Some long chapters here - two and a half hours reading, at least! From the start we have a clear view of what Luke is trying to achieve. That we may have certainty, Luke begins from the very beginning of the story (before Christ is born) and continues until he has shown conclusively that Christ rose physically and spiritually from the dead. He includes many details omitted by other writers, details that are important historically, can be checked (by those living at the time), and flesh out the story of Christ - appealing to an intellectual mind that wants to know everything it can.
This gospel is considered to be directed to the Greeks (based on the introduction) and it is quite clear that this story appeals to the Greek audience. Greek culture at the time was one that idealised thinkers, philosophy, and the idea of attaining perfection. They were the cultural elite of the day, similar in many ways to the Enlightenment type philosophy that idealised 'man' and put him on a pedestal to think his way to perfection.
As I began reading through the early life of Jesus, I considered how much detail was here that was not recorded elsewhere. As a perfect man, Jesus' whole life was of crucial importance - not simply concerned with just what He did, or His royal lineage - but showing Him as an important player even before His birth, as preparations were made with John the Baptist coming first, and the announcements to Zechariah and Mary. Even in the womb the Christ-child touched the lives of those around Him.
We notice that throughout His childhood, we get a sense of the privilege to be in His presence, that there is something special about Him - evidenced by the angels, shepherds, Simeon, Anna - Mary treasuring all these things in her heart as important.
As we see the beginning of His ministry, we see His identification with the common man, in the baptism, and in the temptations, and yet His perfection in not succumbing to the temptations. His lineage can be traced back to the first man - He is truly human.
The first significant event recorded in His ministry is His rejection at Nazareth, His hometown. Though perfect in childhood, His own hometown could not accept Him, despite hearing regularly of the works He was doing.
Interestingly, Peter, when we first see him, immediately confesses his unworthiness as a sinner to be in Christ's presence, as he realises Who Christ is when Christ shows His power over the fish. Within the same chapter we see Christ demonstrating by His power over healing that He also has power to deal with sin.
This seems to set the tone for much of the rest of the ministry. We see Christ pronouncing woes on those who think themselves worthy, and lifting up those who see themselves unworthy. He reminds all that the cost of following Him is to leave everything - you cannot be attached to money, people or things before God. He condemns pride and cautions against allowing good things to become more important than they ought, for instance, after the 72 disciples come back from preaching and rejoice that the spirits are subject to them, He cautions them that they are not to rejoice in that, but to rejoice that their names are written in the Book of Life.
Throughout the gospel, we see Christ in prayer, showing His communion and dependence upon the Father - He was not proud at all, how then can we claim pride when we never equal His standard? Indeed, as is mentioned later, even keeping the perfect moral law of God is not praiseworthy - it is merely our duty!
With these overarching themes, it is interesting to note that Luke even mentions the exceptions, giving note that all may come to Christ. The Pharisees may be condemned frequently, but there is one, Joseph of Arimethia who did not consent to the Sanhedrin's decision, being good and righteous. Money is condemned as a god, and rich people are frequently used as bad characters in parables, but Christ cautions that we must be wise stewards of worldy wealth, or how can we be entrusted with spiritual wealth? Zacchaeus, only mentioned in this Gospel, is a rich man who showed genuine repentance and entered the kingdom, one chapter after Christ mentioned that a rich man cannot enter the Kingdom any more than a camel go through an eye of a needle - without God. Luke is also the only one to record the thief on the cross beside Christ recognising Christ as Lord before he died.
As we enter the triumphal week, we see Christ going through interactions with the crowd perfectly. They cannot trap Him with questions. They cannot find fault with Him.
As He enters the Garden we see His agony. He asks His companions to pray with Him - they had asked Him to teach them to pray earlier, but now when He commands them to pray, they fall asleep. His agony is so great blood comes out with his sweat as He prays to His Father. His Father hears His prayer. His Father has not abandoned Him, He sends an angel to strengthen Him.
Sent from the high priest's to Pilate to Herod, again He is declared without fault, despite railing accusations. The crowd rejects Him, but as He stumbles to Calvary, He turns to the women in the crowd - His concern for them, and not Himself - He seeks forgiveness for His enemies as they crucify Him. He controlled the end of His life - though they crucified Him, He would not expire before He finished his task. Darkness may have hidden His agony from the world as He bore the suffering of our sin, but when it was finished, He freely chose to give up His Spirit to the hands of the Father and die. His purpose was complete, He need suffer no more.
We have many details of his resurrection from Luke. He starts with before Christ was born, and finished after he dies with much details! The testimony of the women, and then Peter - who even touched the graveclothes - that He was not in the tomb. His appearance to two on the road - conversing with them for many miles. Showing Himself to a large group and demonstrating He was not a ghost. All set to confirm definitely for them that Christ was indeed risen, alive, having conquered death and the grave. And then the very end, as He blesses them and ascends to Heaven, the book ends with worship, as it also began with worship (in the songs of Zecharias, Elizabeth, and Mary).
Lord, may we always be mindful of our complete unworthiness before you. Curb the pride that seeks to rise within our hearts, and continue to prompt our hearts to prayer that we may learn to depend more deeply on You. Magnificent art Thou, O Lord, above the heavens! You Who lived perfectly amongst us, demonstrating wisdom and power, enduring temptations and showing signs and wonders. You are greatly to be praised for Who You are, and even more so for all you have done in bearing our sin upon the Cross. O Lord we worship and adore you, our Saviour and our God.
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