Luke is the story of Jesus Christ—exactly as it happened. It’s written by Luke, the physician.

Luke is the third Gospel (an account of Jesus’ life and ministry) in the New Testament. Luke tells Jesus’ story in extensive detail, more so than any other Gospel. Luke records miracles, sermons, conversations, and personal feelings (Lk 2:19). The writer is a thorough historian who researched everything (Lk 1:3). And Luke’s attention to detail shows: not only is his the longest of the four gospels, but it’s also the the longest book of the New Testament. That’s a lot of content!

The book of Luke shows us Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10). We learn all about the God-man in whom we’ve placed our faith. We see how He lived, how He died, and how He rose again.

Luke’s Gospel is written in ways that Jewish and non-Jewish people can understand and appreciate. In Luke, Jesus is indeed the long-awaited Messiah; He is also the savior of the nations (Lk 2:30–32). Whereas Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry to Abraham (Mt 1:1), Luke charts His lineage all the way back to Adam (Lk 3:38). This isn’t surprising—after all, Luke spent a great deal of time with the apostle Paul, who shared the good news with both Jewish and Gentile audiences.

Theme verse of Luke

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Lk 19:10)

Why Luke was written

Luke states his purpose right away: this book is meant to give believers an accurate, chronological understanding of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Luke investigated the events of Jesus’ life by speaking with eyewitnesses (Lk 1:2), giving Theophilus (and us) a thorough record of the things Jesus did and said.

Luke is written to a Christian with little education in the life of Christ, making this book a terrific starting point for believers interested in studying His life today.

Quick outline of Luke and Acts

Luke and Acts should be considered as one two-volume work—with the Gospel being the first installment.

Whiteboard outline of the Gospel of Luke and Acts

  1. Jesus’ humble origins (Lk 1–3)
  2. Jesus brings hope to the oppressed and challenges those in power (Lk 4–9:17)
  3. Jesus teaches how his kingdom is different than the world (Lk 9:18–19:27)
  4. Jesus is killed, practicing what he preached (Lk 19:28–23:56)
  5. Jesus rises from the dead, validating his claims (Lk 24)

More pages related to Luke

The Beginner’s Guide to the Bible

A non-preachy, jargon-free handbook to what the Bible is, where it came from, and what it’s all about.