Page 24 - Advanced New Testament Survey Student Textbook

Special features

• Luke recorded more of the parables of Jesus than any other Gospel. They can be as difficult to
understand today as they were in the first century. The key to interpreting parables is to find the
part of the parable that is unexpected (e.g., the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37). This
unexpected event or person is the key to understanding the riddle.
• Luke has more inclusion of women, children, and the vulnerable, in connection to Jesus’
encounters with people.
• Luke’s geneology goes far back to Adam.
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• Only Luke includes Jesus’ childhood.
In which way does Luke impact our Lives?

In what ways do you see God’s plan for the kingdom already here, but still unfolding in your life and around
you? In what areas do you sense God’s invitation to come and join him in working out this plan, in enacting
salvation today?

The kingdom of God transcends society’s priorities as well as its boundaries. Are there areas in which you
have aligned yourself with the wrong priorities—in terms of your time, activities, possessions, and
actions? While reading Luke’s Gospel, what areas of your own life have you noticed that are not in line
with kingdom priorities? What is your path forward to realign your life according to what the kingdom
values?

In the context of his day, Jesus spends a shockingly large amount of time ministering to the marginalized
in his society. Do you think that this attention is incidental, or does it relate something specific about
Jesus’ strategy and priorities (Hint: re-read Luke 4). In what ways could your priorities more align with
Jesus’?

Overview of Luke Chapters 1-9

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