Our guide, Meir, March 2000.
Our guide, Hedva, March 2020
Israel, Then & Now
Imagine twenty-plus years ago. March 2000. We had dodged the Y2K panic and flown safely across the Atlantic; endured a 9-hour layover in Munich, Germany; and were three days into our first tour of Israel. The Holy Land. Dream come true.
After three glorious days in the rolling hills of Galilee, we piled into our bus and headed south. Within thirty minutes, the lush green landscape and tropical climate began to change, and within an hour, we were traveling the barren gray rocks of the Judean wilderness.
About thirty minutes later, our tour guide, Meir—a late fifty-something, retired tank-commander—reached for a cassette tape, loaded it into the bus’s stereo system, and pushed, Play. The road ahead curved right, and the late afternoon sun gleamed on Jerusalem’s famed Golden Dome. At that exact moment, every speaker on the bus resounded with crashing cymbals and angelic singers:
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna to your King!
Meir lifted the microphone and spoke through quaking lips. “I am a fifth-generation Jerusalem Jew, and I welcome you to my Golden City.” Oooooooooh, my sakes! Even twenty years later I get chill bumps remembering it!
Not Just Any Guide
That’s when I realized what a precious gift our guide was. He didn’t just recite facts or expound on architecture. He conveyed with passion the significant details about the Land Yahweh chose for His people. They were Meir’s people too, Meir’s country. And I believe it was partly his passion that conceived in me this deep love for God’s Promised Land—a unique and precious gem on the crown of Creation.
You see, sometimes the guide makes all the difference.
About 2000 years ago (somewhere between A.D. 59-63), a physician named Luke took on the role of guide when he sat down to write a detailed accounting of the Jewish Messiah that changed his life. His dear friend, Theophilus, was skeptical about Luke’s conversion and wanted hard facts before he could believe all the Christian hocus-pocus and risk persecution. Rumors and legends about the crucified Jewish “Christ” had escalated for twenty years. He just didn’t know which story to believe.
Letting Luke Guide Us
So Luke, guided by THE best Guide [God’s Holy Spirit] set out to chronicle the life of Jesus in order to convince his friend of the unalterable Truth.
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4
Most experts believe both Luke and Theophilus were Gentiles (“Gentile,” simply meaning anyone not Jewish by birth or conversion). So this Gospel was written by a Gentile to a Gentile for the education and affirmation of all Gentiles.
My very first Bible software [Compton’s Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.] explained it this way:
“It was written to strengthen the faith of all believers and to answer the attacks of unbelievers. It was presented to displace disconnected and ill-founded reports about Jesus. Luke wanted to show that the place of the Gentile Christian in God’s kingdom is based on the teaching of Jesus.”
Before Jesus Christ was born in human flesh, Israel was God’s chosen nation to bring His covenant to fruition. When Jesus shed His perfect blood to wash away the sin of imperfect people, we Gentiles reaped a harvest of eternity no longer bound to a single nation.
So Dr. Luke sought to be a guide to those of us who might not ever get to wander the hills, valleys and wilderness of Israel. Two millennia later, we know the Eternal Guide used his words to change the course of history for all time. His words have certainly changed my personal history–how ’bout yours?
Important facts to keep in mind about Luke’s Gospel:
- He explains Jewish customs that other Gospel writers assume their readers know.
- He traces Jesus’ parentage all the way back to Adam, rather than stopping at Abraham.
- His gospel is really the first book of a two-volume set. Acts is the companion book, describing the years immediately following Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension.
- Luke is a physician, trained to observe small details with an analytical mind.
- Notice he says he has “carefully investigated everything,” which experts believe means extensive interviews with the original disciples and possibly even the Lord’s mother. Luke records details about Christ’s birth and childhood that no other gospel writer describes.
Today’s Prayer
- Lord, open our eyes to see more than details, locations and concepts. Teach us to allow You to guide our intellect and our hearts and emotions. Let every eye that caresses Your words know they have encountered more than just a guide. May we encounter You.
