In the first two chapters of Luke, characters acknowledge Jesus as Messiah, Son of God, and Lord. Lukan characters also speak of John going before the Lord God, suggesting that Jesus might be the Lord in view, and connect Jesus with Old Testament YHWH passages. These features have made Luke 1-2 a key locus for discussions of Lukan Christology, generating speculation as to whether Luke presents Jesus as divine.  However, they also create an apparent incongruity with the body of the Gospel. In Luke 3 and elsewhere, human characters are initially ignorant that Jesus is Messiah, Son of God, and Lord. Moreover, Jesus' divinity – if Luke affirms it – does not seem to be recognized until after the resurrection. In this study, Caleb Friedeman advances a new model for understanding the Christological relationship between Luke 1-2 and the rest of Luke-Acts, in which Luke presents these opening chapters as a Christological mystery.

‘Friedeman’s book offers a fresh solution to the Christological puzzle of Luke 1–2. His insights into the intertextual use of Daniel offers a framework for mystery and revelation, making sense of what Luke is doing. I have noticed the similarity between Mary and Daniel before (even Jacob in Gen 37:11), but I haven’t known what to do with it. How does it shape what Luke is doing? Friedeman draws the connections and helps make sense of Luke 1–2. Overall, Friedeman sets Luke’s introduction within Jewish apocalyptic traditions, elevates Mary’s role in discipleship and revelation for us today, and draws connections between Luke and Acts to show their coherence and the unity between them.’

Spencer Robinson Source: spoiledmilks.com blog

‘… an extremely impressive contribution … I heartily recommend it to all readers who are interested in the development of early high Christology in the NT.’

Paul Owen Source: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society