Sometime back in the 1950s, the Allstate Insurance Company’s marketing group was struggling to come up with a slogan for the company’s first major national advertising campaign. As the team was ready to quit after an empty day of brainstorming, sales executive Davis Ellis remembered a reassuring comment his wife made to him months earlier when their child was sick in the hospital.
She told him, “The hospital said not to worry. We’re in good hands with the doctor.” It was then that one of the most memorable ad slogans ever was born: “You’re in good hands with Allstate.”
If I was given the task of advertising the New Testament book of Luke (one of the four narratives of the life of Jesus), I would go back to the phrase that inspired Allstate’s famous slogan: “You’re in good hands with the doctor.”
Why? Because it’s true in more ways than one. The author himself (Luke) was a beloved doctor (Colossians 4:14). Obviously, Dr. Luke was highly educated, but he was also a careful reporter who investigated the facts about Jesus from the very beginning (Luke 1:3).
Another important reason to trust the book of Luke is that the good doctor got his information from firsthand testimonies. Unlike other accounts not found in the Bible (that were written several decades after the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life were gone), Luke personally knew several of the key eyewitnesses—namely Paul and James the half-brother of Jesus.
Of course, we also recognize that Luke, along with all the human authors of the Bible, wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16).
So rest assured, readers of the book of Luke (and all of God’s Word!), you’re in good hands.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 2 Samuel 18:1-18
More:
Read Acts 1:1-2 and consider what Luke wrote about his gospel account.
Next:
How important is it for you to see the historic nature of Luke’s writings? What other reasons can you give for trusting in the accuracy and truthfulness of God’s Word?
Gary Shultz on April 10, 2014 at 6:16 am
Thank you. If we may have favorites of the gospel, Luke has long been mine. Of course, stacked with the others we get the clarity we need. Nice history.
sercher on April 10, 2014 at 2:37 pm
“Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account ..” (Luke 1:3)
-Carefully investigated, a careful account!
When a doctor prescribes you a medicine after “a careful” examination, you are supposed to take heed to see the full recovery. How are we supposed to act when we hear the spiritual doctor telling us about the Ultimate Doctor of our souls?