MONDAY December 4, 2023
Knowing Christ with Certainty
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
The Christmas story of Christ’s birth is not a fairy tale. It is a certainty. Luke, a Greek physician who was very well educated, penned the Gospel of Luke. He recorded the complete narrative of the story in his address to Theophilus, a Roman official, because he wanted him to know personally how the events unfolded.
Interestingly, the name Theophilus means “lover of God.” Some scholars believe he chose this particular name for himself after his conversion to Christianity. It is also thought that Luke could have been his personal doctor. Whatever the background of these two individuals, Luke took the opportunity to write and share with Theophilus.
It seems Luke had already instructed Theophilus concerning the truths of the Gospel. Now he sought to give him an accurate account of Christ’s birth as received, some believe, from Mary the mother of Jesus. She was a woman known to ponder the many events she witnessed about her Son, in her heart.
As a Christian, you can share Christ’s birth with certainty to your unsaved family, friends and coworkers. Show them in the Scriptures how Christ’s birth fulfilled Scriptures in the Old Testament with pinpoint accuracy. Tell the story from the view of different witnesses––Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, the Shepherds and Wisemen. What did they see and hear? After sharing the narrative about Jesus’ birth, may they come to know Him this Christmas with an unshakeable certainly.
If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost.
~Corrie ten Boom~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
