Monday, March 13, 2023

When starting a study on one of the books in the Bible, it is helpful to know the historical details about the author as it lends to the credibility, context, and believability of the words written. While not everyone agrees on who Jesus was, no reputable historian disputes the fact that Jesus is a real person who lived approximately 2,000 years ago. Historians and sociologists also agree that Jesus is the most influential person who ever lived. How did that happen and what does it mean?

Enter the gospel of Luke! It's important to note that Luke was both a gentile (someone who isn’t Jewish) and a physician (someone who was familiar with scientific facts and thorough investigations into cause and effect). He was also a friend of the apostles Peter, Paul, and Jesus’ brother James. (Okay, he probably knew Mary too, but I can’t just write that!) Under the patronage of a wealthy follower of Jesus, Luke set out to write down an orderly account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Luke wasn’t the first to write about Jesus and begins his account by stating that he was one among many who had written about the life of Jesus.

Luke 1:1
Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.

Science and religion don’t always go hand-in-hand. So, why would a non-Jewish physician take such an interest in a homeless Jewish rabbi? Because Luke encountered something remarkable that changed his world!

No longer did might make right, as had been the way since the beginning of time. Jesus came and taught that we should love the Lord our God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And people actually did that! The world view we take for granted—the one that says we should help others less fortunate, care about those in need, and treat others as we would like to be treated—whether they return the favor or not—was NOT the way of the world before Jesus.

You have only to look at our world now, especially those parts that do not hold Judeo-Christian values. They do not care for their poor. They do not honor women, children, or those with less power. They do not look at each person as someone with value who was made in God’s image. The poor and marginalized are only good for furthering an agenda, cannon fodder in the war for might and power.

Values that we take for granted because of the rich history passed on to us by brave people like Luke, St. Augustin, Francis of Assisi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr. started with Jesus. The world has never been the same! There is good reason to believe that Jesus is who he said he is and that he is worth devoting your life to following.

Questions:
Is your faith built with solid historical facts, or have you just used someone else's rhetoric? Can you defend something that you haven’t firmly established as the truth for yourself? Will you make an effort to find out whether Jesus is worth trusting with your life?

Next Steps:
Watch Andy Stanley’s YouTube videos on Investigating Jesus. He has a series of messages on the gospel of Luke leading up to Easter (which was the inspiration for some of this content). Determine for yourself if Luke is telling the truth, or if any of the gospel writers can be trusted.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for those men and women who wrote down the life and words of Jesus. Thank you for those who protected it, who copied it, and who made sure we have it to read today. Thank you that you love us so much that you sent us Jesus, who made the way for us to be with you. Help us to embrace his words and his ways. In Jesus’ beautiful name I pray, amen.