Luke’s Gospel stands out as unique among the Gospels in various ways. For one thing, it is the longest of the Gospels, starting earlier in Jesus’ life than the others (with the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist), and ending later (with Jesus’ ascension to heaven). Only Luke reveals anything about Jesus’ childhood, describing his family’s visit to Jerusalem when he was 12 years old. Luke continues his story beyond the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the birth and growth of the early church.