So That You May Know the Certainty

Reflection

History has been passed down for thousands of years. Long before we had the technology we have today, people told stories, recorded events, and passed what they knew from one generation to another. I have always been fascinated by the ancient world and by the way historians from those times tried to understand and record what had happened. People were curious then just as we are now. They wanted to know what was true, what had really happened, and whether what they had heard could be trusted.

The Gospel was no different. By the time Luke wrote his Gospel, decades had passed since Jesus had walked the earth, died on the cross, risen from the grave, and ascended into heaven. There were people who had heard the message about Jesus, and there were others who wanted to know more. Was Jesus really who His followers said He was? Did these things actually happen? Was He truly the Son of God?

A Carefully Investigated Truth

Luke's opening words are important because he did not present the Gospel as some rumor that had simply been passed from one person to another. He tells Theophilus that he had carefully investigated these things and was writing them in an orderly way so that he could know the certainty of what he had been taught. Luke wanted his reader to have confidence in the truth of the Gospel.

That means something to me because people are still asking the same questions today. Did Jesus really exist? Was He really the Son of God? Did He really die and rise again? Can we trust what the Gospel tells us? We live thousands of years after these events, yet the questions have not changed very much. People still want evidence. They still want to know whether the things they have heard about Jesus are actually true.

Our faith is not built on a rumor that grew over time—it rests upon the testimony of those who witnessed Christ.

Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

Luke points us back to something important. The message about Jesus did not come from one person making up a story in isolation. The Gospel accounts came from people who had seen, heard, investigated, remembered, and proclaimed what had happened. Luke himself tells us that many had taken in hand to set forth an account of those things that were believed among them, and he carefully considered what had been handed down.

Peter spoke with that same certainty. In 2 Peter 1:16, he said, "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables," because he had been an eyewitness of the majesty of Jesus. Peter wasn't talking about something he had heard secondhand from someone else. He had seen Jesus with his own eyes, and he testified to what he knew.

Peter also pointed his readers toward the prophetic word, saying in 2 Peter 1:19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy." The message of Christ was proclaimed by eyewitnesses, confirmed through Scripture, and carried forward by those who had personally encountered the risen Lord. These men were not simply passing along an interesting story. They were testifying to something they believed to be true because they had seen it for themselves.

Certainty for Our Own Faith

And that is where this becomes personal for us. We may not have stood beside the empty tomb. We may not have heard Jesus teach on the hillside or watched Him ascend into heaven. Yet we have the testimony that was carefully recorded and preserved for us. Luke wrote so that Theophilus could know the certainty of what he had been taught, and that same Gospel has been handed down to us.

There will always be people who question the truth. Some will question whether Jesus existed, some will question His identity, and others will question whether the Gospel can really be trusted. We don't have to be shaken every time someone asks a question. We can go back to the Word of God and remember that our faith is not built on a rumor that grew over time. It rests upon the testimony of those who witnessed Christ and faithfully proclaimed what they knew.

Anchor your heart in the truth—
Walk with confidence in the certainty of His Word.

Before You Go

There may be times when someone else's questions make you question your own faith. You may hear an argument against Christianity, encounter someone who doubts Jesus, or simply find yourself wondering about something you have never really examined for yourself. Questions do not have to be the end of your faith. They can send you back to the Word, where you can seek the truth and remember what you have been given.

John wrote his own words of encouragement for believers who needed this assurance. 1 John 5:13 says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." God did not leave us without a testimony. He gave us His Word so that we could know, believe, and have confidence in Christ.

So when the world questions the truth of the Gospel, remember why Luke wrote. He wanted Theophilus to know the certainty of what he had been taught, and God has given that testimony to us as well. You can keep looking to Jesus, keep reading His Word, and keep trusting the One who is the truth.