Mwamba World Outreach School Of Ministry/ Studies In The Book Of Luke IV

THEOLOGICAL THEMES IN THE GOSPEL :

A PEOPLE IN NEED OF SALVATION:

Luke's story is concerned with the renewal of the people of Israel, many of whom have fallen away from their God and turned themselves into sinners (Lk 1:16 ).  some are devout and keep God's Commandments.

2.  But Luke shares the view of other early Christians and of various sectarian Jewish groups that the people as a whole, and especially their leaders, have fallen away from God.  Failure to recognize and respond to God's Message through Jesus and to Jesus himself becomes the most characteristic expression of sin.  (Lk 9:26; 10:8-15; 11:29-32; 12:6-10, 54-59; 13:34; 16:30-31 )

3.  God's Spirit Empowered Agents : The coming of both John and Jesus takes place by a Divine Intervention that bursts the bounds of ordinary human events.

4.  Messages can be conveyed by an Angel  ( Lk 1:11, 19, 26 ), But also the Holy Spirit can fill human agents so that they can convey God's messages ( Lk 1: 15, 67 ). The holy Spirit reveals a Divine Message to Simeon (Lk 2:25-27).

5. John is filled with the Spirit from his birth ( Lk 1:41 ), and the birth of Jesus takes place because the Holy Spirit came upon Mary ( Lk 1:35 ).  

6.  The Holy spirit comes upon jesus himself at his baptism, and his subsequent activity is empowered by the Spirit ( Lk 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21 cf Lk 11:20 ).

7.  The Spirit is promised to all who ask God for the gift (Lk 11:13; cf Mt 7:11 )