How the Gospels Begin—Luke - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
Luke 1:1-4

How the Gospels Begin—Luke
Luke, the beloved physician, a Gentile, collected information from those who had personally known and had served the One whom he calls "the Word," our Lord Jesus Christ. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he arranged the information he had acquired in order and wrote this Book for a person, probably also a Gentile convert, whom he addresses as "most excellent Theophilus." Although he begins his narrative with the events leading up to the births of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, and of Jesus Himself, he uses a moral order, grouping related subjects rather than confining himself to the chronological order of events.

Luke presents the humanity of Jesus. We often see Him in prayer and frequently see Him in homes and at the table. But Luke is careful to emphasize from the very beginning who this wonderful Man truly is: the Son of the Highest, the Holy One, the Son of God, the One given the throne of David, the Ruler over the house of Jacob forever, the Lord, the Dayspring from on high.

Luke gives us details of the announcement of Jesus' birth, of events preceding this, of the events surrounding and following His birth. We hear a story of His childhood; we are given His full ancestry, His baptism, and how He successfully resisted the temptations set before Him. The perfections of His manhood shine before us, while we see how sinful men had no desire for Him.

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.