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.
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,
it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, Most Excellent Theophilus,
so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
Now if you could turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter, which is on page 1222 in the Church Bibles, 2 Peter chapter 1,
starting in verse 16.
So 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 16.
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory,
saying,
This is my Son, whom I love.
With him I am well pleased.
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain,
and you will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a light shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Let's pray together.
Father, thank you.
Thank you for your Son, the Lord Jesus.
Thank you for your word.
Which is a revelation of your Son,
teaching us and making us known who you are.
Thank you for your Holy Spirit,
who teaches us,
opens up our minds,
so that we can understand your word,
not just intellectually,
but in a way that it applies to our hearts,
changing us,
and making us more like you.
So, Father, come amongst us by your Spirit,
and help us,
that we might know you more and more,
and come to love you in a deeper way.
Thank you for your word.
Bless these coming weeks as we look at Luke's Gospel together,
that it would be an encouragement,
helping us to understand the God who has come to seek us and save us,
so that we in turn can seek others and bring the message of Christ to a needy world.
Help us, we pray,
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, have your Bibles open in Luke's Gospel.
I wonder,
do you believe everything that you hear in the news?
Did the Russians help Trump secure his political victory?
Is climate change the reason for all the flooding across our planet?
Well, according to a recent poll on Clareburn Live,
54% of people in Ireland don't trust the news they hear,
and a further 19% say they are unsure.
The news, they say, is,
well, it's just stories that have been made up to distort,
deceive, and promote a political or moral bias.
It's all fake news.
And with the influence of social media,
it's very difficult for us to know what is fake news and what is true news.
Well, Luke, who is the author of Luke's Gospel,
has some news for us.
Keep your finger in Luke's Gospel, Chapter 1,
and flick on to Acts, Chapter 1.
So you've got Luke,
then John,
and then Acts,
Acts, Chapter 1.
Keep your finger in Luke,
and go to Acts, Chapter 1.
You may know that Luke is the author of two books,
the Gospel of Luke,
and also the Book of Acts,
sometimes referred to as a two-volumed work.
They're together.
And this is what Luke,
Acts, Chapter 1, Verse 1 says.
In my former book,
so there he's referring to Luke,
my first book.
In my former book, Theophilus,
I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.
So Luke is all about
what Jesus began to do and to teach.
And Acts, if we were to read through that,
is what Jesus continues to do and teach,
ultimately through his church,
by his Spirit.
Back to Luke's Gospel, Chapter 1.
So Luke is all about
what Jesus began to do and to teach.
But at the beginning of Luke's Gospel,
Luke makes this extraordinary claim.
Look what he says in Luke 1, Verse 4.
He says he writes this,
so that you may know the certainty
of the things you have been taught.
Luke wants us to know,
right at the very beginning of his work,
of his writings,
that the things that he is going to write about,
the things that you may have been taught about Jesus,
is not fake news,
but it's true news.
It is reliable.
It is dependable.
You can believe it and trust it.
It is certain truth.
These are not made-up stories,
but historical facts about a living person
called Jesus Christ,
who claims to be nothing less
than God who has come in human form,
with absolute power,
and supreme authority,
to seek and to save what was lost,
to change and transform lives,
so that we might be in a relationship with him
that is secure and safe for all eternity.
Know the certainty of these things.
Well, how do we know
that all this is not made up?
How do we know
that what Luke begins to write
is not just Luke promoting
his own biased views
and kind of forcing upon
some guy called Jesus
all these great things?
You see, there are many people
who think that the Gospel of Luke
is fake news.
One author,
his name is Dr. Bart Ehrman,
has written many books
making this claim.
His most recent book
has this subtitle.
It's quite long,
so listen.
This is the subtitle of the book.
How the earliest Christians
remembered,
changed,
and invented
the stories of the Saviour.
And although he was once
a firm Christian,
he now makes this claim.
He says that the New Testament
and the Gospels in particular
don't provide a trustworthy account
of the historical Jesus.
Instead, what we have are books
that are forgeries,
certain contradictions,
have morally questionable teachings,
and have been edited
and changed through the centuries.
Quite a claim.
Now, you might run into Bart
tomorrow when you're at work,
and you might ask people in work
or school,
do you know him?
They may never have heard of him.
But you can be absolutely sure
they've been influenced
by his writings
as it's filtered out
through the media
and through other publications.
People say you simply
can't trust the Gospels.
They're forgeries,
contradictions.
They've been changed
and edited
to suit the author's
particular political
or moral bias.
So, the question is,
is Luke's Gospel fake news
or true news?
Can we trust it?
Well, let's see
what Luke has to say.
First,
Luke wants us to know
that what he has written
is an orderly account.
Look at chapter 1,
verse 1.
Many have undertaken
to draw up an account
or write up an account
of the things
that have been fulfilled
among us.
End of verse 3.
So, he says,
it seemed good also to me
to write an orderly account
for you,
most excellent Theophilus.
In other words,
this is not a random collection
of sayings and stories,
but a carefully compiled
historical account
about the person of Jesus.
It's an account
of the Gospel.
We know that
from the New Testament
we have four Gospels,
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke and John.
Sometimes Matthew,
Mark and Luke
are put together
known as the Synoptic Gospels.
Now, their material
is all quite similar.
They're the same
almost in style.
John's Gospel
is different.
He seems to have
other material.
And they're like,
together,
they're like biographies
of the life of Jesus.
Now, the fact that
we have four Gospels
doesn't mean we have
four different versions
of the Gospel.
And we have to try
and figure out
which is the right one.
Now, there's only
one Gospel story.
There's only one account.
But yet,
we have different
presentations
of that same story.
Each one
has their particular emphasis.
So, Mark,
for example,
has no account
of the birth of Jesus.
It's the shortest.
It's like he jumps
straight in,
right into the action.
He wants to get it all out
as quick as possible.
Whereas, Luke
takes his time.
He goes into
great detail
about the birth
of Jesus,
listing historical events
so that we can know
it's true.
Matthew,
if you were to read
through that,
is equally long,
but seems to be written
for those who
are from a more
religious background,
while Luke's account
is more suited
to those who are
from a non-religious
background.
And many claim
that Theophilus
was one who was
from a non-religious
background.
John is more theological,
whereas Luke is more
straightforward and simple.
They've all got
their own particular
emphasis,
they've all chosen
their particular material,
and each one reflects
each author's
particular presentation.
But we must be clear
and understand
there is only
one Gospel.
And like all the
other Gospel authors,
Luke has set about
writing an orderly
account about the
person of Jesus.
But more specifically,
this orderly account
that Luke has put
together is not
something new.
It has actually been
planned from
eternity past.
So again,
look at verse 1.
He says,
many have undertaken
to draw up an account
of the things
that have been
fulfilled
among us.
So the coming
of Jesus
isn't an accident
or a surprise,
but something
that has been
fulfilled.
It's been planned
by God
and purposed
by God
in eternity past
and has now
been fulfilled.
have a look
at what Jesus
says about
himself,
which comes
at the very
end of Luke's
Gospel,
Luke chapter 24.
Right at the
very end of Luke's
Gospel,
Luke chapter 24,
verse 44.
So Jesus is
speaking to
his disciples.
It's after
his death.
It's after
his resurrection
from the grave.
And he's
explaining to
his disciples
who have been
completely confused
by what has
happened.
And Jesus
seeks to remind
them what has
happened.
Verse 44,
he said to
them,
this is what
I told you
while I was
still with you.
Everything,
that is
everything about
the life of
Jesus,
everything must
be fulfilled
that is written
about me in
the law of
Moses.
The law of
Moses is the
first five books
of the Old
Testament,
the prophets
and the Psalms
which is referring
to the rest of
the Old
Testament.
He says
everything that
has happened,
my coming,
my birth,
my death,
my resurrection
was all
written about
in the past
and it is
now being
fulfilled.
Verse 45,
then he opened
their minds
so that they
could understand
the scriptures
and he told
them,
this is what
is written.
Read through
the Old
Testament scriptures
and you will
see that Christ
will suffer
and he did,
he died
and he will
rise from
the dead
on the third
day and
he did
and repentance
and forgiveness
of sins will
be preached
in his name
to all nations
beginning at
Jerusalem.
Back to
chapter 1.
So Luke's
orderly account
is not just
his ideas
and his
experience,
rather he
wants us to
know that
this is the
account of
Jesus
that was
planned and
promised by
God in
eternity past
and has
now been
fulfilled
with the
coming of
Jesus Christ.
So Jesus
is not just
some invention,
it is not
just a
religious bias,
he is the
focus and
fulfillment
of all
history.
So,
Luke wants
us to
know that
it is an
orderly
account.
Second,
Luke wants
us to
know that
this
orderly
account is
the result
of careful
investigation.
Look at
verse 3.
Therefore,
he said,
since I
myself have
carefully
investigated
everything
from the
beginning,
it seems
good also
for me to
write an
orderly
account.
If you
were to
read through
Colossians,
one of
Paul's
letters,
you'd
discover
that we
read there
that Luke
was a
medical
doctor.
But he
was also
very skilled
as a
historian.
He provides,
you read
through Luke,
he provides
accounts of
people who
were ruling
and people
who were in
charge at
certain times
and certain
months.
And he
was also,
it appears,
an investigative
journalist.
And he
has,
it seems,
two main
sources for
his material
as he
carefully
investigates
everything
from the
beginning.
First,
there's what's
called the
oral tradition.
Luke wasn't
the first
person to
start writing
an account
of Jesus.
Again,
look at
verse 1.
He says,
many,
there were
many people
who have
undertaken
to draw
up an
account
of these
things.
So circulating
very soon
after the
life of
Jesus
were these
written
accounts of
Jesus.
There were
many
accounts.
And the
earliest that
we know
of is the
Gospel of
Mark,
which was
written about
40 years
after the
life of
Jesus.
Luke was
written about
20 years
later,
but Mark
40 years
after.
This is one
of the
accounts of
the many
accounts that
were written.
But we have
to ask the
question,
where did
these accounts
come from?
Where did
they get
their information
to start
writing about
Jesus?
Well,
look at
verse 2.
These
accounts
came just
as they
were handed
down to
us by
those who
from the
first were
eyewitnesses
and servants
of the
word.
Handed
down is
a technical
term,
and it's
what scholars
call the
oral tradition.
That is,
the life and
teaching of
Jesus was
being passed
on verbally
to other
people.
If we want
information today
about someone
or something,
we would go
to a
research library
or we'd go
to the
internet.
Well,
in the first
century,
they didn't
have these
kinds of
resources.
They weren't
available.
Instead,
information and
history was
preserved as
it was passed
on orally.
Well,
you say,
that's all
well and
good,
but how do
we know
that what
people passed
on orally
and what
Peter said
to Mary
and what
Mary said
to John
and what
John said,
how do
we know
that it
didn't get
distorted
as it
got passed
along?
It sounds
a bit like
Chinese
whispers to
me.
How do
we know
it's true?
Well,
the second
of these
sources were
the eyewitnesses
accounts.
So again,
look at
verse 2.
They were
handed down
to us by
those who
from the
first were
eyewitnesses
and servants
of the
word.
So what
Luke has
access to
was handed
down,
was passed
on orally
by those
who were
eyewitnesses,
those who
were servants
of the
word.
These
eyewitnesses
and servants
of the
word were
the first
apostles,
the disciples.
Those were
the people
who were
with Jesus.
They heard
him speak.
They ate
with him.
They saw
his deeds.
They experienced
his resurrection
and we'll
get to
meet some
of these
characters
as we
go through
Luke.
But these
eyewitnesses
not only
handed these
things down
orally,
but they
themselves
began to
write down
and arrange
material about
the life of
Jesus.
Let me
give you
two examples
of these
servants of
the word
who began
to write
down their
eyewitness
accounts.
We read
from one
earlier.
Have a look
at 2 Peter
chapter 1
verse 16.
Somebody got
the page
for me
there.
2 Peter
chapter 1
1, 2, 2, 2.
2 Peter
chapter 1.
So Peter,
the writer
of this
letter,
was a
disciple
and look
what he
says.
2 Peter
1 verse
16.
We did
not,
underline,
we did
not follow
cleverly
invented
stories when
we told
you about
the power
and coming
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
But we
were eyewitnesses
of his
majesty.
And
speaking of
the,
when they
saw Jesus
transfigured,
verse 18,
he said,
we ourselves
heard this
voice that
came from
heaven when
we were with
him on the
sacred mountain.
Flick over a
page,
maybe two
pages,
to 1 John.
here's
another
account
of
somebody
who's
writing a
letter but
wants us
to know
that what
he's
writing is
true.
Speaking of
Jesus,
he says,
that which
was from
the beginning,
that's
Jesus,
he says,
which we
have heard,
which we
have seen
with our
eyes,
which we
have looked
at and
our hands
have touched.
This is a
living person,
it's not
made up.
This we
proclaim
concerning
the word
of life.
The life
appeared,
we have
seen it
and testified
to it,
and we
proclaim
to you
the eternal
life which
was with
the Father
and has
appeared
to us.
Go back
to Luke
chapter 1.
So you
see,
Luke goes
back to
the earliest
sources.
These letters
were written
within 15
to 25
years of
Jesus'
resurrection.
So Luke
is going
back to
the earliest
sources,
those eyewitness
servants of
the word
accounts.
A scholar,
one of the
good guys,
Richard
Bochum,
wrote a
book called
Jesus and
the Eyewitnesses,
and he
says this
about the
writing of
the Gospels.
Many of
the eyewitnesses
to Jesus,
life,
death,
and resurrection
were still
in wide
active circulation
during these
years,
able to
function as
trusted,
authoritative
sources and
guardians of
the tradition,
a commonly
revered
practice and
presence in
oral
societies.
So you
see, Luke
not only
consulted with
what people
wrote and
what people
had said,
but he
was able to
check it
all out with
the eyewitnesses
and servants
of the word.
So,
he wants us
to know that
this, what
he's written,
is an
orderly
account.
This
orderly
account has
come after
careful and
thorough
investigation,
and he
does all
this so
that we
can be
absolutely
certain
about the
truth of
Jesus Christ.
Let me
read verses
3 and 4,
Luke chapter
1.
Therefore,
since I
myself have
carefully
investigated
everything from
the beginning,
it seemed
good also to
me to
write an
orderly
account,
most
excellent
Theophilus.
so that
you may
know the
certainty
of the
things you
have been
taught.
So,
first,
we can
know the
certainty
of Luke.
This is
true news,
not
fake news.
And this
little phrase
that we have
here in
verse 4,
that you
may know
the certainty,
has the
meaning of
security and
stability.
One writer
and speaker,
John Piper,
has pointed
out that
that same
word or
phrase is
only used
in two
other places
in the
New Testament.
And in
both cases,
it refers to
security,
something that
is locked
up,
something that
is absolutely
secure and
unchangeable.
So,
Luke is
saying that
his message,
this message
about Jesus,
the things that
you have been
heard,
the things
that you
have been
taught,
is absolutely
secure.
It is
reliable and
dependable.
It is
unshakable and
immovable.
This is
true news,
not fake
news.
It is
something that
is rock
solid,
foundational.
You can
build your
life upon
it.
You can
entrust your
life to the
very words
that are
spoken in
Luke's
gospel.
people will
tell you
that all
this stuff
about Jesus
is not
true,
that we're
all wasting
our time
reading these
gospel accounts.
You can't
believe the
Bible.
It's made
up,
it's a
forgery,
it's full
of contradictions.
But Luke
has done all
the hard work
for us so
that we can
be absolutely
certain that
what we read
about Jesus
is certain
rock
solid,
unshakable,
immovable
truth.
But
second,
this
certain
truth
is
extremely
personal.
We're not
just to
stand back
and admire
this and
say,
what a
wonderful
piece of
writing.
How clever
Luke must
have been
to have
done all
this
investigation
and checking
out with
eyewitnesses
and putting
together his
material.
What a
wonderful
author he
is.
What a
great piece
of writing.
No,
this is
personal.
We're to
act on
it and
believe it.
Look at
verse 3
again.
Therefore,
since I
myself
have
carefully
investigated
everything
from the
beginning,
it
seemed
good
also
to
me
to
write
an
orderly
account
for
you,
most
excellent
Theophilus.
It's a
wonderful name,
isn't it?
He's
written to
this person,
a guy
named
Theophilus.
It's
personal.
We don't
know much
about him
other than
the fact
that he
must have
been
somebody
of high
position
and
influence
because
nobody
gets to
be called
most
excellent
for
nothing.
He's a
mover and
shaker in
his world,
a wealthy
man.
And Luke
is saying
to Theophilus,
this gospel
that I am
writing for
you is
not only
true,
but it's
for you,
it's
personal.
We're not
just to
admire it
as a
wonderful
piece of
writing,
we're to
act on
it and
believe it.
And it's
as if we
are to
read this
as Luke
speaking to
us,
what I
am
writing
is for
you,
Johnny.
And you
insert your
own name,
this is
personal to
you,
it's
truth for
my life
and for
your life.
Let me
show you
briefly
four ways
this touches
on us
personally
and how we
can build
our life
upon this
truth.
First,
when you
are struggling
to make
sense of
life and
the foundations
on which
you build
your life
are shaken
to the
core and
people are
telling you
that all
this is all
made up and
what you
believe is a
nonsense and
you can't
trust it,
I guarantee
you need to
know that
the God
who has
existed from
all time
and who
sent his
son, the
God, man,
the Lord
Jesus Christ,
the God
who loves
you, who
came down
to seek
you and
save you
through his
incarnation and
to bring you
into an
eternal
relationship that
is safe
and secure,
it is
true.
And you
need to
know that
when you
go into
your workplace
tomorrow or
go into
school tomorrow
and people
completely
undermine it,
you need to
be sure what
you believe
and why you
believe it.
Second, when
you are weighed
down with
past failure
and you're
broken by
present shame
and you're
conscious of
sinful
behaviours,
you need to
know that
when Jesus
Christ died
on the cross,
he was
dying for
your sin,
when Luke
writes about
Jesus crying
out,
Father
forgive,
he was
taking the
judgement for
you and
he was
providing
forgiveness
for you so
that you
could be
set free
from your
guilt.
You need
to know
that when
you are
weighed down
with your
past failures
that this
gospel of
freedom is
absolutely
certain.
Third,
when you
are walking
through
suffering
and when
you are
facing the
dark reality
of death
itself
and the
grave only
awaits,
you need
to know
that the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ,
defeating
death and
destroying the
grave and
when Luke
records his
account that
Christ rose
from the
grave and
appeared bodily
to his
disciples,
you need to
know that he
destroyed the
grave and
was securing
salvation for
you and
this is a
rock solid
dependable
truth for
your life
when you
are suffering
and facing
certain
death.
And
fourth,
as we
look out
into our
broken
world,
we see
power hungry
leaders,
threatening
nations,
devastating
floods,
terrorists
blowing up
at will.
We need
to know
that when
Luke tells
us that
the risen
Lord Jesus
ascended to
be at the
Father's
right hand,
is now
ruling with
all power,
with all
authority,
and is one
day going to
come back
again and
make all
things new
and put this
broken world
back together
again,
is an
unshakable
and immovable
reality for
your life.
The
incarnation,
the
crucifixion,
the
resurrection,
the
ascension
that Luke
will tell
us all
about,
is true.
And he
says,
I have
written
this
gospel
that you
and that
you
and that
you
and that
I
may know
the
certainty
of the
things that
we have
been taught.
This,
this
gospel
is the
foundation
for our
life.
This is
what we
rest in
and this
is what
we
believe.
Do you
trust your
life
with the
words of
Luke
about the
person of
Jesus Christ?
Christ?
I hope
you do.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.