Fairy tales typically start with the words “Once upon a time in a land far away.” Right away you know this is a made up story usually with fantastical features. Compare that with the beginning of the Gospel of Luke: “Many have undertaken to plan and write a story of what has been done among us, just as we heard it from those who from the first became eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. For this reason I, too, decided to check everything carefully from the beginning and to write it down in the proper order for you, excellent Theophilus, so that you will be sure what you have heard is true. When Herod was king in the country of the Jews, there was a priest by the name of Zacharias. He belonged to the division of priests named after Abijah. His wife was a descendent of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth . . .” (Luke 1:1-4).
Incredible Detail
Luke proceeds to write in detail about the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then in chapter with great historical and geographical precision, Luke jumps to the ministry of John the Baptizer: “In the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod ruled Galilee, his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis, Lysanias ruled Abiline, and Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. Then God spoke to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. He went into the whole Jordan valley and preached . . .” (Luke 3:1-3).
Recorded History
Luke goes on to record in matter-of-fact prose the life, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ in more details connecting it to the real world. Then Luke records the history of the early Christian movement in his Acts of the Apostles, which he knew from personal interaction with those who knew Jesus and his accompanying Paul on his missionary journeys, also with historical and geographical detail.
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[b] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5: 12-16
These Things are Written
Nothing in extrabiblical history, geography, archeology can prove anything written in Scripture as false, from Genesis to Revelation. And there is much that corroborates it. All for this purpose: “These things are written so that you believe Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and be believing have life in His name.” (John 20:31).
