Luke 1:1-4

These verses seem almost unimportant. They're introductory material. They're just trying to prepare the reader for the good stuff. Right?

 

That might be a quick judgment on these verses.

 

I think it is really interesting that Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and after careful research, felt that he should add another account to the gospels already written (Luke 1:1-3). What was his main reason for writing up this "orderly account"? Luke wrote this gospel so that Theophilus would know the certainty of the things he had been taught.

 

Did Theophilus have doubts about what he had been taught? Perhaps. I know that people today struggle with doubts about Jesus' life. Christians today sometimes have a hard time remembering that Jesus is worthy of their faith and complete devotion. So why not back then?

 

What if Theophilus didn't have any doubts? This gospel would still have been worthwhile, because its message confirms all over again the message that is found in the other gospels. Luke, who was not an apostle, did the research to find out what all the apostles had to say about Jesus. He may have interviewed others, too, perhaps even people who weren't Christians. He could certainly have verified many of Jesus' miracles by contacting men and women in the villages where Jesus performed them. There were many witnesses besides the apostles, for instance, to the feeding of the 5000. Basically, because Luke was not an eyewitness and yet did the research to find out what Jesus' life had been like, this gospel stands as a great way of strengthening our faith in what we already know from the other gospels.

 

We have four different gospel writers who all tell us that Jesus lived, was crucified, was buried, and was raised from the dead to save us from our sins. That same message permeates the rest of the New Testament, and various passages in the Old Testament from many different authors predict the very same things. Between the testimony of Old Testament prophets, kings, priests, shepherds, and others who claimed to have prophetically written the very testimony of God; and the New Testament fishermen, doctors, and religious leaders who claimed to have been eyewitnesses of what God did among them through Jesus – a combined testimony that covered over a thousand years – surely we have a faith that is sure. Jesus truly is worthy of our faith, our service, our love!

 

Lord Jesus, help me always to listen to You, even when I struggle with doubts! Help me to submit to You, even when I don't understand Your reasoning! Help me to trust You, even when You lead me through painful and hard times! May I join in with those who can testify that You are worthy of all devotion!