DOCTOR LUKE

Most folks know very little about this remarkable man.

In the unusual sequencing chosen to present the Gospels written about Jesus, His was placed third, immediately preceding John’s. My preference would have been for John’s Gospel to be put first, given his intimate knowledge of the heart and character of our King. However, let’s examine Dr. Luke and his work.

We know that Luke was not one of the original disciples. He was a devoted follower of Paul. They probably met during Paul’s first missionary expedition to Greece. He stayed with Paul throughout all his journeys and his imprisonment in Rome, and possibly even through his death. He was present with the surviving disciples, who went on to build the early church. He chronicled their activities by authoring the book of Acts. Unlike the other writers of the Gospels, Luke was a gentile.

He is widely regarded as a highly educated individual and a physician. The quality and meticulous nature of his report support those beliefs.

The passion with which he wrote reflects his staunch belief in the testimonies he collected from the eyewitnesses to the life, actions, deeds, and Words of Jesus.

Luke met Mary in Ephesus. She had travelled there with John to evangelize the people of Ephesus who worshipped the Roman goddess of fertility, Diana. It was hazardous work, challenging the beliefs of the Ephesians and the Romans. At one time, Paul was put in an arena with Lions and had to fight his way out, and John was exiled to the Island of Patmos for teaching the Truth about Jesus.

The entire narrative of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus was given to Luke by Mary. The first two chapters of Luke’s gospel are Mary’s account of the events.

Remarkably, God appointed a non-Jew to hear and report the details of the most significant event in human history. Think about the prejudices embedded in a Jew steeped in the Law that would have made them skeptical or cynical that the Messiah would have been born to a poor young girl in the lowly village of Nazareth.

Luke could and did accept and sincerely and passionately believe Mary. He was not hindered in any way by the tonnage of Hebrew tradition. For instance, Matthew, a Jewish disciple of Jesus, begins his account of Jesus’ birth with a detailed report of Jesus’ Hebrew lineage, tracing it from Abraham through Joseph. It is noteworthy to understand that Joseph had no role in the birth of Jesus, except to accompany his fiancée, Mary, to Bethlehem and attend to her needs. He was not the biological father of Jesus; that would be God Himself.

Luke desperately wanted the whole truth and nothing but the truth of the life, promises, and teachings of Jesus to be accurately chronicled. He told his dear friend Theophilus, who, apparently, was also highly educated and was what we would call an influencer today, the truth about Jesus and His gospel, in a letter addressed to this man of excellence as well. The letter is known as the book of Luke.

The news report of Jesus’ birth does not begin in the second chapter of Luke’s Gospel, where Joseph and Mary are going to the hometown of his ancestor David to be taxed, as is most frequently taught. It begins in the first chapter right here:

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 

Others fictionalized or hyperbolized or added to or subtracted from the truth. It would be impossible for any other author to pen the accurate story of the birth of Jesus because Mary only shared it with Luke.

With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

During the reign of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife, Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. However, they were childless because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.”

WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND

As you meditate on the stunning elements of the intensely complex construction of the most crucial event in human history, remember that God went to these great lengths for you because He loves you this much, just the way you are. The proof of His love for you is demonstrated in the lengths to which He went to save YOU for Himself.

THAT IS ALL FOLKS,,, END OF TEACHING

Our new “Christmas Series” Podcasts tell the entire in-depth story of Christmas. They can include more information than we can include in a short written message. Thanks to your generous giving, we are recording our sixth podcast in the series tonight, featuring a mind-boggling meeting between Elizabeth and Mary. Their dual impossible pregnancies are a critical part of the entire story.

One of the great things about our podcasts is that you can listen to them at any time and from anywhere. You can start, stop, and replay them. Click this link to enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/show/1tH9NPeyD67180m18rWvvR

My commitment to Charlie Kirk is to do what I can to pick up his torch. I intend to give more, work harder, and be more outspoken. I am committed to making every effort to expand the footprint of our ministry dramatically and to be fearless in that endeavor.

As long as each of us has passion and breath, as long as we set our sails and join the race, Charlie Kirk’s ministry will never die. We can’t let it.

Thank you, Our Golden Givers! You are helping us utilize the high-tech world that God created to share the Good News of Great Joy, which shall be to all people. You are helping us roll!

You folks can really help us reach these new believers by listening to our Podcasts, liking them. sharing them with your friends, subscribing to them and commenting on them.