5 Days of Christmas: Day 3
Luke’s Story: Two Miraculous Conceptions
Luke 1:1–4 tells us that his Gospel is undergirded by a robust historical method. The evangelist affirms that the narratives about Jesus on which he draws are based on eyewitness testimony. He also states that he personally investigated the events concerning Jesus’ life so that he could write an “orderly account” for Theophilus, most likely his literary (Roman) patron.
We saw that Matthew’s Gospel opened with a genealogy to connect the New Testament with the Old. Luke focuses on the birth of John the Baptist to make the same point. John was “the final representative of the Old Testament era,” so for John to prepare the way for Jesus, we see the greatest of the Old Testament prophets making the way for Jesus who would inaugurate the new covenant (99–100).
To view the video on “Luke’s Story” in The First Days of Jesus course offered at the The Gospel Coalition, click here.
Taking a Closer Look
The infancy narratives in Luke chronicle two miraculous conceptions, but Jesus’ conception is more miraculous than John’s. Whereas Elizabeth was quite old, Mary was a virgin. Similarly, the annunciation of Mary’s conception far surpasses everything Gabriel said about John the Baptist: “Jesus would be called the Son of the Most High and would receive David’s throne and reign over a kingdom that would never end” (105). [tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Mary’s humble response to Gabriel’s announcement serves as an excellent example for all Christians as to how we should humbly receive God’s plan and call for our lives.[/tweet_box]
To access the rest of The First Days of Jesus course offered at The Gospel Coalition, click here. You can purchase The First Days of Jesus here. The chapter summaries for this course were written by Mark Baker and edited by Andreas Köstenberger. Mark Baker is a Ph.D. student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
