“So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught …” ~ Luke, follower of Jesus and teller of his story (Luke 1:1-4, The Message)

For six months now we’ve read the story of one man whose set out to research, evaluate, and wrestle with all the evidence about the man named Jesus. Overwhelmed by both this evidence and his personal experiences, Luke came to believe the man from Nazareth was so much more than just a man–Jesus was and is the Son of God. He then recorded his conclusion in a letter to “Theophilus” and to us, to make sure the truth of what he discovered continued to find voice.

But what about you? Have you carefully investigated what it is that you believe? Have you wrestled with the truth, examined all the facts, considered the implications for yourself and others? And have you made a determination on the man named Jesus? Is He simply a good man to you, or is He the Son of God?

Your answer to the above determines what you do next. If you’ve examined the evidence and found it lacking, there is nothing left to do but discard it and take your quest for truth elsewhere.

If, however, you’ve scoured Luke’s story, searched the stories of others, examined the evidence in your own life and have discovered Jesus of Nazareth to be everything we’ve ever hoped for and everything God ever promised for the redemption of humanity, then it’s your turn. Your turn to write your own story. Your turn to make your life into a letter on which the redemption of God is written and read by those you meet.

It’s your turn.

Have you ever received news that seemed too good to be true? I was recently watching the local news when a story aired about a Denver couple, who, after calling their mortgage lender, were congratulated and told that their mortgage had been paid in full, and their account was now closed. Though they knew they were close to paying off this debt, they had no idea they were that close. They decided to seek the help of an investigative journalist at one of our local stations. After a week of investigative phone calls to the lender, the account mysteriously reopened, and sure enough the couple had about $20,000 left to pay on their mortgage.

Ugggh. Can you imagine? Talk about hopes rising and falling. It reminds a little of the story we see unfold in Luke 24. Devastated by the death of Jesus, three women approached the tomb on the third day, only to find it empty. I can only imagine what they must have thought and felt in that moment. I’m sure they were taken back to the last days they had spent with Christ when He had clearly told His followers that He would raise from the dead on the third day. But in the tragic moment of His death many thought it was just too good to be true, and soon dismissed the idea all together.

“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Luke 24:9, 11

Friends, the hope that is available to us who believe in Christ is unimaginable at times. We get caught up in our earthly trials and circumstances and the very thought of eternity in Heaven with our Lord seems like nonsense. Do you suppose if we tried with all our might to focus heavenward, rather than on the earthly, that hope might be more realistic? Not just too good to be true, but true!?!

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14