Luke Bible Study, Day 8
Today’s passage: Luke 4:1–13
Focus verse:When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)
With his baptism behind him and the Holy Spirit in him, Jesus leaves John the Baptist at the Jordan River. Instead of launching into his earthly ministry—seemingly the perfect time to do so—Jesus obeys as the Holy Spirit sends him into the wilderness.
What?
There aren’t any people there. How can Jesus save the world if he’s not with the people who need saving? Though this is counterintuitive, it’s part of God’s plan to prepare Jesus for ministry.
While in the desert, Jesus fasts. We don’t know if this is because the Holy Spirit told him to or because there’s no food in the desert.
Regardless, he goes without eating for a long time, for forty days. That’s over five weeks with no food. Then Luke adds a detail we readily understand: Jesus is hungry.
The devil, who wants to thwart Jesus’s mission, jumps on this opportunity to derail a physically weak Jesus before he can start his work.
The devil (Luke doesn’t call him Satan) tempts Jesus into using his godly power in ways he shouldn’t and to cut his journey short.
First, aware of how hungry Jesus is, the devil taunts him. Mocking him, the devil says, “If you’re really God, just make this stone turn into a loaf of bread.”
What a clever idea. In an instant Jesus could have all the nourishment his food-deprived body craves. Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner?
But Jesus doesn’t give in to this easy solution. He quotes from the law of Moses, “Bread isn’t enough. We need God’s word to truly live.”
That’s strike one against the devil.
Next, in an instant, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms and people in the world. The devil, who presently has authority over it all, promises to give everything to Jesus.
But there’s one catch. Jesus must worship him. Though the payoff would be huge, the cost would be even greater.
Jesus again quotes from the Law. He reminds the devil, “Fear God and only serve him.”
Strike two.
In his third attempt, the devil throws some Scripture at Jesus, quoting from the book of Psalms. Here’s the setup: The devil baits Jesus, taunting him to take a high dive off the temple’s pinnacle.
He reminds Jesus that God has angels watching over believers. “They’ll lift you up when you fall, so that you won’t even stub your toe.”
By jumping, Jesus could show God’s power. And if the angels don’t rescue Jesus and he dies when he falls, that would serve the devil’s purpose.
Jesus’s comeback is succinct: “Don’t test God.”
Strike three.
Having struck out, the devil leaves to make a new plan to take Jesus down.
Questions:
Have we ever considered fasting as preparation for something?
When we face temptation, do we attempt to resist it on our own or cite Scripture to put the devil in his place?
[Discover the Scripture Jesus quotes in Deuteronomy 6:13 & 16 and Deuteronomy 8:3. Read the passage Satan quotes in Psalm 91:11–12.]
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Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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