A Look at Luke: The Importance of Eyewitnesses

by David Chadwick

The Gospel of Luke gives an account of the life of Jesus that is significant. Written by a physician with a tremendous attention to detail, Luke’s perspective was heavily focused on the important reality that God took on human flesh to accomplish his mission.

What else do we know about Luke? Let’s keep unpacking Luke 1:1-4.

Dr. Luke counted on the testimonies of actual eyewitnesses. He emphasized in verse 2 that his compilations included information delivered to him from “those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word.” It seems as though these eyewitnesses must have been the 12 apostles, minus Judas and then Matthias, and Paul. Luke must have spent countless hours talking with them, verifying their stories, and ensuring their accuracy. Since there are multiple accounts of the same stories between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one can assume they talked and compared notes.

Luke had an especially close relationship with Paul. Surely, while traveling together on missionary journeys, as is outlined in Acts 16:22 and beyond, Luke must have taken copious notes from Paul about what he knew, what he had seen, and all he heard from those around him.

In case you didn’t know, Luke also wrote the book of Acts. Luke and Acts go together. In fact, it appears Luke wrote both as one volume. This will become evident as you read Luke 24 and then Acts 1.

Between the 12 apostles, Paul, and the others, Luke received a plethora of information about Jesus in order to pen this Gospel for his primary audience, the Greek people.

Trust the Gospel of Luke. It was Dr. Luke’s account of Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension after having spent countless hours with important eyewitnesses who saw these events.

Luke desired to pass on everything he knew of the life of Jesus both to the people of that day and to us as well. His careful study of all eyewitness accounts gives credence to the gospel. Luke recounts words of people who saw and experienced Jesus. We are grateful to Luke for the number of hours he spent making the stories come alive for us.

A Look at Luke: The Beloved Physician

by David Chadwick

As we continue to learn more about Luke in order to further appreciate this New Testament author, let’s turn our eyes back to Luke 1:1-4. What else does Scripture teach us about him?

Luke was a physician. In fact, Paul called him “the beloved physician” in Colossians 4:14.

Apparently, Dr. Luke joined Paul in his missionary journeys in Acts 16:10-11, and they obviously became close friends. He may have even cared for Paul physically when he was imprisoned and/or in peril. We all know that Jesus, the Great Physician, is the ultimate supernatural healer. But it is clear through the life of Luke that God also uses gifted and competent doctors to provide exceptional care.

Why is knowing that Luke was a physician so important to fully comprehending his writings? Because doctors, by nature and practice, are aware of details. They see things that others may not see. They pay attention to intricacies that others may overlook. Having an understanding of the brilliance of medical professionals should remind us that Luke wrote this book with painstaking detail.

Luke described this Gospel as being “a narrative of all things” and an orderly account (Luke 1:1, Luke 1:3). Then in verses 3-4, Luke wrote that his desire was “to write an orderly account” for his friend, Theophilus, so that Theophilus could have “certainty concerning the things [he had] been taught.”

From the beginning of Jesus’s birth narrative in chapters 1-2 to Jesus’s resurrection in chapter 24, Luke tried to make sure that everything he wrote was true, specific, and detailed. His writings were carefully documented, checked, and rechecked to ensure accuracy.

God used all kinds of people from all different professions in order for his purposes to be accomplished on this earth. In the case of Luke, God chose a brilliant physician to document a crucial account of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Let’s keep leaning into Dr. Luke’s wisdom as his writings teach us more about Jesus!

A Look at Luke: God Took on Flesh

by David Chadwick

This week, throughout the Christmas season, and even into the new year, our church is going to be doing an in-depth study of the Gospel of Luke. After doing a brief overview of Luke himself, we will be looking more specifically at the characters at the cradle. Somewhere along the way, from the conception of Jesus until his birth, you will see how each of these characters had a divine intersection with the incarnation of Jesus– the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This week, we will focus on Luke 1:1-4. Let’s take a look at Dr. Luke. Who was he? To whom was he writing? What clues do these four verses give us into Luke’s perspective, life, and writings?

Who was the man who authored this book of the Bible? Without this piece, you will have a hard time understanding the lens with which he wrote this book.

He was a physician, evangelist, apologist, and historical writer. He was so multi-gifted, you can readily see why God chose him to write this account.

The name Luke means “light of the world.” This book is the only one of the four Gospels that was written by a Gentile and Greek, which suggests that it was primarily also written for the Gentiles and Greeks. Luke’s style presented some of the finest Greek writing in early Greek antiquity. He was obviously very intelligent and masterfully skilled in his writing craft.

Luke wanted his readers to see the fully human side of Jesus, whereas John had a stronger emphasis on Jesus being fully divine. Both of these disciples’ descriptions of Jesus are incredibly important in establishing a full and complete understanding of the Savior of the world!

If you look at the Greek statues that were sculpted during biblical times, you will quickly see how much the Greeks loved the human body. Luke’s writings, specifically in stories like The Good Samaritan, placed a strong emphasis on Jesus’s desire to care for the hurting and the sick. He also emphasized the importance of women in a culture that often degraded them.

Every day this week, we are going to look at some specific insights into the book of Luke, a beautiful Gospel that points to Jesus, the light of the world! Written by a man who deeply loved and respected Jesus.

Join me as we learn together!