Lucan Christology and Discipleship

Lucan Christology and Discipleship - Jesus as the Great Example, the First Christian, Martyr, and Hero

1. Jesus' life and death fulfill the Scriptures.

2. Jesus as the Great Example, the First Christian. Luke makes sense of the time of the church from the time of Jesus. Christians are able to imitate Jesus because the same spirit that descended on Jesus at baptism descended on them at Pentecost. Jesus cares for the poor, outcast, and women. He preached the kingdom of God and repentance and forgiveness of sins. Concern for the lowly and lost, criticism of the rich, and forgiveness of sins are key themes in the gospel. Many of Jesus' actions are replicated by Christians in Acts.

3. Jesus is a model of piety. He prays at crucial moments, goes to synagogue and temple, and observes other forms of piety such as alms. Prayer a major theme in the gospel.

4. Jesus as Prophet. Jesus is portrayed during his ministry in prophetic terms. In Mt to call Jesus a prophet is not enough. In Lk it describes him well. Ex. cp. Hannah and Mary (Samuel and Jesus), his sermon at Nazareth in 4: 16-30, healing of Widow of Nain in 7:11-17 like Elijah's healing of the son of a widow, 7:16: "A great prophet has arisen among us." See also 13:32-34 -" . . . it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem. . . ."

5.. Jesus' humanity is emphasized after his birth and before the resurrection. Even his birth is human as well as divine. He is resurrected bodily (24:37-43).

6. Jesus is subordinated to God during his life. He is the Christ of God (9:20, 23, 35) and the Lord's Christ (2:26). See also 7:16; 9:43; 11:20; 18:43 where God gets credit for Jesus' healing, and see 22:29.

7. Redemptive/suffering aspects are less emphasized. Half of the Son of Man titles present in Mk are not present in Lk. Compare Lk 22:14-27 to Mk 10:33-45 and Lk 22:70 to Mk 14:62 carefully. Lk doesn't have agony in the garden or Jesus' cry "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."

8. Jesus becomes Lord and Christ only at his resurrection (see Acts 2:22-36). Jesus' ascension at the end absent in Mt. and Mk.

9. The cross is an act of service. The resurrection is "the act of God on behalf of the man Jesus" (Perrin, The New Testament: An Introduction. Harcourt Brace, 1974, 217). The death and resurrection are necessary to fulfill the Scriptures, not primarily a ransom for sin. In Mk, Jesus rises. In Lk, Jesus is raised (9:22). Jesus carries out the will of God who raises Jesus. In Mark, Jesus on the cross cries, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" In Lk Jesus says, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

10. Jesus is called king in 19:38 during his entry into Jerusalem, but the rest of the kingly references in 23 are tinged with some of the same irony as in Mt and Mk. However, 23:42-43 seem to mitigate the irony.

11. Jesus is present with the community in the Eucharist. Emmaus incident.

12. The title Son of God is present, but not prominent (1:34; 3:22; 8:28; 9:28-36; 22:70; see also 4:34 - absent in 22:47). Jesus does not accept the title openly in 22:70 as he does in Mk. Mostly it is the demons or God himself that use the title.

13. Son of David present in 1:32 and elsewhere a bit, but not used as a central title. Does appear positively in 18:38, 39.

14. Jesus is innocent of any charges against him. He is an innocent martyr. Herod and Pilate find him so. (23:4, 13-15). One of the criminals hanging with him says, "This man has done nothing wrong." (23:41). The centurion at the cross says, "Certainly, this man is innocent."(23:47)

15. Jesus is “savior” (soter), a term understandable in context of emperors and their role. 1:69; 2:11; Acts 3:13-15

17. Relationship to the Spirit. Descends on Jesus at baptism. He gives his Spirit up to God on the cross. God sends the Spirit on the Church at Pentecost. Holy Spirit plays an important role in Luke.

19. Jesus and John the Baptist are related literally and figuratively, but John is subordinated to Jesus.

1. Christians are to imitate Jesus. They must care for the poor, the outcasts, and women. They must submit to the will of God. They must preach the kingdom of God, repentance and forgiveness of sins, to the whole earth. They must show concern for their neighbors and "live the life of love in the world and for the world" (Perrin, The New Testament: An Introduction. Harcourt Brace, 1974, 307).

The gift of the Spirit (as at Pentecost in Acts) makes imitation possible. Christians must exhibit piety as Jesus does. For example, they should follow his example of prayer. They must follow Jesus by taking up their cross daily:

Lk 9:23: ". . . , 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" Cp. to Mk. 8:34: " . . . , 'If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'"

3. One should also imitate the great heroes of the faith like Peter, Stephen and Paul –as well as heroines who have a lesser role, but are present in Acts: Tabitha, Lydia, Phillip’s four daughters, Priscilla (of Priscilla and Aquila) One must be willing to be a martyr, like Jesus and Stephen.

Jesus travels from Galilee to Jerusalem the location of the Temple and the place of his passion. Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem in Lk 9:51;

Paul travels from Jerusalem to Rome. Paul sets his face toward Rome in Acts 19:21 where he ends up preaching Aopenly and unhindered.@

David L. Barr. The New Testament Story: An Introduction. 4th edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2008