Certain about Jesus

Luke 1:1–4 NIV

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 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, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

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A Credible Account

Luke 1:1–3 NIV

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,

Biography of Luke

The book doesn’t claim Luke authored it, but from earliest tradition it has been accepted.

Luke

The beloved physician who traveled with Paul

Colossians 4:14 “14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.”

Traveled with Paul (“we” passages in Acts)

Maybe but not necessarily a gentile

Background of the Book

Written to Theophilus along with Acts

Luke 1:4 NIV

4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Acts 1:1–2 NIV

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Methods of the Book

Eyewitness accounts

Historical detail

Luke 2:1–3 NIV

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

A Purposeful Account

Luke 1:4 NIV

4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

He writes with purpose

He doesn’t write

Melodic line: L-A provides certainty that a savior has come to bring salvation to the world in the person of Jesus by recording the historical events of his life and his followers continuation of that work after his ascension.

Inherits the expectation of Genesis (Adamic genealogy)

Moves to Jerusalem and then from Jerusalem

Luke 9:51 NIV

51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Acts 1:8 NIV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 28:28–30 NIV

28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 29 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

Why is this account necessary?

Providing Certainty

Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Conclave)

My brothers and sisters, in the course of a long life in the service of our Mother the Church, let me tell you that the one sin I have come to fear more than any other is certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance. Even Christ was not certain at the end. He cried out in His agony at the ninth hour on the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty, and if there was no doubt, there would be no mystery, and therefore no need for faith. . . . Let us pray that the Lord will grant us a Pope who doubts, and by his doubts continues to make the Catholic faith a living thing that may inspire the whole world. Let Him grant us a Pope who sins, and asks forgiveness, and carries on.

Totally like whatever, you know? – Taylor Mali

In case you hadn’t noticed, it has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you’re talking about? Or believe strongly in what you’re saying? Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)’s have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences? Even when those sentences aren’t, like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences—so-­‐called because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true, okay, as opposed to other things are, like, totally, you know, not— (Declarative sentences) have been infected by a totally hip and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know? Like, don’t think I’m uncool just because I’ve noticed this; this is just like the word on the street, you know? It’s like what I’ve heard? I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay? I’m just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our conviction? Where are the limbs out on which we once walked? Have they been, like, chopped down with the rest of the rain forest? Or do we have, like, nothing to say? Has society become so, like, totally . . . I mean absolutely . . . You know? That we’ve just gotten to the point where it’s just, like . . . whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness is just a clever sort of . . . thing to disguise the fact that we’ve become the most aggressively inarticulate generation to come along since . . . you know, a long, long time ago!

I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you, I challenge you: To speak with conviction.

To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it. Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY. You have to speak with it, too.

The problem with certainty is that we want certainty about all the wrong things

Certainty about the future

Certainty about the rules

Certainty about the details

Luke’s certainty is a person

Faith takes the revelation of the person of Jesus and then acts based upon who he is and what he says

Certainty comes from that person – that person is what Luke will present to us in this book