Luke 4
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (4134 “full” [pleres] means filled up, lacking nothing, perfect, complete, or abundant.)
DEVOTION: The Holy Spirit led Jesus to a place where the Devil could tempt HIM. Not only was HE in the wilderness waiting to be tempted but HE went without food for forty days. So HE was weak as a human being waiting to face the greatest tempter of all.
We know that Jesus had to be tempted in all points like as we are but to put HIM in these circumstances seems a little much. We can barely fight the devil and his angels with a full stomach. It seems that the LORD wanted us to see that HIS temptations were to an extreme to what we would ever face. We don’t think those thoughts when we are going through temptation but compared to Jesus we are very weak.
In HIS weakened human condition the devil came with three temptations. HE was faced with what I John 2: 16 describes as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These are the three temptations that Adam and Eve (Genesis 3: 6) faced in the Garden of Eden. There are the three temptations we face throughout our life here on this earth.
What did Jesus do with HIS temptations? HE quoted Scripture. HE resisted the devil by knowing the Word of God. We can do the same. Every temptation that comes our way can be offset with our knowledge of the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. HE will give us the words to say when we need them.
Our responsibility is to memorize all we can to be used at a future time for witness or defense against those who are outside of Christ and our spiritual enemy and his army. Are we ready to face their attacks? If not, start now to meditate on the Word of God to the point where we hide it in our heart, so that, we do not sin against God.
CHALLENGE: All believers can be filled up with the Holy Spirit. It is a command that the New Testament that challenges all genuine believers in their daily life.
: 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a of him through all the region round about. (1411 “power” [dunamis] means strength, ability, inherit power, mighty work, or virtue.)
DEVOTION: This chapter emphasizes the strength of Jesus. HE returned from HIS temptation with strength to do HIS earthly ministry. Right after HIS baptism, HE was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and fasted for forty days before Satan came to HIM.
Only in the strength of the Godhead was HE able to resist the temptations of Satan. HE was God. HE was man. The quoting of the Word of God was used by Christ to offset the temptations of the Devil. Jesus quoted the Word of God. Jesus knew the Word of God because it was established by the Godhead before the foundation of the world.
The Holy Spirit led men to write the Bible without error. Jesus knew it all. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, Jesus preached, taught, healed and dealt with the Devil and his evil angels.
We can do the same with the mighty work of the Holy Spirit in us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we can face each day with new strength. How are we filled? The first filling of the Holy Spirit happens at the moment of salvation. The filling of Spirit leaves when we sin. Confession of sin is necessary.
How is the filling manifested in us? We are thankful. We are submissive. We are singing. If we want the strength we need for each task the Lord sets before us – we need the filling of the Holy Spirit. When the people saw all that Jesus did and said, they were amazed. When people see what God can do with us, they will be amazed too. Let’s amaze people for the glory of the LORD!!!
CHALLENGE: Keep short accounts with the LORD. If we want dynamite in our witness we have to have the filling of the Holy Spirit.
: 24 And HE said, Verily I say to you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. (1184 “accepted” [dektos] means pleasing, welcomed, favorable, being received with pleasure, received, or propitious.)
DEVOTION: Jesus was trying to reach people who saw HIM grow up. They watched HIM work in the wood shop of Joseph. Joseph was not HIS real father because God the Father sent HIM to this earth through the ministry of the Holy Spirit over Mary.
However, these individuals saw HIM interact with HIS half brothers and sisters. Remember that they didn’t become followers of Jesus until after HIS death. They were just like the other people in the synagogue who wondered how HE knew so much about the Old Testament and how HE could perform all the miracles HE did. They even had a tendency to think that Jesus was not in HIS right mind. They were wrong but they still felt that way about HIM.
HIS mother even came to take HIM home while she had asked HIM at the beginning of HIS ministry to turn water into wine. She knew HIS power. She knew HIS birth was unique. She pondered what she was learning about HIM in her heart but still didn’t really understand who HE was.
So when Jesus did HIS teaching and wonderful works in this town they were not impressed. They would not listen to HIM because they thought they knew HIM. They had an opinion of HIM that all HIS actions would not change.
It hurt Jesus but HE continued to serve the LORD even when HIS family and friends thought HE was weird. They refused to believe. HE later states that they would receive a greater judgment because of their treatment of HIM and HIS ministry.
On their way to eternity in the Lake of Fire they would finally realize who HE was but it would be too late.
CHALLENGE: Reaching family with the truth of the Word of God is not easy. Our family knows all our faults and most of the time will not listen to us but we still have the responsibility to try!!
: 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. (1849 “power” [exousia] means authority, right, liberty, strength, jurisdiction, control, right to judge, ability, official, capacity or freedom of choice.)
DEVOTION: When comparing the two words used for power we find that one is inherit power in Christ or a person because of his relationship to Christ is dunamis while the right to use that power is exousia. Christ while on this earth received HIS power from the Father and Holy Spirit because HE had limited HIMSELF while HE walked this earth. HE gives this power and authority to HIS followers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their life.
Jesus was teaching and casting out demons/fallen angels and healing the sick while HE ministered. The people were astonished that a human being could do all these things. They watched the religious leaders condemn HIM on a regular basis. They watched as HE didn’t seem to care what they thought but continued working even when they tried to kill HIM by throwing HIM off a cliff.
HE went to Capernaum where HE presently had a place to stay to minister. HE taught in the synagogue as one who had authority rather than just someone who was repeating what they had been taught.
Too often today we have pastors and Sunday School teachers quotes other sources and saying what these authors believed rather than what the individual pastor or teacher believed. This is not how Jesus taught and this is not how we should teach.
Once we become a follower of Jesus the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us the words to say. Does that mean that we shouldn’t study other men? No we need to try to receive the best training we can from the best scholars we can. We need to read books by men who love the LORD. We need to be sure that they believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. We need to be sure that they believe in the fact that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. There are many basic doctrines that those we read should believe. Once they pass this test then we can study to help us understand the Word of God better.
However, when we teach we should have come to an honest conclusion that is recognized by others that are Biblically sound. Once we come to that conclusion we should be able to teach with authority the Word of God until someone shows us that we are ignorant of good teaching in another direction.
CHALLENGE: We need to study to the best of our ability and teach with authority on that basis with the understanding that the Holy Spirit will continue to mature us through HIS ministry in our life.
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