Luke

1. What do you see in this book that tells you about the original reader?
   
   
   The book of Luke is written to “the most honorable Theophilus” (1:3). Theophilus could have been a person, but Theophilus means “lover of God” so to me it seems likely that he used the name as a title to address all of those who believed in God, but it could go either way. Regardless, the book was written to give account for all of the things that they had been taught so that they could be certain that it was in fact truth.

2. 
   
   What do you see in this book that tells you about the author?
   
   
   We know that the author of the book is Luke and that he wrote the book based off of research done from eye witness accounts for the purpose of allowing the believers to be certain of everything they had been taught. Luke was not a disciple of Jesus, but is said to be a disciple of Paul.
   Luke tells some stories and that the other books do not give and tells other aspects of some of the stories that the other gospels do give. He tells a very well rounded version of all of the stories. In chapter 3 he gives the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam! He thoroughly did His research and doesn't seem to leave any room for speculation or doubt as to who Jesus was and the works He did.
   
   
3. What are the main themes, and repeated ideas in this book, and what is a one sentence summary of the “main idea?”

Luke makes several references to the Holy Spirit (1:15,35,41,67,80; 2:25; 3:16,22; 4:1,14; 10:21; 11:13; 12:10,12; 24:49) and in 1:40 Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary comes to visit with Jesus in the womb. This is the first evidence that Jesus is the bringer of the Holy Spirit and from then on we see His power manifesting throughout the rest of the book and Scripture.

I also noticed that Jesus, in a lot of His teachings commanded people to give! Whether it be giving up their worldly pleasure to follow Him, giving money or goods to those in need (14:33, 12:33; 11:41; 6:30, 38; 19:8-10; 3:11; 9:24) almost showing that the only benefit of having wealth is to be able to bless others with it.

In Luke, I noticed a lot more mention of the women involved in the life of Christ, typically they don't seem to be given much mention but in Luke he talks a lot about them and even mentions that Jesus took some of them along with him and the disciples (8:1-3; 10:38-42; 18:1-7; 21:1-4; 23:27-31; 24:1,10).

I saw quite a few references to salvation being being for everyone, not just the Jews. The most specific reference in 4:23-30.

One sentence summary- Jesus came as Savior not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles, too!

4. What is the primary reason this book was written?
   
   
   The reason this book was written is because there may have been some questions about who Jesus was and if He really came for all men (1:4). For awhile, with the past books and in this one, we know that the Jews were God's chosen people, but now salvation is being extended to everyone, not just the Jews and there may have been some discrepancies on this, or people may just not have known.
   
   
   
   
5. What does this book show about the character and nature of God?
   
   
   God gives us what we need and asks us to live by faith (12:21-32). He gives us gifts to be stewards of, whether physical or spiritual, but takes these things very seriously and requires that we be good stewards of them (12:21-48).
   An interesting story is told in 13:8-9 that I think speaks of the graciousness of God and the second chances He gives. It seems to me that God is the gardener and there's no fruit being produced by the tree, but he tells the man to come back next year after He's fertilized it and given it special attention and then if it hasn't produced fruit he can get rid of it. To me this displays God's graciousness and shows that He wants to see each person succeed, He doesn't want them to not get it, and He'll give them extra grace, time and special attention so that they have a greater chance of getting it. And going with this theme of grace and unconditional love we see the story of the prodigal son in chapter 15:11-31. My favorite part is in verse 20 where it says, “Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” His son ran, in complete defiance but He was so excited to welcome him home, didn't focus on the wrong that had been done, but rather on the fact that he had decided to return home in humility. And He rejoiced! He doesn't give up on those He loves (15:4-10).
   He longs for the people to know the gift of salvation and “the way to peace” (19:42-44).
   
   
6. What does this book show about God's redemptive plan for mankind?
   
   
   In Chapter 1 verses 68-79 Zechariah gives a prophecy, he says that God has not forgotten his people, he has been merciful and kept his covenant, they have been rescued from their enemies and his son will be the prophet that will prepare the way of the Lord. He will teach them how to find salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. “Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
   In 17:20-21, Jesus says, “For the kingdom of God is already among you.” Jesus is already there walking among them, redemption is already there and only some have eyes that can see.
   In 4:43, while the crowds are searching for Him He says, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” He was sent to all of the people, to travel to all people and preach the gospel so that as many as possible might hear of the good news and be saved. This is why He was sent.
   And again, we see the story of the crucifixion, definitely not to be overlooked, but I love what comes after the story! Jesus comes back and He's walking with some of His disciples though they don't know who He is, all of the sudden after breaking bread with them their eyes were opened and the realized it! They went back to the other disciples and proclaimed, “He really has risen!” (24:34) This is the reason we celebrate!
   And in 24:49 He tells His disciples, “And now I will send my Holy Spirit”.

7. Personal Application:
   
   
   The whole book of Luke really gripped me, but I loved the part about the man who built his house on the solid rock. He says, “I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.” The part that stuck out the most to me was “dig deep”. In our faith we need to dig deep into God, His word and what He has for us. The deeper we dig, the more solid and steadfast we are. If we barely scratch the surface we are easily blown over, but the more we spend time with Him and dig up the treasures of His word and His character the more changed and renewed our lives will be and the less likely we are to be swayed by things changing around us. I want to be one who digs deeper and deeper into who He is and who He has made me to be. I don't want to be tossed by the winds, I want to stand firm on His promises and stand firm in who He's created me to be.
   The other part that stuck out to me was the short snippet on Mary and Martha. I can relate with both of their characters, wanting to just sit and be at Jesus' feet, listening and soaking in what He has to say, but also very much of a detail oriented, do-er like Martha. Sometimes I get so caught up in the DOing that I miss the BEing and this is something God is wanting to change in me. Martha was upset because she was the only one doing the work, and Jesus says to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken from her.”
   I know that God has gifted me to be a do-er, but I am slowly learning that doing should never take precedence over being.

7. Point of Passion: Family.
   
   
   Community. Disciples. Jesus did life with His disciples. There was a very present sense of community in the way that He lived His life. He was active in the world, but very much intentional in His close knit community. Looking at the area of family, we see that that is one community that we are a part of and within that community there are disciples: children, spouse. We should strive to attain a sense of discipleship even within the family structure, doing more than just giving thanks for our meals and going to church, but actively investing in each others lives, doing in depth Bible studies together and then going out and putting into practice what we have learned and discipling each other through every step. The most important gift we've been given is family. And in past books we saw the emphasis God placed on passing down teachings from generation to generation. But it can't simply be the teachings that we pass down, it must be the actions, the lifestyle and the importance of discipleship in community. You can't live out your faith alone. Children won't know the power of the gospel unless they put it into practice. And one of the most powerful weapons in this world is a couple, united in love, on fire for Christ, with one common goal, changing the world.