The bull of St Luke

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

John the Baptist: Lk 3,1-20

Historical Anchor: 3,1-2a

Luke begins with a formal introduction as the overture of the first two chapters now moves towards the main story. Have a look at Acts 1,21-22 for the significance of this moment.
Look also at Jeremiah 1,1-4a or Hosea 1,1-2a for Old Testament examples.

Various powerful people are named in these two verses. Who is the most powerful and how are the others connected with him? What is the evangelist's purpose in giving their names? What effect would these people have had on everyday life in Palestine at the time? Look at 23,1-16 and Acts chapter 12 to see something of their place in the story.

Introduction to John the Baptist: 3,2b-6

The second part of verse 2 introduces John, whose birth as Son of Zechariah (1,63) has already been described. What do the quotations you've seen from Jeremiah and Hosea tell us about the evangelist's presentation of John? Look also at 1,76. What is the significance of the desert in the history of Israel?

Check the quotation from Isaiah, Is 40,3-5. Can you suggest a reason for the differences between Luke and Isaiah as found in our Bibles? Look for a significant change Luke has made to Isaiah. How is Luke's quotation in verses 4-6 different to Mark's quotation in Mk 1,2-3 and why? A look at Is 49,6 and Psalm 67,2 will give you the clue.

Now have a look at my response.

We can now continue to the ministry of John.