The Certainty of Things Fulfilled Text: Luke 1:1-4
Introduction: History, Not Mythology
We live in an age that is deeply suspicious of historical claims, particularly when those claims have to do with God. The modern mind wants its religion to be a private, subjective affair, a matter of personal feeling and sentiment, untethered to the brutish world of facts, dates, and eyewitness testimony. But the Christian faith will have none of that. Our faith is not a gauzy myth or a therapeutic fable. It is history. It is a report of events that happened in real time, in a real place, under the watchful eye of real people.
The Gospel of Luke makes this clear from the very first sentence. Luke does not begin with "once upon a time." He begins like a first-rate classical historian, laying out his sources, his methodology, and his purpose. This prologue is a direct challenge to any attempt to relegate the story of Jesus to the realm of pious fiction. Luke is effectively grabbing the reader by the lapels and saying, "Listen. What I am about to tell you is not something we made up. It is not a collection of campfire stories. This is a carefully researched, orderly account of events that were publicly fulfilled and witnessed by many."
This is of the utmost importance. If the events of the gospel did not happen, then our faith is in vain, and we are still in our sins. If Jesus did not really live, die, and rise from the dead, then Christianity is the most colossal fraud ever perpetrated on mankind. But if these things did happen, then they are the most important events in the history of the world, and they demand a response from every person who has ever lived. Luke is not writing to give us warm feelings; he is writing to give us cold, hard certainty. He is presenting his two-volume work, Luke-Acts, as a legal and historical brief, an unshakeable foundation for our faith.
And he is addressing it to a man of high rank, a man named Theophilus. The title "most excellent" is a formal honorific, used for Roman governors like Felix and Festus in the book of Acts. Some have speculated that Theophilus was a wealthy patron who financed Luke's research. A more compelling possibility, in my view, is that he was Theophilus ben Ananus, who served as the High Priest in Jerusalem from 37 to 41 A.D. If this is the case, then Luke's gospel and the book of Acts are not just a letter to a friend, but a formal, apologetic work addressed to a high-ranking official who was in a position to investigate these claims. Luke is presenting the evidence, making his case before the authorities. He is arguing that the Christian faith is not a subversive, back-alley cult, but is in fact the fulfillment of everything God had promised to Israel.
The Text
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as those, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty about the things you have been taught.
(Luke 1:1-4 LSB)
A Crowded Field (v. 1)
We begin with Luke's acknowledgment of the context in which he is writing.
"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us," (Luke 1:1)
Luke is not the first person to write about Jesus. He tells us that "many" have already undertaken this task. This is not a criticism. It is a statement of fact that shows the monumental impact Jesus of Nazareth had on the world. His life, death, and resurrection were not done in a corner. They were public events that generated a flurry of activity and documentation. People were talking, writing, and compiling accounts of what had happened.
But notice the crucial phrase: "the things that have been fulfilled among us." Luke is not just talking about interesting events. He is talking about prophecy brought to completion. The life of Jesus was the grand finale of a story that God had been writing for centuries. From Genesis onward, God had been making promises, dropping hints, and painting pictures of the Messiah who was to come. Luke's central argument, which he will carry through both his gospel and the book of Acts, is that Jesus is the fulfillment of all those promises. The Old Testament Scriptures were the blueprint; the life of Christ was the glorious building. This is why, after His resurrection, Jesus walked the disciples through the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus, "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27).
These things were fulfilled "among us." This is the language of community and shared experience. The Christian faith is not a solitary pursuit. It was born in a community that saw these things, experienced them together, and bore witness to them as a body. Luke is part of this "us." He is an insider to the movement, reporting on what his own people have seen and heard.
The Unimpeachable Sources (v. 2)
Next, Luke identifies the source of all these accounts, including his own.
"just as those, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, handed them down to us," (Luke 1:2)
Where did the information come from? It came from the people who were there. It came from the "eyewitnesses." This is a profoundly important claim. Christianity is not based on hearsay or legend that developed over centuries. It is based on the direct testimony of people who walked with Jesus, heard His teaching, saw His miracles, witnessed His crucifixion, and touched His resurrected body. These are the apostles, the women at the tomb, and the hundreds of others who saw the risen Lord.
Luke, who was a companion of the apostle Paul, had access to these primary sources. When you read the infancy narratives in Luke's gospel, with their intimate details about Mary's thoughts and feelings, it is almost certain that Luke got this information directly from Mary herself. He is functioning as a careful investigative journalist, interviewing the key players to get the story straight.
But these sources were not just passive observers. They were also "servants of the word." This is a rich phrase. The "word" (logos) refers to the message of the gospel, the story of Jesus. These eyewitnesses did not just see something; they were entrusted with a message that they were commissioned to deliver. They were servants, bound to faithfully transmit what they had seen and heard. Their testimony was not a casual reminiscence; it was a sacred duty. They "handed them down" to the next generation, establishing a chain of apostolic tradition rooted in historical fact.
The Meticulous Historian (v. 3)
Having established the context and the sources, Luke now states his own qualifications and purpose.
"it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in orderly sequence, most excellent Theophilus," (Luke 1:3)
Luke presents himself as a meticulous, first-rate historian. He is a physician by trade, a man trained in careful observation and diagnosis. And his writing reflects this precision. He tells us he has "investigated everything carefully from the beginning." The Greek here implies a diligent, thorough, and painstaking investigation. He has tracked down the sources, compared the accounts, and followed the trail of evidence right back to the start.
His intention is to write an "orderly sequence." This does not necessarily mean a strict, minute-by-minute chronology, but rather a logical, thematic, and coherent narrative. He is taking the raw data from the eyewitnesses and arranging it in a way that makes the theological and historical significance plain. He is a masterful storyteller, but the story he is telling is true.
The polished, sophisticated Greek of this prologue, and indeed of the entire two-volume work, shows that Luke was a highly educated man, comfortable in the literary world of his day. He is not some unlettered peasant. He is a scholar presenting a carefully crafted work to a high-ranking official, designed to withstand scrutiny. He is making a case for the truth of Christianity in the public square.
The Goal is Certainty (v. 4)
Finally, Luke states his ultimate goal for writing. It is a pastoral goal, rooted in his concern for Theophilus.
"so that you may know the certainty about the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:4)
The goal is certainty. The Greek word is asphaleia, from which we get our word "asphalt." It means firmness, stability, security, sureness. Luke is writing to lay a firm, unshakeable foundation for faith. Theophilus has already received some instruction in the Christian faith ("the things you have been taught"). But Luke wants to move him from a basic understanding to a deep, settled conviction. He wants him to know that what he believes is not based on rumor or wishful thinking, but on a solid foundation of verifiable, historical fact.
This is a direct assault on the modern notion that faith is a leap in the dark. Biblical faith is not blind. It is a reasonable trust based on sufficient evidence. God has not asked us to believe fairytales. He has acted in history, and He has given us a reliable record of those actions. He has provided us with eyewitness testimony, fulfilled prophecy, and the powerful work of the Holy Spirit so that our faith might rest on the rock of His faithfulness, not the sand of our own feelings.
Conclusion: A Faith Built on Facts
Luke's introduction is more than just a literary preface. It is a manifesto for a faith grounded in reality. It tells us that the Christian story is a true story. It is a story of "things fulfilled," prophesied for centuries and brought to pass in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is a story attested by "eyewitnesses," men and women who saw these things with their own eyes and faithfully passed on what they saw. It is a story "carefully investigated" by a competent historian who was committed to getting the facts straight. And it is a story written to give us "certainty," a firm foundation upon which to build our lives.
This is the nature of the gospel we have received. It is not a call to abandon our reason, but to submit it to the facts of God's revelation. Luke-Acts is a two-part testimony. The first part, the gospel, details everything that Jesus began to do and teach. The second part, Acts, details what Jesus continued to do and teach through His body, the church, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The story did not end when Jesus ascended. It continues in us. We have not seen Him with our own eyes, but we have the reliable testimony of those who did. And we have the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, confirming the truth of this word in our own hearts. Therefore, we can have the same certainty as Theophilus. We can know that the things we have been taught are true. And because they are true, they have the power to change everything.