This week we begin a conversation about the Gospel of Luke. Read through Luke, chapter 1, gather your friends and family, and have a conversation about what you’ve read. The short video will begin the conversation, and I’ve added a few questions to help facilitate even more thought. Give a listen.
- Why is it important to know that Luke spoke to eyewitnesses when he wrote this account?
- What is unique about the conceptions of John, the Baptist and Jesus?
- Compare both Mary’s and Zechariah’s songs with themes from the Book of Psalms: God considers the plight of the humble, deliverance from enemies, and God’s remembrance of His covenant with Israel.
- Discuss the things said about John by the angel (verses 13-17) and Zechariah (verses 76-79). In Matthew 11:13-14, Jesus links John to the prophecy about Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6).
It seems as though Luke was written about 30 years after Jesus death. Why do you think it took so long to commit this to parchment, and could the eyewitness accounts still be fully accurate after this length of time?
Think about those things people remember that are either very dramatic turning points in their lives or things they might consider “more than coincidences.” I think people tend to have vivid recollections of such things. In Luke 2, the author comments on how Mary “treasured all these things in her heart.” I think the things that happened in the first two chapters of Luke were the kinds of experiences that people could not forget. Luke had become a Christian at some point during the mission work of the Apostle Paul although we don’t know when that was. The experiences of those who had been around at the time of Jesus’ birth and ministry were dramatic enough that I’m quite sure they couldn’t forget them.
Good job Bob.