Truth Revealed

TRUTH REVEALED

a prayer to open

Open my eyes and help me to see you.

Open my heart and help me to know you.

Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. . . . Zechariah and [his wife] Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. . . .

While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. . . . Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision. . . .

Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Tempted as we are to jump right into the story of Jesus, we must pause and consider Luke’s opening lines, which ground us firmly in the reality that this is no made-up story. Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection were events that could be carefully investigated. Luke conducted interviews with eyewitnesses—people who saw, heard, and touched Jesus himself. Some probably saw Jesus from afar or gathered to hear him on hillsides. Others likely ate meals with him, walked alongside him, and felt his touch on their shoulders. Something unbelievable had happened, and Luke sought to preserve the facts, the teachings, the miracles, and the truth that a new chapter of history had begun in Jesus Christ. May Luke’s account reveal to us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the certainty about who Jesus, our God and Savior, is.

• How does Luke’s statement that he “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” influence your view of the rest of what he says?
• As you begin your journey through the book of Luke, what do you desire for God to show you about who Jesus is?
• What does today’s passage reveal to you about the coming Jesus?

Father, thank you for your saving grace and my new life in Jesus Christ! Allow me to encounter you and gain understanding of your presence as I read Luke’s account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Give me ears to hear your words to me, strengthen my faith, and transform my desires so I can better follow your ways. Amen.