the role of the lukan parables in terms of the purpose of luke's gospel

Luke looks backwards on the Scriptures to discover the explanation of events. 144
Such a Lukan motif stands already in the Gospel’s opening verse, “an orderly account of
the events that have been fulfilled among us” (1:1). Luke 1:1 represents that “the events” are
obviously an extension of some antecedent activity. Moreover, the births of John and Jesus
(1:5-2:52) are also rooted in something prior, namely, God’s purpose. Lukan presentation of
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the prologue is beyond a narrow understanding of prophetic-fulfillment. Luke, in the story
of the births, seeks to show that the new story of Jesus is linked to the old scriptural story as
the realization of God’s ancient plan. “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his
mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” (1:54-55). Luke
promotes and deepens this motif by numerous references to the Scriptures. The ministry of
John the Baptist is grounded in the prophetic words of Isaiah (3:3-6). He who is the
forerunner and the greatest prophet of the old era, plays a role as the bridge between promise
and inauguration (1:76-79; 7:24-35; 16:16). The inauguration of Jesus’ public ministry in
4:21 is proclaimed as the fulfillment of scripture by Jesus. “And he began to say to them,
‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” (4:21). The “today” passages
indicate the immediate availability of the promise (2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 13:32-33; 19:5, 9; 19:42;
23:42-43). 146
Furthermore, by the divine , Jesus announces that he must be in his Father’s
house (2:49), preach the kingdom (4:43) and heal the woman tormented by Satan (13:16).
Jesus must suffer many things, and wars and tumults must precede the end (17:25; 21:9).
Jesus must be numbered among the transgressors (23:35-37). The Christ must suffer and be
raised, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins must be preached. The Christ must suffer
and enter into glory (24:26). As a result, what the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms
said concerning Jesus, must be fulfilled (22:37; 24:25-26).
In Acts 2:23, Peter argues that Jesus’ crucifixion took place as a part of God’s design.
When the apostles were released they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests
and the elders had said to them. They proclaim that Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the
Gentiles and the peoples of Israel gathered together “to do whatever Thy hand and Thy plan
had predestined to take place” (4:28). When the apostles stand before the Sanhedrin, the
Pharisee Gamaliel raises a poignant rhetorical question about whether this plan is really of
men or of God, saying that one should fear of the latter (5:38-39). Philip says to an Ethiopian
144. Bock, “Scripture and the Realization of God’s Promises,” in ed., I.H. Marshall and D. Peterson, Witness to
the Gospel: The Theology of Acts (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998), 41-62, here 48.
145. Green, “The Problem of a Beginning: Israel’s Scriptures in Luke 1-2,” 61-86.
146. Bock, “Luke,” in The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, 353.
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