Luke: Everyone's Messiah

Sources: Graham Stanton, The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford, 1989); David Wenham and Steve Walton, Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Gospels and Acts (IVP, 2001); Paul J. Achtemeier et al., Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology (Eerdmans, 2001); Darrell L. Bock, "Luke, Gospel Of," in Joel B. Green et al., eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP, 1992), 495-510; Luke Timothy Johnson, The New Testament Writings: An Interpretation, rev. ed. (Fortress, 1999); H. Douglas Buckwalter, "The Hike of Hikes—Luke's Travel Narrative (Luke 9:51–19:27)," Evangelical Journal 33/2 (2015): 68–81.

I. What Were Luke's Sources?
Like Matthew, Luke draws on Mark's Gospel but cuts half and reworks Mark considerably (Synopsis #13, 16-18, 20).
Luke also features much material similar to Matthew but not in Mark (#14, 16, 19-20, 235),
sometimes whole blocks (#51, 58-75, 176-181, 201-206, 296-299).
Luke sometimes agrees in minor and major ways with Matthew over against Mark (#13-16, 37/87, 182/282, 218, 235, 278, 332-333).
Luke scatters material that Matthew gathers into his teaching blocks (#284-285).

What does all this evidence demonstrate?

Q hypothesis: Matthew and Luke had access to an otherwise unknown source ("Quelle", "Q").
Q skeptics: Luke had access to Matthew.
Either way, Luke not only drew on multiple sources but adapted them in distinctive and artful ways (like "The Bash" includes and adapts "Wabash Cannonball").

II. Luke's Features Make Connections
Luke-Acts' origin stories offer a framework for understanding the church's life and teachings (Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:11).

The two volumes seamlessly root the church (and so the NT letters) in Jesus' ministry.
If the author is a traveling companion of Paul ('we' passages in Acts 16:10ff), then he has access to sources and witnesses.

Luke's work taps into the rhetorical style and standards of Greco-Roman history (1:1-4, cf. Josephus, Contra Apionem 1.1.1-3, 2.1.1-2).

A learned writer, Luke spreads a gospel for everyone, especially hoi polloi, like an orchestra playing pop.

Luke's two volumes run in parallel; the church is on its Lord's course.

Luke and Acts also interpret each other in more subtle ways (Moses in Acts 3:22-23 and esp. Acts 7, cf. Ex 2:11-15).

Though Luke retains Mark's broad sequence, the work is structured missionally, by travels focused on Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the story's home base, stronghold of resistance, and launch pad:
An evocative, musical introduction at Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem (1:1-2:52).
Preparation at Jordan and the wilderness (3:1-4:13, #20).
Ministry, revelation, and rejection in Galilee (4:14-9:50).
A long way to Jerusalem 9:51-19:44, the 'travel narrative')
features persistent rejection (13:31-33), along with disciples' 'learning on the way.'
Buckwalter has a neat proposal for a chiastic structure.
At Jerusalem (not Galilee; 19:45-24:53) comes vindication of his justice/innocence
... and from there to all Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Luke frames each volume with servants preaching the Kingdom and teaching the Lord Jesus Christ at the beginning and end.

The Holy Spirit is prominent throughout: in annunciation, baptism through early ministry, #187, and through Acts.

This helped make Luke-Acts a model for Pentecostals to imitate.

Luke situates Jesus' ministry in the context of past and present 'current events': Roman imperial politics (2:1-2, 3:1), specifics of Jerusalem's fall in 70 (#290: 19:41-44, 21:20-24, cf. Mark 13:14-20), and public figures and happenings in Acts.

Does this mean a post-70 date (cf. Mark or Matthew)?

He also situates Jesus cosmically and of course theologically: Jesus is 'son of Adam, son of God' (3:23-38).

Jesus' life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return are located within Israel's whole saga of salvation, a favorite Lukan word.

Its soteriology (vision of atonement) is 'Christus Victor,' distinctly royal rather than ransom:

Jesus is the Son/heir of his Father's Kingdom (Luke 1-2, 22:24-27 #313 cf. Mark 10:45, 19:38 #269, 22:69-70, 23:3).
His identity is confirmed by mighty deeds / signs and wonders (Luke 19:37 #263, Acts 2:22).
Jesus describes ‘the resurrection of the just’ (14:14), and his resurrection confirms him to be the ‘righteous (just) one’ named by the centurion in Luke 23:47, Peter in Acts 3:14 cf. 3:22-23, Stephen in 7:52 cf. Ex 2:11-15, and Paul in 22:14 (Paul). (The penitent thief comes close in 23:41.)
He has visited his rebellious domain (19:44 #270, cf. Moses) as a servant (22:27) to lead a new exodus from Jerusalem (9:31 #161; 11:20 #188, #311-313).
He's rejected by the vineyard's tenants (22:53 #331) but found innocent/just/righteous (23:14-25 #338, 23:40-41, 23:47 #347).
Jesus is vindicated over his enemies by receiving his kingdom (19:12 #266, enthroned in Acts 2:33-36) and being glorified (Acts 3:13).
He shares his name and resurrection with his worthy and loyal fellow servants as sons of God (20:36 #281, 22:28-30 #313). His name is powerful over his defeated enemies (Acts 4:5-33).
Like rejecting Moses after the exodus, refusing the Kingdom's second missional visitation is personally consequential in ways the first was not (Acts 3:17-18).
Luke is not rejecting other themes, such as sacrifice in Isa 53 in 22:37 (cf. Acts 8:26-40).

The Kingdom reverses social strata, explaining new relations (especially Jewish-Christian ones) in light of Jesus' life (in BP; save most of these for discussion? #174-176, 181, 183-184, 202, 208, 214-228, 237).

This Gospel is a postcolonial/liberationist favorite.

Jesus fulfills old and new prophecies (9:21-22, 44, 18:33 and 24:6-8, 44-47) and equips his disciples to wait for the kingdom's appearing (17:20-37, 18:1-8, 19:11-27).
Luke too adds these distinctives while basically affirming Mark's narrative and Matthew's teaching.
The result is a gospel more accessible to Romans, and the 'glue' of the NT and liturgical year.

III. Further Highlights in Luke

Luke	others	special to Luke
1:1-2:52	Mt 1:1-2:23	birth and childhood narratives: set geographically, politically, salvation-historically, and musically
4:16-30	(Mk 6:1-6)	Jesus' "Nazareth Manifesto" (cf. Isa 61:1-2a) and its reaction (cf. 13:46-51)
5:1-6:19: calling disciples, signs and wonders, popular response, conflict with authorities
6:20-8:3	Mt 8:5-13	Sermon on the Plain #77ff and 'reversal' stories following it 7:1-8:3 esp. #107, 114-115
7:18-30; 1:1-2:52, 3:1-22	Mt 11:2-6	John the prophet and Jesus the Son juxtaposed (and their disciples in Acts 18:24-19:1-7); this is a transition like Acts' from Jesus to Peter to others to Paul
8:4-9:50: mentoring disciples; signs and wonders; Peter's confession; Transfiguration; predictions of Jesus' death
9:51-18:14	"Q" (?) in Mt	Jesus travels to Jerusalem (and equips his disciples), despite gathering opposition
18:15-21:37: Jesus entering and in Jerusalem, persecuted but triumphant; apocalyptic warnings
22-23	Mk 14-15, Mt 26-27	passion narrative: Jesus the righteous king #346 and sophos #347, leaders rather than people culpable #341, 345
24:13-53	Mk 16:1-8, Mt 1:20	resurrection appearances, ascension