Luke 4 - How Did Jesus Overcome Temptation?

Luke 4 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary\

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

One of the interesting aspects of this story is that the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness. It says Jesus was, "full of the Spirit". It shows that the Spirit literally leads us. 40 days was a significant period of time, which was usually a time of testing and preparation for something significant.  The word "tempted" in the Greek can also mean "tested". When Satan tempts us, God can use it to test us. As we withstand and overcome temptation, our faith gets stronger. This was a fast from food, which is why it goes without saying Jesus was hungry. 

“This is the most sacred of stories, for it can have come from no other source than his own lips. At some time he must have himself told his disciples about this most intimate experience of his soul.” (Barclay)

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

God provided manna in the wilderness for the Israelites during their wildnerness wandering, so Jesus no doubt could have done this miracle. But the devil was trying to manipulate Jesus into doing it for the wrong reasons. Jesus quoted the Old Testament in order to withstand the temptation. Usually temptations are feelings based. When we go scripture, we recenter our brains on what is true not just on our bodily desires.  God's Word has power when we memorize it and use it. 

To tempt a man with food, who had fasted for forty days seems almost unfair; yet the Father allowed it because He knew Jesus could endure it. God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13).

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”

The devil tried a different tactic than appealing to his bodily desires. This time he appealed to the sin of lust and greed. The devil acted as if he had the authority to dole out the kingdoms of the world. Though the devil is the ruler of the world, it is not his to give. Essentially in order to get the kingdom, the devil required Jesus to worship him. Jesus again quoted from the Old Testament citing the 1st commandment to worship God only. 

To tempt a man with food, who had fasted for forty days seems almost unfair; yet the Father allowed it because He knew Jesus could endure it. God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). - Guzik

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”

In this third temptation, the devil tries to turn the tables on Jesus by quoting scripture. But he perverts the scripture as he does this. People can quote scripture but this doesn't mean they are using it correctly. People can quote all kinds of scripture to justify their own bad behavior. But Jesus uses scripture to fight the devil's lies. To jump off the temple would have putting God to the test. 

We willl learn that Jesus only does miracles and signs to glorify God and reveal the power of the kingdolm of God. Jesus withstands test #3, once again using scripture to fend off the devil's lies.  

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Though Jesus lost this battle, the devil would be back for more. He will look for a time when Jesus' physical and emotional tank were drained. Satan is always looking for the opportune to bring us down. He is not dumb. He tries to find the weakness in our armor. As Paul says, "Let us not be unaware of the devil's schemes". In Paul's famous passage on a believer taking up the whole armor of God he says, "And take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!" Ephesians 6:17

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]

Jesus was back where he grew up, and he was so well thought of he was invited to speak in the temple. We know at age 13, he was in teaching in the temple, and everyone marveled at his knowledge and teaching. While he was teaching, the scroll of the prophet was handed to him. 

It was from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 61, which was a prophesy about the Messiah. We know the Spirit of the Lord was on him as he was literally fulfilling this prophecy in their midst.  

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

But even more dramatic is what he is about to say. Jesus boldly proclaims that this scripture from Isaiah applied directly to him. Everyone knew this was a Messianic passage, so it was very early on that Jesus made this announcement and his true identity. Everyone spoke well of him, and what it made it more interesting was that Jesus was the son of a carpenter.  But the following verses seem to indicate that they said this is a derogatory manner. 

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[g] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Jesus then rebukes them by reminding him of the saying, "no prophet is accepted in his own hometown". Then Jesus cites some stories from from the Old Testament. 

Jesus’ audience wanted special favors because He was in His hometown. Jesus pointed out that this doesn’t matter to God, using God’s work among the Gentiles in the days of Elijah and Elisha as examples.

Jesus made at least two points. First, the fact that they did not receive Jesus had nothing to do with Jesus, but everything to do with them. He was truly from God, but they would not receive Him. Their rejection said more about them than it did about Jesus.

Second, it showed that God’s miraculous power operates in unexpected and sovereign ways. People that we often consider undeserving and perhaps strange are many times recipients of God’s miraculous power.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

Jesus went down to Capernaum, which was on the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. He will call many of his closest disciples from the shores of Galilee. When Jesus taught, they sensed the authority he spoke with. A demon possessed man tried to cause a scene, but this gave Jesus a chance to show that his authority extended to his ability to deliver demons. 

Jesus' authority was in his words and deeds. Many churches have ministry time after the sermon. Preaching and teaching reveal God's Word, and then miracles the power of the Word. In this case, the demon possessed man was the first to acknowledge that Jesus of Nazareth was the Holy One of God. 

When the people saw the authority of his words and actions, they were amazed. The news of what happened in the synagogue that day spread quickly. 

the demon himself testified that Jesus was holy and pure. The demons admitted that their wilderness temptations failed to corrupt Jesus. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The manner of Jesus’ dealings with the demon in this passage is a clear demonstration of His power and authority over the spirit realm. People were amazed at the authority of His word in both teaching and in spiritual living. - Guzik

Jesus Heals Many

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

Simon is another name for Peter. While Jesus was in Peter's home, Peter's mom was suffering from a high fever, which could be deadly in Jesus' day. Just like Jesus rebuked the demon possessed man, he rebuked the fever. It would lead one to believe that sickness has some similarities to the authority of demons. Meaning sickness is not God's will for mankind. It is due to the brokenness of mankind. It resulted from the Fall, when God said to Adam and Eve, "When you eat of this apple you will surely die." 

40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

As more people heard about Jesus' power to heal, they brought people with all kinds of sicknesses. Note Jesus laid his hands on each one. The laying on of hands is a method of healing used frequently in the bible. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the laying on of hands is a manifestation of the Spirit within us. Often we aksi use oil for the anointing and the healing of the sick. The power to heal someone is in Jesus' name, but he uses our hands to do it.  

42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

With all the ministry Jesus had been doing, he gives us an example of how he sustained his ministry for the long run. Jesus went to a solitary place to commune with his Father. Of course, people were looking for him. This was a good reason to spend some time in silence. People were always looking for Jesus. 

But we can see the results of his time with His Father, as he announced he needed to go to other towns to preach the good news of the Good News of the kingdom. The subject of Jesus' proclamation was the "Good News of the Kingdom". The kingdom which was ushered in by and through him. 

How often do you go to a solitary place? How often do escape the noise and busyness in your life? If Jesus needed time to re-calibrate and rejuvenate, don't you think you do?

Find some time this week to spend at least one hour alone in a place where you are free from distraction. Outside is usually the best, as you can also meditate on God's Creation!