The Gospel of Luke is the longest book in the New Testament and the first volume of a two-part work continued in the Acts of the Apostles. Both are addressed to "most excellent Theophilus" (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), and together they trace the unbroken story of God's saving work from the birth of Jesus to the spread of the gospel across the Roman world.
Author and Date
The book is formally anonymous, but the unanimous testimony of the early church attributes it to Luke, "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14), a Gentile companion of the apostle Paul. The "we" passages in Acts (e.g., Acts 16:10) point to an author who traveled with Paul, and the careful, literary Greek fits an educated physician. Most evangelical scholars date the Gospel in the early-to-mid 60s AD, before the events at the close of Acts and before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70; some place it slightly later, in the 70s or 80s. Luke himself describes his method as careful research, drawing on eyewitnesses and earlier accounts (Luke 1:1-4), and likely making use of Mark and other sources.
Audience and Purpose
Writing to Theophilus and, through him, to a wider Greek-speaking, largely Gentile readership, Luke states his purpose plainly: that his reader may "have certainty concerning the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:4). His Gospel offers an orderly, historically anchored account meant to ground believers in the trustworthiness of the faith. With a physician's eye for detail and a pastor's heart, Luke shows that the good news of Jesus is for all people-Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, men and women, the respectable and the outcast.
Major Themes
Several themes run through Luke's Gospel. He highlights Jesus as the Savior of the lost and the lowly, lifting up the poor, sinners, women, Samaritans, and outsiders whom others despised (chapters 15 and 19; the parables of the prodigal son and Zacchaeus). He emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit, the centrality of prayer, the call to joyful and costly discipleship, the right use of wealth, and a great reversal in which the proud are humbled and the humble exalted (Luke 1:46-55). Above all, salvation comes by grace to those who repent and trust in Christ.
Structure
The Gospel unfolds in a clear movement: the birth and childhood of John the Baptist and Jesus (1-2); Jesus' baptism, temptation, and Galilean ministry (3-9:50); the long journey to Jerusalem, rich in teaching and parables (9:51-19:27); the events of Passion Week, including his entry, teaching, and trial (19:28-23); and his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (24).
How Luke Points to Christ
Luke presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and the true Son of Man, tracing his genealogy back to Adam (Luke 3:38) to show that he is the Savior not merely of Israel but of the whole human race. The risen Christ himself supplies the interpretive key: on the Emmaus road he opens the Scriptures, showing how "Moses and all the Prophets" pointed to his suffering and glory (Luke 24:25-27, 44). In Luke, the long story of redemption reaches its turning point-the Servant of Isaiah comes "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10), accomplishes salvation through his death and resurrection, and sends his people, empowered by the Spirit, to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations. The Gospel that begins in a Bethlehem manger thus opens onto the worldwide mission of Acts and the consummation of God's saving purpose in Jesus Christ.