Luke's gospel is a sweeping narrative, rich in detail and scope. Polished, proper with a formal prologue, he then gives us an account of the perfect man, the Son of Man. Luke interviews witnesses, tracks down details to ensure there would be a lasting record, to prove that these stories- seemingly too good to be true, weren't. In Luke's mind, you can't argue with the facts- God became a man, and He lived among us.
Some things worth noticing as you read through Luke-
Humanity. In Luke we see the birth of Jesus, His family, an episode from His childhood among other things. But we also see Him interacting with all sorts of people, especially Gentiles and women. Tracking these encounters makes a great study.
Parables. Luke records some of the most familiar, most beautiful parables Jesus taught, including the Good Samaritan in chapter 10, and the 'lost' parables in chapter 15 culminating in the story of the Prodigal Son. These also make a great study and illustrate Luke's passionate desire to communicate to his readers that the Gospel, the kingdom of God is for them, too.
Miracles. Luke, the physician, shows a keen interest in the healing ministry of Jesus. He knew firsthand how inadequate human efforts were and He recognized Jesus had all the answers.
It's also important to note that gospel is book one of Luke's two-volume work. We'll discuss book two, Acts, in a couple of weeks.
What's your favorite passage in Luke?
I rather like the Christmas story, but who doesn't?
I don't think I've read Luke close enough to determine a favorite passage…but I think I may have to now. 🙂 These tips will really come in handy (I'm trying to read the whole Bible through, so I'll be needing these tips).