Luke is the story of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It tells of his origin, life, teachings, ministry and miracles. It tells of his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Consequently, Luke may be the most informative book in the Bible.
The Luke Series is a set of narrations based on the Bible’s book of Luke. Luke said that in writing his book that he investigated everything before writing Luke. His investigation included examining written materials and talking to eyewitnesses. This series is meant to imitate some of the stories Luke might have heard, as well as explore their meaning and importance. This series is true to the Bible, but fills in story lines based on history, geography, and imagination. Think of this series as being similar to a movie based on the book of Luke.
This series presumes that the author of Luke is Luke, a doctor who was a good friend and companion of Paul. That presumption sets the stage for Luke being able to correctly assess the veracity of the birth accounts of both John the Baptist and Jesus, and to understand their importance, both physically and spiritually. Don’t you imagine Luke, a doctor, was hesitant to write about miracles? But he believed in them to the point that he started his book with two miracle stories that could only be considered unlikely, if not outlandish.
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Luke tells many details of the births and early childhoods of Jesus and John the Baptist that Mathew did not give. It is likely that Luke had the opportunity to meet Mary in person and learn much about those early lives. As a doctor, Luke would likely have been fascinated with the many unusual aspects of their stories only Mary could provide.
In the gospel of Matthew, it is recorded that the wise men came to the baby Jesus in a house. Although some traditions indicate Jesus was born in a cave or a barn, it is equally as likely that he was born in a guest house that had an interior manger. That might fit better with the idea that Joseph was of David’s family and would have deserved hospitality in the small village of Bethlehem.
Luke stresses that Jesus’ parents followed the Laws of Moses precisely when they offered a sacrifice for him. While at the Temple, two reliable prophets, Simeon and Anna, foretold many things about Jesus. From that point on, surely his parents must have been aware they had a special baby who would change the future of Israel.
Luke had the benefit of hindsight as he wrote about the birth and early life of Jesus. He also knew his target audience needed to be convinced of the legitimacy of Luke’s rather outlandish story. He apparently chose his material accordingly. In the classic thinking, it was as important to note what was not said, as much as what was said!
Luke – Troy Powell Theophilus – Michael Page Mary – Chana Keefer John the Baptist – Sam Austin Satan – Christian Heep James – Andy Axewell Matthew – James Hansen Prince Right Hand Man – Ben Hall Centurion – Werner Richmond Mary Magdalene – Trisha Zarate James the Apostle – Lynn Andrews John the Apostle – John Ferguson Pharisee – M. Serrano Martha – Monica Peña Crippled Woman – Patty Pell Gardener – Adam Cope Judas Iscariot – Grey Acuña Lazarus (The Beggar) – Jeff Swearingen Tenth Leper – Eduardo Vildasol Young Ruler – Matthew Allen Holmes Zacchaeus – Chad Cline Andrew – Oscar Seung Peter – Francis Fuselier Pilate – Matthew Roy
