Did You Know The Key To Reading Luke?

Luke is a brilliant writer. If you miss this point, you will have a hard time grasping what he is communicating about Jesus. Yes, Luke had help, but Luke also was using his gifts and passions and intelligence to craft the stories. And Luke reveals in the first chapter what he is going to reveal to us about Jesus in the next twenty-three.

Consider the details Luke includes when it comes the announcements concerning the birth of John and Jesus. Gabriel the angel goes into some detail about what the names will be, what they will mean, and what they are to accomplish according to what God has already been up to in the world for some time.

John (God is grace-full) will be used to turn the hearts of those who hear towards righteousness; Jesus (God saves) will be used to establish God's kingdom on earth. These birth announcements/names tell us much about what kind of stories we are going to read, and will give background to the teachings.

Also consider the songs of Mary and Zechariah: they reveal - with much emotion - the content for the gospel as it is declared and lived out by John and Jesus. Mary is magnifying the LORD for finally - after all these long, difficult years - bringing the King to reign forever and ever. Jesus is the promised king come to reign and reverse all that is wrong in the world. This is why Mary is so merry, and it frames everything Jesus does - his miracles, his teachings, his travels, his encounters.

John is the promised prophet-priest who is preparing the people for their New Exodus out of Exile in Egypt, he is touching their hearts with words of conviction and mercy, helping people encounter the LORD in a new way, calling to them to remember the LORD, for he has remembered them. This also frames the work of Jesus, his life and words as recorded and arranged by Luke.

As you look at the structure of chapter one, you notice some rich details:
Birth Announcement of John to the Father
Birth Announcement of Jesus to the Mother

Mother of Jesus Visits Mother of John

Song of Mary Mother of Jesus
Birth of John
Song of Zechariah Father of John
Birth of Jesus (chapter two)

According to the narrative account, the announcements are given back to back, followed by a transitional visit, and then an interesting pairing of songs and birth stories. It becomes obvious that the stories of John and Jesus and their family is intertwined, that together they have similar destinies, and that of the two, though John comes first, the second will be greater than the first (sound familiar...?).

It's also really interesting to note all the OT echoes and themes that emerge in the announcements, the songs, and the birth stories. Luke is trying to make it obvious that John and Jesus are a continuation of God's ongoing work to redeem Israel and rescue the world, but that John and Jesus are also part of a new work, part of the New Exodus. How many OT references can you find in chapter one?