by David Chadwick This week, throughout the Christmas season, and even into the new year, our church is going to be doing an in-depth study of the Gospel of Luke. After doing a brief overview of Luke himself, we will be looking more specifically at the characters at the cradle. Somewhere along the way, from the conception of Jesus until his birth, you will see how each of these characters had a divine intersection with the incarnation of Jesus– the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This week, we will focus on Luke 1:1-4. Let's take a look at Dr. Luke. Who was he? To whom was he writing? What clues do these four verses give us into Luke's perspective, life, and writings? Who was the man who authored this book of the Bible? Without this piece, you will have a hard time understanding the lens with which he wrote this book. He was a physician, evangelist, apologist, and historical writer. He was so multi-gifted, you can readily see why God chose him to write this account. The name Luke means "light of the world." This book is the only one of the four Gospels that was written by a Gentile and Greek, which suggests that it was primarily also written for the Gentiles and Greeks. Luke's style presented some of the finest Greek writing in early Greek antiquity. He was obviously very intelligent and masterfully skilled in his writing craft. Luke wanted his readers to see the fully human side of Jesus, whereas John had a stronger emphasis on Jesus being fully divine. Both of these disciples' descriptions of Jesus are incredibly important in establishing a full and complete understanding of the Savior of the world! If you look at the Greek statues that were sculpted during biblical times, you will quickly see how much the Greeks loved the human body. Luke's writings, specifically in stories like The Good Samaritan, placed a strong emphasis on Jesus's desire to care for the hurting and the sick. He also emphasized the importance of women in a culture that often degraded them. Every day this week, we are going to look at some specific insights into the book of Luke, a beautiful Gospel that points to Jesus, the light of the world! Written by a man who deeply loved and respected Jesus. Join me as we learn together!
