Book of Luke

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, 
• 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

When Jesus came as a regular human as we are, He was capable of sin but did not sin. If He had of committed even one sin, then He could not have died for all of our sins. The sacrifice for sins had to be without spot or blemish. It may be hard for us in this modern day to understand sacrifices and the need for them but the law says the soul that sins shall die. Death is the penalty for sin.

God told Adam and Eve from the beginning that if they disobeyed Him and ate of the tree of knowledge, they would die. He meant that spiritual death would enter the human race. After their sin, all mankind was destined to hell for eternity. Sin cannot enter the kingdom of God. Suffering, sin and death are not to become part of that kingdom. Since Adam fell, there had to be a way to save mankind. Animal sacrifices were instituted until the time when God the Son, would come into human flesh and be the sinless sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

• Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Mankind was lost and needed a savior. Jesus was that savior.

• Hebrews 4:15 For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus had to come into the flesh and live among us as a man. He was tempted in all points. He did not yield to temptation. Jesus is the only human being that lived to the age of accountability without sin. This made Him eligible to be the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

The law says, "Thou shalt not." If we break the law, we are sinners and lost forever. Jesus came to reverse the curse of the law against us while we were sinners, and made a way for mankind to be saved from sin and enter into eternal life. That is why there is no other way other than Jesus to save the soul from sin. No religion, ritual, baptism, formality or creed can save apart from Jesus the Christ or Messiah.

• Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 
• 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Now having been made free from the curse of the law through Jesus Christ, we now have an new beginning in which we live by the word of God and have the Holy Spirit as our helper to show us the way to overcome the world, living for God instead. Satan from the beginning of creation tries to undo what God has done. Satan was tempting Jesus to use His power as the Son of God to just do miracles for show instead of by the word of God and the will of God.

• Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 
• 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. 
• 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 
• 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.

Satan tries to get us to serve other gods also. The love of the world can become a god. Sports, entertainment, and money can become a god that we love more than the real God. Real idolatry with images and idols are an insult to God. Images that are set up for the cause of worship, cause us to be deceived by looking to an object instead of seeking the real God the idol is supposed to represent. We might have other things that become our idols but we usually do not purposely set them up as objects of worship like actual idols. However some still worship statues or idols. Even if they represent God, Jesus or Mary, it is forbidden in God's word.

• Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 
• 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 
• 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Satan even tries to quote scripture to trip up the Lord.

• Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 
• 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Satan first tried to tempt Jesus to use his power to satisfy his own need for food. The hunger He felt could have led Him to do miracles for the wrong reasons. Miracles are to bring people to Jesus Christ and bring glory to God. It is also to help the hurting. They are never to be used to put on a show to rake in the money and bring glory to a man or a woman. We are never to do miracles to bring attention to ourselves and at the bidding of someone challenging our faith by demanding to see miracles. Miracles follow those that believe but it must be by the word of God and the will of God. It is His work we do. We are not to put on shows like a magician would do. Miracles are to bring glory to God and confirm the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Satan also used scripture to get Jesus to use His power to tempt fate. Satan even offered Him the power to rule the world and set up a kingdom without going to the cross thereby making a way of salvation for us. If Jesus had yielded to that temptation, no flesh would have been saved but all of us would be lost eternally. I guess in our mindset in this day and age, it is really hard to comprehend all that Jesus did for the salvation of the human race that would believe and trust in Him.

• 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. 
• 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 
• 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 
• 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Old Testament scripture, especially the prophets, are the scriptures that the apostles had. The New Testament was not written until later. To neglect the Old Testament is to neglect an important part of God's word.

Jesus read these words from Isaiah.

• Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
• 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

This was a prophecy foretelling the ministry of the coming Messiah. He read from Isaiah 61. Jesus didn't read the next verse because it concerned the judgment and vengeance of God which is to take place after His Second Coming.

• Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 
• 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 

When Jesus read these words, He wanted to emphasis His first coming to take care of our sins. Until our sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are still in bondage and are captive to Satan. The day of vengeance  mentioned in Isaiah 61:2 will happen at the Second coming of Christ.

• Luke 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
• 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

This is why He left off the rest of the chapter of Isaiah. The vengeance part was not yet fulfilled but it shall be. That is why it is so important to get right with God now. The day of mercy will close at some point. When you see the persecution of followers of Jesus Christ increase, the day may be closer than we think.

We can't get rid of God or His word by killing those that preach it. If God says thou halt not steal, and we kill the person that preaches against stealing, that doesn't get rid of the word that says, thou shalt not steal. God can't be killed. 

Those that gave their lives to preach the gospel of Jesus are with Jesus now and at the resurrection, we will see them all. Unless those that persecute believers or even kill, do not repent and turn to Jesus for salvation, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire which lasts forever. This is not my opinion. This is not my word. It is the word of God. We can believe it or reject it. It is our choice. This is not a message of hate. It is love not hate that warns people of judgment to come if we choose to sin against God and ignore His word. How can it be hate if we try keep people from being lost and spending eternity in hell. That is not a hate message.

Jesus gave His life because He loved us. He was resurrected and all who believe in Him and live by His word will be resurrected and spend eternity with a new body that can never die. Others will lose their souls and spend eternity in a place where there is no escape. It's not worth it. We don't have to end up there. Jesus will forgive and grand us eternal life if we turn to Him. Even those that kill can repent and get right with God because of the sacrifice Jesus made to pay for sins that He did not do.

• Luke 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

His neighbors saw Him as just a man, a carpenter's son. Yet we know that He was more than just a man.

They were looking for a king to deliver Israel from the Roman oppression of that day. They were not looking for a savior from sin. This is why many miss this message today, we want to remain in sin and do what is right in our own eyes. We think we have no sin.

• Luke 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 
• 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country,

He came to His own people first and they were too blind to see.

• Luke 4:25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
• 26 But unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 
• 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Many are called but few chose.

• Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Yet if we come God's way, we can find it. The whole salvation message is simple, repent; in other words, turn from sin and turn to Christ. In doing so, old things pass away and we become "born again" by the spirit of God. It is not a new religion, it is a new life through faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

• Luke 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

Then and now, this message is offensive and makes people angry who read it. God wants us to escape hell and live forever, yet we are offended. We don't want to admit that we are sinners that need to be saved, so we stay outside and lose our souls in the process. This does not have to be.

• Luke 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
• 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 
• 31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

Though He was cast out, He did not quit. He went to another place to spread the message of salvation. He saw us. He saw the day when we too would receive the gospel and be saved. That is why Jesus did not quit at the first rejection. He knew the price He would have to pay so that we could enter into eternal life.

• Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

The power of the gospel to change lives is the greatest miracle that could ever be accomplished. Happy are they that find this good way.

• Luke 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 
• Luk 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Even the devils knew who this Man was.

• Luke 4:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 
• 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

He came to set the captives free.

• Luke 4:37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 
• 38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. 
• 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 
• 40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

This is just a tiny glimpse of what is to come in eternity. No more sickness, no more pain, no more sorrow and no more death.

• Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

This prophecy is from the book of Isaiah also. Who else could Isaiah have been speaking of but Jesus Christ?

• Luke 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. 
• 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
• 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 
• 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

What a task to face that He much preach the gospel to other places. Now He has given that job to us. This is a powerful message to receive. Jesus made a way for us to be saved if we would only believe and trust in Him.

DC