Luke uses kyrios ("Lord") over 100 times, mostly for Jesus
In Luke, the disciples also call Jesus epistates("Master") seven times
Near the beginning of Luke, as the infant Jesus is presented in the Jerusalem Temple, the elderly Simeon prays, "Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, / for my eyes have seen your salvation, / which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, / a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel." (2:29-32)
At the end of Luke's Gospel, the risen Jesus tells his disciples, "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day / and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Lk 24:46-47)
Jesus is Savior of all people (especially the poor)
At the birth of Jesus, the angel tells the shepherds, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. /
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord." (2:10-11)
When healing someone, instead of "healing" vocabulary that we might expect, Jesus often tells a person, "Your faith has saved you." (7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 18:42; cf. 8:36, 50).
During his encounter with the despised tax collector Zacchaeus, Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. / For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." (19:9-10)
"Saving" vocabulary is used in several other contexts, aside from healings (6:9; 8:12; 9:24; 13:23; 18:26; 23:35-39)
Jesus is God's Prophet (in word and deed)
In the synagogue at Nazareth, after reading a passage from the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus proclaims, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." (4:21),
and soon thereafter adds, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place." (4:24)
As Jesus raises from the dead the son of the widow of Nain, the evangelist tells us the reaction of the witnesses:
"Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst," and "God has visited his people." (7:16)
When people begin wondering about the identity of Jesus, one of the reported opinions is, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." (9:8; 9:19)
When Jesus is told that Herod wants to kill him, he says, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. / Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.' / Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!" (13:32-34)
How Jesus is Portrayed, in Words and Actions:
In Luke's Gospel, Jesus more often reaches out to "marginal" members of society:
Several narratives of Jesus healing the sick or raising the dead are unique to Luke's Gospel:
Widow at Nain (7:11-17)
Crippled Woman (13:10-17)
Man with Dropsy (14:1-6)
Ten Lepers (17:11-19)
Luke's Gospel also has stories involving foreigners and Samaritans
that are not found in the other Gospels:
Widow of Zarephath & Namaan the Syrian (brief mentions in 4:25-27)
Samaritan Villagers (9:51-56)
Parable of Good Samaritan (10:29-37)
Ten lepers, one a Samaritan (17:11-19)
The “Inaugural Event” of Jesus’ Public Ministry (Luke 4:16-30):
In Mark's and Matthew's Gospels, Jesus does not visit his hometown of Nazareth until about half-way through his ministry in Galilee (Mark 6:1-6; Matt 13:53-58);
But Luke tells an expanded version of this story at the very beginning of Jesus' public ministry; thus it is his first public action.
The story is placed immediately after Jesus returns from the temptation in the desert and before he calls his first disciples to follow him.
While visiting the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1-2a, announcing "Good News" and "a year of favor from the Lord";
But Jesus does not read Isa 61:2b, which calls for God’s wrath (implicitly upon Israel's enemies)
Jesus applies the text of Isaiah to himself, thus implying that he is the “prophet” and the “anointed one”;
Combining these two titles, Jesus could be called the "Messianic Prophet" or the "Prophetic Messiah"
Jesus proclaims God’s mercy and care for all peoples, not just Israelites,
but also for foreigners and enemies:
He uses two examples from the days of Elijah & Elisha to show God caring for foreigners, even the enemies of Israel!
The Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17)
Namaan the Syrian Leper (2 Kings 5)
The result of Jesus' preaching is that the townsfolk are so enraged that they try to kill him (swanting to throw him off a cliff)!
