Contents
Introduction 1
Panorama 1—The Gospel of the Outcast and Oppressed
1. Reclaiming a Prostitute 5
2. Redeeming a Swindler 15
3. Avenging the Widow 25
4. Converting a Criminal 37
Panorama 2—The Gospel of the Here and the Hereafter
5. Centre-point of Time 47
6. Gateway to Eternity 53
7. When we Cross Over 60
8. Over on the Other Side 67
Panorama 3—The Gospel of the King and his Present Kingdom
9. The King Announces his Covenant 7g
10. The Relationship between the Sovereign and his Subjects 88
11. The Rank and Reward of the King’s Servants 96
12. The King-Priest and the Royal Outlaw 105
Conclusion
13. The Gospel for the Doubter and the Sceptic 115
Study Guide 131
Scripture Index 139

What hope can Jesus Christ offer to people who have been damaged by life or rejected by society?
Does his gospel have answers for us today as well as for a life to come? He says he has the right to rule. But what sort of a king is he, and what difference does his kingdom make in the world now?
In his Gospel, Luke presents scenes from a life without equal, showing how Christ proved to be the champion of the outcast and oppressed who lifts up those who have been lost and forgotten and makes them his own forever. The most profound questions about time, eternity and death find their answer in Christ, according to Luke. And he makes it clear that he found in Christ someone worthy to rule both his life and his destiny.
By gathering several of these scenes together, David Gooding presents an overview of leading themes in Luke's Gospel. From the individual stories, he shows that the gospel of Christ does not ignore the hard facts of reality. Taking the scenes together, he shows that the Paradise that Christ spoke of is more real than we can imagine, and that the one who promised us life and rest is faithful beyond what we could hope.