Jesus as Messiah in the Gospel of Luke: Discerning a Pattern of Correction

Byrne, Brendan (2003) Jesus as Messiah in the Gospel of Luke: Discerning a Pattern of Correction. Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 65 (1). pp. 80-95. ISSN 0008-7912

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Abstract

In the scene describing the annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-28), Luke creates a pattern of correction that runs through the Gospel to the effect that Jesus is the (Davidic) Messiah, but not in a political sense that would pose a threat to the established civic order. This pattern can be seen in the episodes of the temptation (4:1-13) and the transfiguration (9:28-36), and emerges with particular strength in the chapters dealing with the closing events of Jesus life and career, notably the trials before the high priest and Roman governor. For Luke, effective communication of the view that Jesus was a leader who abjured violence and sought to bring peace, and that he was crucified as a dangerous political rebel only because his enemies (the chief priests) succeeded in portraying him as such to the Roman authorities was essential to the assured establishment of Christian identity (1:4) and the to the success of the gospel in the wider Greco-Romans world.

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