Luke's Four Gospel Movements
I’m not sure I’m quite cultured enough to truly appreciate Classical Music; my own tastes tend more toward modern genres. But I’m not a complete rube – I do understand the definition and function of a movement in a larger musical composition. Something like a symphony is composed of various movements, smaller parts within the piece which contribute to the whole, literally moving you through the music. A comparison could be made to the chapters of a book, or the tracks on an album intended to be listened to in one sitting rather than randomly encountered on an algorithm-curated playlist (kids today don’t know what they’re missing).
At King’s Cross, we’ve started studying together through the Gospel of Luke in our morning worship service. This past Sunday I took a moment to explain the structure of the book according to four movements, all related to the ministry of Jesus as Messiah.
I share a summary here as a supplement to those comments for our congregation and a help to any looking to read this Gospel with a better awareness of Luke’s overall flow and intent in his Gospel composition.
Luke’s four Gospel movements are:
MOVEMENT 1: PREPARATION (Luke 1:1-4:13)
There are two preparations in this first movement.
First, the reader is prepared to receive Jesus as the Christ. It is made clear in Luke 1:4 the Luke writes “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”
We are then treated to the miraculous circumstances of both the birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus – Gabriel announces Mary’s son will “be given the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32), a clear fulfillment of the Messianic hope. The ongoing narrative of Christ’s birth emphasizes his fulfillment of the covenantal promise to Abraham (Luke 1:55, 73). Old Simeon will hold the child aloft and declare he could die in peace having seen the Lord’s Christ (Luke 2:26, 29). Clearly, the reader is being prepared to do the same by faith as he moves along in this Gospel.
Second, Jesus himself is being prepared for his public, Messianic ministry. By the time we get to Luke 3:23 we encounter Jesus at thirty, but first comes John to prepare the way. John begins the ministry of pruning away the dead, unbelieving branches of Israel in preparation for the Lord’s arrival. This was foretold in Malachi 3:1:
Although Jesus was a sinless man, there were specific tasks he had to accomplish as Messiah in order to obtain salvation for sinners. As part of his preparation, Luke emphasizes that his parents meticulously kept the law on their infant son’s behalf (note the law mentioned five times in Luke 2:22-40). His two climactic preparations, however, occur toward the end of this first movement. First, his baptism by John wherein he is declared by the Father to be the “beloved Son,” the Holy Spirit descends on him in power. Mark Jones writes:
Second, Christ’s final preparation just prior to his public ministry commencing is the private temptation by the devil. When the first Adam came to live faithfully before God, the devil attacked and (seemingly) won. Now, the Second Adam is here and the devil is up to his old tricks. Yet the Messiah emerges from the battle not depleted and limping, but in the victorious power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14), fully prepared to step onto the public scene with Messianic declaration: the promised Seed is here to crush the head of the snake forever (Gen. 3:15).
MOVEMENT 2: INAUGURATION (Luke 4:14-9:50)
The action of this movement is all in the region of Galilee. It begins with him in his hometown synagogue, reading the prophet Isaiah. In so doing, he announces himself to be the one spoken of in Isaiah 61 and this to be the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). He then attests this to be true with many miracles, the healed redemption of the world to come breaking in upon the world that is now. He calls his first disciples, finally assembling the full twelve (Luke 6:12-16). He gives a famous sermon on the plain, teaching the essence of life in his kingdom (Luke 7:17-49). John sends messengers – are you really the Christ (Luke 7:18-35)? The answer is self-evident: do the blind receive sight and the lame walk? Are the lepers outcasts no more? Do the deaf hear, the dead live, the poor receive the gospel (Luke 7:22-23)? If so…
His inauguration culminates in transfiguration, as his glory is unveiled for the briefest moment (Luke 9:33) – once again we hear the Father’s voice: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35).
If they had listened, they would hear him foretelling his death plainly (Luke 9:21, 43-45), and know it was time to move toward Jerusalem.
MOVEMENT 3: DETERMINATION (Luke 9:51-19:27)
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Yes, he had been there before, even in this Gospel, both in his infancy and as a twelve-year-old child. The other Gospels record previous visits for feast days during his primarily Galilean ministry; but never did Jesus move toward Jerusalem like this. Now he set his face, determination driving our Lord toward that awful cost, the impending cross of our salvation.
Other Gospels record this movement toward Jerusalem, but not like Luke. Mark gives it one chapter (Mark. 10); Matthew gives it two (Matt. 19-20). John, as is typical, does his own thing. But Luke gives it almost ten chapters! And it is in this section much of his unique contributions to our knowledge of Christ’s ministry really shine. Only from Luke’s third movement do we have in Scripture:
These and many other wonderful teachings and events (some complemented in the other Gospels, some unique to Luke) accompany the narrative of our Lord moving with determination toward Jerusalem.
What John the Baptist set in motion is all coming finally to pass. The paths of the Lord are straight; valleys are filled and mountains brought low; all creation gets out of the symbolic way – all flesh shall see this salvation (Luke 3:4-6). Yes, John has already lost his head, paying the greatest price in the service of his Lord (Luke 9:7-9). But the wheels he set in motion cannot be stopped; the global scope of his preparatory work shall be seen in the final movement.
MOVEMENT 4: CULMINATION (Luke 19:29-24:53)
The entry is triumphant (Luke 19:28-40). Our Lord was raised with Psalms on his lips and hidden in his heart. As he passed into the city, did he hum the tune of Psalm 24:7?
Whether he did or not, it was all coming true. The Messiah prepared and his ministry inaugurated, he had determined to go to the holy city; now comes culmination.
Before he even passes the gates, he weeps for the city: “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:42). The Prince of peace then enters his temple and drives out the impostors (Luke 19:45-48). He will identify himself with the Messianic Lord of Psalm 110:1 –“The LORD said to my Lord…” (Luke 20:42-43).
Only then does his earthly work culminate in his arrest, trial, condemnation, death upon the cross, resurrection, and ascension. The various movements that bring us to this moment clearly demonstrate Jesus to be the Christ – the Prophet who teaches like no other; the Priest who laid down his life for the sheep; the King who resurrected and will reign eternally.
Before the Gospel is done, Jesus has a pivotal exchange with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It is here that he, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
Thus he set the four movements of Luke’s Gospel into the broader movements of Redemptive History, the grand unfolding of Christ from Genesis to Revelation. Luke is a key contribution to that larger narrative – a symphony singing the glories of Christ to all those with ears to hear.
At King’s Cross, we’ve started studying together through the Gospel of Luke in our morning worship service. This past Sunday I took a moment to explain the structure of the book according to four movements, all related to the ministry of Jesus as Messiah.
I share a summary here as a supplement to those comments for our congregation and a help to any looking to read this Gospel with a better awareness of Luke’s overall flow and intent in his Gospel composition.
Luke’s four Gospel movements are:
- Preparation
- Inauguration
- Determination
- Culmination
MOVEMENT 1: PREPARATION (Luke 1:1-4:13)
There are two preparations in this first movement.
First, the reader is prepared to receive Jesus as the Christ. It is made clear in Luke 1:4 the Luke writes “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”
We are then treated to the miraculous circumstances of both the birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus – Gabriel announces Mary’s son will “be given the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:32), a clear fulfillment of the Messianic hope. The ongoing narrative of Christ’s birth emphasizes his fulfillment of the covenantal promise to Abraham (Luke 1:55, 73). Old Simeon will hold the child aloft and declare he could die in peace having seen the Lord’s Christ (Luke 2:26, 29). Clearly, the reader is being prepared to do the same by faith as he moves along in this Gospel.
Second, Jesus himself is being prepared for his public, Messianic ministry. By the time we get to Luke 3:23 we encounter Jesus at thirty, but first comes John to prepare the way. John begins the ministry of pruning away the dead, unbelieving branches of Israel in preparation for the Lord’s arrival. This was foretold in Malachi 3:1:
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
Although Jesus was a sinless man, there were specific tasks he had to accomplish as Messiah in order to obtain salvation for sinners. As part of his preparation, Luke emphasizes that his parents meticulously kept the law on their infant son’s behalf (note the law mentioned five times in Luke 2:22-40). His two climactic preparations, however, occur toward the end of this first movement. First, his baptism by John wherein he is declared by the Father to be the “beloved Son,” the Holy Spirit descends on him in power. Mark Jones writes:
As Christ came up from the water the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. Here the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus afresh in order to vindicate his ministry, ordain him as prophet, priest, and king, and sustain him for the battle that would ensue.
Second, Christ’s final preparation just prior to his public ministry commencing is the private temptation by the devil. When the first Adam came to live faithfully before God, the devil attacked and (seemingly) won. Now, the Second Adam is here and the devil is up to his old tricks. Yet the Messiah emerges from the battle not depleted and limping, but in the victorious power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14), fully prepared to step onto the public scene with Messianic declaration: the promised Seed is here to crush the head of the snake forever (Gen. 3:15).
MOVEMENT 2: INAUGURATION (Luke 4:14-9:50)
The action of this movement is all in the region of Galilee. It begins with him in his hometown synagogue, reading the prophet Isaiah. In so doing, he announces himself to be the one spoken of in Isaiah 61 and this to be the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). He then attests this to be true with many miracles, the healed redemption of the world to come breaking in upon the world that is now. He calls his first disciples, finally assembling the full twelve (Luke 6:12-16). He gives a famous sermon on the plain, teaching the essence of life in his kingdom (Luke 7:17-49). John sends messengers – are you really the Christ (Luke 7:18-35)? The answer is self-evident: do the blind receive sight and the lame walk? Are the lepers outcasts no more? Do the deaf hear, the dead live, the poor receive the gospel (Luke 7:22-23)? If so…
His inauguration culminates in transfiguration, as his glory is unveiled for the briefest moment (Luke 9:33) – once again we hear the Father’s voice: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35).
If they had listened, they would hear him foretelling his death plainly (Luke 9:21, 43-45), and know it was time to move toward Jerusalem.
MOVEMENT 3: DETERMINATION (Luke 9:51-19:27)
“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Yes, he had been there before, even in this Gospel, both in his infancy and as a twelve-year-old child. The other Gospels record previous visits for feast days during his primarily Galilean ministry; but never did Jesus move toward Jerusalem like this. Now he set his face, determination driving our Lord toward that awful cost, the impending cross of our salvation.
Other Gospels record this movement toward Jerusalem, but not like Luke. Mark gives it one chapter (Mark. 10); Matthew gives it two (Matt. 19-20). John, as is typical, does his own thing. But Luke gives it almost ten chapters! And it is in this section much of his unique contributions to our knowledge of Christ’s ministry really shine. Only from Luke’s third movement do we have in Scripture:
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37)
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son (15:11-32)
- The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31)
- The Story of Zacchaeus (19:1-10)
These and many other wonderful teachings and events (some complemented in the other Gospels, some unique to Luke) accompany the narrative of our Lord moving with determination toward Jerusalem.
What John the Baptist set in motion is all coming finally to pass. The paths of the Lord are straight; valleys are filled and mountains brought low; all creation gets out of the symbolic way – all flesh shall see this salvation (Luke 3:4-6). Yes, John has already lost his head, paying the greatest price in the service of his Lord (Luke 9:7-9). But the wheels he set in motion cannot be stopped; the global scope of his preparatory work shall be seen in the final movement.
MOVEMENT 4: CULMINATION (Luke 19:29-24:53)
The entry is triumphant (Luke 19:28-40). Our Lord was raised with Psalms on his lips and hidden in his heart. As he passed into the city, did he hum the tune of Psalm 24:7?
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Whether he did or not, it was all coming true. The Messiah prepared and his ministry inaugurated, he had determined to go to the holy city; now comes culmination.
Before he even passes the gates, he weeps for the city: “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” (Luke 19:42). The Prince of peace then enters his temple and drives out the impostors (Luke 19:45-48). He will identify himself with the Messianic Lord of Psalm 110:1 –“The LORD said to my Lord…” (Luke 20:42-43).
Only then does his earthly work culminate in his arrest, trial, condemnation, death upon the cross, resurrection, and ascension. The various movements that bring us to this moment clearly demonstrate Jesus to be the Christ – the Prophet who teaches like no other; the Priest who laid down his life for the sheep; the King who resurrected and will reign eternally.
Before the Gospel is done, Jesus has a pivotal exchange with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It is here that he, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
Thus he set the four movements of Luke’s Gospel into the broader movements of Redemptive History, the grand unfolding of Christ from Genesis to Revelation. Luke is a key contribution to that larger narrative – a symphony singing the glories of Christ to all those with ears to hear.
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