Gospel of Luke: Outline
What I Learned as an introduction to Luke gives insight from the book “The Crucifixion of the King of Glory: The Amazing History and Sublime Mystery of the Passion,” by Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, PhD. I also wrote What I Learned about the Gospel of Luke as I read along, recording personal conviction and insights that may or may not have made it into my daily prayer.
Luke “investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order” (Luke 1:3), so his Gospel account is long and detailed. He not only shared the events of Jesus’ life, but focused much effort on sharing the content of His teaching as well.
Luke 1 (Day 77 & Day 78 & Day 79)
Luke starts with an introduction, explaining to Theophilus, to whom he is writing, that he is writing out in consecutive order all that he had investigated regarding the life of Jesus so that Theophilus would know the truth about what he had been taught; the rest of Luke is narrative
the angel Gabriel appears to the priest Zacharias, while he is performing his duties in the temple, telling him about the impending birth of his son John and the prophecy concerning him (Malachi 4:5-6); Zacharias asks for further proof so Gabriel tells him he will be mute until John is born as a consequence for his not believing him
the angel Gabriel appears to Mary to tell her she will conceive Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit; different than Zacharias, she believes what the angel tells her; Mary visits 6-month pregnant Elizabeth and John, full of the Holy Spirit even in the womb, leaps with joy; Mary gives praise (what is now called The Magnificat)
John is born and circumcised on the eighth day; when Zacharias confirms his name is John, he can finally speak and he prophesies about John
Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem due to a census decree and she delivers Jesus in a stable and lays Him in a manger; angels appear to shepherds in a field, telling them the Savior has been born and how to find Him; the shepherds find Jesus, tell others what the angels told them, and praise God
Jesus is named and circumcised on the eighth day; Mary and Joseph then go up to Jerusalem to dedicate Him to the Lord as the Law required; Simeon, who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen Christ, sees, holds, and prophesies in the temple regarding Jesus; Anna the prophetess joins him and begins giving thanks to God and speaking about Jesus to others; Jesus and his parents return to Nazareth
during his family’s annual visit to Jerusalem for the Passover when he is twelve, Jesus stays behind at the temple, His Father’s house, for three days, but, once His parents find Him, goes home with them and continues in subjection to them; He grows in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and men
Luke 3 (Day 82)
John begins preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, admonishing people to bear fruit in keeping with repentance
John baptizes Jesus
genealogy of Jesus via Mary from Adam, the son of God
Jesus is tempted by Satan during 40 days in the wilderness
Jesus returns to Galilee, begins preaching in synagogues, and news about Him spreads through all the surrounding district
Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, claiming Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing, and, when His teaching demonstrates not all receive miracles, they drive Him out of the city
Jesus comes to Capernaum and people are amazed at His teaching with authority; a demon possessing a man in the synagogue recognizes Jesus and Jesus casts it out; Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law; Jesus heals many, so crowds begin searching for Him, but He moves on to other cities in order to preach the kingdom of God
Jesus teaches from a fishing boat, since the crowd was pressing around him on land, and then has Simon put out for a catch that is so big it requires two boats, that almost sink, to haul in
Jesus heals a leper and news about Him continues to spread
Jesus heals a paralyzed man to demonstrate He has the authority to forgive sins
Jesus calls Levi; Levi has a reception for Jesus and the Pharisees criticize him for eating with tax collectors and sinners; Jesus answers the Pharisees on why His disciples don’t fast, including the parable of the wineskins
the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples because they pick and eat heads of grain on the Sabbath, but Jesus explains He is Lord of the Sabbath; Jesus heals a man with a withered hand in a synagogue on the Sabbath and the scribes and Pharisees respond with rage, and begin to plot against Him
Jesus spends a night in prayer and then appoints twelve of His disciples as apostles, and then teaches them (content very similar to the Sermon on the Mount recounted in Matthew’s Gospel)
Jesus heals the centurion’s slave
Jesus raises a widow’s son from the dead in Nain
John sends His disciples to verify Jesus is the Expected One, and Jesus uses Scripture to verify that He is, and then explains that John fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 3:1
Jesus points out the inconsistent critiques of Himself and John
a woman anoints Jesus with alabaster vial of perfume at dinner at home of Simon the Pharisee and Jesus explains that those who are forgiven much love much
Jesus tells the parable of the sower of seed
Jesus’ mother and brothers come to Him and Jesus declares that His mother and brothers are those that hear the word of God and do it
Jesus calms the sea
Jesus heals the demon-possessed man in the land of the Gerasenes (the demons go into swine and the herd rushes into lake and drowns)
Jesus heals the woman with a hemorrhage, by her touching Him, and He brings Jairus’ daughter back to life after she dies
Jesus sends out His 12 disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God and perform healing
Jesus feeds 5000
Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ of God
Jesus explains to His disciples His upcoming death and resurrection
Jesus’ transfiguration
Jesus’ disciples cannot heal a demon-possessed boy, so Jesus rebukes the spirit and heals the boy
Jesus again explains His upcoming death but His disciples are prevented from understanding
Jesus’ disciples argue over who is the greatest, and Jesus teaches that the least are the greatest
Jesus explains that those who are not against you are for you
a Samaritan village does not receive Jesus and His disciples because they are traveling toward Jerusalem, but Jesus advocates compassion and not vengeance
Jesus confronts potential followers with the cost and sacrifice required to follow Him
Jesus sends out the seventy in pairs to preach that the kingdom of God has come near
Jesus explains that it will be more tolerable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom in the judgment than for those cities that did not repent after seeing His miracles
a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life and Jesus prompts him to repeat the greatest two commandments
Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan to explain what loving one’s enemies looks like
Martha complains about her sister Mary not helping serve, but Jesus says only one thing is necessary, which is listening to His word
Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray
Jesus talks about persistence in prayer, promising the Holy Spirit to those who ask
Jesus addresses the accusation that He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons
Jesus teaches that those who hear the word of God and observe it are blessed
Jesus has lunch with a Pharisee who is surprised that He did not participate in ceremonial cleansing; Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and lawyers for the burdens they weigh people down with while neglecting justice and the love of God; the Pharisees become very hostile and begin to plot against Him
Jesus teaches that the leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy, that men should not fear men but the One who can send to hell, and about having hearts that are rich toward God and not anxious about worldly provision
Jesus teaches in parables to explain that we should be ready for His return, serving Him while waiting
Jesus explains the victims of recent disasters were not greater sinners than others, and all need to repent or perish
Jesus also tells a parable demonstrating the need to bear fruit or eventually be cut down
Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, angering a synagogue official
Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed and to leaven hidden in flour
Jesus admonishes to enter through the narrow gate, being known by the Lord, and not as an evildoer
the Pharisees warn that Herod wants to kill Jesus and Jesus says a prophet cannot perish outside Jerusalem and laments Jerusalem’s rejection of Him, which will leave it desolate
Jesus eats in a Pharisee’s home on the Sabbath and there is a man there with dropsy, whom Jesus heals, and the lawyers and Pharisees cannot answer whether it is right to heal on the Sabbath
Jesus tells a parable about taking the lower place at an invited feast and about being generous in whom you invite to a feast; He also tells a parable about many being invited to the feast of the kingdom of heaven who will fail to taste of that dinner
Jesus explains the need to deny ourselves to follow Him
when Jesus is criticized by the Pharisees and scribes for receiving and eating with sinners, He explains the joy in heaven when even one sinner repents
Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son
Jesus tells the parable of the unrighteous steward
Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus
Jesus talks about not stumbling others and then admonishes our mercy on others
Jesus is asked by the disciples to increase their faith and He tells them to perform actions requiring faith
He explains simple obedience is simply what is required and not deserving of more reward
He heals ten lepers but only one thanks Him, and Jesus pronounces him well because of His faith
Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven is in our midst and also explains what it will be like when the Son of Man is revealed
Jesus tells the parable of the unrighteous judge, and then the parable of the Pharisee, who thinks he is righteous and views others with contempt, and the tax collector, who humbly recognized his sin
Jesus tells His disciples to allow children to come to Him
the rich young ruler went away from Jesus sad because he had many possessions he did not want to give up to follow Jesus
Jesus reassures there will be both earthly and eternal rewards for those who have given up all to follow Him
Jesus heals a blind man in Jericho, who then follows Him, glorifying God
In Jericho, Jesus goes to the house of Zaccheus, a tax collector who repents; He tells the parable of the servants whose king goes to a distant country to receive a kingdom
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Jesus visits the temple and drives out those who were selling
Jesus begins to teach daily in the temple
chief priests, scribes, and elders confront Jesus about His authority but they are unwilling to answer if the baptism of John was from heaven or from men
Jesus tells the religious authorities a parable about the vineyard owner whose renters kill his slaves and son
the religious authorities try to trap Jesus in asking Him about the lawfulness of paying taxes to Caesar, but He answers to render to Caesar what is his and to God what is God’s
the Sadducees question Jesus about the resurrection, which they don’t believe in, and He explains He is the God of the living; He stumps them in David calling Him “Lord”; Jesus warns against the religious authorities who act for appearance sake but perform evil deeds that they will receive greater condemnation
Jesus observes the widow giving all she has into the temple treasury
Jesus explains what we should expect before the end of the age
Luke 22 (Day 119 & Day 120 & Day 121)
Passover is approaching and the chief priests and scribes seek how to put Jesus to death; Satan enters Judas and he accepts money from the chief priests and officers in exchange for betraying Jesus; Jesus’ disciples prepare the Passover for Him in an upper room
Jesus eats the Passover with His disciples, instituting the Lord’s Supper; He tells them one of them is going to betray Him; the disciples argue over who is the greatest and He explains that the greatest must be servants
Jesus warns Peter that Satan has demanded to sift him like wheat and he will deny Him three times, but that He has prayed for him that his faith will not fail and that he will strengthen his brothers once he returns
Jesus prays in the garden that His Father’s will be done, while His disciples struggle with sleepiness due to sadness
Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, bringing a crowd with the chief priests and officers of the temple to arrest Him
Peter, in the courtyard of the high priest, denies Jesus three times; the Lord looks at Him, and he weeps bitterly
Jesus confirms that He is the Son of God
Luke 23 (Day 122 & Day 123 & Day 124)
Jesus is brought before Pilate; Pilate sends Jesus to Herod; neither Pilate nor Herod find any guilt in Him deserving of death; Pilate offers to release Him, but the crowds demand Barnabas’ release and Jesus’ crucifixion; Jesus is led away, with Simon of Cyrene carrying His cross
as Jesus is crucified, He declares, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”
Jesus promises the thief on the cross, who asks Him to remember him, that he would be with Him in paradise; darkness falls across the land and the veil in the temple is torn in two as Jesus commits His spirit to His Father and breathes His last; the centurion praises God, declaring that Jesus must have been innocent
Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus’ body, takes it down, wraps it in linen, and places it in a new tomb; they rest on the Sabbath
on the morning of the third day, angels appear to the women at the tomb, when they go on the first day of the week to prepare Jesus’ body, telling them that Jesus has risen; they run and tell the apostles, who do not believe, but Peter runs to the tomb to find it empty
Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and explains Himself using all the Scripture, but they do not recognize Him until He breaks bread with them, and then disappears; they return to Jerusalem to tell the apostles and other disciples
Jesus appears among His disciples in Jerusalem and opens their minds to understand the Scriptures; He directs them to stay in Jerusalem until they are clothed with power from on high; He leads them to Bethany, lifts up His hands and blesses them, and is carried into heaven; they return to Jerusalem with joy and are continually in the temple praising God