From the Manger to the Throne E-Book

Benjamin L. Gladd

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: New Testament Theology
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

An Introduction to the Dominant Biblical-Theological Themes of the Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke is a wonderfully detailed account of the ministry and miracles of Jesus Christ. What many readers don't realize is that Luke, who was likely a Gentile, wrote his Gospel with a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament—pointing to Jesus's life, ministry, and death as the culmination of Old Testament expectations and prophecy.  In this addition to the New Testament Theology series, Benjamin L. Gladd explains the dominant biblical-theological themes in the Gospel of Luke, including the defeat of evil, peace in heaven and earth, the incorporation of the nations, and the kingdom of God. This resource is perfect for those looking to dig deeper into studying the interconnectedness of Scripture.  - For Those Interested in Biblical Theology: Ideal for college and seminary students, laypeople, and pastors  - Helpful Bible Study Resource: A great companion to commentaries on Luke  - Part of the New Testament Theology Series: Other volumes include The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation and The Mission of the Triune God: A Theology of Acts

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“If you love Luke’s Gospel, which exalts Jesus and shows him as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, you will love this treatment of Luke’s message. Full of insight and sensitive to Luke’s own hermeneutic of the wider message of Scripture, this book is a treasure.”

Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

“Open up Luke anew with the help of this fresh and faithful tour from a knowledgeable guide. Adam, the exodus, the wilderness, angels and demons, the Son of Man—it’s all there in the Gospel of Luke. Gladd considers these topics, and more, to help us see the rich Old Testament contours of our great Savior and his great work on our behalf.”

Brandon D. Crowe, Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

“The length, breadth, and depth of Luke’s Gospel can be daunting. Blending careful exegesis, theological synthesis, and canonical sensitivity, Benjamin Gladd provides an accessible and faithful exploration of some of its most significant themes, paying particular attention to their Old Testament roots. This book is ideal for enhancing one’s personal study, preparing to preach or teach, or even as a supplemental textbook in a class on Luke. Highly recommended!”

Matthew S. Harmon, Professor of New Testament Studies, Grace College and Theological Seminary; author, Asking the Right Questions: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Applying the Bible

“From the Manger to the Throne is required reading for students of Luke’s Gospel! Benjamin Gladd ably guides readers to see how Jesus fulfills Old Testament expectations as true Israel, the long-awaited messianic king, the incarnate Lord, and more, leading us to greater confidence in Christ and joyful participation in his kingdom.”

Brian J. Tabb, Academic Dean and Professor of Biblical Studies, Bethlehem College and Seminary

“The Third Gospel takes us from incarnation to ascension, or as Benjamin Gladd puts it, from the manger to the throne. We need to take this journey with Luke so that we might hear and rejoice in the good news—with Mary in her humble estate, with shepherds in a field, with tax collectors and sinners at meals, with Zacchaeus in a tree, and with the penitent criminal on the cross. Gladd discerns major themes and motifs to help us get our bearings, and he is a faithful guide who has insights to share and Old Testament connections to disclose. The theology of Luke’s Gospel ultimately reveals the person and work of Christ to us. Gladd’s work is clear, accessible, and edifying. Read it not only to understand more about Luke’s Gospel but also to join the angels in celebrating good news of great joy for all people.”

Mitchell L. Chase, Preaching Pastor, Kosmosdale Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Benjamin Gladd has provided a rich resource for readers of Luke’s Gospel. Following the lead of Luke, and Jesus himself, Gladd shows that the patterns and promises of the whole of Scripture enrich our appreciation and understanding of the saving rule of the Lord Jesus. An expert guide who knows and loves his subject, Gladd deepens our understanding of who Jesus is and what he accomplished with a stimulating investigation into how Luke’s portrait of the Lord Jesus is tied to the Old Testament. Fresh insights abound. By God’s grace, the end result for readers of this volume will be, like the disciples at the end of Luke’s Gospel, joyful worship of the Lord Jesus.”

Alan J. Thompson, Head of New Testament Department, Sydney Missionary and Bible College, Australia

“This deft and insightful thematic reading of Luke’s Gospel majors on Jesus, the Old Testament, and fulfillments of the latter by the former. But Gladd extends the sweep of God’s work from creation and the fall, through Jesus, to the church across the centuries, and into the age to come. If there is a richer, better informed, and more concise biblical-theological reading of the Third Gospel, I have not come across it. Students, pastors, and scholars alike will profit immensely.”

Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

From the Manger to the Throne

New Testament Theology

Edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian S. Rosner

From the Manger to the Throne: A Theology of Luke, Benjamin L. Gladd

The Mission of the Triune God: A Theology of Acts, Patrick Schreiner

United to Christ, Walking in the Spirit: A Theology of Ephesians, Benjamin L. Merkle

The Joy of Hearing: A Theology of the Book of Revelation, Thomas R. Schreiner

From the Manger to the Throne

A Theology of Luke

Benjamin L. Gladd

From the Manger to the Throne: A Theology of Luke

Copyright © 2022 by Benjamin L. Gladd

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

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Cover design: Kevin Lipp

First printing 2022

Printed in the United States of America

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Quotations marked NETS are taken from A New English Translation of the Septuagint, © 2007 by the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, Inc. Used by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978–1–4335–7523–5

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7526-6 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-7524-2 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-7525-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gladd, Benjamin L., author. 

Title: From the manger to the throne : a theology of Luke / Benjamin L. Gladd. 

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2022. | Series: New Testament theology | Includes bibliographical references and index. 

Identifiers: LCCN 2021059387 (print) | LCCN 2021059388 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433575235 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433575242 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433575259 (mobipocket) | ISBN 9781433575266 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Luke—Theology. 

Classification: LCC BS2595.52 .G56 2022 (print) | LCC BS2595.52 (ebook) | DDC 226.4/06—dc23/eng/20220224

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021059387

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021059388

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2022-10-18 10:25:13 AM

Contents

List of Tables

Series Preface

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1  The Great Reversal

2  Peace on Earth and in Heaven

3  Israel, the Gentiles, and Isaiah’s Servant

4  The Way of Life

5  The Success of the Last Adam

6  The Son of Man’s Rule and the Ancient of Days

7  The Year of Jubilee

Epilogue

General Index

Scripture Index

Tables

1.1  Comparison of Hannah and Mary

1.2  Comparison of the Rich Man and Lazarus

2.1  Announcements of Peace in Luke

2.2  The Triumphal Entry in the Gospels

3.1  Comparison of Elijah, Elisha, and Jesus Raising a Dead Son

4.1  Comparison of Luke 24 and Isaiah 6:9–10

5.1  Satan’s Commands to Jesus and the Implied Temptations

6.1  Comparison of Daniel 7:14 and Luke 4:6

6.2  The Olivet Discourse in Luke

7.1  Comparison of Meals Shared by Jesus and Pharisees in Luke

Series Preface

There are remarkably few treatments of the big ideas of single books of the New Testament. Readers can find brief coverage in Bible dictionaries, in some commentaries, and in New Testament theologies, but such books are filled with other information and are not devoted to unpacking the theology of each New Testament book in its own right. Technical works concentrating on various themes of New Testament theology often have a narrow focus, treating some aspect of the teaching of, say, Matthew or Hebrews in isolation from the rest of the book’s theology.

The New Testament Theology series seeks to fill this gap by providing students of Scripture with readable book-length treatments of the distinctive teaching of each New Testament book or collection of books. The volumes approach the text from the perspective of biblical theology. They pay due attention to the historical and literary dimensions of the text, but their main focus is on presenting the teaching of particular New Testament books about God and his relations to the world on their own terms, maintaining sight of the Bible’s overarching narrative and Christocentric focus. Such biblical theology is of fundamental importance to biblical and expository preaching and informs exegesis, systematic theology, and Christian ethics.

The twenty volumes in the series supply comprehensive, scholarly, and accessible treatments of theological themes from an evangelical perspective. We envision them being of value to students, preachers, and interested laypeople. When preparing an expository sermon series, for example, pastors can find a healthy supply of informative commentaries, but there are few options for coming to terms with the overall teaching of each book of the New Testament. As well as being useful in sermon and Bible study preparation, the volumes will also be of value as textbooks in college and seminary exegesis classes. Our prayer is that they contribute to a deeper understanding of and commitment to the kingdom and glory of God in Christ.

Writing a brief theology of one of the four Gospels is daunting, and perhaps Luke is particularly challenging since it is the longest of the four. Ben Gladd approaches the theology of the Gospel of Luke from a fascinating vantage point. He particularly considers what the Gospel has to say about Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the Old Testament. It is virtually impossible to cover everything Luke teaches in his Gospel, but all readers will agree that the Lukan story centers on Jesus. Readers might be tempted to think that a relatively short study that focuses on Jesus will be superficial. They will see, however, that Gladd mines the Old Testament to give us an in-depth and profound portrait of the Christ in the Lukan account. We find, then, a theology of Luke’s Gospel that is both accessible and profound, one where the roots of Luke’s theology are unpacked and explored. If we can borrow the language of Matthew (Matt. 13:52), readers will find many treasures, both new and old.

Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian S. Rosner

Preface

William Faulkner is reported to have compared writing a book to “building a chicken coop in a high wind. You grab any board or shingle flying by or loose on the ground and nail it down fast.”1 This metaphor resonated with me as I wrote this short volume on one of the most brilliant documents ever written. The Third Gospel is roughly 19,483 words in Greek, the longest book in the New Testament, and not one word is wasted.

I’m thankful for Tom Schreiner and Brian Rosner asking me to write this volume on Luke. Their editorial comments strengthened the manuscript. I’ve admired both of these men for a long time, having read their works since graduate school, so I’m honored to participate in this series. I had recently completed my Handbook on the Gospels (Baker Academic, 2021) when they asked if I would consider contributing to Crossway’s New Testament Theology series. This project allowed me to return to Luke’s Gospel again and discover anew his presentation of Jesus.

Writing a theology of any biblical book is a tricky endeavor, especially a theology of a Gospel. To a great degree, each Gospel covers the same ground and announces the good news of Christ’s substitutionary life, death, and resurrection. The Jesus of Matthew is the same Jesus of John. Jesus is Israel’s divine Lord and her long-awaited messianic king, who inaugurates the eschatological kingdom. Those who trust in Jesus receive the forgiveness of sins and gain entrance into the new creation, and those who do not trust in him bear God’s curse and spend eternity in eternal torment. But each Gospel also presents Jesus in a unique way. We have four Gospels for a reason.

This project is subtitled “A Theology of Luke.” It does not endeavor to be the theology of Luke and integrate all aspects of the Third Gospel. Instead, this volume attempts to get at the heart of Luke’s message by sketching some of his main ideas and showing how they intersect with one another. I also attempt to carve out the Old Testament’s presentation of each theme and then relate how those themes flourish in Jesus of Nazareth.

The Gospel of Luke is part of a two-volume work, as it was published alongside the book of Acts. What Jesus accomplished in the Third Gospel is proclaimed in the book of Acts, and the themes Luke establishes in his Gospel are unfurled in the book of Acts. Luke-Acts, then, should be read as a whole. By narrowly focusing on only his Gospel, I am, in some sense, cutting against the grain. I try to keep an eye on Acts as I unpack Luke’s Gospel, but I recommend that readers pick up the Acts volume in the New Testament Theology series and discover how Luke finishes the story.

Personally, this was a difficult book to write. Yes, Luke’s Gospel is challenging in its own right, but this project was especially difficult because of what transpired in my life. On Thanksgiving of 2020, our house caught fire, and the damage was extensive. We lost everything. Thankfully, no one was injured. A few months later, in the spring of 2021, I lost my father to a long battle with cancer. He was bigger than life, and anyone who met him never forgot him. Thankfully, too, he is in heaven worshiping the Lamb. Penning this book in the midst of these two life-changing events proved overwhelming at times. Writing a book requires a great deal of emotional and creative bandwidth, and I often sat down to write with nothing left in the tank. But my soul was nourished as I drank from the life-giving well of Luke’s Gospel.

Benjamin L. Gladd

January 2022

1  This quotation is often repeated and attributed to Faulkner, but I am unable to identify its source.

Abbreviations

1 En.

1 Enoch

2 En.

2 Enoch

1 Esd.

1 Esdras

1QM

War Scroll

2 Bar.

2 Baruch

4 Macc.

4 Maccabees

Ag. Ap.

Against Apion, by Josephus

Ant.

Jewish Antiquities, by Josephus

BBR

Bulletin for Biblical Research

BDAG

Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000

BECNT

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Brenton

Sir Lancelot Brenton’s translation of the Septuagint

BZNW

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft

CD

Damascus Document

Creation

On the Creation of the World, by Philo

EGGNT

Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament

ESBT

Essential Studies in Biblical Theology

Ezek. Trag.

Ezekiel the Tragedian

Gk.

Greek

Heb.

Hebrew

JSNTSup

Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series

Jub.

Jubilees

J.W.

Jewish War, by Josephus

LAE

Life of Adam and Eve

Let. Aris.

Letter of Aristeas

LHBOTS

Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies

m. Ned.

Mishnah Nedarim

Moses

On the Life of Moses, by Philo

LNTS

Library of New Testament Studies

LXX

Septuagint

LXX-Theo

Theodotion’s Septuagint

Mart. Isa.

Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah

Migration

On the Migration of Abraham, by Philo

MT

Masoretic Text

NICNT

New International Commentary on the New Testament

NICOT

New International Commentary on the Old Testament

NIGTC

New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIVAC

NIV Application Commentary

NSBT

New Studies in Biblical Theology

OG

Old Greek (Septuagint)

OTL

Old Testament Library

PNTC

Pillar New Testament Commentary

Pss. Sol.

Psalms of Solomon

RB

Revue Biblique

Rev. Ezra

Revelation of Ezra

Sir.

Sirach

Sus.

Susanna

T. Benj.

Testament of Benjamin

T. Lev.

Testament of Levi

Tob.

Tobit

WBC

Word Biblical Commentary

WUNT

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

ZECNT

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Introduction

Not all New Testament books containpurpose statements, so when we come across them we should pay close attention. Fortunately, Luke delivers his purpose statement in the prologue: “It seemed good to me . . . to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3–4).1 “Most excellent Theophilus” is an enigmatic figure, as he’s only mentioned here and in Acts 1:1. It is possible, if not likely, that he is the patron of Luke-Acts, since writing in the ancient world was financially burdensome, especially for a document as large as the Third Gospel. The phrase “most excellent” may also indicate that Theophilus is a prominent official (see Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25).2 The name Theophilus means “lover of God,” which may connote that he’s a God-fearing Gentile. Theophilus appears to have embraced the Israelite faith and Scriptures and, subsequently, placed his faith in the risen Christ. Though Luke mentions only one individual in the prologue, a wider audience is certainly in view. Since Luke the Evangelist, most likely a Gentile himself, focuses on the incorporation of Gentiles in Luke-Acts, Luke’s audience is probably Gentile Christians to a large extent.

The “things” that Theophilus learned (Luke 1:1) likely refer to the other literary accounts of Jesus’s life, and the description that these things “have been accomplished” stresses the fulfillment of Israel’s Scriptures. To summarize, Theophilus appears to have learned about the broad contours of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, so Luke writes his Gospel to affirm the truthfulness of these events that fulfill Old Testament expectations and that have been communicated by apostolic eyewitnesses (see Acts 1:3, 21–22).

This introduction sets the stage for the remainder of this project. My aim here is to sketch an overview of Luke’s Gospel and trace some of the more significant uses of the Old Testament at each major juncture.3 There are more than thirty explicit Old Testament quotations and several hundred allusions.4 The result of this investigation should give us a better grasp of Luke’s narrative and a deeper appreciation for how the Third Gospel appropriates the Old Testament in the life of Christ.

Jesus’s Birth and Baptism (1:5–3:38)

After the prologue of Luke 1:1–4, the Third Gospel transitions into an account about John the Baptist’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:5–25). Whereas Matthew’s account focuses on Mary and Joseph (Matt. 1:18–24), Luke informs his readers about the birth of Jesus’s cousin John. The narrative first highlights Zechariah, a priest, ministering in the temple where the angel Gabriel informs him that his wife Elizabeth will give birth to a son, who will be called John (Luke 1:13). Zechariah, though, remains incredulous because he is “an old man” and his wife is “advanced in years” (1:18).

Six month’s into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel makes a second visit but this time to Mary (1:26). He promises Mary, a virgin, that she will “bear a son” and that she “shall call his name Jesus” (1:31). On the whole, Luke 1–2 compares and contrasts the birth of John with the birth of Jesus. While John the Baptist is great, Jesus is greater in every way. The virgin birth (1:34) and the appellations “Son of the Most High” (1:32) and the “Son of God” (1:35) clearly affirm Jesus’s divinity and preexistence. A few sentences later, Elizabeth calls Jesus “my Lord” (kyriou mou; 1:43). The term Lord (kyrios) has occurred ten times in the narrative so far, and each occurrence refers to Israel’s God (e.g., 1:6, 16, 32). In Elizabeth’s confession that Jesus is her “Lord,” Luke thoughtfully identifies Jesus as Israel’s Lord incarnate.5 Luke 1:45 confirms this observation when Elizabeth declares, “Blessed is she [Mary] who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord [kyrios]” (cf. 1:38).

Mary’s prayer, known as the Magnificat (1:46–55), makes an incredible amount of contact with the Old Testament. Prominent in this regard is Hannah’s well-known prayer of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel 2:1–10, where Hannah thanks God for giving her a child. The overall point of Hannah’s prayer is that God will destroy the proud but will raise up the humble (1 Sam. 2:4–10a) and that he will “give strength to his king [David?] and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Sam. 2:10b). Mary appears to be aware of Hannah’s famous prayer as she asserts that

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate. (Luke 1:51–52)

Mary not only recalls Hannah’s prayer but also alludes to several Old Testament texts that refer to the first exodus. God possessing “strength with his arm,” for example, recalls texts such Isaiah 51:9:

Awake, awake, put on strength,

O arm of the Lord;

awake, as in days of old,

the generations of long ago,

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,

who pierced the dragon? (see also LXX Ex. 6:1; 32:11; Isa. 40:10; 63:12)

The scattering of God’s enemies (Luke 1:51) also brings the exodus to mind (see LXX Num 10:34). Mary, then, believes that God will bring down all forms of rule—physical and spiritual—through King Jesus and that he will powerfully redeem his people in the second exodus (see discussion in chapter 1).

Luke then recounts the birth of John (1:57–66) and Zechariah’s hymn of response, the Benedictus (1:68–79). Zechariah explicitly connects the forthcoming birth of Jesus with God who “raised up a horn of salvation . . . in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old” (1:69–70). While Luke doesn’t disclose what Old Testament texts are in mind here, we can nearly be certain that popular texts from such books as 2 Samuel and Ezekiel are in view. In the same breath, Zechariah also invokes the Abrahamic covenant (Luke 1:73–75; see, e.g., Gen. 12:1–9; 15:4–20; 17:4–22). Baby Jesus, then, inaugurates not only the Davidic covenant—that David’s son would secure the throne and establish peace throughout the empire—but also the Abrahamic covenant. The time has come for Israel to be a light to the nations so that they may behold the face of God in the promised land (Ex. 19:6).

Jesus is born in Bethlehem, “the city of David” (Luke 2:4–7). Following the birth, Joseph and Mary take their baby to the temple, where Simeon prophesies over him. At the end of his prophetic hymn, the Nunc Dimittis, Simeon exclaims to God that Jesus will be

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel. (2:32)

He partially quotes Isaiah 49:6 and explicitly tethers Jesus to the long-awaited promise of redemption. Isaiah predicted that God would raise up a single individual who is the faithful one of God, true Israel. This faithful servant stimulates faith among unbelieving Israelites and forges a remnant within the nation. The servant, then, will also bring the nations into the covenant community (Isa. 42:1–9; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12).

After Luke narrates the account of the twelve-year-old Jesus baffling Israel’s leaders at the temple (2:41–52), John the Baptist begins his career, announcing the “baptism of repentance” (3:3). Luke then cites the famous text from Isaiah 40:3–5. The thrust of the quotation is that the time has now arrived for Yahweh to redeem his people from spiritual captivity through his faithful servant Jesus. God has begun to cut a pathway in the desert for his people to travel to the new creation. The last line of the quotation, “and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (3:6), uniquely underscores Jesus’s concern to bring the nations into fellowship with the covenant community.

Following Jesus’s baptism, where God declared Jesus to be his “beloved Son” (3:21–23; see Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1), Luke lists Jesus’s genealogy (3:23–38). Beginning with Joseph and tracing his lineage all the way back to Seth and Adam, Luke presents Jesus not simply as a descendant of the patriarch Abraham (3:34) and of King David (3:31) but also of the progenitor of humanity—Adam himself (3:38). The explicit connection between Jesus and Adam is of no small consequence.6

To review, Luke explicitly identifies Jesus as the long-awaited descendant of David, Yahweh himself, Isaiah’s faithful servant, and the second Adam. That Jesus is simultaneously Israel’s God incarnate (the “Lord”) and faithful Adam is critical. Jesus is the God-man, and both natures fulfill different aspects of the Old Testament.

Jesus’s Wilderness Temptation and Galilean Ministry (4:1–9:50)

The first three chapters introduce Luke’s readers to the person of Jesus and how he relates to Old Testament promises. Beginning in Luke 4, the readers begin to see how these promises are fleshed out. For example, Jesus is clearly the long-awaited Messiah who is expected to defeat Israel’s enemies (1:32–33; 2:4, 11; 3:22), but in Luke 4 we begin to see how that messianic reign is executed.

Old Testament and Jewish expectations of a coming Messiah are as diverse as they are widespread. The common denominator among these expectations, though, is that the Messiah was expected to descend from David, establish God’s eternal rule on the earth, and subdue Israel’s enemies.7 The Messiah would be the catalyst in ushering the new age, the age of righteousness, on the earth. Jesus’s first act of business as Israel’s King is waging war in the wilderness against the devil. On the one hand, isn’t this what we should expect from Israel’s King? Isn’t Jesus supposed to battle Israel’s enemies right out of the gate? Yes. But what makes Jesus’s fulfillment of the Old Testament odd is how he does so. He brandishes not a sword of steel but the very Word of God. He does not lead a rebellion against Rome but battles Satan himself. In other words, Jesus fulfills Old Testament messianic expectations primarily on a cosmic, spiritual level.

Jesus cites the book of Deuteronomy three times during the wilderness temptation (Deut. 8:3 in Luke 4:4; Deut. 6:13 in Luke 4:8; Deut. 6:16 in Luke 4:12). Each of these quotations likely hinges on a typological correspondence between Jesus and the nation of Israel. The nation’s failure anticipates his success. Jesus isn’t the only one who fights with Scripture though. The devil alludes to Daniel 7:14 in the second temptation and then explicitly quotes Psalm 91:11–12 in the third temptation. On both accounts, however, the devil abuses the meaning of the Old Testament (see discussion in chapters 5 and 6).

Having initially and decisively conquered the devil, Jesus ventures to Nazareth where he reads from Isaiah 61:1–2 in the local synagogue. He even claims that Isaiah 61 is “fulfilled in your [the Nazarenes’] hearing” (Luke 4:21), announcing the arrival of the eschatological year of jubilee and the descent of glory (see discussion in chapter 7). Now is the time for all of God’s people—rich and poor, male and female, Jew and Gentile, popular and outcast—to enjoy the Lord. Ironically, Jesus’s longtime friends utterly reject him (4:23). Following in the footsteps of the idolatrous Israelites who rebuffed Elijah and Elisha, these Nazarenes denounce Jesus. But their rejection paves the way for Gentile acceptance: just like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian believed the prophetic word (4:24–30), the nations will eagerly follow the Son of Man.

The narrative picks up steam. In Galilee, Jesus begins his itinerant ministry of visiting synagogues and performing miracles and exorcisms (4:31–44). Jesus performs approximately twenty-one miracles in the Third Gospel.8 These events concretely demonstrate the in-breaking of the kingdom and the establishment of the new age. Jesus calls his first crop of disciples (5:1–11) and declares the forgiveness of a paralytic’s sins (5:17–26). Jesus then enjoys a “great feast” at a tax collector’s house (5:27–32). This banquet with tax collectors and sinners is highly reminiscent of Isaiah 25:6, where God organizes “for all peoples a feast of rich food.” Table fellowship, so prominent in Luke’s Gospel (7:36–50; 10:38–42; 11:37–54; 14:1–24; 15:1–32; 19:1–10; 24:13–35), must be interpreted through the lens of Isaiah’s prophecy.9 The Old Testament yearned for the day when Yahweh would dwell in the midst of his people and nourish them with his presence (see Ps. 63:5; Rev. 19:9). Strikingly, Jesus, the Lord incarnate, is the one who dines with the outsiders, the tax collectors and sinners.

The Jewish leaders soon take notice of Jesus’s actions. Forgiving the sins of the paralytic (5:17–26) and eating an intimate meal with unclean outsiders (5:27–32) draw the ire of Israel’s elite. The religious authorities begin to plot Jesus’s demise. They attempt to trap him with questions about fasting (5:33–39) and his activity on the Sabbath (6:1–11).

The next several chapters flesh out what Luke has already introduced. In the Sermon on the Plain (6:17–49), Jesus, as a new Moses, asserts that kingdom living is marked by radical love for God and one another. The faith of the centurion, a God-fearer, reminds the readers that the nations are joining Israel by faith alone (7:1–10). The parables of the soils and the mystery of the kingdom (8:4–18) explain why some accept Jesus’s kingdom message and others reject it. Jesus anchors the theological basis of such large-scale rejection in the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9 (Luke 8:10). In light of the Isaiah 6 quotation, Jesus has come to judge those who cling to their idols of human tradition. Even Jesus’s own family is having difficulty in understanding his identity and mission (Luke 8:19–21).

In the memorable stilling of the storm, Jesus explicitly identifies with Yahweh as he silences the raging sea (8:22–24). Only Israel’s God possesses such power (see Pss. 89:9; 107:29; Isa. 51:9–10). The disciples, too, struggle with understanding Jesus in the stilling of the storm. Their question, “Who then is this?” (Luke 8:25), rings throughout the narrative. Jesus is more than Israel’s King. He’s Israel’s Lord. After Jesus feeds the five thousand (9:10–17), the disciples have a breakthrough. Peter finally confesses that Jesus is “God’s Messiah” (9:20 CSB). Herein lies the key to unlocking Jesus’s identity: Jesus of Nazareth is both Yahweh incarnate and the anointed King of Israel. He is the Son of God and the Son of David. The angel Gabriel was right to predict, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David” (1:32). Jesus is truly fulfilling Old Testament expectations, but the way in which these predictions are being fulfilled is surprising.

Not permitting his disciples to get too comfortable with the title “God’s Messiah,” Jesus immediately qualifies it. He informs them that the “Son of Man must suffer many things . . . and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (9:22). This is the first of six passion predictions (9:44; 12:50; 13:32–33; 17:25; 18:31–33) that sets the tone for the remainder of Luke’s narrative.10

Jesus’s Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)

After the transfiguration, an event that demonstrates Jesus’s status as cosmic Lord (9:28–36; see discussion in chapter 6), the time has come for Jesus to head south to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Though the three Synoptics record Jesus’s journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, Luke reserves more than one-third of his narrative to the journey (see Matt. 19:1–20:34; Mark 8:22–10:52; Luke 9:51–19:27). Luke discloses that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51; cf. Isa. 50:7). To ascend to the Father’s right hand, the climax of Jesus’s ministry (Luke 24:50–52), Jesus must first endure the horrors of the cross in Jerusalem.

Along the journey, Jesus often speaks in parables to the crowds. Parables occupy a significant portion of the Third Gospel. There are about twenty-seven parables in Luke’s Gospel, comprising about two-thirds of Jesus’s total parables found in all the Gospels. Out of those twenty-seven, approximately half are unique to this Gospel,11 and the bulk of these parables are found on the road to Jerusalem. Why are they so prominent in this section? Jesus’s teaching in 9:51–19:27 expands much of what he asserted in the Sermon on the Plain (6:17–49). The same principles of kingdom living are fleshed out, and Jesus engages his audience with parables that seize the reader’s attention. The narrative slows almost to a snail’s pace, forcing Luke’s readers to consider the various layers of meaning each parable figuratively conveys. Luke 1:5–9:50 introduces the readers to the person and work of Jesus, whereas 9:51–19:27 expresses what following the Son of Man personally entails.

Jesus commissions seventy-two disciples (10:1–17), a group that signifies restored humanity and the reversal of the scattering of seventy-two people groups at Babel in Genesis 10-11.12 These disciples continue to fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 in overthrowing the demons (Luke 10:19), prompting Jesus to declare that he “saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (10:18, partially quoting Isa. 14:12). The careers of the devil and Jesus are asymmetrical. Jesus becomes humble and low to be exalted to the Father’s throne. The devil begins with a state of exaltation as the prince of the cosmos but, on account of Jesus’s work, descends into a state of lowliness and subjugation.

The narrative progresses to the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) and instruction concerning the Lord’s prayer (11:1–13). The Beelzebul controversy reminds the readers that some of the crowd remain hostile to Jesus’s ministry (11:14–26). The farther south Jesus travels, the more antagonistic the crowd becomes. Jesus issues a series of woes against the Pharisees for being more concerned with scruples of purity than with the integrity of the human heart (11:37–54). His teaching contained in the next several chapters leads to a crisis: the crowds must prize the kingdom above earthly authorities and material possessions. Jesus drives this point home using a variety of parables (e.g., 14:25–35; 17:1–10; 18:1–8) and direct confrontations with the religious leaders (e.g., 13:31–35; 14:1–14; 15:1–32; 16:1–31; 18:9–30).

The sixth and final passion prediction (18:31–33) immediately precedes Jesus’s arrival in Jericho, where he heals a blind beggar (18:35–43). In contrast to the religious authorities who reject Jesus, Luke supplies two examples of those on society’s margins who place their faith in him. Though blind, this man spiritually perceives Jesus’s identity as the “Son of David” (18:38–39). Another person, a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus, welcomes Jesus with open arms (19:1–10). Remarkably, Jesus declares that Zacchaeus is now a genuine “son of Abraham” (19:9). Whereas some Jewish leaders have attempted to earn that very status through works (see 18:9), Zacchaeus gains it on account of solely trusting in Jesus. As a result of following Jesus, he promises to repay those he’s defrauded (19:8).

Jesus’s Death and Resurrection in Jerusalem (19:28–24:53)

The third and final movement in Luke’s Gospel takes place in Jerusalem where Jesus celebrates Passover. Luke (and the other three Evangelists) ramps up his use of the Old Testament during Jesus’s final week of ministry, insisting that, at every point, the Old Testament anticipated it. It may seem that God’s plan of redemption is spiraling out of control, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the triumphal entry, on Sunday of Passion Week, Jesus publicly announces his kingship (19:28–36). Those who witnessed Jesus riding on a donkey, a clear demonstration of his messiahship (see Zech. 9:9), and observed Jesus’s preceding “mighty works” cry out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:37–38). These pilgrims cite Psalm 118:26, a Davidic psalm, and pin their hopes for political deliverance on Jesus.

Luke is the only Evangelist to include the Pharisees’ opposition to Jesus immediately following the triumphal entry (Luke 19:39). The Pharisees represent the nation of Israel. Their antagonism toward him provokes Jesus to weep over the city of Jerusalem in 19:41–44. He explicitly ties the destruction of Jerusalem to Israel’s rejection of him (19:43–44; 21:5–36). The narrative immediately progresses to Jesus meting out judgment on the temple (19:45–46). As he drives out the merchants, he cites two Old Testament passages in 19:46: Isaiah 56:7 (“My house shall be a house of prayer”) and Jeremiah 7:11 (“You have made it a den of robbers”), one a text of restoration and the other a reference to judgment. The first passage, a prophecy about the temple becoming a rallying point for the nations (Isa. 56:3–8), takes on special significance in Luke’s Gospel. A major component of the Third Gospel is, as we have learned, outsiders gaining entrance into the kingdom by identifying with Jesus. Here Jesus reaffirms the true intent of the temple: God dwelling with all of humanity, regardless of ethnicity and rank. This is precisely what Jesus has accomplished throughout his ministry.

The Jewish leaders’ animosity toward Jesus intensifies during Passion Week. They proactively look for a way to make Jesus incriminate himself by asking him questions on taxation (Luke 20:20–26). The Sadducees even attempt to wield the Old Testament against him in a question about marriage (20:27–40). But, at every turn, Jesus remains firmly in the right. The controversies climax in 20:41–44, when Jesus turns the tables on the Jewish leaders by questioning their expectations of a coming Messiah. The Messiah cannot simply be a descendant of King David, because David himself confessed him as “Lord” (20:42–43, quoting Ps. 110:1). The Messiah must be simultaneously a son of David and Yahweh incarnate, precisely what Luke has demonstrated in his Gospel.

The narrative then progresses to the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus predicts the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Luke 21:5–36). The disciples were taken aback at the beauty of the temple and how it was “adorned with noble stones and offerings” (21:5). But Jesus sees through the opulent veneer and perceives the temple for what it is: an outmoded, idolatrous building. God’s glory is dwelling with his people in a more powerful and intimate way through Christ, so a physical building is no longer required (see Isa. 66:1; Jer. 3:16). The temple itself, too, has ironically become a bastion of pride and rebellion (19:46b). This twofold problem explains why Jesus announces its destruction.

After Jesus predicts the nation’s demise, the Jewish leaders broker a deal with Judas concerning Jesus’s arrest (Luke 22:1–6). Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Passover Thursday night (22:13–38), a day early because Jesus and the disciples were Galileans. Galileans were permitted to celebrate Passover a day early because of the crowds.13Jesus’s death takes center stage as he consciously identifies himself as the ultimate Passover sacrifice: “This is my body, which is given for you” (22:19). In contrast to some of the disciples who desire to take pride of place in the kingdom (22:24), Jesus