Luke was a Gentile writing his gospel for the Gentiles. Luke was not an eyewitness to the life of Jesus but he was a believer and disciple of the Apostle Paul. Luke accompanied Paul on some of his missionary trips and therefore knew what Paul knew about Jesus. Luke is the Sherlock Holmes of the New Testament. This spiritual detective knew and interviewed all the people closely associated with Jesus. Luke spoke with Mary, the mother of Jesus, along with Jesus’ brothers James and Jude. Luke spoke at length with all of the disciples of Jesus who were still living. There were many people alive during the first century who had witnessed the miracles and teachings of Jesus and Luke talked to many of them as he researched the facts of Jesus’ life. As a third party investigator Luke didn’t have a dog in the fight. Luke had no agenda other than to follow where the facts led him. For that reason, Luke’s gospel makes the most compelling case for the historical accuracy of the facts about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Based on the evidence found, Luke established with theological clarity that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into the world to save us from our sins.
Genesis 12:1-3 – Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
When God says something more than once in a verse or approximate verses it’s important. The fact that God said the word “bless” five times in the three verses above means it’s extremely important for us to understand. God is blessing Abram (who God renamed Abraham) and the nation he will create (Israel). God is also blessing the rest of the world (Gentiles) through Abraham. God fulfills this prophecy through his Son, Jesus Christ, who is also a descendant of Abraham, through whom we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. You need to understand the above verses are a covenant between Abraham and God. A covenant is an oath, a promise, between two parties. In this instance God is only holding himself responsible for keeping the covenant and God cannot lie. If God were to break his covenant he would not be God and God’s Word would not be the truth. If God ever broke his word Christianity itself would fall. That won’t happen because God is ever faithful.
I mention these verses to remind people we Gentiles owe our salvation to the Jews and therefore we should show our love and respect to the Jewish people because of this. Throughout history God has punished Israel for disobedience but he hasn’t abandoned her as some church leaders would have us believe. We are in the time of the Gentiles (church age) right now because Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah. Israel is still the apple of God’s eye and under his protection. If you want proof look at history. No matter how much Jews are persecuted they continue to prosper. Israel has been attacked numerous times by vastly superior Arab armies and each time Israel prevailed because God fights for Israel.
Luke 1:68-75 – Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets. Who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
To grant us that we , being delivered from the hand of our enemies , might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
Church leaders must not be reading the same gospel I am. The above prophecy was made three months before the birth of Christ by the priest Zacharias, who was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the prophecy God makes it clear that Jesus is the horn of salvation and Israel will serve God during the millennium and in heaven forever. The book of Revelation says in the end times at the battle of Armageddon Jesus will set foot on the Mount of Olives to defeat the nations surrounding Jerusalem and he will save a remnant of Israel. The point is, we are to love Israel and the Jewish people. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is now and always will be a Jewish Rabbi. All the Jewish patriarchs and important disciples of Jesus will have prominent positions in heaven. If Jews are going to be prominent in heaven and running the show it’s a good idea to show our love and respect for Jews down here.
Witnessing for Christ