So That You May Know For Certain

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning. So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know for certain the things you were taught. Luke 1:1-4, NET

We held our breath as music intro to the local news marched through our living room. Alert and erect, two reporters looked directly into the camera, faces serious, as The Defenders rose in a flash of orange beneath them on the television screen. 

It was not just any news they were reporting tonight; it was the very personal story of our son’s survival of a fire that ravaged our home months earlier. We were more than a little nervous about how they would report our private pain. We hoped they would adhere to the facts without embellishment.

Many had heard about the fire that broke out as our fifteen-year-old aspiring chef was making a family meal on that fateful evening. Tales were circulating about the way he battled the flames to get our dogs outside and managed to put the fire out before it destroyed our home completely. Thousands were praying as he fought for his life in a burn specialty hospital in another city.

Over the next few minutes, investigative reporters carefully laid out the facts with veracity and compassion, building a case for a burn center in our city. In the end, we breathed a sigh of relief. The reporter who had followed our story from the beginning had faithfully reported the information and given a compassionate, considerate presentation of all that happened to change our lives forever.

Investigative reporters are charged with giving a careful, factual account of events so their audience may know for certain about a given matter. They examine, record, and research. They talk with witnesses. They question and answer. They report their findings, providing their recipients with the best possible data from which to draw a confident and definite conclusion.

Investigative reporters are not new to the modern age. 

Luke, the author of the gospel book by his name, was one such writer. He makes his purpose clear in the first four verses of his work: to write an orderly account, …so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

Luke is said to have traveled with Paul. He walked among people who had witnessed the death and resurrection of Christ, though there is no indication that he himself was an eye-witness. A physician, he was educated and systematic, orderly and precise. Luke gives us one of the clearest reports of the life, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

His profession informed much of his approach to the gospel report he gave us. Luke uses the Greek word for “autopsy” to describe his investigation with firsthand knowledge of those who had witnessed Jesus’s teaching and miracles in person. Accuracy was of the utmost importance to him.

Luke presented Jesus as a barrier-breaker, breaching the divide between Jews and Gentiles, women and men, rich and poor. The Jesus of Luke is a Savior to all people who come to Him. Luke included more stories about Jesus’ restorative, honoring encounters with women than any other gospel author.

As Christian writers, we have a responsibility to be investigative reporters. 

We are witnesses to the grace and power of Jesus in the world today. We can give a faithful account of the Messiah, so that our readers may know for certain that He is the Savior to all who come to Him. Each of us can begin where we are, through the lenses of our own personal gifts and professions.

I am a speech-language pathologist by profession. My work among the poor with cleft lips and palates has informed my investigative reporting of Jesus. I have seen His healing hand in the bodies and hearts of people around the world. I know firsthand how He brings beauty out of ashes. I am compelled to carefully report all I have learned about Him, to share the hope I have found.

What kind of reporter will you be? Together we can bring our diverse gifts to the world, giving a faithful account of the Lord, that our readers may know for certain that Jesus is Savior to all who come to Him.

Lord, make me a writer who helps readers know for certain You are the Savior of the world. Amen.

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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: Barnes & Noble , Books A Million, Amazon.

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook