Route 66: Luke's Gospel - Salvation for All

Thank you, pastor.

It's great to be here.

Thank you so much to the Elder Council for the opportunity to be here again Amazing.

So the focus of Luke's gospel is the gospel.

What does that mean?

You have to know what gospel means.

It's a Greek word which means good news, okay, and that good news okay, the gospel.

That word occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament.

So what is the good news for Luke?

So what is the good news for Luke?

Salvation is available to all, all who place their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Salvation is Luke's primary theme.

There are three sub-themes in the gospel Inclusiveness, in other words, outsiders also also welcome the Holy Spirit.

And praise and prayer.

So you have salvation as the overarching theme.

You have inclusiveness, the Holy Spirit and praise and prayer.

Who is Luke?

Luke was a Gentile.

He was a Gentile who wrote to a Gentile audience.

Luke was a physician.

In fact, according to the book of Colossians, he was the beloved physician of the apostle Paul.

Luke and Paul went on two missionary journeys together.

They knew each other well.

Their theologies are very similar.

Luke most likely wrote his gospel in 60 or 61 AD.

We know this because Paul was imprisoned around this time and Luke would have been with Paul writing the gospel with the aid of Paul, with Paul writing the gospel with the aid of Paul.

His two-volume set Luke and the Book of Acts makes up 27% of the New Testament.

Luke is the largest book in the New Testament.

When you take Luke and Paul, that comprises 53% of the entire New Testament.

Although Paul wrote 13 books, Luke's contribution is actually 25 verses longer than Paul.

Luke writes this two-volume set to a man named Theophilus, or in your Bible translations probably say most honorable Theophilus.

We do not know who this mysterious man is.

He might not even be a man.

Actually, theophilus means lover of God, so it could be just a general term.

But no other times in Scripture do we know or read of this mysterious man.

Luke's Gentile audience was unfamiliar with scripture.

However, they knew their Jewish neighbors.

They knew they were longing for a Messiah and that was enough.

Luke portrays Jesus as the son of man who came to seek and save all people through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer All people.

Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus back to Adam.

The gospel of Matthew stops at Abraham.

Luke is showing the son of man's connection to Adam, who was the first man to Adam.

Who was the first man?

The most important verse in the entire gospel is 1910.

For the son of man has come to seek and to save the lost.

There are four sections in this book.

The first section is the prologue, which runs from the beginning to chapter 4, verse 13.

We will be focusing on the birth narrative.

Every theme in the gospel is introduced here.

The second section is from chapter 4, verse 14, through chapter 9, verse 50.

It is Jesus's ministry in Galilee.

We will focus on one passage here his rejection in Nazareth.

Section 3, the most important part of the gospel.

It is the longest section in Luke's gospel.

It goes from chapter 9, verse 51, through chapter 19, verse 44.

It is the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and we're going to focus on three parables and one story, the story of Zacchaeus.

The fourth and final section goes from 1945 to the end of the book.

We're going to highlight one passage the criminal on the cross.

As we read through the sections, I will make a point of showing various themes that are evident in each reading.

Before we open God's word, let's go to him in prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this gathering of brothers and sisters.

Father, as we open your word, please illuminate your word for us, please help us to observe your word, to interpret your word and, most importantly, father, to apply your precious truth to our lives.

And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

If you're not there already.

Page 907, gospel of Luke.

We're going to do a lot of reading of scripture tonight, so hang on tonight.

So hang on.

Let's look at chapter one.

It has been 400 years, absolute silence, not a word from a prophet, not a word from God.

Suddenly, the angel Gabriel appears in the temple to a Levite priest Verse 13.

The angel said to him do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.

Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son and you will name him John, verse 15.

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb.

Several months later, the angel appears again, this time in Nazareth, to a virgin named Mary.

Now listen.

Verse 31.

Now listen.

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Verse 35,.

The Holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you.

Therefore, the Holy one to be born will be called the son of God, verse 39,.

In those days, mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, verse 39.

Did you notice the effect that Mary's greeting had on Elizabeth and John the Baptist?

Holy Spirit-induced praise and prayer.

Mary's greeting had on Elizabeth and John the Baptist Holy Spirit induced praise and prayer.

The encounter would have an effect on Mary as well.

Let's look at verse 46.

And Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior.

These first two verses are known as Mary's praise, or Mary's song, also known as the Magnificat.

Did you happen to notice that Mary also recognizes her need for a Savior?

Following the birth and naming of John, the attention shifts back to Zechariah, verse 67.

Then his father, zechariah, was filled with the Holy spirit and prophesied Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.

He has raised a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant, david.

So in chapter 1, we just read of four individuals, including yet to be born John the Baptist, who are praising, prophesying, singing, leaping and worshiping.

All of them, holy Spirit indwelled.

All of them anxiously awaiting the Savior.

Let's take a look at chapter two.

Here we see inclusiveness.

Our Lord and Savior is born.

Who is the first told of the birth of the Messiah?

Shepherds.

Shepherds were outcasts.

Shepherds were the lowest members of society.

They are given the distinction of being the world's first evangelists.

And how did they react to the good news of the Savior?

Verse 20,.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard.

40 days pass, the royal family has arrived in Jerusalem.

The next two witnesses to the Savior are as unlikely as the first Verse 25.

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Messiah.

Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple when the parents brought the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law.

Simeon took him in his arms, praised God and said Now, master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised, for my eyes have seen your salvation.

You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples.

A light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people, Israel.

Revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people, israel.

Through Simeon's prophecy, luke has just informed his readers, gentiles, that they are included in God's salvation plan.

Next we meet Anna, fact.

In first century Israel, all widows were considered outcasts.

Through the testimony of this widow, luke shows his readers the power of persistent prayer, verse 37,.

A widow for 84 years.

She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day, with fasting and prayers.

At that very moment she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel.

What a blessing.

A woman who dedicated her life to God is given the gift of seeing the one to whom she has prayed to for 84 years.

And what a lesson for us.

Pray without ceasing.

But there's another lesson here in chapter 2.

All are included in God's salvation plan, jew and Gentile alike, especially the marginalized.

Section two begins with chapter four, verse 14,.

Ends chapter nine, verse 50.

This is Jesus's Galilean ministry, verse 50.

Our one and only focus passage for this section is verse 416 through verse 430.

Look for the sub themes here of inclusiveness and the Holy Spirit.

In contrast with Matthew, luke places this narrative at the beginning of this section.

There is no evidence in scripture that this scene was chronologically first.

We'll discover why he does this.

Verse 4.16,.

He came to Nazareth where he had been brought up as usual.

He entered the synagogue on a Sabbath day and stood up to read the scroll of the prophet.

Isaiah was given to him and on rolling the scroll he found the place where it is written the spirit of the Lord Isaiah was given to him and on rolling the scroll he found the place where it is written the Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.

He began by saying to them today, as you listen, this scripture has been fulfilled.

The carpenter's son has just claimed to be the promised Messiah.

Following this bold declaration, jesus then recounts two Old Testament stories where God's grace is given to Gentiles but not to Jews.

How did the listeners react?

Verse 29,.

They got up, drove him out of town and brought him to the edge of a hill that their own town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

It wasn't his time.

Luke's placement of this rejection scene in Nazareth is significant.

The year of the Lord's favor is now.

Salvation has been proclaimed for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed, not just for Israelites, but for everyone.

Good news expressed in terms of freedom, sight deliverance and divine favor.

Luke's readers would not have understood their inclusion in the kingdom if they didn't understand Israel's rejection of the kingdom.

Let's go to section three.

This is the journey from Galilee to Jerusalem from 951 through 1944.

40% of this section is unique to Luke.

The theme of salvation for all is woven throughout the entire section.

We will focus on three parables and the story of Zacchaeus.

The most simple definition of a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

To a believer, a parable could be understood.

To a non-believer, it was a riddle and could not be understood.

In these parables, we're going to notice a stark contrast between the heart of a believer and the heart of a non-believer, and the heart of a non-believer.

In this section, luke emphasizes the continual confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders.

Our first parable the Good Samaritan.

Please turn to chapter 10, verse 25.

Chapter 10, verse 25.

Then an expert in the law stood up to test him saying teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

What is written in the law?

He asked him, how do you read it?

He answered love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor, your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor is yourself.

You have answered correctly, he told him.

Do this and you will live.

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus who is my neighbor?

In response to the scribe's question, he tells the parable.

The meaning of this parable is that no one could be justified by works.

Notice in verse 25,.

Let's go back there, verse 25.

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

In our sinful fallen nature, we are incapable of perfectly obeying God's commands.

Therefore, no one could earn eternal life.

Not only is God's law not safe, it condemns.

The parable tells of a man in great need.

Two religious leaders declined to help, but a Samaritan offers assistance.

Help, but a Samaritan offers assistance.

This man, an enemy of the Jewish people, goes above and beyond the call of duty.

The love and compassion that he shows is extraordinary.

No one could be expected to do this consistently, certainly not for a hated enemy.

But this hated enemy is our neighbor.

In fact everyone is our neighbor.

And that's the point Jesus is trying to make here.

No one could live up to this standard.

No one could love their neighbor like the Samaritan did.

In this parable, luke's Gentile readers are learning that no one could be justified by their own efforts.

But there's something else here.

They see that an outsider is showing the characteristics of a godly person, a Samaritan.

Luke's audience would have understood that Samaritans were outsiders not included in the kingdom.

This is important.

Parable two the prodigal son.

Please turn to chapter 15.

In this chapter, jesus and the disciples are accompanied by large crowds.

Verse 1.

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him and the Pharisees and scribes were complaining.

This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.

In response, jesus tells three consecutive parables the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.

We know it as the prodigal son.

This is a wonderful story of compassion and salvation, but it's also the story of a terrible reaction.

But it's also the story of a terrible reaction, a reaction that aligns with the thinking of the anti-inclusion crowd.

Let's go to verse 11.

A man had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.

Surprisingly, the father agrees to this and splits up between the two sons the assets.

The son travels to a distant country, lives recklessly and goes bankrupt.

In a spiritual sense.

The son was already bankrupt before he left home, spiritually bankrupt before he left home, spiritually bankrupt, separated from God Verse 17,.

When he came to his senses, he said how many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger.

Humility, can you see it?

He just placed himself below the status of one of his father's workers.

Now he is a candidate for salvation Verse 20.

So he got up and went to the father.

That's repentance.

No-transcript, verse 20.

But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and, filled with compassion, he ran through his arms around his neck and kissed him.

The father was already seeking the lost son.

Before the son could get a word in, the father was already rejoicing.

But what about the older son?

How was he going to react?

Verse 28, then he became angry and didn't want to go in.

So his father came and pleaded with him.

But he replied to his father Look, I've been slaving many years for you and I have never disobeyed your orders.

Yet you never gave me a goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when the son of yours came and devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him.

But when the son of yours came and devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him.

Son, he said to him you are always with me and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

The attitude of the older brother toward the salvation of the younger brother is an example of the attitude of the religious leaders.

Remember in verse 1, let's look at it again he welcomes sinners and eats with them.

The Pharisees, the elders, the scribes, the priests, the religious leaders.

They had no interest in the salvation of sinners, none at all.

Their pride and self-righteousness had blinded them to the riches of God's truth.

They spent their lives slaving with scripture and external public worship.

They never possessed any of the treasures enjoyed by a repentant sinner To them.

Like the older son, god is a harsh taskmaster.

Parable number three the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Please turn to chapter 18, verse 9.

Chapter 18, verse 9.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a pharisee and another a tax collector.

The pharisee was standing and praying like this to himself god, I thank you that I'm not like the other people, greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of everything I get, but the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I tell you this.

One went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

Here Jesus is speaking directly to the religious leaders.

Entry into the kingdom of God is not for the proud and self-righteous, it is for the humble, repentant sinner.

One cannot be found by God unless they come to the full understanding that they are hopelessly lost.

The tax collector, a man perceived to be excluded from the covenant promise of God, has just received justification from the Son of God by praying a heartfelt seven-word prayer.

It speaks to the simplicity of the gospel.

One more story.

This one happened.

Please turn to chapter 19, verse one.

Chapter 19, verse one.

He entered Jericho and was passing through.

It was a man named Zacchaeus who was the chief tax collector and he was rich.

He was trying to see who Jesus was but was not able because of the crowd since he was a short man.

So, running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place he looked up and said to him Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.

So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully.

All who saw it began to complain he's got to stay with a sinful man.

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord look, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor Lord and if I extorted anything from anyone, I'll give back four times as much Today.

Salvation has come to this house, jesus told him, because he too is a son of Abraham, for the son of man has come to seek and save the lost.

We see every theme in this passage.

We have a chief tax collector who is rich, one might say a chief extortioner, living a life of selfish greed.

Zacchaeus was an outcast Before Jesus arrived.

The chief publican did not know the Savior, but that changed when Jesus sought him and found him in a tree, showing evidence of the repentant faith that had just saved him.

He goes from extortionist to philanthropist.

His words were the words of a radically changed man, a regenerated man, a man who's been born of the spirit.

His words are words of praise.

Jesus responds by calling him a son of Abraham, not by physical descent but through faith, abraham being the father of faith.

Jesus then states to the crowd the primary reason for his incarnation, for the son of man has come to seek and to save the lost.

Dr John MacArthur wrote there is no more glorious truth in the Bible than the words of Luke 19, 10.

That verse sums up the work of Christ on earth from the human viewpoint.

It may represent the single most important truth ever recorded in scripture and quote our last section, section four, jerusalem.

In this section we have the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord.

We're going to look at one passage.

It shows that anyone, anyone, can enter the kingdom of heaven, chapter 23, verse 39.

Chapter 23, verse 39.

Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him.

Aren't you the Messiah?

Save yourself and us.

But the other answered, rebuking him Don't you even fear God, since you're undergoing the same punishment?

We are punished justly because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did.

But this man has done nothing wrong.

Then he said Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Remember me when you come into your kingdom.

And he said to him truly, I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.

Here we have a condemned criminal.

His death was imminent.

This man understood that his only hope of entering the kingdom of God was a plea for mercy.

He demonstrates repentance, he demonstrates faith by recognizing Jesus as the Son of God, the only one who could save him.

And our Lord does just that.

Luke's gospel has firmly established to his readers that all are saved through repentant faith, by trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

All who surrender to the Lordship of Christ will inherit eternal life.

This includes widows, samaritans, gentiles, criminals, the lame and wretched sinners.

Criminals, the lame and wretched sinners In other words, the least, the last and the lost, will populate the kingdom.

What a Savior we have.

Faith in the saving work of Christ is evidenced by words of praise, acts of worship, which are only possible if the Holy Spirit is at work in the believer.

Luke's gospel ends right where it began, in the temple Chapter 24, verse 51.

24-51.

After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and they were continually in the temple praising God.

The temple represents the presence of God and the place of worship for the people of Israel.

But a new Israel is dawning.

The new Israel was for Jew and Gentile alike.

The new Israel was for Jew and Gentile alike.

In chapter 24, we notice Luke's transition from his gospel to the book of Acts.

Our risen Lord instructs his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and await the Father's promise.

Let's turn to Acts.

Acts 1:5

1, verse 5.

1, verse 5.

1, verse 5.

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.

Ten days later, 120 disciples gather in the upper room.

They would learn that day that the presence of God was no longer in the temple.

God's presence through the Holy Spirit would now dwell with God's elect.

On that day, god's people became the living stones of the temple, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone.

The ministry of Christ on earth was complete.

The ministry of Christ's followers was just beginning.

The disciples' mission was similar.

But only Jesus can save.

We, as disciples of Christ, are to seek and to lead the lost to the truth of the gospel and to lead the lost to the truth of the gospel.

What have we learned from the gospel of Luke?

One inclusion the good news of salvation is for everyone.

Doesn't matter who you are, where you are or when you are.

When God finds you, he will open hearts to receive the gospel.

A heart full of pride and self-righteousness has no room for the gospel of God's saving grace.

Two salvation.

First, a word of caution.

Christians should always be on alert to not become like a Pharisee.

We must always acknowledge that we are sinners and rebels who have been saved by his mercy and his grace, to never pridefully think that we have done anything to earn our salvation.

He sought us, he saved us all for his good pleasure and for his glory.

Luke and the apostle Paul spent many years traveling together.

They knew each other well.

I think that Paul's words to the Ephesians provide a nice summary of what we learned from Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 and 9.

Luke 2:8

What we learned from Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 and 9.

Luke 2:8

By grace you have been saved through faith.

This is not of yourselves.

It is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one will boast.

Let's pray, father.

Father, thank you.

Thank you for creating us, thank you for sustaining us and thank you for redeeming us through the precious blood of your son.

Father, I thank you for this time together.

We've spent here worshiping you, praising you and studying and meditating upon your word.

Father, thank you.

Please, as we go out into the world, help us to be salt and light, help us to share the gospel, help us to do it all for your glory, in Jesus' name, amen.