John Piper on Luke One and Two

At the 2013 Gospel Coalition Conference, John Piper exposited Luke, chapters one and two.
He outlined the chapters thematically, breaking them into four topics: God, Jesus, Salvation, and Faith.

1. God. In Luke 1 & 2, we see God as the initiator of all that follows. God is the main actor. The Gospel according to Luke is thoroughly God besotted.
2. Jesus. Luke 1:32-35 suggests this man will be more than just an ordinary man. His unique birth marks him as unique. Both Luke 1:43 and Luke 2:26 corroborate this uniqueness.
3. Salvation. Luke 2:11 describes a Savior. This is key to understanding all that is unfolding.
4. Faith. In these opening two chapters, we already see the proper response to this work of God in Christ: Faith (cf. Zechariah’s response to Mary’s). Luke 1:45 reminds us the blessing falls on she/he who believes.

And all of these themes are marked with Joy! When God comes, joy comes!

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts summarizing The Gospel Coalition Conference 2013 plenary sessions. I hope my shorthand will prove helpful to you.