The Gospel of Luke comes to a climax in chapter 24. The dominant theme in this chapter is that the Scriptures (Old Testament) predicted both the suffering and resurrection of the Christ as the necessary prelude to the promised kingdom. At the conclusion, Luke briefly summarizes the mission Jesus gave to his followers to proclaim…
On the eve of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, he sought out a man in Jericho and invited himself into the man’s home! Luke includes Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus to teach us about Jesus’ ministry: the nature of his mission, the beneficiaries of his message, and the evidence of his salvation.
Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and was resolved to traverse that path to the bitter end. He explained to the Twelve disciples multiple times that a rendezvous with death awaited him in that city. In the sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 18:31-34), Jesus explained this once again, but this…
Luke chose to begin his account of Jesus’ public ministry with his preaching tour in Galilee. This tour took him back to his hometown, Nazareth. In the synagogue there, Jesus’ closest friends and acquaintances heard him preach for the first time. His message and their response set the trajectory for the rest of the Gospel…
In Luke 3:21-22, the public ministry of Jesus began. When he participated in John’s baptism, God the Father announced his pleasure in Jesus. Immediately, the Spirit of God visibly descended on Jesus, anointing him to serve as the Christ. The sermon, in part, will explain why Jesus participated in a cleansing ritual (baptism) intended for…