Luke by Ryan Lowery (2012)

The first coming of Christ took place at a unique time of Jewish history. As a nation chosen by God, the Jewish people had inherited many promises, including that of a Messiah that would serve as savior and king. Over the course of history, Israel had been divided and subjugated under Roman rule. Ultimately, there are 5 important lessons from the historical context of Luke: 1) God is active in human events; 2) the events leading up to Christ are evidence of God; 3) a gospel is a biography of God; 4) God works in unexpected ways; and 5) we can rely on what God has told us in the past.

When God entered into humanity through Jesus, he was a polarizing figure. Three scenes from Jesus' childhood confirm that Jesus was the promised Christ but also hint that there is more to the story than a conquering king. Jesus was willing to do the right thing even if it came at the cost of popularity, and he was also willing to take a position of sacrifice in order to lift up the undeserving.

John the baptist was a prophesied precursor to Jesus who preached a baptism of repentance, directed attention to Jesus, and pointed the way to salvation. While repentance from sinful habits is good, the most it can do is point towards the need for forgiveness. Present-day followers of Christ should help people to see their wrong thinking about God so that they can accept his grace.

The Bible teaches that Satan tempted Adam into rebelling against God, which caused sin to enter the world. The logic of Satan is built on the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life. Where Adam failed to refute Satan's lies, Jesus was able to refute them with God's Word. Believers should follow the example of Jesus in refuting temptation.

In Jesus' early ministry, he makes it clear that he is the savior and Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. He proves his claims of spiritual authority through miraculous signs. Ultimately, Jesus demonstrated that he came to save us from slavery to sin, and that he has the power to do so.

Jesus made it clear how he would accomplish his mission to save the lost when he climbed into Simon Peter's boat on the Sea of Galilee. In this encounter, he taught 4 lessons: 1) about the Word of God; 2) we need to put our faith in him; 3) when we follow or trust Christ we see him in a new light; and 4) Jesus is calling people to join in his work of evangelism.

Jesus' healing ministry illustrates several aspects of his power to change people. When two people asked Jesus for help, Jesus recognized their faith and gave them immediate, complete, and visible healing. In doing this, he also demonstrated the ability to forgive sins. Jesus is not afraid to engage with our sin, and remains ready and willing to bring healing into anyone's life if they ask.

Jesus' followers were often accused of licentiousness by those with a religious mindset because they spent time with sinners and didn't fast. Jesus' response is that on one hand, this is not a time for fasting, but on the other hand, they don't need to fast because they are doing something new. As the wine of God's Truth was being revealed more fully, the methods of conveying that truth needed to change. Modern-day Christians need to be similarly flexible in their methods of conveying truth, without giving up on the core truths.

When Jesus violated the Sabbath, the religious leaders were extremely offended. Jesus then explains that Biblical ethics are more about principles rather than strict laws. Christians today need to avoid turning good structures into terrible burdens by remembering the purpose they serve.

Jesus teaches about four blessings for the poor, hungry, weeping, and ostracized; as well as four corresponding woes for the rich, fed, laughers, and popular. Jesus is teaching a paradigm of reversal: that a disciple who adopts God's values will gain fulfillment, while one who adopts material values will end up with sorrow. Those who sacrifice these selfish values now will receive great joy in heaven.

Many believe that Christian churches are full of judgment and hypocrisy, though Jesus calls believers to love their enemies unconditionally. In addition to this, we are also called to stand up for the truth. This requires an understanding of God's moral standards and how we fall short ourselves. This humble stance gives us the ability to hear God's instruction ourselves.

The Biblical definition of faith means trusting and living out God's promises and priorities. In the example of the Roman centurion, Jesus proves that faith trumps demographics. Simon the Pharisee judged Jesus rather than seeing his own failure. Finally, the sinful woman let nothing stand between her and meeting Christ, and as a result, found forgiveness from him.

According to the parable of the soils, there are four possible responses to the gospel: 1) allowing God's enemy to snatch it away, which does not result in salvation; 2) receiving it and allowing temporary change, but falling away into temptation; 3) receiving it, but failing to prioritize it over the world; and 4) letting it sink deep and flourish, resulting in perseverance and fruitfulness. It is entirely up to the individual what kind of soil they will be.

When the disciples encounter a life-threatening storm while Jesus is asleep, their faith is tested. All followers of Christ will face hardship beyond their control, and must learn to trust God. There are five principles to help believers to overcome times of suffering: 1) Jesus must be with us; 2) God is sovereign and aware; 3) remember the promises of God; 4) God will bring good out of evil; and 5) God cares about our pain.

In the feeding of the 5000 and the sending of the 12, Jesus demonstrates several principles about being a part of God's plan: 1) God supplies the power; 2) the mission is to spread the Word; 3) we are to meet people's needs; 4) we must depend on God for resources; and 5) being faithful is being successful. When carrying out His work, God wants to use us to meet the needs of others as He provides for us.

Jesus turns the attention of his disciples to a crucial question: who is Jesus? Christ puts himself over and above a prophet or a good teacher. Instead, Jesus fulfills many Old Testament prophecies to prove that he is the Christ. Every person has a choice to be saved, and then to entrust their lives to Jesus by becoming his disciple.\r\n\r\n

At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear as Jesus' glory is revealed by God to some of his disciples. This proves that Jesus is the chosen Messiah and the culmination of God's plan. While Jesus has no equal, and is the ultimate king, he also dies willingly to save his subjects.

The Bible promotes a peaceable and loving attitude towards others, instead of an us vs. them mentality. After the transfiguration, Jesus says that we should be at peace within Christian community instead of competing for dominance. He also teaches that we should be at peace with different Christian communities instead of writing off their good work. Finally, we are to be peaceable towards non-Christians without giving up our stance on truth.

While God's love is a free gift, it is a costly decision to be a disciple. It requires following Christ over comfort and possessions. It also means choosing God over certain familial obligations. Finally, being a disciple requires a denial of distractions that hinder our focus or pull us off course.

When a scribe asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, he reveals a faulty religious approach to God that depends on doing good things to earn acceptance. Jesus answers with a parable designed to show him that he needs forgiveness. Part of Jesus' parable shows that God values our compassion and service towards the needy.

Prayer is meant to be a personal communication with God, not meant to impress people.The template that Jesus lays out for prayer is to address it in terms of one's relationship with God, declare what is true about God, and then present requests to God. Jesus also teaches two important principles: 1) perseverance in prayer is important; and 2) prayer is good for us.

Christianity as a religion has obscured the teaching of Christ as people promote the idea that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. Jesus confronts the Pharisees at a dinner party, leveling harsh criticism against their prideful hypocrisy and the way it leads others away from God. We have the choice to either receive God's forgiveness, or fake it, and in faking it, we do more harm than good.

Our culture has many definitions of a full life, but God as creator has radically challenging things to say on the subject. In many cases, the pursuit of material things can get in the way of love relationships. The problem with materialism is that it can never satisfy, because God has designed us for love. Being rich toward God means living a true, full, and meaningful life from an eternal perspective.

God's judgment is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. The pattern across the Bible is that God does judge, but only after giving tons of warnings. The Biblical explanation for why bad things happen to "good" people lies in three principles: 1) there are no good people; 2) we are subject to the choices of others; and 3) the world itself is broken. God gives everyone the opportunity to be exempt from His judgment through the free gift of salvation.

Jesus tells three parables to illustrate God's response when people rebel against Him. In the parables of the lost sheep and coin, Jesus shows that each person matters to God and that He rejoices when lost people are found. The parable of the prodigal son shows that God is overjoyed when we choose to repent and come home to Him. Jesus also illustrates the evil of hypocrites who judge others by their sin.

In context, Jesus commends the unrighteous manager of his parable for his cleverness. Jesus' point is obviously not to promote stealing, but rather the clever use of money. While money is temporary, relationships are permanent. Followers of Christ should use money wisely for eternal purposes.

While the Bible teaches that we are sinners who need forgiveness, it is also serious in its call not to cause others to sin. It takes a conscious, concerted effort not to cause younger believers to sin. There are three keys to avoid stumbling others: 1) be on guard at all times; 2) rebuke sin appropriately; and 3) forgive.

Many believe that religion teaches you to think that you are better than others, but Jesus teaches that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. The Pharisee of Jesus' parable thanks God that he is better than others, but fails to realize that he cannot stand before God. The tax collector, however, understands that his only option is to plead for mercy from God. We should remember the incredible grace that God showed us when we were saved.

Though Jesus is the promised Messiah, he rides into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. God is trying to say both that He is not like us, and also that peace and love are spread by a show of restraint and humility, not by power. Jesus came not to conquer Rome, but to pay the penalty of sin on the cross. We should seek to understand this incredible victory as we prepare our friends and family for his next coming.

Many fail to see how God could have the right to judge. To answer these objections, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard to illustrate God's perspective on the human condition. God is the creator of all things, and has given us the purpose of love. Though God has sent ambassadors, including His own son, we have killed them. While God has the right to destroy us, He has extended us an offer of merciful forgiveness. We should acknowledge God's right to lead us, proclaim the truth boldly like Christ, and remember that we are God's adopted children.

During the Olivet Discourse, Jesus explains a number of eschatological details concerning both the destruction of the temple and his kingdom. He explains that before his return, there will be many false predictions about him during a long period of tumultuous events. He also explains that his followers will be persecuted in the 1st century and the temple will be destroyed. He urges his listeners to persevere in the face of these events. If we can trust the Bible on these issues, we should trust it concerning other areas of God's Will.

As they eat the Passover meal, Jesus gives it a new meaning for his followers. Jesus teaches that he will suffer, and that he will not eat a Passover meal again until the true meaning of passover is fulfilled. The point of communion is to how Jesus broke his body and shed his blood so that we can be reconciled to God, and formed together into a community of love. Unfortunately, Jesus' disciples were too busy thinking about themselves to think about his sacrifice.

Before Jesus' resurrection, there were five reactions to him: 1) the religious rulers questioned his authority; 2) the disciples were not prepared to suffer for the truth; 3) Herod viewed him as a novelty; 4) Pontius Pilate refused to make a decision; and 5) the thieves crucified with him either rejected him or gained salvation. Today, Jesus is still a polarizing figure.

On the cross, Jesus cried out three things. Jesus demonstrates God's love as he prays for those cursing him in the midst of his suffering. He also quotes Psalm 22 in order to show that things are going exactly according to God's plan. Finally, he proclaims that the work of atonement is finished. We are left with the task of telling others about his sacrifice.

The resurrection of Christ is a critical issue: if Christ was not raised then Christianity is false, but if he was raised then it confirms all of Jesus' teachings. There is a myriad of historical evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection, including eyewitness accounts in the gospels and extra-Biblical sources. No alternative explanation can account for the evidence. Ultimately, the resurrection assures us of salvation and of God's power.