Luke 1:1-4
"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed," Luke 1:1-4. Today we will begin our study of going verse by verse through the Gospel According to Luke. We will start by looking at who Luke is and how God used him. It is apparent that Luke was a humble man. He was not trying to make a name for himself, nor was he trying to build his own little kingdom by way of the ministry. In writing the Gospel According to Luke and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, he did not give his own name. He wasn't trying to draw attention to himself. Luke was pointing people to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and to the work the Lord did in and through the church in the first century.
According to tradition, Luke came from Antioch in Syria. He was a Gentile, saved by the grace of God. He may be the only New Testament author from a Gentile background. According to Luke 1:1-4, Luke was not an eyewitness of the events recorded in the book of Luke. Though he was not one of the original followers of Jesus Christ, Luke was a man of learning who searched out the information needed and consulted eyewitnesses in the writing of his gospel account. It is obvious that he was able to spend time with Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and get specific information about the angel appearing to Mary, Mary's visit with her cousin Elisabeth, John the Baptist's mother; Mary's song of praise; the birth of John the Baptist, the prophecy of Zacharias, John the Baptist's father. And then we get into Luke 2 with the birth of Christ; the shepherds and the angels; Jesus's dedication in the temple. We read about Simeon and of Anna a prophetess. Also in Luke 2 we read about Christ when He was left at Jerusalem in the Temple and how "they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." Luke 2 ends with "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man," Luke 2:52.
In Luke 3 we see the detail of a historian. "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness," Luke 3:1-2. As a historian, Luke is setting the stage for the ministry of John the Baptist, and the public ministry of Christ.
Luke was more than just a historian, he was also a physician. "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you," Colossians 4:14. Think about how beneficial this would be for the apostle Paul. "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep," II Corinthians 11:23-25. Turn also to Galatians 4:15; Acts 14:19-20; 16:22-24. The Lord provided Paul with someone who would be able to doctor his wounds.
Luke was more than just a historian and a physician, he was a faithful missionary who traveled with the apostle Paul proclaiming the gospel to all. Luke was faithful to the end of Paul's life. "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry," II Timothy 4:9-11. According to tradition, Luke died at the age of 84. Some say he died of old age, others say he was a martyr and died by being hung from an olive tree. Though there are things that we do not know about Luke, we do know that the Lord saved his soul, and used him in the ministry. I do want to stress again that Luke was not trying to be a known person, no, he was humbly serving his Lord and Saviour. God used Luke to greatly advance the Kingdom of God. With the vocation and wisdom that Luke had, he could have led a very comfortable life enjoying the finer things in life, but instead, like Moses, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward," Hebrews 11:25-26.
God has given each of us abilities, talents. God has given his church gifts. Ultimately, we are to use what God has given us for His honour and glory, and for the furtherance of His Kingdom. There is a cost involved in this. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon," Matthew 6:24. Turn to Matthew 16:21-28. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; ad the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it," Matthew 10:34-39.
Some ask the question, is Christ worth serving? I have never heard of a Christian on their death bed saying they regretted serving Christ, but we have heard multitudes say they wish they had served Him more. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: Thay ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises," Hebrews 6:10-12. "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord," Matthew 25:23.
Christ is worthy to serve. What are you presently doing for the Lord? May the Lord grant us grace to learn and apply the book of Luke as we study it.
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
