Christian Salvation: Jesus & The Gospel of Luke
Question: Does the Gospel of Luke identify Jesus as Saviour?
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Overview
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The Law of Moses specifies that the intercession or mediation of a priest and the sacrifice of an animal are required to forgive sins (Leviticus). More specifically, the priest would transfer the sin-guilt of an individual or community onto an animal and then sacrifice the animal as an atonement for the sin. This means that sin was forgiven by relying on God’s provision of a priestly intercessor and sacrificial atonement. (It should be noted that the priest represents the idea that the guilty cannot intercede for the guilty. Only the innocent can intercede for the guilty - hence the necessity of a priest who was set apart and distinct from the rest of the community. The sacrifice represents the idea that God must move against sin with judgment and retribution because God is perfectly holy and cannot allow sin to go unpunished - hence the necessity of blood atonement.)
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The roles of priest and sacrifice are fulfilled in Jesus in the New Testament. First, Jesus transferred the sin-guilt of humanity onto himself (Priest). Second, Jesus died in the place of humanity as an atonement for human sin (Sacrifice). This is the New Covenant (Testament) that God has established with humanity for the forgiveness of sins and this is what Jesus and the Apostolic Church proclaim as the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The Gospel of Luke: Jesus spoke about his future arrest by the Jewish Religious Leaders and his subsequent death and resurrection throughout the Gospel of Luke (5:33-35, 9:18-22, 13:31-33, 18:31-34, 20:9-19 & 22:14-16). Jesus also said that his death will be sacrificial and will ransom many from God’s judgment and condemnation of sin (22:19-20). This is why Jesus was identified as 'Saviour' by an Angelic Messenger (2:1-20) and why Jesus told his followers to proclaim the forgiveness of sins in his name (24:36-53). These events were fulfilled as Jesus predicted and the resurrection of Jesus was confirmed by Angelic Messengers (24:1-12) and by several post-resurrection appearances of Jesus (24:13-35 & 24:36-53). Jesus further taught that his sufferings, death and resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (24:13-35 & 24:36-53).
Bible Passages
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Luke 2:1-20
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(1) In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (2) (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) (3) And everyone went to their own town to register.
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(4) So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. (5) He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. (6) While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, (7) and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
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(8) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (9) An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (10) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (11) Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (12) This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
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(13) Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”
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(15) When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
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(16) So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (17) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, (18) and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (19) But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (20) The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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Luke 5:33-35
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(33) They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
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(34) Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? (35) But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”
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Luke 9:18-22
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(18) Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
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(19) They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
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(20) “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
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Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
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(21) Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. (22) And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
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Luke 13:31-33
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(31) At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
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(32) He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ (33) In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day - for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”
Luke 18:31-34
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(31) Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. (32) He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; (33) they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
(34) The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
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Luke 20:9-19
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(9) He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. (10) At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (11) He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. (12) He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
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(13) “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
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(14) “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ (15) So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (16) He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
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(17) Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? (18) Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
(19) The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
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Luke 22:14-16
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(14) When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. (15) And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (16) For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God.”
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Luke 22:19-20
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(19) And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
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(20) In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
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See Luke 22:39-46
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(39) Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. (40) On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
(41) He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, (42) “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (43) An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (44) And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
(45) When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. (46) “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
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See Luke 23:44-46
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(44) It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, (45) for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. (46) Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
​Luke 24:1-12
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(1) On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. (2) They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, (3) but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (4) While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. (5) In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? (6) He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: (7) ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” (8) Then they remembered his words.
(9) When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. (10) It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. (11) But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. (12) Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
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Luke 24:13-35
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(13) Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. (14) They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. (15) As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; (16) but they were kept from recognizing him.
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(17) He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
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They stood still, their faces downcast. (18) One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
(19) “What things?” he asked.
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“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. (20) The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; (21) but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. (22) In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning (23) but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. (24) Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
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(25) He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
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(28) As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. (29) But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
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(30) When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. (31) Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. (32) They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
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(33) They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together (34) and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” (35) Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
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Luke 24:36-53
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(36) While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
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(37) They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. (38) He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? (39) Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
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(40) When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. (41) And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” (42) They gave him a piece of broiled fish, (43) and he took it and ate it in their presence.
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(44) He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
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(45) Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (46) He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, (47) and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) You are witnesses of these things. (49) I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
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(50) When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. (51) While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (52) Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. (53) And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
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