Even though its just going to be a quick note today, as time is limited, I couldn’t help sharing something I saw in Luke-Acts as I was preparing for a recent message over here.
First of all, thank you Paul Jones for the sweet N.T. Wright article on Acts, which first tipped me off to the Jesus-Paul parallel in Luke’s two volumes. The basic idea Wright introduces is that Jesus and Paul’s journey’s, which dominate the latter part of both works, are related and parallel each other.
While I only have time to add some references, here at least are some of the similarities I’m seeing (as I listen to Sufjan Stevens thanks to Cam).
Both Jesus and Paul, resolved to go (Lk 9:51; Ac 19:21), sent messengers ahead (Lk 9:52; Ac. 19:22), were rejected (Lk 9:53-56; Ac. 19:23-41) warned of plots on their lives (Lk. 13:31; Ac. 20:3), warned of coming difficulties (Lk 9:57-62; Ac. 20:22), taught and encouraged people (Lk 9-22 throughout; Ac. 20:7, etc.), were plotted against by the Jews, healed people through the laying on of hands (Lk 13:13; Ac. 28:8), were provided for with supplies (Jesus w/Donkey, Paul with a ship, etc.), faced trails before the Sanhedrin and Gentile courts, were to be killed by soldiers, were covered in darkness.
Finally arriving in Rome, Paul meets up with the local Jews and recounts the suspiciously Christlike situation he finds himself in. Compare Paul’s words to those of Pilate.
Paul: Acts 28:17-18
“After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.”
Pilate: Lk 23:13
“Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. When examined him before youI did not find this man guilty of anything you accused him of doing…”
Strangely similar. Now, enter the “last day” of Luke and Acts both. Even though we know the time between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to be 40 days (Ac. 1:3), Luke seems interested in not giving us any definite temporal markers that would indicate the events of Luke 24 took place over a time period longer than one day.
Why would he do that? Here is my thought: Luke is drawing together the two ends of his two volume work through the parallel journeys of Jesus and Paul, which both end in a single day (Lk. 24 and Ac. 28). Here are the similarities I see between the two days:
Both take place from morning to evening, are filled with testimony about Jesus, have people leaving in disagreement, allude to the Fall and its power to keep people from encountering Jesus, have the Scriptures opened to show how Jesus fulfills prophecy and declare that Gospel is going out to the Gentiles, finally ending with an exalted view of the King whose Kingdom cannot be stopped as it marches out to reach the ends of the earth!
joewulf
cameronwyenberg
ryandavidtopper
dwyenberg
kjudd52
manscout
January 14, 2009 at 11:57 pm |
Yeah! Keep listening to Sufjan!
You know, I was just thinking about that the other day. Luke seems to be setting it up so that Paul is emulating Jesus. I didn’t map it out quite as much as you did, but I did notice that both Jesus and Paul were going to Jerusalem, knowing their doom awaited them.
Also, Ryan and I are both taking Acts-Philemon, though from different professors, but we might be able to throw a little something in after this semester too. We’ll see.
January 21, 2009 at 4:15 pm |
Because of my Acts-Philemon class I’ve been reading through Acts recently and I caught this little tidbit as well:
Acts 9:19-22 “For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?” But Saul became more and more capable, and was causing consternation among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”
Luke 4: 16-22 “Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and the regaining of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” All were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”