How does Luke present the identity of Jesus through his titles, his baptism and temptation, and his inaugural sermon at Nazareth?
The identity of Jesus in Luke: the titles (Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord, Saviour, prophet), the baptism and temptation, and the Nazareth manifesto as the programme of his ministry.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the identity of Jesus in Luke. Covers the main titles (Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord, Saviour and prophet), the baptism and the temptations, and the Nazareth manifesto (Luke 4) that sets out the programme of Jesus's ministry to the poor and outcast.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain how Luke presents the identity of Jesus, through the titles used of him (Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord, Saviour, prophet), the baptism and temptation, and the Nazareth manifesto (Luke 4:16 to 30) that announces the programme of his ministry, and then evaluate how these elements combine. Understanding who Luke says Jesus is underpins the whole Gospel and connects directly to the themes of salvation and the poor.
The titles of Jesus
These titles are not interchangeable: together they build a layered portrait of Jesus as both Israel's Messiah and the world's Saviour.
Baptism and temptation
The Nazareth manifesto
How the elements combine
A model evaluation paragraph might run: "Luke's presentation of Jesus is cumulative, and the Nazareth sermon has a strong claim to be its programmatic key: it gathers the themes of the Spirit, the poor, the outcast and the inclusion of the Gentiles into a single manifesto that the rest of the Gospel then enacts, and the violent rejection at its close foreshadows the passion. Yet to call it the only key would be too strong, since the baptism and temptation establish Jesus's divine sonship and obedience before the sermon, the titles supply the vocabulary of his identity, and the miracles, parables and passion progressively reveal who he is and what his salvation costs. The judgement, therefore, is that the Nazareth manifesto is the programmatic statement of Luke's themes and the best single key to his portrait of Jesus, but it must be read alongside the baptism, the titles and the passion, which together fill out the identity it announces."
Try this
Q1. What does the title "Christ" or "Messiah" mean? [2 marks]
- Cue. The "anointed one", the promised deliverer of Israel.
Q2. Explain the significance of the temptations of Jesus for his identity. [6 marks]
- Cue. By refusing to misuse his power and answering with scripture, Jesus shows his obedience and defines himself as a Messiah who serves rather than seizes power.
Q3. "The Nazareth sermon is the key to Luke's portrait of Jesus." Discuss. [12 marks]
- Cue. Weigh the programmatic role of the manifesto against the contributions of the baptism, titles, miracles and passion, and judge whether any single passage is the only key.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA AS 1 201912 marksExplain how Luke presents the identity of Jesus through the titles used of him.Show worked answer →
An AO1 question, so reward accurate exposition of the main titles and what
each conveys.
The titles. Explain Son of God (declared at the baptism and by the angel),
Son of Man (Jesus's own preferred self-designation, suffering and exalted),
Christ or Messiah (the anointed one, confessed by Peter), Lord (Kyrios,
with divine overtones), and Saviour (announced at the birth).
Their function. A strong answer shows how the titles together build Luke's
portrait: Jesus is both the promised Jewish Messiah and the universal
Saviour, divine yet the suffering Son of Man.
Accurate use of the titles and supporting episodes reaches the top band.
CCEA AS 1 202212 marksComment on the view that the Nazareth sermon is the key to understanding Luke's presentation of Jesus.Show worked answer →
An AO2 evaluation question, so argue both sides and judge.
Supporting the claim. The Nazareth manifesto (Luke 4:16 to 30) programmes
the whole ministry: good news to the poor, freedom for captives, sight for
the blind, and the warning that Gentiles may be favoured, themes that recur
throughout the Gospel.
Challenging the claim. The baptism, temptation, titles, miracles and passion
also reveal Jesus's identity, so no single passage is the only key.
A judgement that the Nazareth sermon is the programmatic key to Luke's
themes while other episodes fill out the portrait reaches the higher bands.
Related dot points
- The background to Luke's Gospel: authorship, date, audience and purpose, the prologue, the relationship to Acts, and the infancy narratives that introduce Luke's distinctive themes.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the background of Luke's Gospel and the infancy narratives. Covers authorship, date, audience and purpose, the prologue, the link with Acts, and how the birth narratives of John and Jesus introduce Luke's themes of joy, the Spirit, the poor and salvation for all.
- Discipleship and the poor in Luke: the cost and demands of discipleship, the use of wealth and the danger of riches, the place of women, and Jesus's concern for the poor, sinners and outcasts.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to discipleship and the poor in Luke. Covers the cost and demands of discipleship, the right use of wealth and the dangers of riches, the prominence of women, and Jesus's distinctive concern for the poor, tax collectors, sinners and social outcasts.
- Parables and miracles in Luke: the nature and purpose of parables, the distinctive Lukan parables (the lost, the good Samaritan, the prodigal son), the types of miracle, and what they reveal about the kingdom and salvation.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the parables and miracles in Luke. Covers the nature and purpose of parables, the distinctive Lukan parables (the lost sheep, coin and son, the good Samaritan), the types of miracle (healings, exorcisms, nature and raising the dead), and what they reveal about the kingdom of God and salvation.
- The passion and resurrection in Luke: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials, the crucifixion with its distinctive sayings, the death of Jesus, the empty tomb and the Emmaus road, and Luke's distinctive emphases.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the passion and resurrection in Luke. Covers the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod, the crucifixion with Luke's distinctive sayings, the death of Jesus, the empty tomb and the Emmaus road, and Luke's distinctive emphases of forgiveness and innocence.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCE Religious Studies (2016) specification — CCEA (2016)