‘And one said to him, “Lord, are the ones who are being saved few?”
This is the first outright use of the word ‘saved' in the main body of Luke apart from in a context where it can have a double meaning (i.e. healed - Luke 7:50; Luke 8:36; Luke 8:48; Luke 8:50; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42), although compare Luke 6:9; Luke 9:24; Luke 9:56 where ‘saving' to eternal life is clearly in mind (see also Luke 8:12; Luke 17:33; Luke 18:26; Luke 19:10). It does, however, link back to Luke 1:77 where John was to bring ‘the knowledge of salvation' to His people, to Luke 1:69 where the ‘horn of salvation' was coming from the house of David, to Luke 2:11 in which was declared the coming of ‘a Saviour' Who would be ‘the Lord Messiah', and Luke 2:30 where Simeon declares, ‘My eyes have seen your Salvation'. Thus we have been expecting ‘salvation' at some stage to come to the fore. Here it probably has the same meaning as inheriting eternal life with all that that involves of being transformed (compare Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15). Their eyes are firmly fixed on the coming of the heavenly Kingdom.
If we compare Isaiah 49:24-25 LXX with Luke 4:18 salvation is seen as the aim of the Servant for His own, and this ties in with the deliverance of the woman who was Satan's captive (Luke 13:16). Compare also Isaiah 51:14; Isaiah 59:1; Isaiah 60:16 (LXX). Thus to be ‘being saved' means to be in a position where they are being delivered spiritually from Satan's power, and have been given eternal life, are experiencing His saving power in their lives, and are guaranteed the eternal hope of eternity in the presence of God.