Luke: “That you may know for sure the Truth”

(Luke 1) 5783 B”H

I really love the Gospel of Luke and his sequel, the book of Acts.

Luke was a doctor. A learned man. He valued people and wanted to see them live healthy, full lives.

Do you know a doctor like that? Someone who went into the profession less for the money and more for the people? It’s not always easy to find a physician like that, but when you do, it is a blessing.

All too often, doctors rely on their extensive medical knowledge more than they do on God – the Giver of all that intelligence.

But Luke was different.

A doctor who encountered the Healer

Dr. Luke was certainly well-prepared and intelligent, yet he valued the spiritual side of things and was humble enough to recognize that there is an Almighty Healer.

As evidenced by his chronicling of the ministry of Yeshua (Jesus), Luke was very detail-oriented. Like any wise doctor, he would make thorough observations knowing that attention to detail could mean the difference between life and death.

Luke would have known firsthand that human medical practices were limited.

Surely he had been bedside when a patient succumbed to illness or injury and knew the feeling of helplessness, unable to prescribe a curing remedy.

Can you imagine the curiosity Luke must have felt when he witnessed the healing miracles of our Messiah? How perplexing! Was he skeptical at first? Did he try to explain it away using scientific reasoning? Or was he overjoyed that there was a true Healer?

Luke encountered the One who made the true difference between life and death – the One who defeated death and grants new and eternal Life.

As Luke realized that the Great Physician, Yeshua (Jesus) had come, he began to carefully document what he had seen in order to provide an orderly record to his beloved friends in the faith (ie.Theophilus). He must have been so fascinated, so captivated!

I’m confident Luke wondered: how could it be that this Man, Yeshua (Jesus), had authority to cast out sicknesses, heal diseases, and resurrect the dead!?

Luke the Gospel writer knew others were doing the same thing – “undertak[ing] to organize an account of the event fulfilled among us . . . ” (Luke 1:1). The Tree of Life Version gives an appropriate heading to the opening of Luke: “A Doctor Charts the Facts.” Luke wanted to make sure his account was accurate, to give yet another layer of evidence that the testimonies about the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) were indeed true.

In his own words: “Therefore it seemed best to me also, because I have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, to write for you an orderly record, most excellent Theophilus, so you may know for sure the truth of the words you have been taught.”

Luke 1:3-4, emphasis added

That you may know.

For sure.

The Truth.

“Many convincing proofs”

Doctors would love to know things “for sure,” but usually they are making the best educated guess possible:

Maybe you have this going on…

We need to rule out x, y, or z . . .

Dr. Luke the Gospel writer was no exception. He didn’t believe that the Savior of the world came just because he saw one or two signs. His acceptance of Yeshua (Jesus) as the promised Messiah wasn’t based on what the crowds of people were saying.

He observed and concluded there were “many convincing proofs” (Acts 1:3) and wrote the second volume to his historical record, what is now known as the Acts of the Apostles.

Here he continues:

“I wrote the first volume, Theophilus, about all that Yeshua began to do and teach – up to the day He was taken up, after He had given orders by the Ruach haKodesh to the emissaries He had chosen. To them He showed Himself to be alive after His suffering through many convincing proofs, appearing to them for 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

Acts 1:1-3, emphasis added

If you are familiar with the book of Acts, you know that Luke doesn’t shy away from reporting on the miraculous. Luke trusted that what Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah came to do by the power of the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) was absolutely true and verifiable.

Yeshua (Jesus) showed Himself to be alive after being crucified

Doctors, even back in Bible times, are trained to read a pulse and understand vital signs. It is thought that Luke probably studied at one of the medical schools in Tarsus, Pergamum, or even Athens.

Obviously then, as a doctor, Luke would know when to pronounce someone dead. And living in the Roman Empire . . . harsh, cruel deaths were commonplace. He knew that Yeshua (Jesus) had been crucified. Crucifixion was one of the worst possible ways to die: a suffocating and bloody death.

Left hanging on a cross: chance of survival 0%.

Yet this Holy Man, this Yeshua (Jesus) . . . “presented Himself alive!”

He showed Himself to the disciples.

And not just once.

Luke tells us He showed Himself to be alive, appearing to the disciples for 40 days!

Who else has died, been buried, and then wakes up and presents themself to people for 40 days?

Had Luke or the disciples thought the resurrection and subsequent appearances were mere dreams or hallucinations, he had the credentials to identify them as such and dismiss them.

Before I became a believer, I heard something that helped me sort out the confusion. Maybe it will help you, too:

Muhammed is dead.
Ghandi is dead.
Buddha is dead.
But Yeshua (Jesus) is still alive.

Yeshua (Jesus) was dead and buried, yes, but that tomb is empty.

To this day, there is a sign at the tomb in Jerusalem that says, “He is not here for He is Risen.”

This is absolutely remarkable and Luke knew it! He knew there was abundant evidence confirming that the Savior of the world was alive and that what He taught was true.

Do you know this Gospel Truth?

Has your life been changed by the power of the Gospel?

If you are a person who needs proof, who needs evidence, then Luke is your guy! We will be going through the book of Luke together, and I hope that you will be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Yeshua (Jesus) is indeed the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer, and King of all kings!