One of the things which has, for a long time, been of great concern to me when we are reading the Scriptures, is that we learn to read and understand them in context. Whether we are reading about Jesus or of events which happened long before his time, we are reading of things which took place in a different age from that in which we live today, and within cultures far removed from our own.

As we explore Scripture, within its many contexts, we’re going to begin with the writings of Luke. I suppose this will be something of a study of Luke-Acts, but hopefully we’ll address some useful matters of what we might want to call ‘Biblical interpretation’ along the way. And I’ve chosen the writings of Luke, not only because I particularly enjoy them, but because I find them to be so terribly useful.

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Luke 1:1–4. Luke is the only one of the four Gospel writers to include a ‘Prologue’ of this nature to his work. And it’s really rather revealing as it offers a unique insight into his process as an author. There is a strong emphasis on the power and vitality of the word of God throughout these volumes – it will always triumph over every opposition it encounters.

We consider a number of significant themes which permeate the Gospel, and which must surely have been central to his purposes in writing. These include:

• The arrival of salvation as a fulfilment of the promises of God.
• The universality of the Gospel – inclusion of the marginalised.
• Hints of a new community of believers – developed much further in Volume Two.
• The inclusion of Gentiles .. developed much more fully again in Acts.
• The plan and purposes of God.

The very existence of these volumes bears witness to the mission of God. Not only is the message profoundly missional, but the means by which the message has been written and made known to us today is itself a crucial part of the working out of mission of God.

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Luke 1:5–25. The action begins! Luke is a master storyteller, he is a first-rate theologian – but he is also every bit as much an historian and sets his narrative within a framework of world events.

The initial action begins at the very heart of the city of Jerusalem – within the Holy Place of the temple itself. This is not insignificant. Beginning in Jerusalem, at the heart of the nation of Israel, Luke’s work eventually concludes in the city of Rome, at the heart of the Roman empire.

Luke will speak a great deal about the Holy Spirit, particularly in these opening chapters, and certainly throughout his second volume. He is certainly a very significant player in the mission of God.

Here was a decisive act of mission – an act of sending into the world – into the very heart of the temple in Jerusalem – a messenger from God to make known the first good news the nation had heard for many a century!

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