Luke Chapter 4
Luke 4:1 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,"
Following His public baptism, Jesus was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness,” referring to the elevation of the Judean wilderness.
The historical settling of the temptation, which was directed against Jesus’ human nature, indicates that this was a literal experience, which He really conquered, not merely a mental victory over His own thoughts.
That Jesus was “Tempted of the devil” is clearly presented as a fact.
Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.
The Holy Ghost had descended on Him at His baptism.
We see here, that He was full of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness.
Spirit (Ghost), is capitalized which means this is God's Spirit.
The Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness was so that He could face all the temptations of life.
We see (in Hebrews
Luke 4:2 "Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."
“Forty days … tempted”:
Evidently the temptation of Christ encompassed the full 40 days of His fast.
Both Matthew and Luke give a condensed recounting of only 3 specific temptations.
Luke reverses the order of the last two temptations in Matthew’s account.
Luke occasionally ordered material logically, rather than chronologically.
Luke may have had some purpose for doing so here, perhaps to end his account of Jesus’ temptation at the temple in Jerusalem (verse 9), a very important location in Luke’s narrative.
"Forty", throughout the Bible, is symbolic of time of testing. Forty days and nights it rained on Noah.
Forty days and nights Moses was on the mount to receive the Ten Commandments. Forty days and nights Goliath challenged Israel before David accepted the challenge.
Forty days and nights the children of Israel searched out the Promised Land and wandered 40 years in the wilderness to compensate for their 40 days of unbelief.
Mothers were purified after giving birth to a son on the 40th day.
Jesus ministered for 40 days and nights after the resurrection to the time He was carried away into heaven.
There are so many other 40's such as David.
Saul and Solomon each reigned for 40 years.
I think the point is made.
We also see that Jesus fasted completely.
A fast consists of total separation from worldly things.
Food and drink are just a part of a fast.
Jesus didn’t drink juice or anything to sustain Him.
This fast was total.
At the end of this fast, He was hungry.
Luke 4:3 "And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread."
Just as the devil asked Eve, "Did God say?" he says to Jesus here; "if thou be the Son of God". He tries to plant a doubt.
He spoke to Jesus' weakness at the moment, because we just read that Jesus was hungry. Jesus could command the stone, and it be made bread; but He didn't.
Whether or not the devil was standing there in visible form in front of Jesus I cannot tell.
In fact, it really doesn't matter, this temptation is real.
I really think the devil already knows Jesus is the Son of God, but just wants Jesus to doubt. He will do that to us also, if we will listen.
Luke 4:4 "And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
Jesus quoted (Deut. 8:3).
Deut. 8:3 “And he humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live.”
Jesus is very smart.
He answers the devil with the Word of God.
He says, "It is written".
Jesus is the Bread, He is the Word, and He is the Life.
He is really saying that you have to have Jesus to have life.
Eating from the Holy Bible, the Word of God, every day is much more important than eating physical food.
If you do without physical food, the worst thing that can happen to you is your body will die.
But if you do not consume the Word of God, your spirit will die.
God fills our inner man when we read His Word.
Luke 4:5 "And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time."
This possibly is just trying to tempt Jesus to receive the world as His possession without going by the way of the cross.
A temptation usually is an area where we have a desire.
Jesus does have a desire to have all the people of the world to follow Him. The Lord Jesus knew that He would rule the world.
When He returns, He will be Lord of lords and King of kings.
Luke 4:6 "And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it."
Adam turned his power over to Satan when he and Eve sinned in the garden, Satan does have power on the earth, but it is limited.
Jesus defeated him on the cross.
The Christians have power over Satan in the name of Jesus.
The people who are not believers cannot use Jesus’ name to fight the devil.
Luke 4:7 "If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine."
Of course, this is the biggest lie ever told.
The devil has no reason to ever tell the truth.
Luke 4:8 "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
Here Jesus quoted (Deut. 6:13). “You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve him, and shall swear by his name.”
The very first of the Ten Commandments tell us that the Lord God is the only single being to be worshipped by us.
Jesus answers the devil each time with a Scripture.
God's plan was for Jesus to rule over all the world, everything above the earth, and everything under the earth.
He rules over Satan, as well.
At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.
Philippians
Luke
written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:" "And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."
This Scripture that the devil was quoting from is found in (Psalms
It is given not only to Jesus, but to His followers as well.
Psalms
You see, the devil knows the Word of God.
Usually when he quotes it, it is like this Scripture; he misquotes it.
He changes a word here and there.
Satan brought Jesus to the temple of God for this temptation.
He tells Jesus, if you are who you say you are, show me.
Jesus doesn't need to prove anything to the devil.
The devil's pride was what got him into trouble, and he thought Jesus would surely be weak in this area.
Luke 4:12 "And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
Jesus quoted (Deut. 6:16) “You shall not test the LORD your God, as you tested him in Massah.”
Even though we know for sure God is taking care of us, we should not do something foolish to prove it.
Jesus in these temptations, was tempted as we are tempted and yet was without sin. He overcame the devil here.
He always overcomes the devil.
The devil is no match at all for Him.
Luke 4:13 "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."
“For a season”:
Satan’s temptations did not end here for Christ, but persisted throughout His ministry (Heb. 4:15), and culminated in Gethsemane
This temptation was actually every type of temptation.
The devil went away defeated.
Even in Jesus' weakest moment, He is stronger than the devil.
The devil can't win, so he leaves.
Luke 4:14 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about."
“Returned … into Galilee”:
The synoptic gospels are largely silent about Jesus’ ministry between His baptism and His return to Galilee, but John recorded a fairly extensive ministry in Jerusalem and Judea (John 2:12 - 4:1).
In Matthew 4:11, we find that as soon as Jesus was through being tempted that angels came and ministered to Him.
Luke skipped that and went headlong into the power of Jesus' walk.
We see that Jesus' Spirit was powerful on the return into Galilee.
The power of His ministry and miracles spread fast.
Luke 4:15 "And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all."
It was not possible to hide His power of the Word from the people.
His preaching was powerful.
His teaching was not in His synagogue but theirs.
When they heard Him, they were overwhelmed and glorified Him.
Luke Chapter 4 Questions
1.When Jesus left Jordan, where did He go?
2.What caused Him to go there?
3.Why did He go there?
4.Why is Spirit capitalized in verse one?
5.In Hebrews 2, we learn why He went through that. What reason is given?
6.How many days was He tempted of the devil?
7.What did He eat during this time?
8.What is "40" symbolic of?
9.Name 4 other times 40 is used in the Bible.
10.What is a fast?
11.In verse 3. what did the devil question about Jesus?
12.What did Satan tell Jesus to turn the stone into?
13.What was similar to Jesus' temptation in verse three and Eve's temptation?
14.How did Jesus answer Satan?
15.What should be more important to us than our daily bread?
16.What is the worst thing that could happen to you if you don't eat?
17.What can be even worse than that?
18.How does God fill our inner man?
19.When the devil took Jesus to the high mountain, what did he show Him?
20.When Jesus returns to the earth soon, who will He be?
21.In verse 6, what did the devil offer Jesus?
22.How do the Christians have power over Satan?
23.Who did Jesus say was the only one to worship?
24.What did Satan quote Jesus from when he took Him to the temple top?
25.Where is this Scripture found?
26.Who, besides Jesus, is this Scripture for?
27.What really got the devil in trouble?
28.When Satan quotes Scripture, what does he do?
29.Even though we know God is taking care of us, we should not do __________ ________ ___
_______ ___
30.When the devil stopped tempting Jesus, what did the devil do?
31.Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, went where?
32.Where did Jesus teach?