Luke 1.1-4 (ESV)1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. I always find it interesting when my boys share snippets of social media streams with me. What they share is often humorous, but sometimes the sharing concerns a current issue that tugs at their hearts and beliefs. As we discuss the matter, I often ask them not to take the brief post as an authoritative statement on the matter. Instead, I encourage them to dig deeper, think wider, gather information, and then, after they have considered the information, form an opinion and respond. That is the goal of Luke’s Gospel concerning Jesus in these opening verses.
The Gospel of Luke is part one of a two-volume set. Luke also wrote Acts, and the two are meant to be read together. The books are written to Theophilus, who is not Jewish, and the Gospel of Luke has a distinct Greek flavor to it, which means that this orderly account is written for a non-Jewish audience so that the readers may know Jesus. Because of this, Luke tends to focus on lifting out salvation for the Gentiles. There is also a focus on women and the poor, as well as prayer and praise for God.
As we start off, go back to the scripture and pay close attention to what Luke says about how he received the Gospel and what he says about his efforts at writing and his purpose in writing. The purpose of the whole book is in verse 4—
that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke wants Theophilus to know that his faith in Christ isn’t baseless, nor is it about myths or exaggeration. The events are true and attested to by eyewitnesses. Luke carefully examined every aspect and gave an orderly account of the life of Jesus and His ministry.
Luke was passionate about knowing Jesus and passionate for others to know Jesus. What about you? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your passion for knowing Jesus? I realize that there are times in our lives when we are better at pursuing Christ, but in general, how hard do you work at knowing Jesus? Since you’re reading this devotional, then you’re probably in a good place, but perhaps you’re like me and you are not totally pleased with the answer that came to mind. That’s good, and my encouragement to you is not to feel defeated. Don’t let that assessment be the end of the question. Let that become your motivation. For me, reading through a Gospel and getting the bigger picture of Jesus is always helpful and encouraging in my desire to know Jesus more, which is why I intentionally read a Gospel every year.
The cool thing is that Jesus
wants you to know Him and if you’re reading this then maybe it’s time to step-up that pursuit.
I also want to point you to a wonderful resource online that can help you grow in your faith even more. It’s called Practicing the Way (
https://www.practicingtheway.org/). There you will find an assessment to help you take stock of your relationship with Jesus and wonderful resources to help you engage in those things that will lead you to a richer and fuller relationship with Jesus.
God bless you as you wrestle with this, and may you know for certain the things that you have been taught.
You are prayed for!
Scott
