CrossTrainers at South Hills Church of the Nazerene

PERSONAL STUDY:

No Accidental Messiah

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Romans 1:16-17 NIV

Fellowship

No Accidental Messiah
Personal Study 1 (Taken with permission from Barefoot ministries. Only to be used by South Hills Church of the Nazarene Teens)

Study Scripture: Luke 1:1-80

Key Verses: "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you

are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called

the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of

his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;

his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:31-33).

1. WELCOME TO LUKE!

Ask most people to name the Twelve Apostles and they will

very likely start out, "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John." Wrong

answer, but thanks for playing! As a mature, astute student of the

Bible you know that those four names represent the writers of the

Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. Only two of

them, Matthew and John, were apostles. The other two were closely

associated with apostles: Mark was a companion of Peter and Luke

was a companion of Paul.

These four men wrote about the life and ministry of Jesus

Christ, but each did so from a unique perspective:

Matthew wrote primarily for Jewish readers and emphasized

the work of Jesus as the Messiah. He was concerned about showing

that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about

a coming Savior. Matthew concentrated on Jesus' kingly attributes.

Mark wrote primarily for Roman readers and emphasized the

powerful work of Jesus. His is the shortest and most action-packed of

the four Gospels. He focused on what Jesus did rather than what

Jesus said. Mark concentrated on Jesus' servant attributes.

Luke wrote primarily for a Greek audience and emphasized the

work of Jesus as the Son of Man. His is the longest, most detailed,

and most organized of the four books.

John wrote for a universal audience and emphasized the work

of Jesus as the Son of God. His is the most theological of the

Gospels. He focused on the teachings of Jesus, rather than on His

actions.

Luke himself is mentioned only three times in the New

Testament. In Philemon 24, Paul describes him as one of "my fellow

workers." In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul lists him as his sole companion

while in Roman imprisonment. In Colossians 4:14, Paul tells us that

Luke is a doctor ("beloved physician" in the KJV). Luke was most

probably a Gentile, specifically a Greek. That makes him the only

non-Jewish New Testament writer.

Luke is the author of two New Testament books, the Gospel

that bears his name, and the Book of Acts. Acts 1:1-2 indicates that

he intended these to be a two-volume description of the works of

Jesus Christ. Many passages in Acts use the pronoun "we," indicating

that Luke is describing events in which he took part as Paul's

traveling companion.

The purpose of the Gospels is to record the ministry of Christ,

rather than to be a complete biography of Jesus' life. And, Luke's

gospel comes the closest to earning the subtitle, "The Life of Christ."

Many people consider this Gospel to be the "most beautiful book ever

written" as well as the clearest and easiest to read of the four Gospels.

Before you dig into this study, get a broad overview of Luke's

Gospel by skimming through the entire book. If your Bible has

section titles, read these and then read one or two verses in each

section. Don't try to read every verse. Just get acquainted with the

"Greatest Story Ever Told" through the writing of Luke. Do it now,

before you read any further.

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