Knowing for Sure

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series for Advent, “Knowing for Sure”. Over the next four weeks and into Christmas we’ll be looking at the opening chapters of Luke.

I wonder if you’ve ever wavered in your certainty about Christian things? We want to communicate to others a confidence in Jesus and yet it might be that deep down inside we have our doubts. It must have been difficult for the earliest Christians as they listened to stories about Jesus passed onto them - yes, Jesus would have been a compelling character and they could see the obvious work of the Spirit amongst them and yet… it would be easy to understand why some of them wavered.

Luke, the third evangelist, writes into this situation. He tells the recipient of his gospel, “most excellent Theophilus” that he has put together his account of the life of Jesus so that Theophilus “may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:4) He longs for Theophilus to know for sure and he’s gone to great pains researching carefully and putting it all together (Luke 1:3) so that Theophilus can be certain.

The gospel message about Jesus which we share in together and which many more will explore soon at Christmas is something about which we don’t have to be uncertain. The life of Jesus is the most well-attested event in ancient history. Not only can we trust the many different historical sources that tell of him but (as we’ll see Luke show us) Jesus also lives out the most remarkable fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and expectation.

This Advent and Christmas our prayer is that it will be a season of knowing for sure about Jesus. Not just for you, but also for those that we trust you will be inviting to come and hear more about Jesus.

David Ould
Senior Associate Minister