To follow up on the idea of Luke’s “orderly account,” a “narrative,” about which there is “certainty,” we learn in Luke 2 and 3 that these are not “once upon a time” stories. They are events that happened to real people in real places:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. (Luke 2.1, 2, ESV)

• Caesar Augustus, emperor in Rome
• Quirinius, governor of Syria
• “the first registration” – there were at least two, and Luke wants us to know which one we’re talking about.

30 years later, we have this (bulleted for clarity):

• In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
• Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and
• Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and
• his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and
• Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
• during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,…

…the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. (Luke 3.1, 2 , ESV)

Again, take heart:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1.16, ESV)