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.