Certainty
Read Luke 1.
That you may know. That's why Luke writes. He wants Theophilus (which means "lover of God" and may or may not be an actual name) to know for certain that what he has come to believe is true. So Luke investigates, he interviews, he reads and he sets out to write "an orderly account" of everything he knows about Jesus. Make no mistake: he doesn't include absolutely everything he learns, just as any good biographer can't include everything they know. He picks and chooses, and part of that is because Luke is not writing biography. He's writing Gospel, "good news." He has a point he wants to make and a message he wants to share.
He wants Theophilus to be certain, and certainty is something we all want. We like to be certain that when we sit down on a chair, it will hold us. We want to be certain that the food we eat will taste good. We want to be certain that we know where we are going when we head out on a trip. Think about how many times during the day you approach a situation in which you want (and assume) certainty.
So it's natural that we would want certainty when it comes to our faith. Who hasn't, at some point, wondered, "What if it isn't true?" Perhaps Theophilus was wondering that as well. It's possible that it came up in a conversation with Luke in the local coffee shop. "I wonder if this Jesus thing is true." So Luke, once a companion of Paul and a doctor, sets out with his razor-sharp mind to learn the facts. What is it that makes Jesus different from the other gods, the Roman gods that were so prevalent in the culture? Why is Jesus unique? And, more than that, why should anyone want to follow Jesus?
Can I know for sure? That's the question on everyone's mind in Luke 1. Zechariah asks, "How can I be sure?" (1:18). Mary asks, "How will this be?" (1:34). Elizabeth wonders, "Why has this happened?" (1:43). The crowd wonders, "What is happening?" (1:66). Everyone wants certainty, but at this early stage in the story, no one has it. It must be enough for them that God is up to something—something new. Of that you can be certain.
That you may know...that's what Luke is about. His prayer for you, down through the long centuries since he wrote, is that you would find certainty about Jesus.
That you may know. That's why Luke writes. He wants Theophilus (which means "lover of God" and may or may not be an actual name) to know for certain that what he has come to believe is true. So Luke investigates, he interviews, he reads and he sets out to write "an orderly account" of everything he knows about Jesus. Make no mistake: he doesn't include absolutely everything he learns, just as any good biographer can't include everything they know. He picks and chooses, and part of that is because Luke is not writing biography. He's writing Gospel, "good news." He has a point he wants to make and a message he wants to share.
He wants Theophilus to be certain, and certainty is something we all want. We like to be certain that when we sit down on a chair, it will hold us. We want to be certain that the food we eat will taste good. We want to be certain that we know where we are going when we head out on a trip. Think about how many times during the day you approach a situation in which you want (and assume) certainty.
So it's natural that we would want certainty when it comes to our faith. Who hasn't, at some point, wondered, "What if it isn't true?" Perhaps Theophilus was wondering that as well. It's possible that it came up in a conversation with Luke in the local coffee shop. "I wonder if this Jesus thing is true." So Luke, once a companion of Paul and a doctor, sets out with his razor-sharp mind to learn the facts. What is it that makes Jesus different from the other gods, the Roman gods that were so prevalent in the culture? Why is Jesus unique? And, more than that, why should anyone want to follow Jesus?
Can I know for sure? That's the question on everyone's mind in Luke 1. Zechariah asks, "How can I be sure?" (1:18). Mary asks, "How will this be?" (1:34). Elizabeth wonders, "Why has this happened?" (1:43). The crowd wonders, "What is happening?" (1:66). Everyone wants certainty, but at this early stage in the story, no one has it. It must be enough for them that God is up to something—something new. Of that you can be certain.
That you may know...that's what Luke is about. His prayer for you, down through the long centuries since he wrote, is that you would find certainty about Jesus.
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