The Gospel According to Luke

I started reading through the Gospel of Luke today. I was struck by three themes God's sovereignty, his covenantal faithfulness, and his providential care for his people. There is no doubt that the Scriptures present God as Sovereign. Luke's Gospel is no different. God' s sovereignty is demonstrated in his pronouncements concerning John the Baptist and Jesus. It is further demonstrated by his opening of the barren womb and then the virgin womb.

Mary states, "He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever" (Luke 1:54-55). And Zechariah proclaims that Jesus' coming was "to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham" (Luke 1:72-73). We should not underestimate the importance of covenant faithfulness. The covenantal promises defined the people of God and their relationship to them. Just as Israel's identity was tied to the Old Covenant, so our identity as believers is tied to the New Covenant. But more important than the Covenant is the One on whom the Covenant rests. It was God who promised, and confirmed it with an oath, and God cannot lie. Jesus' coming is demonstrated to be the fulfillment of the promises and the completion of the covenant.

We also see God's providential care in Luke's Gospel. He demonstrates God's providential care through his references to the ordering of circumstances. Such facts as "in the days of Herod," "[Zechariah] was chosen by lot," and "the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David" (Luke 1:5, 9, 26-27) all demonstrate God's ordering and his care. These events are no mere coincidence, but a clear plan emerges as we are reminded that these events have been forth-told by the Lord through His prophets.

These concepts are the heart and soul of practical theology. God's sovereignty, His covenantal faithfulness, and His providential care are all practical matters. If we understand these realities correctly they will shape our lives and bring us great confidence in the Lord. They help us to move beyond our circumstances and feelings. They aid us in pressing forward in faith and obedience, confident in the knowledge that God is in control and he cares for us.