What Is Your Favorite Book of the Bible?

Caitlyn ScaggsBy Caitlyn Scaggs5 Minutes

The Bible, God’s living word to us, is a complex, beautiful, and transformative collection of chapters. Each one, nestling within a broader story of God’s rescue and redemption of His people. Every book carries tremendous value, making it hard to pick just one favorite. That being said, Luke is currently my best-loved book of the bible.

Luke is a fantastic book in the Bible because of how we get an up-close and personal look at Jesus’ life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. I love how Luke reveals the sovereignty of Jesus, shows how Jesus fulfilled prophecies made in the Old Testament, and explains God’s relentless pursuit of His people. I also appreciate Luke’s analytical and detailed style of writing.

The Fulfillment of Prophecies

The birth and life of Jesus is carefully chronicled within Luke. It connects prophecies made in the Old Testament with events in the New Testament. For example, in Isaiah 9:7 we learn that the messiah will come from the line of King David. In Luke 1:32-33 it is made clear that this prophecy came to pass.

Reading about the fulfillment of prophecy reminds me how carefully and lovingly God crafted His redemptive plan for mankind. It was a thoughtful and established plan in which everything He promised has and will come to pass. It also helps me understand the Old Testament in new ways, as I learn about how the Old Testament was pointing us to Jesus all along.

The Sovereignty of Jesus Revealed

The book of Luke documents the life and ministry of Jesus. This is what really draws me to this book! As Jesus’ ministry became public he started teaching and performing miracles. It is in those accounts that His sovereignty is revealed.

As Jesus raises a man from the dead in Luke 7:12-17 we witness how He is sovereign over death and simultaneously rich in compassion. When Jesus casts out demons in Luke 4, we learn of his sovereignty over demonic spirits and illness, as he performs numerous healing miracles. The power and majesty of Jesus is revealed!

The Pursuit of His People

I also love the book of Luke because of the parables shared in Luke chapter 15. In this chapter, Jesus tells three distinct but related parables about things that are lost. First, he tells of a lost sheep, next of a lost coin, and thirdly of a lost son (often referred to as the parable of the prodigal son). In these parables, Jesus goes to great lengths to underscore just how deeply God wants to see each person brought back into intimacy with Him.

In the first parable, 99 sheep are left by the shepherd so that he can pursue the one that is missing. In the parable of the lost coin, a woman searches high and low for a lost silver coin, calling neighbors and friends to rejoice when it is found. And lastly, in the parable of the lost son we see the deep love the Father has for his sons, including the son that squandered his inheritance and made a series of poor choices. It is a love that looks past all wrongs when the son is willing to return home. In this story, Jesus is giving us a direct look at the Father’s love for us.

I find tremendous joy and comfort in these parables that remind me God continually and relentlessly pursues me with this same determination — and He also pursues you with this same determination.

Take Time to Read Luke

While the entire Bible is full of teachings, instruction, and inspiration, I hope you will take the time to read Luke! Give yourself time and space to linger on the beauty and the power of each word, which point to the majesty and power of Jesus Christ and the deep, pursuing love of our Father God. Cross-reference Luke with Old Testament prophecy and spend time considering the significance of even the smallest details. Who knows, Luke just may become your favorite book of the bible, too!