JERUSALEM in Luke

Gospel		Christ		Tradition
Matthew		Mark		Luke		John

From ‘Notes on the Formation of the Gospels’, by John Wijngaards;
published in Background to the Gospels (Bangalore & Ann Arbor 1981)
and Together in My Name (London 1991).

JERUSALEM, capital of the Jewish nation, has a special theological significance in Luke’s Gospel:

• The beginning of the Messianic era is placed by Luke in Jerusalem when Zacharias receives the promise (Luke 1:5-29).
• Luke stresses that Jesus was presented in Jerusalem (2:2-38)
• and that he went there as a boy of twelve years ( Luke 2:41-50).
• Luke mentions that Jesus speaks about his sacrifice at Jerusalem during his transfiguration (Luke 9:31).
• Jesus makes a solemn decision to go up to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)
• and is constantly aware of this (Luke 9:53; 13:22; 17:11; 19:11).
• During this ‘going up’ Jesus weeps over Jerusalem’s hardness (Luke 13:1-5; 19:41-44)
• and foretells his suffering in Jerusalem (Luke 18:31-34).
• Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem begins the passion (Luke 19: 28-40).
• Jesus foretells Jerusalem’s rejection (Luke 21:20-24; 23:27-31).
• After his resurrection, Jesus sends the disciples of Emmaus back to Jerusalem (Luke 24:13-35).
• He wants the Gospel to be preached “from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; 24:50-53; Acts 1,8).

John Wijngaards