LUKE ( CHRIST AS MAN. ) LUKE

 ALTHOUGH THE GOSPEL  ACCORDING TO MANIFESTS CONCERN FOR ALL NATIONS, IT MAKES NO MENTION OF JESUS PREACHING TO  THE GENTILES. WHY?  THE GOSPEL IS THE FIRST VOLUME OF A TWO VOLUME WORK LUKE-ACTS CONTINUES FROM WHERE THE GOSPEL CONCLUDES. WHAT JESUS PROCLAIMS TO THE JEWS IN LUKE, HE PROCLAIMS TO THE GENTILES IN ACTS. LUKE-ACTS.LUKE-ACTS CONSTITUTES ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE NEW TESTAMENT-- GREATER PERCENTAGE THAN PAUL'S WRITINGS. LUKE PROLOGUE (1:1-4) IS WRITTEN IN THE BEST GREEK IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, INITS COMPLEX SENTENCES. LUKE ACKNOWLEDGES THE EFFORTS OF PREDECESSORS, STATES HIS OWN PURPOSE IN WRITING AND ADDRESSES THE PATRON TO WHOM THE WORK IN DEDICATED. HE INFORMS THEOPHILUS THAT HIS ACCOUNT OF JESUS LIFE WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT CHRISTIANITY IS NO EVIL THING, BUT THE WAY OF TRUTH. WHEN LUKE SET OUT TO DEFEND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, HE DID NOT ARGUE ABOUT IT. HE SIMPLY LET IT TELL ITS OWN STORY. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS IN TERMS OF LENGTH AND CONTENT. MATTHEW AND LUKE CONTAIN AN INFANCY NARRATIVE; MARK DOES NOT. EACH CONTAINS THREE PASSIONS PREDICTIONS; THE MESSAGE IN LUKE  9:9-18. IS OF A COMPASSIONATE CHRIST. MATTHEW REPORTS POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES IN JERUSALEM AND GALILEE, MARK IN GALILEE, AND LUKE IN JERUSALEM. ONLY LUKE REPORTS JESUS ASCENSION. MATTHEW PRESENTS JESUS AS THE FULFILLMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES. MARK HIGHLITES THE CHALLENGE JESUS CONSTITUTES TO ISRAEL AND HIS FOLLOWERS. LUKE EMPHASIZES JESUS COMPASSIONATE NATURE IN DEALING WITH OUTCASTS AND LOWLY IN THE NATION.  IT IS GENERALLY ASSUMED THAT MARK WAS WRITTEN FIRST, THAT BOTH MATTHEW AND LUKE MADE EXTENSIVE USE OF MARK (MATTHEW MORE THAN LUKE.), THAT BOTH MATTHEW AND LUKE MADE USE OF ANOTHER SOURCE REFERRED TO AS "Q" (GERMAN QUELLE, "SOURCE"), THAT MATTHEW ADDS HIS OWN SPECIAL MATERIAL REFERRED TO AS "M", AND LUKE ADDS HIS OWN SPECIAL MATERIAL REFERRED TO AS "L". (LUKE 1:1-5). LUKE PRESENTS JESUS AS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING GOD'S PURPOSE IN UNIVERSAL HISTORY. HE DIVIDES ALL INTO THREE ERAS: FROM ANCIENT ISRAEL TO JOHN THE BAPTIST, 16:16. JOHN'S WORK MARKS THE END OF THE ERA OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. THOUGH REDEMPTIVE PROMISES WERE MADE DURING THIS PERIOD, THEY WERE NOT FULFILLED. THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS, 4: 16:30; NOTE VERSE 21 IN PARTICULAR. THIS IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS: JESUS EARLY MINISTRY IN GALILEE, HIS MINISTRY ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM, AND HIS MINISTRY IN JERUSALEM. FROM JESUS ASCENSION UNTIL THE END OF THE AGE. DURING THIS PERIOD, CHRIST, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, ACCOMPLISHES HIS PURPOSES THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT AT WORK IN THE CHURCH. LUKE TRACES JESUS ANCESTRY BACK TO ADAM (3:23-38), AND CALLS ADAM "THE SON OF GOD,"3:38. GOD IS MAKING A NEW BEGINNING TO THE HUMAN RACE ( NOT JUST THE CHOSEN PEOPLE) AS IN MATTHEW), AND THE NEW SON OF GOD IS HIS  INSTRUMENT
 TO BRING THIS ABOUT. LUKE EXPRESSES HIS UNIVERSAL CONCERN IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER: HE ALONE OF ALL THE EVANGELISTS INCLUDES IN QUOTATION FROM ISAIAH, " AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD," 3:6, SEE ISAIAH 40:3-5. SIMEON SPEAKS OF THE SALVATION WHICH COMES WITH JESUS AS " A LIGHT FOR REVELATION TO THE GENTILES," 2:32. THE SAMARITANS ARE MENTIONED FAVORABLY, 9:51-56; 10:30-37;  17:11-19. THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH AND NAAMAN, THE SYRIAN LEPER, DEMONSTRATED FAITH WHILE ISRAEL OFTEN DID NOT, 4:25-27. AS IN MARK, A ROMAN CENTURION MAKES AN ADMIRABLE CONFESSION BENEATH THE CROSS, 23:47. THE LISTS OF OFFICIALS IN 2:1ff AND 3:1ff
 INDICATE THAT JESUS MINISTRY WILL HAVE UNIVERSAL REPERCUSSIONS. JESUS LOVES TO BE IN THE COMPANY OF THOSE THE JEWS AVOID: HE POOR, SAMARITANS, LEPERS, PUBLICANS SOLDIERS, PUBLIC SINNERS IN DISGRACE, UNLETTERED  SHEPHERDS.  JESUS INVITES HIMSELF TO THE HOUSE OF A TAX COLLECTOR FOR A MEAL, THUS VIOLATING JEWISH LAWS OF CEREMONIAL PURITY, 19:1-10. THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST ALREADY HINTS AT WHAT IS TO COME IN JESUS LIFE, 3: 10-14. A TAX COLLECTOR WAS CONSIDERED A TRAITOR FOR HIS COLLABORATION WITH THE ROMANS. SOLDIERS RAN THE RISK OF BEING CALLED TO SERVE ON A SABBATH; ANY JEW WHO CHOSE THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER EXCLUDED HIMSELF FROM THE COVENANT PEOPLE. YET JOHN GIVES DIVINE COUNSEL TO BOTH A TAX COLLECTOR AND SOLDIERS. THE EVENTS SURROUNDING JESUS BIRTH MAKE A POWERFUL STATEMENT ABOUT THE NATURE OF HIS PERSON AND MISSION.  A CHILDLESS AND AGED COUPLE GAVE BIRTH TO THE FORE-RUNNER, JOHN THE BAPTIST , 1:18. MARY AND JOSEPH ARE WITHOUT SOCIAL STANDING. AN AGED MAN AND WIDOW ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS IN THE TEMPLE, 2:22-35,36-38. JESUS'S ARRIVAL IS NOT HERALDED BY A COSMIC FIREWORKS DISPLAY;  HE COMES QUIETLY DOWN THE BACKSTAIRS AT BETHLEHEM AND PLACES HIMSELF INTO THE CROOK OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN'S ARMS. THE FIRST TO BE TOLD OF HIS ARRIVAL ARE THE SHEPHERDS, THOSE CONSIDERED OUTCASTS BY THE RELIGIOUS ELITE IN JERUSALEM. THE FAVOR SHOWN TO SHEPHERDS THREATENED THE NATIONS POWER STRUCTURES RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OPPRESSION. LUKE IS THE GOSPEL OF GREAT PARDONS. JESUS DEALS WITH A "SINFUL WOMAN" IN A MOST COMPASSIONATE WAY, 7:36-50. JESUS TELLS ZACCHAEUS THAT HE WANTS TO DINE WITH HIM, 19: 1-10. AT CALVARY, JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS EXECUTIONERS  (23:34), AND MAKES A SUBLIME PROMISE TO ONE OF THE THIEVES EXECUTED WITH HIM (23:39-43.