The Gospel According to Luke provides the most comprehensive and most familiar account of the birth of Jesus—and, perhaps most significant of all, it’s the account that appears in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
If you’re interested in learning more about Luke’s Gospel than Linus Van Pelt is able to tell you, Matt Smethurst has posted an interview with premier New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner, who will be offering a seminary course on the Gospel According to Luke coordinated with The Gospel Coalition National Conference, April 8-10, 2013, in Orlando.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
What’s unique about Luke’s Gospel? … One striking feature of Luke is that it has a sequel, so that readers are invited to read Luke-Acts together. Also, certain themes stand out: the Holy Spirit, the importance of prayer, Luke’s concern for the disenfranchised (women, the poor, tax collectors, and sinners), the danger of riches, and the inclusion of the Gentiles. Moreover, Luke has unforgettable parables that are not found elsewhere: for example, the good Samaritan (10:35-37); the two lost sons (15:11-32); the unjust steward (16:1-9); and the Pharisee and the tax collector (18:9-14).
What major biblical themes are uniquely picked up and developed—or perhaps even brought to a climax—in Luke’s Gospel? … The promises of God, the Old Testament Scriptures, are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Luke’s way of saying this is that the kingdom has come in Christ. The kingdom has been inaugurated through his ministry and death and resurrection, even though it has not been consummated. The promise of worldwide blessing given to Abraham isn’t fulfilled in Luke, but from the beginning of the Gospel it is clear that such promises will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and the Gospel ends with the call to proclaim the gospel to all peoples. Luke teaches that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Lord. God’s promises for Israel are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The new covenant is fulfilled in his death, so that forgiveness of sins is now ours through Jesus Christ.
To read the rest of the interview, visit The Gospel Coalition website.
For more information on Tom Schreiner’s Southern Seminary course coordinated with The Gospel Coalition National Conference, visit this informational page. If you are interested in the requirements for the course, download the syllabus here.
And, if you happen to want to listen to Linus recite Luke’s version of the Christmas story in A Charlie Brown Christmas, here it is too: