Study Aids
Comparison of the Four Gospels The Uniqueness of Luke
Luke by Martin Barrow Events exclusive to Luke
References to the Holy Spirit in Luke Map of Palestine

Comparison of the Four Gospels

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

The prophesied King

The obedient Servant

The perfect Man

The divine Son

Lionlike

Oxlike

Manlike

Eaglelike

Prophetic

Practical

Historical

Spiritual

To the Jew

To the Roman

To the Greek

To the Church

The Davidic King

The Servant of the Lord

The Son of Man

The Word of God

David's righteous branch

Jeremiah 23:5-6

My Servant the branch

Zechariah 3:8

The Man the branch

Zechariah 6:12

The branch of the Lord

Isaiah 4:2

Memoir

Memoir

Historical document

Philosophy of Religion

OT Quotes: 53

OT Quotes: 36

OT Quotes: 25

OT Quotes: 20

OT Allusions: 76

OT Allusions: 27

OT Allusions: 42

OT Allusions: 105

Synoptic

Supplemental

OFFICIAL: Outward, public, Galilean Ministry

PERSONAL: Inward, private, Judean, heavenly

Source: Unger, Merrill F. The New Unger's Bible Handbook. Revised by Gary N Larson. Moody Press, Chicago, 1966: 1984, p. 362.
Uniqueness of the Gospel of Luke

In his interviews, Luke obtained records of six more miracles that were not included by the other writers.

Luke also documents fifteen or more parables in the teachings of Jesus that the other writers did not include.

It is also Luke who uniquely records the calling of Zacceus in Jericho.

Luke mentions the Holy Spirit more than the other two synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark.

References to the Holy Spirit in Luke
John the Baptist is filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born (Luke 1:15)
John's mother Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41)
John's dumb-struck father Zachariah is also filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67)
The conception of Jesus is brought about by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit reveals to the aged Simeon that he will see the Messiah (Christ) before he dies (Luke 2:26-27)
John the Baptist announces that the powerful one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16
When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends on Him in bodily form as a dove (Luke 3:22), as God the Father confirms from heaven that Jesus is "My Son, whom I love"
At this point Jesus is "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1), and is "led out by the Spirit into the wilderness" (Luke 4:1), where the Devil tempted Him for forty days.
Having successfully resisted the Devil as a man (Luke 4:4,8,12), Jesus returns to Galilee "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14)
Luke uses all these references as a build-up to Jesus reading the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me" (Luke 4:18-19). 'The Anointed One' is 'the Messiah' in Hebrew, 'the Christ' in Greek. The total involvement of the Holy anointing Spirit at every step of the way (conception, babyhood, childhood, extended family, baptism, temptation and inauguration to ministry) proves that He, Jesus, is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. (Martyn Barrow)

Incidents and events exclusive to Luke
Scripture Event
1:1-25 Zechariah's vision and Elizabeth's conception
1:26-38 Mary's salutation
1:39-56 Mary's visit to Elizabeth
1:57-80 John the Baptist's birth and Zechariah's hymn of praise
2:1-3 The enrollment decree of Caesar Augustus
2:4-7 Christs nativity in Bethlehem
2:8-20 Details of the Christmas story
2:21 The circumcision of the Child Jesus
2:22-24 The presentation of Christ inthe temple
2:25-38 The story ofSimeon and Anna
2:39-40 The silent years at Nazareth
2:41-52 Jesus at the Passover and among the rabbis
3:1-2 Dating of the beginning of John's public ministry
3:10-15 John's success
3:23-38 Human genealogy of Christ from Mary
4:15-30 Chrisrs rejection at Nazareth
5:1-10 Details of the call of Peter, James and John
6:17-49 Discourse of Christ on the plain
7:11-17 Raising to life of the widow's son at Nain
7:36-50 The women who anointed Jesus in Simon's house
8:1-3 The women who ministered to Christ
9:51-56 Episode of James and John
10:1-12 The seventy sent out
10:17-24 Their return and report
10:2-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan
10:38-42 Christ at the house of Mary and Martha
11:5-8 Parable of the friend at midnight
11:37-54 Christ entertained by a Pharisee
12:1-53 Discourse to a great crowd
13:1-5 Pilate's murder ofthe Galileans
13:6-9 Parable of the barren fig tree
13:10-17 The woman afflicted l8 years
13:22-30 Problem of the number to be saved
13:31-33 Reply to the Pharisees concerning Herod Antipas
14:1-6 The man with dropsy
14:7-14 Parable of the ambitious guest
14:15-24 Parable of the great banquet
14:25-35 Difficulties of discipleship
15:3-7 Parable of the lost sheep
15:8-10 Parable of the lost coin
15:11-32 Parable of the prodigal son
16:1-18 Parable of the dishonest manager
16:19-31 The rich man and the beggar Lazarus
17:1-10 Instructions to the disdples
17:12-19 Healing of the ten lepers
17:20-37 Questions concerning God's kingdom
18:1-8 Parable of the persistent widow
18:9-14 Parable of the Pharisee and publican
19:2-10 Zacchaeus' conversion and call
19:11-27 Parable of the pounds
19:41-44 Chn'st's weeping over Jerusalem
22:31-32 Warning to Peter
22:35-38 Warning to buy asword
22:43 Appearance of an angel in Gethsemane
22:44 The bloody sweat
23:6-12 Pilate's sending Christ to Herod
23:27-31 Christ's message to the women of Jerusalem
23:39-43 The penitent thief
24:13-35 The risen Christ's appearance to the Emmaus disciples
24:37-49 Details of His appearance to the eleven
24:50-53 Christ's ascension while blessing His disiples

Source: Unger, Merrill F. The New Unger's Bible Handbook. Revised by Gary N Larson. Moody Press, Chicago, 1966: 1984, p. 400.

Map.jpg (94863 bytes)
Map of Palestine

Source: Unger, Merrill F. The New Unger's Bible Handbook. Revised by Gary N Larson. Moody Press, Chicago, 1966: 1984, p. 420.

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