Encounter Jesus – Luke Week 3

The Temptation of Jesus & the Launch of His Ministry

Luke 4: 1-30

AUDIO

 

Lecture Handout

Luke Week 3 – Temptation & Launch Handout

Lesson Notes

Tonight we first finish with Jesus at the Temple from Week 2.

In Chapter 3, we read about John’s ministry

  • A powerful call to repentance focused on God’s impending judgment
  • Call to justice, mercy, and compassion for the lesser of society
  • A call for the powerful to stop abusing power

It also includes the genealogy of Jesus – through Joseph, back to Adam, emphasizing His common relationship with ALL mankind, not just the Jews.

Tonight we encounter Jesus at the very beginning of His  ministry, making clear exactly what kind of Messiah He was and what kind of Messiah He wasn’t

  • By battling the devil’s temptations (the Messiah He wasn’t)
  • By announcing Himself to his home town (the Messiah He was)

The Temptation of Jesus (Read Luke 4: 1-13)

  • Verse 1 – Two references to the Holy Spirit – Jesus was anointed by Spirit in chapter 3, here He is full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit
  • Verse 2 – Into the wilderness for 40 days
    • It seems Jesus was tested throughout the 40 days, the episode described in the gospels represents the culmination of the temptations
    • Powerful parallelism – Jesus (40 days) in the wilderness
    • The temptations He successfully resists compare to those Israel failed to resist
    • He’s tempted by food – how often the Israelites sinned against God because of food. Jesus didn’t.
    • He’s tempted to worship someone other than God – how often the Israelites sinned by worshipping false gods. Jesus didn’t.
    • He’s tempted to test God – how often the Israelites tested God in the wilderness. Jesus didn’t.
    • Jesus is the new Israel, the perfect Israel.
    • The Old Testament calls Israel the son of God (Exodus 4: 22, etc.). That son failed the tests
    • The genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3 calls Adam the son of God, and Adam failed
    • Jesus alone passed all the tests and temptations – He is the true, perfect, unique, eternal Son of God
    • That’s the bottom line message of this passage
    • Significance – Hebrews 4: 14-16
  • Verses 2-4 – The first temptation – comfort
    • When Jesus is really hungry, that’s when Satan tempts Him to use his power for selfish purposes rather than solely depending on God
    • Another aspect relates to doubt and pride – “If you are the Son of God”
    • Maybe Satan himself doubted, maybe he wanted Jesus to doubt His Sonship
    • However, God had already publicly declared Jesus’ Sonship at His baptism
    • Verse 4 – Jesus rebuts Satan with Deuteronomy 8: 3, but read Deuteronomy 8: 1-3 to fully appreciate Jesus’ response!
  • Verses 5-8 – the second temptation – power and the easy way out
    • All kingdoms shown – a vision. Throughout all time? Not really sure what “in a moment in time” means
    • Verse 6 – while Satan could easily be lying, Scripture attests that while God is sovereign over everything, Satan has temporary authority over the earth
    • Verse 8 – Deuteronomy 6: 13 (Note the importance of Scripture memorization)
    • Jesus will receive this authority anyway – through the cross (Matthew 28: 18)
  • Verses 9-12 – the third temptation – safety
    • Satan quotes Scripture here, but Jesus replies with Deuteronomy 6: 16
    • Read Deuteronomy 6: 10-19 – this is where Israel failed and Jesus succeeded
  • The temptations reveal the kind of Messiah that Jesus is NOT – authoritarian, power-hungry, status-conscious, idolatrous, self-serving, safety-conscious, or disobedient to God

Jesus Begins His Ministry (Read Luke 4: 14-30)

  • Verse 14 – Jesus returned – in the power of the Spirit
  • Verse 15 – People get to know Him by His teaching in the synagogues
  • Based on verse 23, He’s apparently already working miracles in Capernaum before He goes to Nazareth to formally announce His Messianic identity
  • Verse 16 – Jesus goes “home” to Nazareth and is invited to read the Scripture and deliver the sermon in the synagogue
  • Verses 18-19 – He reads Isaiah 61: 1 regarding the coming Messiah
  • Verse 18 – He certainly knows the Spirit is upon Him, that He was anointed by God
  • Verse 20 – He sits down to teach and ALL were watching Him – a dramatic moment
  • Verse 21 – “Today” is emphasized in the Greek – the Kingdom of God is now
  • Verse 21 – “Today this has been fulfilled” = “I am the Messiah, this is the Messiah I am”
  • Verse 22 – The people marvel (not necessarily a good thing) – they know Him from back when and just can’t picture Him this way
  • Verses 23-27 – He’s basically provoking them with His message of coming for ALL
    • He anticipates they’ll ask for a miracle like they’ve heard about from Capernaum
    • He says they can’t get past the image of Him as a youth and won’t really believe
    • Verses 25-26 – Many widows in Israel, but Elijah went to a Canaanite widow
    • Verse 27 – Elisha healed a Gentile of leprosy, not Jews
    • When Israel rejects God’s prophets, God sends them to the Gentiles
  • Verses 28-30 – And they tried to kill Him, but He passes through them – seems miraculous in light of the mob trying to kill Him

The significance of these passages – the nature of Christ’s coming, the kind of Messiah He is

  • Jesus is the perfect Son of God, the greater Adam, the greater Israel
  • Jesus is definitely the Messiah
  • Jesus is the Messiah for all who trust in Him
  • Jesus is a Messiah of salvation and healing, restoration and mercy, grace and love

 

 

Next Week: Luke 7: 36-50 (Forgiveness)