Luke 1:1-4: An Orderly Account

June 8, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Jesus grew up in a little town called Nazareth, a small agricultural village of about four hundred people—so insignificant that no written records of it exist prior to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.^[1] Located in Galilee, the northern region of Israel, Nazareth was home to those often regarded as culturally backward, little more than country bumpkins. So when Nathanael asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46), he gave voice to what many were likely thinking. 

Even when Jesus left Nazareth, he didn't travel far. Scholars estimate that he carried out his ministry within a small region spanning roughly 150 miles from north to south. After only three years of ministry, he died the shameful death of a criminal. His followers then made the astonishing claim that he rose from the dead, leading the Roman historian Suetonius to describe Christians as "a class of men given to new and mischievous superstition."^[2] 

And yet…

Jesus' life and message transformed not only individual hearts but also the course of human history. Although he never held a political office, commanded an army or wrote a book, by the end of his earthly life, he had gathered several thousand followers. By AD 100, followers of Jesus could be found in forty regions of the world. By the fourth century, despite severe persecution, Christianity had spread throughout the Middle East, Asia Minor, North Africa, and southern and western Europe. 

In AD 313, the Roman emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, granting Christianity legal status within the Roman Empire. Then, in AD 380, Emperor Theodosius I issued the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. 

Today, a Google search for Jesus yields billions of results, which ranks "Jesus" in the number one position of all Google searches.^[3] Even more striking, every digital device that displays the date does so according to a calendar shaped by his coming. History is divided into BC, referring to the time before Christ and AD, from the Latin, anno Domini, meaning "in the year of our Lord".^[4] Think about it: every time you turn on your smart phone, it quietly reports the date in terms that bear witness to Jesus and his lasting impact on human history!

Jesus is a man we need to know, and that will be our aim as we journey together through the Gospel of Luke. "Who is this man, Jesus?" is the question Luke passionately answers and he states that purpose from the very first verses.  

Luke 1:1-4
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. 

Luke is writing to a man named Theophilus, whose name means "God loved." He gives him the title "most excellent." We don't know exactly who Theophilus was. He may have been a Roman official^[5] or a wealthy patron who helped cover the costs of writing, copying, and distributing this book, along with Acts, Luke's second volume, which was also addressed to Theophilus. 

By the time Luke wrote his Gospel around AD 60, several other written accounts about Jesus were already being shared among the churches. These accounts were based on testimony of eyewitnesses and disciples, whom Luke calls "ministers of the word." The Greek word translated "inasmuch" appears only here in the New Testament. Luke is "setting out the reason he is writing an account of Jesus' life when there are several already in existence."^[6] He may have been referring to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, though we cannot know for sure. Luke is not suggesting that those earlier writings were lacking. Instead, God led him to compile an "orderly account,"^[7] a carefully arranged record of Christ's life.

Luke was not one of the original disciples, nor was he an eyewitness to Jesus' life. Instead, he wrote this orderly account by diligently interviewing those who had witnessed these events firsthand and by conducting thorough research. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was almost certainly among those he consulted, with the first two chapters likely reflecting information he gathered from her. Through his meticulous research, Luke provided Theophilus—and us—with a wealth of uniquely detailed material. In fact, the stories in Luke 9:51-19:27 are not found in any other Gospel. 

Luke's main point was this: he wanted Theophilus, and everyone who has put their faith in Jesus, to know that their faith is based on truth. As Luke wrote, he wanted his readers to "have certainty concerning the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:4). In this way, Luke serves as an apologist, showing us what our faith is built on and why it can be trusted. 

Knowing what we believe and why we believe it–that is the passionate heartbeat of Luke's Gospel, and it should also be the passionate heartbeat of every believer. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Luke 1:1-4. How confident are you that your faith is grounded in the historical truth of Jesus? 

Talking to God: What steps could you take to deepen your understanding of the evidence Luke presents?

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