The Very Big Story About Jesus (Luke 1:1-4) Series

You know how you have the moments…

Maybe a phone call… or a conversation…

Where there’s a lot of small talk going on…

But you’re waiting for the reason for the call or conversation…

Like maybe one of your kids rings you…

And there’s a lot of small talk…

And the whole time you’re thinking…

What’s the problem… what do you need?

But then after 5 minutes, you think – “ohh maybe I was wrong…”

It was just a casual chat…

So, after a minute, you say, “Ok great chatting, gotta go…”

And THEN they say…

“Oh, actually, my car and bank account are broken…”

And you’re like… THERE IT IS…

THAT’S the reason for the call…

Well, the Gospel of Luke isn’t like that…

Luke lays it all out in the first four verses…

There’s no small talk…

He’s telling you upfront what his intention is – in writing to Theophilus…

that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

You see:

Matthew wrote with the Jew in mind…

Mark wrote with the Roman in mind…

John wrote with the non-Christian in mind…

But our man Luke wrote with the Christian in mind.

…that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

I’m writing so you can have

• Confidence in the gospel…

• Assurance of God’s love in his Son Jesus…

• Certainty about the person and work of Jesus the Christ…

His purpose is to offer the basis of assurance to the Christian…

That the gospel is trustworthy… reliable… historical…

So, Luke begins in verses 1-2 by saying:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished (fulfilled) among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,

So, Luke says, listen, the story about Jesus it’s big…

I’m not the only bloke to have written about Jesus…

Many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been fulfilled …

In other words, as the Old Testament prophesies were fulfilled…

Or as redemption was accomplished…

And the word “accomplished” is a perfect tense…

Which is used of a past action that has present results…

So, he’s writing about what Jesus accomplished or fulfilled on earth…

That is currently turning the world upside down…

Luke is saying that the whole O.T. not only POINTED TO but was ACCOMPLISHED in JESUS…

• The Levitical laws…

• The judicial laws…

They all pointed to and were accomplished in Jesus…

It’s why in Luke 24:27 we’re told that “…beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,

he (Jesus) interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Jesus interpreted all the Old Testament…

To show them:

• The things concerning Him…

• The law that prepared us for Jesus…

• And the prophets that pointed us to Jesus…

That the Law and the prophets… were accomplished or fulfilled in Jesus…

In Luke 24:44 Jesus confirmed that saying:

“THAT EVERYTHING WRITTEN ABOUT ME…

in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms MUST BE FULFILLED.”

Must be accomplished…

And remember the word “accomplished” is a perfect tense…

That is, was fulfilled in the past – but the results are still in the present…

I’m writing about the redemption ACCOMPLISHED in Christ in the PAST…

But its effects are still unfolding in the PRESENT…

Similar to how if you have ever had a FEARSOME REBUKE in the past…

While it was a past event it has ongoing effects…

So, your Dad rebuked you… but years later His words are STILL RINGING IN YOUR EARS.

That is, while it happened in the past - it still has ongoing effects.

So, given all Jesus ACCOMPLISHED… FULFILLED…

Given all those who were eyewitnesses of the PAST…

And ministers of the WORD…

Given how:

• Mark wrote to the Romans…

• Matthew to the Jews…

• And John to the lost…

Luke said, “it seemed good to me also…”

Look at verse 3…

it seemed good to me also,

having followed all things closely (carefully) for some time past,

to write an orderly account (Kateches) for you, most excellent Theophilus,

It seemed good to me…

That is…

Luke, “the beloved physician” according to Col. 4:14

The “fellow worker” according to Philemon 24

The faithful fellow worker, according to 2Tim 4:11 where Paul wrote from jail saying,

“Luke alone is with me…”

Given that he had followed all things about Christ CLOSELY… or carefully for a long time…

It seemed good to him… to write an ORDERLY account

The Greek word used there – is where we get the English word catechism…

It means to provide a systematic… logical… an orderly account of Christ’s life…

It’s why Luke’s gospel gives more space to the birth and infancy of Jesus…