Life on word read-along

The Gospel According to Luke

​

A Christmas Read-Along

This time of year, I always love the idea of a Bible reading plan to daily help me ponder the Advent (arrival) of Jesus Christ. When I began brainstorming for this read-along, I knew a full Advent study wouldn't be possible, but the idea of slowly reading through one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life kept coming back to me.

For a few reasons, the Gospel of Luke is perfect for this: of the four Gospel accounts, it contains the longest narrative of Jesus' birth and childhood; it shows how our compassionate God came in the flesh and formed real relationships with sinners, outcasts, the broken, those just like me and you; it reminds us that Jesus is at the very center of everything God is doing to redeem the world.

Below you will find a reading plan for the month of December. You can also download (by clicking here - Gospel of Luke Read Along Checklist.pdf) and print the reading plan to keep it handy! It won't be time-consuming. This is just a daily invitation to collectively allow Scripture to re-orient our minds and hearts to the Gospel in this busy season. Each Monday, you will receive a newsletter in your inbox looking at the readings for the week ahead. I'll highlight some helpful things to know and consider as you read, some questions for observation and reflection, and some ideas for how you can include your whole family in this invitation to read Scripture this month.

Helpful Things to Know:

• Who is the author of this gospel? Luke does not explicitly name himself as the author of this gospel, but early church tradition unanimously attributes it to Luke, a companion of Paul, a historian, and doctor. While Luke was not an eye-witness himself (Lk. 1:1-4), he relies on Paul's apostolic connection and other gospel sources to write his gospel.
• What is a gospel? The gospel accounts are both theology and history. They are focused on the life of Jesus, but are more than just a biography. They are also meant to instruct and encourage readers.
• When did Luke write his gospel? A conservative date would be sometime in the 60s AD, but some scholars say it could have been written as late as the 80s AD.
• Who was Luke writing to? Luke states that he is writing to a companion named Theophilus, but it is unknown where this man was from, nor much about the wider audience that would have originally read Luke's gospel.
• Why did Luke write his gospel? He wanted to write an orderly account of the events surrounding Jesus' life and death so that Theophilus may be certain about the things he had been taught. In a broader sense, Luke wanted to show that God is redeeming the world through the Person of Jesus and this has always been the plan. Jesus is the center of God's rescue plan for the world - not just for the Jews, but for all.
• What are some key themes in Luke's gospel?
  • The kingdom of God has arrived on earth. Its full consummation will happen in the future, but for now, believers can be confident that the kingdom of God is a very present reality through the advent of Jesus.
  • A reversal between the "great" in the world and the "poor" of the world - Luke continually emphasizes how Jesus' message of God's love extends out to all people no matter their background, gender, occupation, etc.
  • The Holy Spirit's ministry to Jesus and His followers - throughout Luke, we see how the Spirit is present and working long before Pentecost (found in Acts).
• What are some unique things about Luke's gospel?
  • It contains more parables than any of the other gospels.
  • It is the only gospel with a sequel (Acts).
  • It is the longest gospel and contains the most details about Jesus' early life.

Some Questions to Consider:

• At this point in the Christmas season, where is your heart? Are you anxious because of a to-do list? Over-stimulated from all the gatherings and places to be? Disappointed because you're still waiting for something? Take a few minutes to take inventory of your heart. Share this with God - wherever you are - and be comforted that He meets you where you are.
• Have you read Luke's Gospel before? What do you know about it? What do you wish to know/gain from this read-along? Ask God to reveal Himself to you through the reading of this book.

Family Discipleship Considerations:

• Listening to the Bible aloud has been great for my family. My favorite way to do this is through the Dwell Bible app. If you want to get your family involved in this Bible reading plan this month, listen to the day's passage while you're going somewhere in the car. For those with small children, you know that it is always surprising how much your kids seem to pick up on when you don't think they are paying attention! The goal is not full comprehension, but rather to expose your children to the regular reading (or listening) of the Word of God. (note: there are plenty of free ways to listen to the Bible. If you have the YouVersion Bible app, this is a popular way to listen!)
• Throughout the month, if you learn something new or feel like God is impressing something upon your heart, share it with someone! Tell your spouse something you are gaining through this study. Tell your kids a story at their comprehension level that stuck out to you while you were reading. Whatever the case, merely talking about what you have read helps you retain it more AND invites the family to some great conversations about Scripture.
• Remember that family discipleship is rarely perfect. More often, it's messy! While it is wonderful for parents to have "formal" discipleship times where they teach their children things about Christianity, remember that discipleship is actually happening around the clock, 24/7. The way you engage with your spouse, your children, and the world around you is a reflection of your heart. When you allow God to continually work on your heart, slowly forming you more into the likeness of Christ, those closest to you will see that. So, as you read this month, ask God to help you apply what you read from His Word in a way that makes you a more loving, kind, patient, godly spouse, parent, neighbor, friend, (fill in the blank).

---

c. 1850 watercolor by Alexander Ivanov - "The Angel Appears to Zechariah"

Sometimes art can say a lot more than words or can bring to life something you've read. In each newsletter this month, I'll highlight a historical piece of art based on something in the Gospel of Luke.

And that's all for now! Going into the month of December, I pray this reading of Luke is life-giving for us and points us back to Christ amidst all the hustle and bustle this time brings. Remember: You are not obligated to read from the Word of God this month in order to please God or to make yourself a good Christian. You are invited to read His Word in order to know and love Him more. In Christ, you are already fully loved, fully accepted.

You can expect the Week One Newsletter talking about Luke 1-6 on Monday morning, December 2nd. Before then, I challenge you to try to listen to Luke's Gospel in it's entirety to get some of the big ideas and events, and become familiar with the flow of the book.