INVESTIGATION

INTRODUCTION

ILLUSTRATION: Discuss the cultural phenomena of true crime podcasts.

• When I was a child, I considered talk radio the most boring thing on the airwaves.

• Are you familiar with talk radio? People with oddly loud mouth noises would talk nonsense for hours while my mom hung on to every single word. As far as I was concerned, it was torture.

• However, in recent years, talk radio shows have experienced a major glow-up. Producers took them off the radio, added a few extra voices, and rebranded them.

• We now call them podcasts.

• When exploring the podcast charts, one genre reigns supreme. True crime podcasts.

• Statistics prove the immense popularity of these podcasts. In 2021, a survey revealed that a staggering 72% of podcast listeners had tuned in to a true crime podcast at some point, marking a significant slice of the podcasting pie.

• From dark tales of infamous killers to riveting investigations into unsolved cold cases, these podcasts have become a staple for many people’s commute, workout, and listening routine.

• We must ask the question, though. Why? With all the other topics out there, why do investigations capture our imaginations?

• I think it’s because everyone adores searching for answers, solving puzzles, and coming to a conclusion with the information provided.

• These podcasts allow us to become detectives from our driver’s seat or armchair. We get to delve into horrendous crimes from the comfort of the coziest corner of our homes.

• It scratches our itch for investigation and our need for comfort at the same time.

• Everyone loves to solve a puzzle. That’s why everyone loves investigations.

• Today, we’re going to step into an investigation of our own. The suspect was charged and executed for crimes He claims He didn’t commit.

• This man was accused of treason, but He was innocent.

• This man was accused of blasphemy, but He was Divinity.

• This man was accused of starting riots but was called the Prince of Peace. In true crime podcast format, we will investigate Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the help of the Apostle Luke.

• Take out your notebook because we are about to investigate the greatest story ever told.

• Let's meet our chief investigator. His name is Luke. By trade, he was a doctor.

• However, Luke had a real knack for storytelling and journalism, too. In the opening of his extremely detailed book, Luke flat out tells us why he is writing it.

• He was asked to do it. Honestly, he was likely paid to.

• Theophilus, a wealthy Christian in the first century, requested that Luke do some digging, check some facts, and put all the records together to create a complete account of the gospel story from birth to death to ascension to Pentecost to the spread of the Christian movement.

• While most people think the Apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament, that is only true by number of books. If we count words, Luke is the winner.

• He composed the majority of the words that make up the second half of the Bible. Luke, the writer of Luke and Acts, penned only two books.

• However, they are two notoriously long-winded accounts. Why are they so long?

• Because he wanted his readers to investigate the authenticity, legitimacy, and divinity of Jesus.

• How did he do it?

• He presented the evidence of an event that sparked a movement.

• As we survey each section, keep this fact in mind.

• When Luke tells us the exact places the disciples traveled, he’s building the case for Christ.

• When he speaks of people spreading the message to their cities, he’s building an argument for a miracle.

• When he writes in detail about a healed man jumping for joy, he’s presenting evidence of an event.

• What is the event?

• The life, ministry, and (most importantly) the resurrection of Jesus.

• He’s presenting evidence of an event that sparked a movement.

• Let’s break that down phrase by phrase.

• Luke and Theophilus cherished two things—Jesus and the truth. So, Dr. Luke put together a masterful collection of writing that is part journalistic endeavor, part research paper, and part love letter.

• If he were doing ministry today, he may have even launched a podcast. He interviewed the healed. He spoke to the dumfounded disciples.

• He visited the captivated cities. He followed every single thread, story, and rumor to get to the bottom of the greatest story ever told.

• Luke wasn’t trying to collect urban legends. He wasn’t content with vague accounts with sketchy details, either. He wanted his readers to feel like news cameras were on the scene.

• His writings aren’t just the summary of events but the stories, just like those you’d read in the paper.

• He invited every single reader into the moment by detailing the events.

• What was Luke telling us about? In both Luke and Acts, we are invited on a journey with Jesus.

• The event that changed the world was the life, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus.

• Calling this an event feels like a weak word choice, though.

• This event was a shift in the cosmos, a tear in the universe, and the moment God invaded the Earth.

• Luke wants his readers to see the reality and authenticity of Jesus. He wrote these books in 60 AD, and they managed to endure all the persecution, aggression, and censorship of Rome.

• Now, we are studying them all these years later. That fact gives me a huge burst of confidence.

• One of the reasons I love Luke is that his writing gives me assurance in my Jesus.

• People often ask me, “Why do you trust the Bible?” Which I completely do, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

• However, I think they need to tweak their question. I believe the question should be, “Do you trust the message of the Bible?”

• You had better believe I trust Luke.

• While God inspired him through the Holy Spirit, he wrote a rock-solid account that provides us with assurance and resilience.

• The people of the first century eagerly passed Luke’s book around like notes in class because it contained a story they wanted to share.

• In fact, for many of them, it likely contained a story witnessed by someone they knew. I imagine them secretly handing someone a copy in the darkness of night.

• “You have to read this,” they’d whisper before carrying on with something like, “My dad was at Pentecost,” or “My brother saw that boy raised from the dead,” or “I saw Jesus after Rome killed him, and so did 400 other people. Check this out!”

• These stories were personal. That’s why it led people to get moving.

Landing:

• Both in this Bible study and in your own quiet time, please allow your investigation of God's work in your life to propel you into action.

• Luke wasn’t just writing a historical account; he was documenting a movement rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

• So, we have the information. Let that be a spark of inspiration that ultimately leads to action.

• The treasure of knowing Jesus isn’t meant to be hoarded; it’s meant to be shared, lived, and proclaimed.

• Luke maps out a movement. Let your life look the same. It’s time to take the information you have and turn it into action.

• These moments ultimately sparked a movement. Luke’s investigation zooms into a key topic—expansion.

• In fact, his investigation is ultimately about expansion.

• He wants you to see how the story of Jesus spread from city to city.

• He wants you to see more than moments; he wants you to see the movement. From Palestine to Pentecost to Golgotha to Galilee, the message of Jesus moved rapidly and unstoppably.

• When people encountered it, they spread it.

• When you hear good news, you go.

• When we read Luke’s account of the early church, it’s like tracking the gold rush fever of the 19th century. “Gold in the Hills” was a message plastered all over the papers in the early 1900s.

• Prospectors had discovered extremely valuable gold glimmering in streams around the Sierra Nevada mountains.

• In a frenzy, crowds flocked to the middle of nowhere, hoping to strike it rich. Within weeks, makeshift boomtowns sprang up overnight.

• The once silent valleys now echoed with the clinking of pickaxes, the arguments of prospectors, and the commotion of a few thousand additional residents. The Gold Rush had started.

• Luke’s news is so much greater than a few gold nuggets. He’s reporting on Jesus, the Son of God.

• He’s presenting the information, but it’s attached to an invitation. • When the first-century believers heard it, they got moving.

• The information led to action.

TALK IT OUT

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the best part of your week and what was the lowest part of your week?

If you had to start a podcast today, what topic would it be about? Why is that?

What’s one thing that stood out to you from today’s message?

What did you learn about Luke? How do you think that impacted the way he wrote about the life of Jesus?

Luke says he wrote his account so that Theophilus would know “the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4). Why do you think “certainty” was important to Luke? How does it apply to us today? 

What does it look like for a Christian to put their faith into action?

Application: What small action can you take this week to share the information you’ve learned about Jesus?

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Luke 1

Luke 2

Luke 3-4

Luke 5

Luke 6

Luke 7

Luke 8

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.