, Child, remember that thou did receive -- thou -- thy good things in thy life, and Lazarus in like manner the evil things, and now he is comforted, and thou art distressed; (26) and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from hence unto you are not able, nor do they from thence to us pass through. (27) 'And he said, I pray thee, then, father, that thou mayest send him to the house of my father, (28) for I have five brothers, so that he may thoroughly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment. (29) 'Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them; (30) and he said, No, father Abraham, but if any one from the dead may go unto them, they will reform. (31) And he said to him, If Moses and the prophets they do not hear, neither if one may rise out of the dead will they be persuaded'" (YLT)
Related themes:
- Expanded commentary on Lk. 16:19-31
- Begettal of the spirit (lecture)
- Israel and the olive tree (Rom. 11:16-24)
Luke 21
Lk. 21:20-24
"... And Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations until the times of the nations is fulfilled" (MKJV)
Commentary: the times of the nations is a period when the rule in Jerusalem was given into the hands of the Gentile nations. This period began in 607 BCE with the abduction of Israel into captivity in Babylon and ended in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I, which led to the recapture of Palestine from the Turks and, as a consequence, to the restitution of an independent Jewish state.
Related themes:
- Expanded commentary on Lk. 21:20-24
- Abraham's parallels (lecture)
- Abomination of desolation (Mt. 24:15-22)
Luke 22
Lk. 22:19,20
"And He took bread and gave thanks, and He broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of Me. (22) In the same way He took the cup, after having dined, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is being poured out for you" (MKJV)
Commentary: during the Lord's Supper described in Lk. 22:19,20 there appear two pairs of symbols which show how we receive the body and blood of Christ, and thus how we participate in the New Covenant. The first pair is bread and body - truth and character. By accepting the broken unleavened bread, we show that our experience of faith is learning the truth of God's Word, which 'breaks' the old, sinful character. In the second pair, wine symbolizes trials, blood - life. The experience of believers who eat the bread of doctrine must therefore also be the courage to apply it in every trial, including one that will require the sacrifice of blood. Sharing in the symbolic bread and wine constitutes our participation in the New Covenant - a new relationship with God secured by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Related themes: