Luke is the meticulous, investigative journalist. He wants us, his readers, to know that what we have heard about Jesus is true and worthy of believing. Unlike the other gospels, which were based on personal recollections, Luke traveled the ancient world interviewing countless witnesses and gathering evidence. Throughout his account he presents Jesus in all his historical detail; interacting with everyday people in real places at real times. He heals the sick, raises the dead, debates with the intellectuals of his day, and confronts the ruling elites. And through all these encounters he proclaims “the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19) and inaugurates a kingdom of forgiveness, healing, and hope. Luke wants us to see Jesus as he is so that we might “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”