Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke

A Commentary

J. C. Ryle

• Publisher: Aneko Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781622457076
• eBook ISBN: 9781622457083

It seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. - Luke 1: 3-4Wisdom, encouragement, and exhortation is contained in these pages. Not because of the author's brilliance, but because of the words of truth contained in the gospel of Luke. And just as the Apostle Luke didn't draw any attention to himself, so also J. C. Ryle clearly and wonderfully directs his words and our thoughts towards the inspired words of scripture. If we truly love God, we will love His word; and the more study His word, the more we will love God.

Luke Chapter 1

Luke 1:1-4

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, which we now begin, contains many precious things which are not recorded in the other three Gospels. Such, for instance, are the histories of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the angel’s announcement to Mary, and, to speak generally, the whole contents of the first two chapters. Such, again, are the narratives of the conversion of Zaccheus and of the penitent thief, the walk to Emmaus, and the famous parables of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the rich man and Lazarus, and the Prodigal Son. These are portions of Scripture for which every well-instructed Christian feels peculiarly thankful. And for these we are indebted to the Gospel of Luke.

The short preface which we have now read is a peculiar feature of Luke’s Gospel. But we shall find, on examination, that it is full of most useful instruction.

In the first place, Luke gives us a short but valuable sketch of the nature of a Gospel. He calls it an account of the things accomplished among us. It is a narrative of facts about Jesus Christ.

Christianity is a religion built upon facts. Let us never lose sight of this. It came unto mankind at first in this shape. The first preachers did not go up and down the world proclaiming an elaborate, artificial system of profound doctrines and deep philosophical principles. They made it their first business to tell men great, plain facts. They went about telling a sin-laden world that the Son of God had come down to earth, and lived for us, and died for us, and has risen again. The Gospel, at its first publication, was far more simple than many make it now. It was neither more nor less than the history of Christ.

Let us aim at greater simplicity in our own personal religion. Let Christ and His person be the sun of our system, and let the main desire of our souls be to live a life of faith in Him and daily know Him better. This was Paul’s Christianity. For to me, to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21).

In the second place, Luke draws a beautiful picture of the true position of the apostles in the early church. He calls them eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

There is an instructive humility in this expression. There is an utter absence of that man-exalting tone which has so often crept into the church. Luke gives the apostles no flattering titles. He does not afford the slightest excuse to those who speak of them with idolatrous veneration because of their office and nearness to our Lord.

He describes them as eyewitnesses. They told men what they had seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears (1 John 1:1).

He describes them as servants of the word. They were ministers of the word of the gospel. They were men who counted it their highest privilege to carry about, as messengers, the tidings of God’s love to a sinful world, and to tell the story of the cross.

Well would it have been for the church and the world if Christian ministers had never laid claim to higher dignity and honor than the apostles claimed for themselves. It is a mournful fact that ordained men have constantly exalted themselves and their office to a most unscriptural position. It is a no less mournful fact that people have constantly encouraged this evil by a lazy acceptance of the demands of priest-craft, and by contenting themselves with a mere “vicarious” religion. There have been faults on both sides. Let us remember this and be on our guard.

In the third place, Luke describes his own qualifications for the work of writing a Gospel. He says that he had investigated everything carefully from the beginning.

It would be a mere waste of time to inquire from what “source” Luke obtained the information which he has given us in his Gospel. We have no good reason for supposing that he saw our Lord work miracles or heard Him teach. To say that he obtained his information from Mary or any of the apostles is mere conjecture and speculation. It is enough for us to know that Luke wrote by inspiration of God. Unquestionably he did not neglect the ordinary means of getting knowledge. But the Holy Spirit guided him, no less than all other writers of the Bible, in his choice of matter. The Holy Spirit supplied him with thoughts, arrangement, sentences, and even words. And the result is that what Luke wrote is not to be read as the word of men – but the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Let us carefully hold fast the great doctrine of the plenary inspiration of every word of the Bible. Let us never allow that any writer of the Old or New Testament could make even the slightest verbal mistake or error when writing as he was moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).

Let it be a settled principle with us in reading the Bible that when we cannot understand a passage or reconcile it with some other passage, the fault is not in the Book but in ourselves. The adoption of this principle will place our feet upon a rock. To give it up is to stand upon quicksand and to fill our minds with endless uncertainties and doubts.

Finally, Luke informs us of one main object he had in view in writing his Gospel. It was that Theophilus might know the exact truth about the things [he had] been taught.

There is no encouragement here for those who place confidence in unwritten traditions and the voice of the church. Luke well knew the weakness of man’s memory and the readiness with which a history alters its shape both by additions and alterations when it depends only on word of mouth and report. What therefore does he do? He takes care to write.

There is no encouragement here for those who are opposed to the spread of religious knowledge and talk of “ignorance as the mother of devotion.” Luke does not wish his friend to remain in doubt on any matter of his faith. He tells him that he wants him to know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Let us close the passage with thankfulness for the Bible. Let us bless God daily that we are not left dependent on man’s traditions, nor need we be led astray by ministers’ mistakes. We have a written volume which is able to give [us] the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

Let us begin Luke’s Gospel with an earnest desire to know more ourselves of the truth as it is in Jesus, and with a hearty determination to do what lies in us to spread the knowledge of that truth throughout the world.

Luke 1:5-12

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.

The first event recorded in Luke’s Gospel is the sudden appearance of an angel to a Jewish priest named Zacharias. The angel announces to him that a son is about to be born to him by a miraculous interposition – and that this son is to be the forerunner of the long-promised Messiah. The Word of God had plainly foretold that when Messiah came, someone would go before Him to prepare His way (Malachi 3:1). The wisdom of God provided that when this forerunner appeared, he would be born into the family of a priest.

We can form very little idea, at this period of the world, of the immense importance of this angel’s announcement. To the mind of a pious Jew, it must have been glad tidings of great joy. It was the first communication from God to Israel since the days of Malachi. It broke the long silence of four hundred years. It told the believing Israelite that the prophetic weeks of Daniel were...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• Luke Chapter 1
• Luke Chapter 2
• Luke Chapter 3
• Luke Chapter 4
• Luke Chapter 5
• Luke Chapter 6
• Luke Chapter 7
• Luke Chapter 8
• Luke Chapter 9
• Luke Chapter 10
• Luke Chapter 11
• Luke Chapter 12
• Luke Chapter 13
• Luke Chapter 14
• Luke Chapter 15
• Luke Chapter 16
• Luke Chapter 17
• Luke Chapter 18
• Luke Chapter 19
• Luke Chapter 20
• Luke Chapter 21
• Luke Chapter 22
• Luke Chapter 23
• Luke Chapter 24
• J. C. Ryle – A Brief Biography
• Other Similar Titles