Clear PathBook of Luke
My Study
Home8-Week StudyFull TextSignsThemesKey PassagesPeopleMy StudyShare this study
Clear Path Bible Studies·8-Week Interactive Study

The Gospel of LukeSeek · Find · Rejoice

Encountering Jesus, the Son of God.

Walk through the Gospel of Luke in eight weeks — the complete text, weekly teaching, reflection, application, and recall practice. Free. No sign-in. No app required.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
Why Luke

Why read this Gospel

Of the four Gospels, Luke reaches widest — a careful, joyful account of the Savior who came for everyone, especially the lost and the overlooked.

01

The Savior for all people

Luke shows Jesus reaching the overlooked — the poor, women, outsiders, and sinners. The good news is for everyone.

02

Carefully investigated history

Luke, a physician, writes an orderly account drawn from eyewitnesses, so we may know the certainty of what we believe.

03

A Gospel of prayer and the Spirit

More than any other Gospel, Luke shows Jesus at prayer and full of the Holy Spirit — and calls us to the same.

04

Unforgettable parables of grace

The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep — Luke alone preserves the stories that reveal the heart of God.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10
Orientation

Before you begin

A quick orientation to the Gospel — who wrote it, when, for whom, and the threads to watch for as you read.

Author

Background

Luke, a physician and companion of Paul — the only Gentile author in the New Testament, who also wrote Acts.

Date

When It Was Written

Most likely written around A.D. 60–80, as the first volume of a two-part work continued in the book of Acts.

Audience

Who It Was Written For

Written to Theophilus and a wider Greek-speaking, largely Gentile audience — that they may know the truth with certainty.

Purpose

Why Luke Wrote

“That you may know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:4) — an ordered, reliable account.

Style

How Luke Writes

Warm, literary, and detailed. Luke gives the fullest birth narrative, the most parables, and the most attention to the marginalized.

Key Theme

The Heart That Echoes

Salvation for the lost and the least. Other key words: today, joy, prayer, Spirit, poor, sinner, save.

Jesus

Jesus in Luke

The Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost — Savior of the world, friend of sinners, full of the Holy Spirit.

Discipleship

What It Means to Follow

Count the cost, pray persistently, show mercy to the outsider, use wealth for the kingdom, and rejoice in God's salvation.

Structure

A Journey to Jerusalem

Luke is shaped by a long central journey (chapters 9–19) as Jesus sets His face toward the cross in Jerusalem.

A suggested 8-week study · group or individual

The 8-Week Study

A complete, eight-week walk through the Gospel of Luke — built for small groups, Sunday school, and personal study. Read together, observe, interpret, and leave each week with one clear thing to live out.

In a group

Each session has a 45-minute Facilitator Guide for 5–12 people — read together, discuss, and apply, with leader notes built in.

On your own

A Participant Guide gives you a daily reading rhythm, reflection questions, a memory verse, and one action step to live out.

Either way

Eight weeks carry you through all 24 chapters of Luke — from the manger in Bethlehem to the empty tomb and the road to Emmaus.

Every sessionfollows one rhythm
1Read together2Observe3Interpret4Apply this week
The eight weeks

Your study plan

My progress & notes 0 / 8 weeks complete
Week1 Luke 1–2 The Savior Is Born Angels, songs, and joy: the births of John and Jesus are foretold, and the Savior is born in Bethlehem — good news of great joy for all people. Memory verse · Luke 2:10 Week2 Luke 3–5 The Mission Begins John prepares the way; Jesus is baptized, tempted, and announces His mission in Nazareth — good news to the poor — then calls His first disciples. Memory verse · Luke 4:18 Week3 Luke 6–8 Teaching and Healing Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Plain, heals, forgives a sinful woman, stills a storm, and raises the dead — power and compassion together. Memory verse · Luke 6:31 Week4 Luke 9–11 The Cost and the Mission Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; Jesus foretells the cross, sets His face toward Jerusalem, sends out workers, and teaches His people to pray. Memory verse · Luke 9:23 Week5 Luke 12–14 Kingdom Priorities Jesus warns against greed and anxiety, calls for readiness and humility, and welcomes the outsider to the great banquet of the kingdom. Memory verse · Luke 12:34 Week6 Luke 15–17 Lost and Found In the lost sheep, coin, and son, Jesus reveals the seeking, rejoicing heart of God — and calls His followers to faith, mercy, and gratitude. Memory verse · Luke 15:7 Week7 Luke 18–21 The Road to Jerusalem Persistent prayer and childlike faith; Zacchaeus is found; Jesus enters Jerusalem, weeps over it, cleanses the temple, and silences His foes. Memory verse · Luke 19:10 Week8 Luke 22–24 Cross, Resurrection, Ascension The Last Supper, betrayal, and the cross — where Jesus forgives — then the empty tomb, the Emmaus road, and His ascension in joy. Memory verse · Luke 24:46
Week1

The Savior Is Born

Luke opens with angels, songs, and joy: the births of John and Jesus are foretold and fulfilled. Mary magnifies the God who lifts the lowly, and the angels announce good news of great joy for all people.

The Big Idea

Luke begins his careful account with wonder. Heaven breaks into ordinary lives — a priest, a young woman, shepherds in a field — and the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon proclaim that God’s promised salvation has come for everyone, beginning with the lowly.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 1–2
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 1–2 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What stands out about the people God chooses in these chapters?
  2. What does Mary’s song reveal about God’s priorities?
  3. Why does Luke emphasize that the good news is “for all the people”?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • See Luke’s purpose: an orderly, certain account
  • Hear the songs that frame Jesus’ birth
  • Notice God’s heart for the humble and overlooked
One thing to live out

Begin a daily habit of praise this week — each morning, name one reason to rejoice in God’s salvation.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the Savior born for all people. Give me Mary’s humble, rejoicing heart. Amen.

Week2

The Mission Begins

John prepares the way, Jesus is baptized and tempted, and He announces His mission in Nazareth: good news to the poor, freedom for captives. He calls His first disciples from their boats.

The Big Idea

Filled with the Spirit, Jesus opens His public ministry by reading Isaiah and declaring its fulfillment. His mission is mercy to the poor and broken. Then He calls ordinary fishermen — “from now on you will be catching people.”

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 3–5
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 3–5 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What does Jesus’ reading of Isaiah tell us about His priorities?
  2. Why are the people of Nazareth so offended?
  3. What does it mean that the disciples left everything to follow?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • Hear Jesus’ mission statement in Nazareth
  • See the Spirit’s role from baptism onward
  • Watch Jesus call ordinary people to follow
One thing to live out

Identify one “poor” or “broken” place — in you or near you — and bring Jesus’ good news to it this week.

Prayer

Spirit of God, anoint me as You anointed Jesus, to bring good news to the broken. Amen.

Week3

Teaching and Healing

Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Plain — love your enemies, judge not — then heals, forgives a sinful woman, and stills a storm. His authority reaches every kind of need.

The Big Idea

Luke gathers Jesus’ radical teaching and mighty works: love that reaches enemies, mercy that forgives a weeping woman, power that calms wind and waves. Grace and authority meet in everything He says and does.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 6–8
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 6–8 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What makes “love your enemies” so difficult — and so distinctive?
  2. Why does the forgiven woman love so much?
  3. What do Jesus’ miracles reveal about who He is?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • Grasp the heart of the Sermon on the Plain
  • See Jesus’ mercy to the outcast
  • Trust His authority over nature and sin
One thing to live out

Do one concrete act of love this week toward someone you find difficult.

Prayer

Jesus, give me a heart that loves enemies and trusts You in the storm. Amen.

Week4

The Cost and the Mission

Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ; Jesus foretells the cross and sets His face toward Jerusalem. He sends the seventy, tells the Good Samaritan, and teaches His disciples to pray.

The Big Idea

The Gospel turns toward Jerusalem. Jesus reveals the cross, defines discipleship as daily cross-bearing, sends workers into the harvest, redefines ‘neighbor’ through a Samaritan’s mercy, and teaches us to ask, seek, and knock.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 9–11
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 9–11 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What does ‘take up your cross daily’ mean in practice?
  2. How does the Good Samaritan redefine ‘neighbor’?
  3. What does Jesus teach about prayer in chapter 11?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • See the turning point toward Jerusalem
  • Understand discipleship as daily surrender
  • Learn neighbor-love and persistent prayer
One thing to live out

Show mercy this week to someone outside your usual circle — be the Samaritan.

Prayer

Lord, teach me to take up my cross, love my neighbor, and pray without giving up. Amen.

Week5

Kingdom Priorities

Jesus warns against greed and anxiety, calls for readiness, and urges humility. Through banquet parables He shows that God’s kingdom welcomes the poor and costs us everything.

The Big Idea

Jesus reorders our priorities: don’t store up treasure or drown in worry, but seek the kingdom and stay ready. He calls the proud to humility and invites the poor to the feast — then names the real cost of following.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 12–14
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 12–14 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What anxieties does Jesus address, and what is His remedy?
  2. Who gets invited to the great banquet, and why does it matter?
  3. What does Jesus mean about counting the cost?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • Confront greed and anxiety with trust
  • Stay ready for the Master’s return
  • Embrace humility and count the cost
One thing to live out

Take one step against anxiety this week — give something away, or trust God aloud in prayer over a worry.

Prayer

Father, free me from greed and fear. Let my treasure — and my heart — be in Your kingdom. Amen.

Week6

Lost and Found

In three parables — the lost sheep, coin, and son — Jesus reveals the seeking, rejoicing heart of God. He teaches about money, forgiveness, gratitude, and the coming kingdom.

The Big Idea

The heart of Luke beats here: God seeks the lost and runs to welcome them home. Jesus then presses us on the right use of money, the necessity of forgiveness, the grace of gratitude, and readiness for the kingdom.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 15–17
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 15–17 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What do the three ‘lost’ parables share, and how do they build?
  2. What surprises you about the father in the prodigal son?
  3. How do the older brother’s attitudes show up in us?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • See God’s seeking, rejoicing heart
  • Receive the welcome of the running Father
  • Learn faithfulness with money and forgiveness
One thing to live out

Take one step toward someone far from God — or toward coming home yourself — this week.

Prayer

Father who runs to meet us, thank You for seeking me. Make me glad over every sinner who returns. Amen.

Week7

The Road to Jerusalem

Jesus teaches persistent prayer and childlike faith, meets Zacchaeus, enters Jerusalem to praise, cleanses the temple, and answers His opponents while pointing to the end of the age.

The Big Idea

As Jesus reaches Jerusalem, Luke’s mission statement rings out over Zacchaeus: He came to seek and save the lost. The King enters to shouts of praise, confronts a corrupted temple, and prepares His followers for what is coming.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 18–21
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 18–21 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What do the persistent widow and the tax collector teach about prayer?
  2. Why does salvation come to Zacchaeus — and what changes?
  3. What does the triumphal entry reveal about Jesus’ kingship?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • Learn persistent, humble prayer
  • See salvation come to Zacchaeus’ house
  • Watch the King enter Jerusalem
One thing to live out

Pray persistently this week for one lost person by name, as Jesus seeks the lost.

Prayer

Lord, You came to seek and save the lost. Find me, and use me to seek others. Amen.

Week8

Cross, Resurrection, Ascension

Jesus shares the last supper, is betrayed, tried, and crucified — forgiving even from the cross. He rises, walks the Emmaus road, opens the Scriptures, and ascends, promising the Spirit.

The Big Idea

Luke’s account reaches its climax in mercy: Jesus forgives His executioners and promises paradise to a dying thief. Risen, He opens the Scriptures on the Emmaus road, commissions His witnesses, and ascends — setting the stage for Acts.

45 minutes5–12 peopleLuke 22–24
Group leader notes

Open by reading Luke 22–24 together, then draw out the week’s big idea. Keep a warm, unrushed tone and let the text lead. Aim for participation over lecture.

Read this before you gather — no seminary required.

Discussion questions

  1. What marks of mercy stand out in Luke’s crucifixion account?
  2. What happens on the Emmaus road, and why does it matter?
  3. What does the risen Jesus send His followers to do?

This week’s key passages

Learning objectives

  • Walk through Luke’s passion and resurrection
  • See mercy extended even from the cross
  • Hear the risen Lord’s commission and promise
One thing to live out

Share with one person this week the heart of Luke’s good news: Jesus came to seek, save, and forgive.

Prayer

Risen Lord, open the Scriptures to me, fill me with Your Spirit, and send me as Your witness. Amen.

The signature parables · Luke

Five parables of grace

Luke alone preserves the parables that reveal the heart of God — the Samaritan, the prodigal, the lost and found. Each is a window into seeking, saving grace.

01

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25–37

A despised Samaritan stops to help a wounded stranger that religious men passed by.

What it reveals

Love of neighbor crosses every boundary. Mercy, not status, marks the true child of God.

For you

Be the neighbor. Notice the person others walk past, and let mercy interrupt your schedule.

02

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11–32

A rebellious son squanders everything, then returns to a father who runs to embrace him.

What it reveals

God is the running Father who welcomes sinners home with joy. No one is beyond His grace.

For you

Come home. And like the father, refuse to keep score against those who return.

03

The Lost Sheep and Coin

Luke 15:1–10

A shepherd leaves ninety-nine to find one lost sheep; a woman sweeps the house for one lost coin.

What it reveals

Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. God seeks the lost relentlessly.

For you

See the one. Join the search for those far from God, and celebrate every return.

04

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19–31

A rich man ignores a beggar at his gate; their destinies are reversed beyond death.

What it reveals

How we treat the poor matters eternally. Wealth without mercy is spiritual ruin.

For you

Open your eyes to the Lazarus at your gate. Let compassion shape how you use what you have.

05

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 18:9–14

A proud Pharisee boasts; a broken tax collector simply begs for mercy and goes home justified.

What it reveals

God justifies the humble, not the self-righteous. Grace is received, never earned.

For you

Come empty-handed. Pray, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” and rest in His grace.

“This, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.” — Luke 15:24

Major themes

The threads running through Luke

The ideas Luke returns to again and again — each one a window on who Jesus is. Tap a thread to open where it begins.

01

Salvation for all people

Luke 2:30–32

Luke widens the gospel to Gentiles, Samaritans, and outsiders. Jesus is a light for all nations, not one people only.

02

Good news for the poor

Luke 4:18

Jesus announces His mission with Isaiah's words: good news to the poor, freedom for captives, sight for the blind.

03

Seeking and saving the lost

Luke 19:10

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost — the defining sentence of Luke's whole Gospel.

04

Joy and praise

Luke 2:10

Luke overflows with rejoicing — angels, shepherds, and saints break into praise at the coming of salvation.

05

Prayer

Luke 11:1

Luke shows Jesus praying at every turning point and teaching His disciples to pray with persistence and trust.

06

The Holy Spirit

Luke 4:1

From conception to commission, Luke highlights the Spirit's power at work in Jesus and promised to His people.

07

The place of women

Luke 8:1–3

Luke gives unusual attention to women — Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Mary and Martha — as honored followers of Jesus.

08

Wealth and possessions

Luke 12:15

Luke records Jesus' sharpest warnings about greed and clearest calls to generosity toward the poor.

09

Reversal of fortunes

Luke 1:52–53

In Luke, God lifts the humble and sends the rich away empty — the last become first in His kingdom.

10

Repentance and forgiveness

Luke 15:7

Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. Luke's Jesus extends forgiveness freely to the broken.

11

Table fellowship

Luke 5:29–32

Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. In Luke, shared meals become signs of grace and the kingdom.

12

The journey to Jerusalem

Luke 9:51

Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem; the long central journey frames His teaching on discipleship and the cross.

13

The cost of discipleship

Luke 14:27

Luke does not soften the call — to follow Jesus is to count the cost, carry a cross, and surrender all.

14

The risen Lord and the Spirit's promise

Luke 24:49

The risen Jesus opens the Scriptures, sends His witnesses, and promises the Spirit — opening the door to Acts.

Key passages

Passages worth knowing well

Fourteen pivotal texts that carry the heart of Luke’s Gospel. Read them, mark them, return to them — tap any one to open it in full.

Key people

The faces of Luke

The Gospel of Luke is full of real people who met Jesus — some who believed, some who doubted, some who were changed forever. Here are the ones worth knowing.

J

Jesus

The Savior and Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost.

M

Mary, mother of Jesus

The humble young woman whose song magnifies the God who lifts the lowly.

Z

Zechariah and Elizabeth

The faithful priest and his wife, parents of John the Baptist.

J

John the Baptist

The Spirit-filled forerunner who prepares the way for the Lord.

S

The shepherds

The lowly first witnesses to whom the angels announce the Savior's birth.

S

Simeon and Anna

The faithful elders who recognize the infant Jesus as God's salvation.

P

Peter

The fisherman called from his boat who becomes a leader among the Twelve.

S

The sinful woman

The forgiven woman who washes Jesus' feet with her tears in gratitude.

M

Mary and Martha

The sisters who host Jesus — one serving, one sitting at His feet to listen.

G

The Good Samaritan

The unlikely hero of Jesus' parable who shows mercy across enmity.

P

The Prodigal Son

The lost son in Jesus' parable, welcomed home by a running father.

Z

Zacchaeus

The despised tax collector who climbs a tree and comes down changed.

C

The criminal on the cross

The dying thief who turns to Jesus and is promised paradise that day.

C

Cleopas

One of the two on the Emmaus road whose eyes are opened to the risen Lord.

All 24 chapters · a verse-by-verse journey

The Library

Each chapter follows the same path — Observe, Interpret, Apply, Disciple — with the full text, key people, and space to read at your own pace.

0 / 24 complete