The Limit of the Lukan Journey Section Reconsidered

Luke 9:51 commences the most distinctive and characteristic part of the third gospel. After a period of itinerant mission in Galilee, Jesus inaugurates his journey towards Jerusalem. Although scholars generally agree that the journey initiates when “the days for his (Jesus) being taken up were fulfilled” (9:51), there is little or no consensus regarding the end of the journey. This study evaluates various possibilities and proposes to set the limit of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem at 19:46. The summaries of Jesus mission in Jerusalem (19:47 and 21:37) as well as the change of audience - disciples, and crowds in the journey section and chief priest and scribes in Jerusalem - support this conclusion. Luke is a two-volume work. The evangelist sets to write an account of the deeds of Jesus in orderly sequence after having investigated everything accurately. In doing this he made use of different narrative techniques: parallel presentation of events, geographical progress, repetitions and others. Jesus’ long journey to Jerusalem has its counterpart in the disciples’ mission to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The way Luke introduces the journey of the disciples echoes the beginning of Jesus’ own journey towards his passion, death and resurrection.