Luke, Paul’s companion and fellow-laborer (Acts 16:10; 20:6; Philemon 24; 2 Tim. 4:11), wrote both this Gospel and the book of Acts. He addresses both accounts to Theophilus, an Italian nobelman—“most excellent Theophilus” (Luke 1:3). Though we have much from his pen, Luke records nothing of himself. From the Apostle’s reference to “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14), we know his occupation, and it would also appear from these verses that he was a Gentile (compare Col. 4:11, 14).
The Gospel, without at all detracting from its divine inspiration, is marked by the nature of this unique correspondence. It is an account of the Lord’s life, by a Gentile to a Gentile: “That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed” (Luke 1:4). It is a divine portrait of Christ—a Man among men perfectly meeting their need in grace—His moral glory always shining. In Luke’s gospel He is the Son of Man.
Whereas the “kingdom of heaven” is predominant in Matthew, the “kingdom of God” distinguishes Luke. This expression takes us beyond Israel and the Messiah—“all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). Yet even in Luke, the order followed is “to the Jew first, and also to the [Gentile]” (Rom. 1:16). Its message is to those who were bidden, then to the poor of the city—the remnant—and finally beyond the city to the highways and hedges—the Gentile (Luke 14:16-24). In the first three chapters we have His presentation to the godly remnant in Israel (Luke 2:25-38)—the devout few that thought upon His name (Mal. 3:16).
The “kingdom of God” also has an important moral element: “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). These moral principles, applicable to all men, shine in the Gospel of Luke.
The use of the word “generation” in this Gospel and elsewhere (Luke 21:32) is perhaps confusing at first. However, all difficulties are removed if we simply remember that it is a moral expression. An example may be found in Psalm 12, verse 7. In that instance, “forever” is connected with “a generation”; clearly a lifetime is not in view. In particular, “generation” refers to the apostate masses.
The genealogy in Luke is traced back to the first man, Adam. Jesus as the Son of Man takes up the inheritance God gave to man. The temptations in Luke are presented in a moral order (Luke 4:1-13). Beginning with the most basic desire, hunger, the tempter moves on to that which man has by every means sought for himself, power and glory—“and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son” (Gen. 4:17). The final temptation—more subtle—is spiritual in character, appealing to man’s religious nature.
Unlike the first Adam, the Lord Jesus is triumphant in obedience. In Luke He is ever the obedient, suffering, victorious man. He is the Man of Sorrows (Isa. 53:3). Only in this Gospel do we find such details concerning His agony in the garden: “Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
While all the subject matter of Luke is rich, it is helpful to observe the following divisions: chapters 1-3, His birth until the commencement of His public ministry—thirty years; chapters 4-5, His ministry of grace amongst the cities, towns and villages of Galilee; chapters 6-9:50, His ministry in grace, but in contrast with Judaism (the old garment cannot be patched with new cloth; Mark 2:21), closing with His glory as man; chapters 9:51-19:48 begin with His determination to go to Jerusalem and end with His entry into that city, in between which we have the judgment of those who rejected the Lord and the grace he dispensed along the way—the promises of God are accomplished by grace and laid hold of by faith; chapters 20-21, Jerusalem and the Jews delivered up to the Gentiles; chapters 22-24, the Lord with His disciples, His death and resurrection—the risen Man.