Luke 4:1-30

Jesus had been authenticated into ministry following His baptism (3:21-22) and “the Holy Spirit descended…upon Him” (3:22). As an introduction into ministry, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness where He is tempted by the devil for the next forty days (4:1-2a). Not only was Jesus tempted by the very source of evil but, physically speaking, Jesus was in an extremely weak condition considering that He did not eat food for the entire time He was being tempted. The writer of Hebrews reveals that during this time, as well as many others throughout His ministry, Jesus “…was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Luke documents three temptations Jesus experienced in this forty day period: to be satisfied by something other than God (4:3-4), to worship someone other than God (4:5-8), and to disobey God’s plan for His life and death (4:9-12). In response to each temptation, Jesus quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures – Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 6:13, and Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus’ temptations should remind believers that through the Holy Spirit’s power, sin can be avoided; in fact, Paul later writes to the church at Corinth concerning resisting the devil’s advances, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Every temptation can be resisted because God promises not to allow anything to come against us that is stronger than the Spirit who lives within. In keeping with the words of James who writes, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7), Jesus’ resistance of the devil caused him to depart (4:13).

Although Luke does not document Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem and Judea after His baptism and before His return to Galilee, John’s account (John 1-4) provides the readers with the reasons why “news of Him went throughout all the surrounding regions” (4:14). When Jesus arrived in Galilee “He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all” (4:15). Next, Luke writes concerning Jesus’ visit to His hometown, Nazareth, where He enters the temple and begins reading from the book of Isaiah (4:16-19; see also Isaiah 61:1-2). This passage is well known to describe the Messiah, so when Jesus closed the book and sat down, all eyes were on Him as He said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (4:20-21). Jesus was clearly proclaiming that He was the promised Messiah, but those in the synagogue could not believe He was the One (4:22). Because of their unbelief in Him as the Messiah, Jesus details God’s turning away from Israel in the past for their failure to believe and how He then gave light to the Gentiles instead (4:23-27). So, Jesus was implying that the same thing would happen now if they continued to reject Him as their Savior from sin. When the people heard Jesus’ words, they became angry (4:28) and took Him to the “…brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff” (4:29). Through some sort of miracle, Luke writes that Jesus passed “through the midst of them” and “went His way” (4:30).

This whole scenario is repeated throughout Jesus’ life and ministry: Jesus preaches to the Jews, the Jews reject Him, Jesus informs them that God will turn His attention to the Gentiles, the Jews get angry and try to kill Him. Many today repeat these same actions: the truth about Jesus is revealed, an individual rejects the truth and seeks to silence others, God begins to work in another area. All people should open their heart to the truth and receive the forgiveness of sin offered to all who will repent and believe.

Dear God, thank You for providing Jesus as an example of One who was faithful to Your plans, even when the devil tried to tempt Him. I also thank You that those who rejected Him did not stop Him from fulfilling His mission – to die for the sins of men.