Luke said he was writing to let the man named Theophilus know the order and certainty of the things he had heard, which were about the Lord Jesus. An account of an event is of no real value unless accurate as to time, persons, and places. The life of Jesus was the most important of all events of the world, and now that we have read through the account by Luke, we can see how carefully he wrote.
First, the names of the rulers connected with Judea and Galilee where these great events took place were written, and the leaders in the temple of God in Jerusalem, which was the center for the nation, are told (Luke 1:5; Luke 3:1-2).
The story of the birth of the prophet John is fully told to show he was the messenger God sent before the Messiah, to tell of Him, as was foretold (Malachi 3:1).
The shepherds who heard the angels’ message that Christ was born were the first witnesses to see Him and “made known abroad” the great news.
Simeon and Anna were well known and just persons of the temple who knew God’s promise of a holy Child to come. When they saw the Baby Jesus they said, by the Spirit, that He was the One to come, and were true witnesses to many.
The age of Jesus as a boy when He astonished the wise teachers in the temple is given, and would be remembered by many. His age when He began to go about the land teaching God’s words, is written (Luke 2:42-48; Luke 3:23).
The twelve men who went with Him, heard His words, and saw all His miracles, were certain He was the Messiah; they all loved Him (except Judas). There were also seventy other disciples who knew Him and His power (Luke 10).
Towns and places in all the land are named where Jesus went and the people heard Him teach of God in the synagogues, on the streets, and by the sea. Hundreds were cured of every sort of disease, and thousands twice ate of the bread He supplied. Crowds in Jerusalem saw Him enter as the lowly King. Many people and priests saw and heard Him speaking in the temple. Some well-known people who believed Him to be the Christ are named: Jairus, leader of a synagogue of Galilee; a centurion (captain of Roman soldiers); several women of Galilee are named, one being Joanna, whose husband was the governor’s steward (Luke 7:1-10; Luke 8:3, 41).
So there were many persons whom Theophilus could ask if these events were true, for he seems not to have lived in that land. Do you think any of those who had been healed or had eaten of the food Christ gave them in the desert, would not say that he was different from all others?
The governor Pilate and Herod of Galilee who were the judges at the trial of Jesus, had not seen Him before, yet they believed Him to be innocent, and the captain of the soldiers who guarded Him said, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”
Further Meditation
1. How old was the Lord Jesus when he astonished the teachers in the temple for the first time?
2. What made the Lord’s life so remarkable was its perfection in every way. There will never be another life like it. What does 1 Peter 2 tell us to do when we look at His life?
3. If you’ve enjoyed reading Bible Talks on Luke you might find some of the other Bible Talks titles helpful as well. There are Bible Talks available on all the gospels and more.