The Authority of Jesus
Luke asserts the authority of Jesus by describing his empowerment by the Holy Spirit and by the titles he uses to describe Jesus. Titles include Son of God, Son of Man and the Messiah.
Holy Spirit
Chapter 3, 21-22 – Jesus is baptised and Luke writes, ‘…the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.’
Chapter 4, 1-13 – Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness fasting when he is tempted by the Devil. After he has resisted the temptations, he preaches in the synagogue at Nazareth, saying, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.’
Titles for Jesus
Chapter 5, 17-26 – Jesus heals a paralysed man. When the Pharisees challenge Jesus, he calls himself ‘the Son of Man’.
Chapter 9, 18-23 – The disciple Peter calls Jesus ‘The Christ of God‘, and Jesus calls himself the Son of Man.
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The Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Luke describes Jesus’ persecution, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension to heaven.
Chapter 22, 7-23 – Jesus and his disciples prepare to celebrate the Passover, a meal we now call the Last Supper. At the supper, Jesus breaks bread and takes a cup of wine, blessing both. He invites the disciples to share the bread and wine, telling them that they are his flesh and his blood. Jesus tells the disciples that he will not drink wine again until he is in the Kingdom of God. This narrative forms the basis for one of the most important Christian ceremonies, the taking of communion, also known as Mass and the Eucharist.
Chapter 22, 39-53 – This passage describes the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, and the arrest of Jesus.
Chapter 22, 66-71 – Jesus appears before the assembly of the elders of the people to be tried.
Chapter 23, 1-25 – Jesus is questioned by Pontius Pilate. Even although Pilate wants to release him, the crowd insists that Jesus be crucified.
Chapter 23, 26, 32-56 – Jesus is sentenced to crucifixion. The Roman soldiers mock him, saying ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ Jesus dies on the cross and his body is committed to a tomb. Modern Christians still commemorate Jesus’ death every year at Easter. It is a central Christian belief that God sacrificed his only son, Jesus, so that the sins of Christians might be forgiven.
Chapter 24, 1-35 – This passage gives the account of Jesus’ resurrection and his appearance to various followers. Finally, he rises to heaven in what is called the Ascension.
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