The Book of Luke’s Message: Jesus’ Love for All

Guide to the book of Luke:

Author: Luke
When it was written: Before A.D. 63
Why it was written:

• To offer a credible and detailed account of the Gospel for Gentiles (specifically Theophilus)
• To tell Jews not to keep the Gospel from the Gentiles
• To encourage Gentiles to follow Jesus

What happens in it:

• Dedication to Theophilus (1:1-4)
• Birth narratives of Jesus and John the Baptist (1:5-80; 2:1-20)
• The childhood of Jesus (2:21-52)
• The ministry of John the Baptist (3:1-20)
• How Jesus prepares for His ministry (3:21-38; 4:1-13)
• Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (4:14-9:17)
• Jesus’ ministry in Peraea (9:51-19:27)
• Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem (19:28-22:1)
• Jesus’ arrest (22:1-23:25)
• The death and burial of Jesus (23:26-56)
• The resurrection of Jesus (24:1-49)
• The ascension of Jesus (24:50-53)

Themes:

• The humanity of Jesus
• Jesus’ compassion
• Salvation to all

Fun facts:

• The longest book in the New Testament
• Written by the only (potentially) non-Jewish author of the Bible
• Written by an educated man, a doctor
• Written by someone who hadn’t met Jesus
• Features more parables than other Gospel accounts
• Focuses more on Jesus’ human side
• Talks more about prayer and songs
• Talks more about women
• Talks more about Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit
• Offers more info about Jewish customs/geography
• Offers a lot of details to provide historical credibility
• Reveals that all of Scripture is centered around Jesus
• The only Gospel to have a sequel—The Acts of the Apostles

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

And if he were Greek, that would explain his book’s expert use of the Greek language (assuming Greek was Luke’s first language).⁵

In any case, Luke’s expertise with Greek and his attention to detail made him the perfect writer for Gentiles wanting to learn more about Jesus.

The apostles had shifted from exclusively reaching out to their fellow Jews to reaching out to Gentiles. The Gentiles tended to be more open-minded to the Gospel and more willing to accept Christianity than the Jews at that time.⁶ But they wouldn’t have been as familiar with the history and themes of Scripture.

They needed someone to explain the Gospel to them in a way that made sense. And with so many rumors flying around about who Jesus was and whether the early church was a legitimate religious group, they needed a well-ordered account of the life and ministry of Jesus (and the development of the church) to solidify the Gentiles’ faith in the Gospel mission.⁷

So Luke addressed his account of the Gospel to a Gentile named Theophilus. The way Luke addresses him as “most excellent” suggests he was a man of high status or wealth (possibly Luke’s patron).⁸

Luke starts his account by acknowledging that Theophilus needs a more thorough, researched, and orderly record of the story of Jesus (Luke 1:1-4).

The only thing is, Luke wasn’t a witness to any of the events in Jesus’ life and ministry.⁹ So how could he provide such a detailed record of what happened?

Luke explains the answer in chapter one as he’s writing to Theophilus:

“Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4, CSB, emphasis added).

This passage explains that Luke investigated the events of the Gospel story for himself, likely speaking with eyewitnesses to create an accurate account for his readers.¹⁰

What does the book of Luke cover?

Like the Gospels accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John, the book of Luke covers the events of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.

But, of all the Gospel accounts, Luke’s account is the most comprehensive.¹¹ It’s also the longest of the four,¹² including more parables and stories than the others.¹³

You can get a better idea of the events (and unique details) Luke offers by looking at this outline:

1. Dedication to Theophilus (1:1-4): Luke begins his account by addressing “the most excellent” Theophilus. The fact that the Acts of the Apostles also begins by addressing Theophilus (and the fact that Acts refers to a former account) suggests Luke wrote both books.¹⁴

2. Birth Narratives of Jesus and John the Baptist (1:5-80; 2:1-20): Luke is the only Gospel to cover the announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary (and the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth to Zacharias). It provides a more established start to Jesus’ story, showing that these births were not random but prophesied by God.

3. The childhood of Jesus (2:21-52): Luke is the only book to describe Jesus’ childhood. It recounts how Jesus was recognized by the prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna as the Messiah. It also describes young Jesus astounding the temple teachers with His knowledge. Both of these events again point to Jesus’ credibility as the Messiah.

4. The Ministry of John the Baptist (3:1-20): Luke offers more information on John the Baptist’s role in preparing the people for Jesus’ ministry. This gives us a bigger picture of how Jesus’ ministry got its start.

5. Preparation for the ministry (3:21-38; 4:1-13): Luke follows the story of Jesus’ baptism with a description of His genealogy. This genealogy is notably different from the ones found in other Gospel accounts because it mentions different ancestral figures. Some suggest Luke attempts to trace Mary’s side of the lineage. Whatever the case, it is interesting to note that it traces Jesus’ line back to Adam. This could be a reference to Luke’s theme that the Savior belongs to all of humanity—not just Israel (more on this later).¹⁵

6. The ministry begins in Galilee (4:14-9:17):¹⁶ Luke recounts various events, including Jesus being rejected at Nazareth, performing miracles of healing, casting out demons, and calling the 12 disciples. It describes the Sermon on the Mount and provides some of Jesus’ parables on the kingdom of God and warnings about false prophets. It also features unique stories of women. It is the only Gospel account to talk about how Jesus was moved by compassion to resurrect a widow’s son. It also emphasizes the role women played in supporting Jesus’ ministry.

7. Ministry in Peraea (9:51-19:27):¹⁷ Luke continues to describe the events of Jesus’ ministry. Instead of quickly progressing to the events of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, Luke spends a lot of time going over the parables of Jesus. It even includes some parables that aren’t found in the other Gospel accounts, like the lost sheep and prodigal son parables. This section also mentions Jesus showing kindness and mercy toward Samaritans (9:51-56) and tax collectors (19:1-10).

8. Ministry in Jerusalem (19:28-22:1): Luke recounts various confrontations Jesus had with the Pharisees and His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It offers more parables and prophecies about the Second Coming and the destruction of Jerusalem. It is the only Gospel account to describe Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, highlighting Jesus’ great compassion.

9. Jesus arrested (22:1-23:25): Luke talks about the Lord’s Supper, the Pharisees’ plot to kill Jesus, and Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. It also describes how Jesus was put on trial, how He was questioned by Pilate and Herod and was found innocent, and how He was condemned by the crowd.

10. The crucifixion and burial of Jesus (23:26-56): Luke describes Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. This is the only Gospel account where Jesus is recorded as asking for forgiveness for His killers, which further demonstrates Jesus’ mercy and love for humanity.

11. The resurrection of Jesus (24:1-49):¹⁸ Luke recalls the events of Jesus’ resurrection. Unlike the other Gospel accounts, it describes Jesus appearing to two believers on the road to Emmaus. This story involves Jesus explaining how all Scripture points toward Him and His coming. Luke might have included this to provide evidence that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy. Meanwhile, Luke also works to provide evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. When Jesus appears to the disciples, Luke tells us that the disciples touch His body and watch Him eat a fish, both of which help them verify that Jesus is not a ghost but a living, physical person (Luke 24:37-43).¹⁹

12. Jesus’ ascension (24:50-53):²⁰ Luke explains how Jesus ascended into heaven, offering details about it that other accounts don’t address. (His next book, Acts, goes into more info about Jesus’ commission to the disciples to reach the earth with the Gospel message.)

From these examples, we can see that Luke’s account of the Gospel wasn’t just written to summarize the life of Jesus. It offers details to accentuate the Gospel’s credibility and themes for its target audience.

What is the purpose of Luke in the Bible?

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Luke tells us in the very first chapter that the purpose of the book of Luke is to provide a detailed, credible, and orderly account of the Gospel for a man named “Theophilus” (and presumably, other Gentiles like him).

At this time, many Gentiles were beginning to hear about Jesus. They needed an apologetic account,²¹ or a formal defense, of Christianity that made sense to them, offered additional details and explanations, and came from authoritative sources.

Luke’s Gospel account gave them the full package—readability, content, and credibility—but there was one more very important thing his book did.

It illustrated Jesus’ love for those some might consider “outsiders.”

The other Gospel accounts focus on a Jewish audience, showing readers how Jesus is the answer to the promises God gave their forefathers so many years ago—the promise of a deliverer for the Jewish people.

But the book of Luke emphasizes the love God has for Gentiles (and other outsiders within Jewish society), revealing that salvation is not exclusive to the Jews but open to anyone who accepts it.

We see this message in the stories and parables Luke chose to include.

Take the two parables—the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the prodigal son—for instance.

The parable of the lost sheep tells of a shepherd who is missing a single sheep. Eventually, after much searching, the shepherd finds his sheep. But, instead of being angry with the sheep, the shepherd is overjoyed and throws a party to celebrate his sheep’s return.

Then, the parable of the prodigal son is about a son who asks his father for money, then leaves home, lives on his own, and ends up spending all of his father’s inheritance. Then, with no money, he’s stuck working at a filthy pig farm with little to no food. He realizes how much better life was when he lived with his father and decides to return—but instead of coming back as a family member, he decides to offer himself as a servant.

Upon his return, instead of his father being angry at Him for deserting the family, his father embraces him and throws a party to celebrate the occasion.

Both of these stories illustrate how God responds to those who turn away and then return. In both stories, He is overjoyed. The only problem is, not everyone is happy.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the son who wasted his father’s money has an older brother who never even considered taking his inheritance or leaving the family property. When he sees the big fuss his father is making over the younger brother, he is angry that he is being so well-received.

This story is meant to illustrate the way many Jews were unhappy to see people they thought of as sinners and outsiders receive salvation. Many Jews felt entitled to God’s salvation because they were God’s chosen people, and they had grown up following all the ceremonial laws.

But Luke drives the point home that Jesus did not come to earth just to save some of His children. In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus says:

“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7, NKJV).

This means that Jesus has come to save anyone who acknowledges their need for a savior and comes to Jesus for help. It doesn’t matter which nation they come from or where they are in the social hierarchy. Even a person’s past doesn’t matter once they’ve accepted His forgiveness.

It’s all about how any person chooses to respond to God’s gift through His Son.

So, in addition to Luke’s goal in explaining the Gospel to Gentiles, it’s likely that his other purposes in writing the book of Luke were to:

1) Caution Jews not to discourage Gentiles from joining the Early Christian Church
2) Encourage Gentiles to draw near to Jesus (because He loves them too)

This may be why the central themes of Luke focus so much on Jesus’ love and ministry towards those considered outsiders within the society of the time.

What are the themes of the book of Luke?

More than any other Gospel, the book of Luke emphasizes the following themes:

• The humanity of Jesus
• The compassion of Jesus
• Salvation is available to all

Let’s explore each one.

The humanity of Jesus

Luke focuses on Jesus’ human side as the Son of Man and His deep love for all humankind.²²

It covers more details from Jesus’ birth and childhood than any other Gospel account, taking the effort to demonstrate how Jesus indeed lived a typical, no-frills human life. It traces His genealogy back to Adam, focusing more on Jesus’ relation to all of humanity rather than emphasizing royal blood or Jewish heritage.²³ On top of that, he emphasizes Jesus’ physicality and human weaknesses, like when he describes Jesus sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane (22:44).²⁴

Luke also provides more instances of Jesus’ empathy towards His fellow humans. We see this in the story of the Widow of Nain, where Jesus feels so much compassion for the woman’s grief that He resurrects her son (7:11-15). Luke even thought it was important to mention that Jesus cried when He spoke of the prophesied destruction of Jerusalem (19:41-44).

These unique examples reveal just how far Jesus was willing to go to relate to us as our personal Savior. He took on a human form so He could live as we live and experience the same pain and difficulty we face in a world of sin.²⁵

The Bible tells us this is why He is our perfect redeemer (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Not only did His death qualify Jesus to save us, His life as a human qualified Him to be our intercessor, to redeem us from sin because He knows what it’s like to face temptation (Hebrews 4:15).

Luke shows us that no one else can have compassion for us like Jesus because He’s already walked in our shoes.

The compassion of Jesus

As mentioned, there were certain people who were looked down on by the Jews in Jesus’ society. This included foreigners, or Gentiles, like the Greeks and the Romans, the ill or disabled, women, and sinners like tax collectors and prostitutes.

The Pharisees, Jewish religious leaders, were especially known for looking down on these groups of people. They particularly despised tax collectors, considering them traitors and going so far as to question why Jesus would want to spend time with them (5:30).

Even Jesus’ disciples were guilty of scorning and shunning those they considered to be outsiders, even calling Jesus to turn away and punish them (Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 9:54).

But Jesus didn’t let any of these cultural barriers stop Him.

The book of Luke shows us a Jesus who cares for tax collectors, so much that He’s willing to eat and fellowship with them (Luke 5:30-32;19:1-9).

In this way, Luke shows us a Savior who loves every human being, no matter where they’re from or what they’ve done. Luke shows us that Jesus wants to save everyone He can and is particularly compassionate to those who acknowledge their need of Him (15:7; 19:10).

Salvation is available to all

Photo by Tara Winstead

The Jews in Jesus’ day believed that because they were God’s chosen people, that meant that salvation belonged to them and them alone. So they didn’t understand why Jesus would bother witnessing to foreigners (Matthew 15:21-28; Acts 10:28-35).

They failed to understand that God had set the Jews apart to be a light for other nations, meant to represent God’s character and direct others to Christ (Acts 10:36; Isaiah 49:6).

But the book of Luke emphasizes Jesus’ desire to save everyone.

It’s in this Gospel account that Jesus points out to His people that the Jews’ prophets went to the Gentiles instead of them because the Gentiles didn’t reject them (Luke 4:24-28).

It’s also in this book that Jesus tells a parable to compare the attitudes of a Pharisee and a “sinful” tax collector (18:11-14). Jesus reveals that the tax collector will be forgiven because of his humility and sincerity, whereas the Pharisee won’t be able to receive forgiveness because he won’t acknowledge his need of forgiveness.

And it’s only in the book of Luke that we see Jesus agreeing to give the gift of salvation to a repentant criminal, a thief who hung on a cross by Jesus as He was crucified (23:39-43).²⁶

Luke may have included these stories to reinforce his theme of salvation for all. Besides that, the book of Luke gives us a glimpse of kind-hearted and open-minded Gentiles, perhaps emphasizing that everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, is capable of doing good and following Jesus (10:25-37; 7:1-10). In fact, in most cases, Luke takes note of Gentiles being more receptive to Jesus than many Jews.

By emphasizing these themes, Luke shows Jews that Gentiles are worthy of salvation, while also demonstrating to Gentiles Jesus’ desire to become their personal Savior and friend.

Quick facts about the book of Luke

We’ve covered the foundation of Luke’s account of the Gospel and what makes it unique. Here are some additional bits of trivia you might find interesting.

Luke:

• Is the only Gospel account to get a sequel (The book of Acts)
• Is the longest book in the New Testament
• Focuses on providing strong historical reliability²⁷
• Touches more on Jesus’ human side²⁸
• Is the synoptic Gospel to talk the most about Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit²⁹
• Shows how all of Scripture is centered around Jesus³⁰
• Records more parables³¹
• Mentions miracles other Gospel accounts don’t³²
• Offers more detailed explanations of Jewish customs/geography to give Gentiles more context³³
• Has a strong emphasis on prayer³⁴
• Includes songs/poetry (Ex: the song of Mary)³⁵
• Mentions women more than any other account³⁶
• Talks about Roman centurions in a positive light³⁷

EachGospel account contributes different aspects, content, and emphasis to give us a more complete picture of the Gospel story. The book of Luke is no different. More than any other book, it emphasizes Jesus’ love for humanity.

What can we learn from the book of Luke?

It’s possible to summarize the book of Luke in 4 words: “Jesus’ love for all.”

Unlike any other Gospel account, Luke focuses on Jesus’ love and desire to save everyone.

Where others saw Gentile pagans, tax collectors, adulterers, hardened criminals, or spiritual outcasts, Jesus saw His own children—valuable for the simple fact that He created them.

Beyond seeing their inherent worth, Jesus saw their potential. He hadn’t given up on them, as so many had. He could see beyond their circumstances and pasts to the people they could become with His help, offering them another chance at a better life.

Even though we live in a different time, we can apply Luke’s lesson to our own lives.

No matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, or what others say about you, Jesus sees you as God’s precious child. You are so important to Him that He died and suffered on the Cross for the slightest chance of saving you.

He sees your worth and empathizes with your struggles and pain.

When He looks at each human being, He sees beyond our shortcomings and sees the people we can be—the best, most Christ-like versions of ourselves—the people He intended us to be.

And the beauty of the Gospel message is that once it touches and transforms us, we’re inspired to look at others through Jesus’ eyes, too. We can look past the flaws and shortcomings of this world while appreciating the beauty and perfection to come when Jesus returns the same way He left (Luke 24:50-52; Acts 1:9-11).

1. Nichol, Francis D., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary And Bible Students’ Source Book, Vol. 5 ,Review and Herald Publishing Association (1978), p. 664. [↵]
2. The Remnant Study Bible, Remnant Publications (2009) pp. 1205. [↵]
3. Hubbard, Reuben A., “Medical Terminology in Luke,” Ministry Magazine (May 1977).[↵]
4. Nichol, pp. 108-109; 664; The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1206. [↵]
5. Nichol, p.108; The Remnant Study Bible, p.1205.[↵]
6. Nichol, p. 80.[↵]
7. “The Gospel According to Luke,” Bible Gateway; Lazar, Shawn, (BTH, MA) “The Purpose of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 1:3-4),” GES (Sept. 29, 2020).[↵]
8. “Who is Theophilus in the Bible books of Luke and Acts?” Bible Info; “The Gospel According to Luke,” Britannica. [↵]
9. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1205; Nichol, p. 191.  [↵]
10. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1205. [↵]
11. Ibid, p. 1206. [↵]
12. Ibid. [↵]
13. Nichol, p. 191. [↵]
14. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1288. [↵]
15. “Is Mary’s Lineage in One of the Gospels,” Bible.org. (Jan. 1 2001) [↵]
16. Nichol, p. 665. [↵]
17. Ibid. [↵]
18. Szterszky, Subby, “Unique and Surprising Narrative Twists in the Gospel of Luke,” Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. [↵]
19. Nichol, p. 885. [↵]
20. Ibid. [↵]
21. Lazar. [↵]
22. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1206; Nichol, p. 664. [↵]
23. Nichol, p. 664; Jones, Ron, (Dr.), “Luke: Behold the Man,” Something Good Radio (Feb. 27, 2022). [↵]
24. Jones. [↵]
25. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1206. [↵]
26. “Luke,” Insight for Living. [↵]
27. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1206. [↵]
28. 2:40,52; 22:44; 7:11-17. [↵]
29. 1:35; 3:22; 4:1,14,18; 10:21-22; 11:13. [↵]
30. 24:25-27. [↵]
31. 10:30-37; 15:8-10, 11-32; 16:19-31; 18:1-8, 9-14; 12:16-21. [↵]
32. 22:51; 7:11-17; 8:26-39. [↵]
33. The Remnant Study Bible, p. 1205. [↵]
34. 11:1-13; 18:1-14; 22:40-46; 3:21; 23:34,46; 24:50-51. [↵]
35. 1:46-55, 67-79; 2:28-32. [↵]
36. 7:11-17, 36-50; 8:1-3; 23:49,55; 24:10; 13:10-17; 1:26-56; 2:36-38; 23:27-28. [↵]
37. 7:1-10; 23:47. [↵]

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