Scripture to Read: Luke 1:5–7
When God led Luke to write, all Christians in Luke’s day were already familiar with the life of Jesus, having learned about it from both the oral accounts passed down by the original disciples and the biographies that had been written, as noted in Luke 1:2, “handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.” By using the word “us,” Luke placed himself within the community of Christians who fully believed and received the accounts of Jesus’ life. To understand who Luke was, he was a companion of Paul, as noted in Acts 16:10–11, 2 Timothy 4:11, and Philemon 1:24. We also see in Colossians 4:14 that Paul referred to Luke as “the beloved physician.” Luke was a doctor, and therefore a man of science and research, which is reflected in his account of the life of Jesus. We read in Luke 1:5–7, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.” God had Luke begin by introducing Zacharias and Elizabeth so all would know how God used these two to bring about His perfect plan for the coming Messiah—a great reminder that God desires to use us for His glory too.
Challenge & Application
We know Luke fully believed and received the accounts of Jesus’ life, so, how do you prove to others that you have done the same?
We, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, may seem of little importance, but how has God used you to bring glory to Him through your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!