The Way - Day 004 (Luke 4)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Luke 4:1-30
Jesus had been authenticated into ministry following His baptism (3:21-22) and "the Holy Spirit descended...upon Him" (3:22). As an introduction into ministry, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness where He is tempted by the devil for the next forty days (4:1-2a). Not only was Jesus tempted by the very source of evil but, physically speaking, Jesus was in an extremely weak condition considering that He did not eat food for the entire time He was being tempted. The writer of Hebrews reveals that during this time, as well as many others throughout His ministry, Jesus "...was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Luke documents three temptations Jesus experienced in this forty day period: to be satisfied by something other than God (4:3-4), to worship someone other than God (4:5-8), and to disobey God's plan for His life and death (4:9-12). In response to each temptation, Jesus quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures - Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 6:13, and Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus' temptations should remind believers that through the Holy Spirit's power, sin can be avoided; in fact, Paul later writes to the church at Corinth concerning resisting the devil's advances, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Every temptation can be resisted because God promises not to allow anything to come against us that is stronger than the Spirit who lives within. In keeping with the words of James who writes, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7), Jesus' resistance of the devil caused him to depart (4:13).

Although Luke does not document Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem and Judea after His baptism and before His return to Galilee, John's account (John 1-4) provides the readers with the reasons why "news of Him went throughout all the surrounding regions" (4:14). When Jesus arrived in Galilee "He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all" (4:15). Next, Luke writes concerning Jesus' visit to His hometown, Nazareth, where He enters the temple and begins reading from the book of Isaiah (4:16-19; see also Isaiah 61:1-2). This passage is well known to describe the Messiah, so when Jesus closed the book and sat down, all eyes were on Him as He said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (4:20-21). Jesus was clearly proclaiming that He was the promised Messiah, but those in the synagogue could not believe He was the One (4:22). Because of their unbelief in Him as the Messiah, Jesus details God's turning away from Israel in the past for their failure to believe and how He then gave light to the Gentiles instead (4:23-27). So, Jesus was implying that the same thing would happen now if they continued to reject Him as their Savior from sin. When the people heard Jesus' words, they became angry (4:28) and took Him to the "...brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff" (4:29). Through some sort of miracle, Luke writes that Jesus passed "through the midst of them" and "went His way" (4:30).
 
This whole scenario is repeated throughout Jesus' life and ministry: Jesus preaches to the Jews, the Jews reject Him, Jesus informs them that God will turn His attention to the Gentiles, the Jews get angry and try to kill Him. Many today repeat these same actions: the truth about Jesus is revealed, an individual rejects the truth and seeks to silence others, God begins to work in another area. All people should open their heart to the truth and receive the forgiveness of sin offered to all who will repent and believe.

Luke 4:31-44
Jesus had been rejected (4:16-30) and removed from his hometown, Nazareth, for claiming to be the promised Messiah (4:21), but He miraculously escaped from the angry crowd (4:30). After these events, Luke writes that Jesus ended up in Capernaum where He was teaching the people every Sabbath day and those listening "were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority" (4:31-32). Since Jesus was unfamiliar to most people at this time in His ministry, He often taught in the local synagogues and performed miracles to authenticate His authority. While teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, a demon possessed man shouted, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" (4:33-34) Jesus immediately silenced the evil spirit and cast it out of this man (4:35). When the crowd in the synagogue witnessed Jesus' power over the demon, they marveled at His power and the authority by which He spoke (4:36), so they began to spread the news about Him all over the region (4:37). Considering that this was only Jesus' third miracle, the people were beginning to become curious about this Man and be drawn to His supernatural works.

Jesus departed from the synagogue and entered Simon Peter's house where his mother-in-law lay sick with a high fever, so they requested Jesus' power to intervene in this situation (4:38). They probably speculated that if Jesus had power over the spirit realm, He would also have power over the physical realm. Jesus "stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them" (4:39). The mere spoken words of Jesus were able to instantly change a circumstance. That is power. Word spread very quickly concerning Jesus' ability to cast out demons and heal the sick so "all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many... (4:40-41). When God is doing things which cannot be humanly explained, people will come to see.

The next day Jesus retreated to a deserted place, but the people were searching for Him and demanded that He stay in Capernaum; however, Jesus said, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent" (4:43). Jesus' response to the people proves that His emphasis was on His preaching ministry, not on His healing ministry. Physical healing was only temporary, but spiritual healing would result in eternal life. Because Jesus wanted all people to hear a message of hope and life, He continued preaching in the synagogues throughout Galilee (4:44). In a day where people are obsessed with a physical healing from God (or their pastor), the greater emphasis should be concerning the condition of the heart. Without the life changing message of the gospel, a changed body means nothing. All pastors and leaders should make a daily commitment to displaying God's glory through faithfully preaching the sufficiency of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins.
 
Dear God, may Your power be evidenced through Your miraculous works and the preaching of the gospel.