Luke 3-4 (4:1-37)

Introduction

Luke 3

Preaching of John the Baptist

Luke 3:1–2 KJV

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luke is going to place John the Baptist as a bridge from the message of the OT to the Gospel of the New.

He is introduced like an OT prophet. He is preaching the message of repentance to prepare themselves for the coming salvation from God’s coming judgement, the message an old testament prophet would have given.

But he’s also preaching the turning to the one that’s coming for that salvation: Luke 3:16 “16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:”

In Luke 3:4-6 John is preaching a red carpet rolled out for a king from Isaiah: Isaiah 40:3–5 “3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

All of the earthly leaders that seem so big are flattened for the King of Glory that’s coming to earth from heaven

But isn’t just showing us a bridge, and placing the events about to happen in history. He’s not just showing us the foundation of God Almighty breaking into the time and place of humanity. Luke is also quietly showing us a very important truth. That’s what’s taking place right here and right now and what is about to take place in a few minutes, and later tonight and then again on Wednesday and so on, is one of the most significant events that will take place:

Now in the two-hundred-and-thirty-seventh year since the ratification of the Constitution of the United States, when Donald Trump was President of the United States, and Bill Lee was Governor of Tennessee, and Kevin Morrison was Mayor, and the commissioners governed Greene County, the word of God was preached to the congregation of Greystone (or every other church preaching the Bible).

despite all these layers of earthly power and governance, what actually matters—what breaks into history and demands attention—is the word of God being preached, heard, responded to, and applied!

The Baptism of Jesus

Luke 3:21–22 KJV

21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

I love seeing the biblical Trinity here: the voice of the Father, the Son, Jesus, and the Spirit, in a bodily shape like a dove.

Not in some order of appearance, not in one mode after another, but seeing evidence of three unique and individual persons in the same place at the same time and yet the one in being and in essence that is God Almighty

But not the question this morning

Why is Jesus baptized?

John was preaching a baptism of repentance from sin. Did Jesus need to repent?

The is no sin in Jesus:

Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we have not an 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.”

1 John 3:5 “5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

And Jesus had to be sinless:

Hebrews 7:26–27 “26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

If Jesus were not sinless we would not have had an sacrifice for our sins: 1 Peter 1:18–19 “18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

So why was he baptised? John thought about the same question:

the answer was in Hebrews 7 I just read: “26 For such an high priest became us,” also Matthew helps

Matthew 3:13–15 “13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”

Jesus is being baptized to fulfill the Law and to formally and completely and obviously to every that saw it then and reads it now IDENTIFY himself with humanity to offer Himself that humanity that comes to Him in repentance and faith will be saved from the wrath and reunited Almighty fully and eternally with God!

The Genealogy of Jesus

Luke finishes Chapter 3 with the genealogy of Jesus showing He has connections with David, Abraham and Adam. The connection with Adam directly suggests his divine sonship and his relationship to all humankind.

Luke puts the list between the baptism of Jesus and the temptation of Jesus to focus the attention on Jesus as the Son of God:

Luke 3:38 “38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”

Luke 4

The Temptation of Jesus

Luke 4:1–2 KJV

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.

God Himself is never the worker of temptation: James 1:13 “13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”

but here—as in the Book of Job—God uses even satanic tempting to serve His sovereign purposes.

Luke 4:3–4 KJV

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.

Satan questions of God’s care and provision. Jesus answer was quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. As necessary as food is, it is not as important as being sustained by the Word of God and trusting God to supply the rest

“IF” wasn’t Satan doubting he was but tempting Jesus to use His power and authority to stop the suffering

Luke 4:5–8 KJV

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed 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 tempts him to falsely worshiping him. A direct challenge to Exodus 20:3 “3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Satan tells the most effective lie there is, a half-truth. Satan has been made the prince of this world for a season and DOES have great power. Greater than any of us on our own. But a prince is subject to the King and the King HAS NOT given him the authority to give any of it out.

Jesus answers by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13. The context is Deuteronomy 6:4 “4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” There is ONLY ONE God who IS and deserves our worship

Luke 4:9–12 KJV

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. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Fine, if Jesus is answering with scripture, Satan will use scripture:

Psalm 91:11–12 “11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Scripture twisting at it’s best. One of the examples I use to always say CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT. When you cherry pick verses or passages to say what you want without looking at the immediate, the broader, and overall context of the Bible, you violate the first law of hermeneutics

(the understanding of scripture) which is “Scripture ALWAYS interprets SCRIPTURE, and will never contradict itself”

we use the clearer parts to interpret the parts we don’t understand

keeps us from making up our own interpretation or using verses just to prove our view right when there are other verses that prove another view

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16.

Israel had presumed about God’s goodness, doubting why he had sent them out into the desert and promised them the Promised Land.

Jesus refuses to demand God’s protection on his own terms. Doing that isn’t faith or loyalty; it’s sin.

Luke 4:13 KJV

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

The temptations didn't end here to not return. We may not see the verses, but he tempted Jesus every way he could: Hebrews 4:15 “15 For we have not an 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.”

The temptations all show parallels with the temptation in the garden:

“the lust of the flesh”: “the tree was good for food” = “command this stone to become bread”

“the lust of the eyes”: “it was pleasant to the eyes” = “the devil … showed Him all the kingdoms”

“the devil … showed Him all the kingdoms”: “a tree desirable to make one wise” = “throw Yourself down from here”

The first Adam failed temptation in the garden; Jesus, the second and last Adam, finishes it at the Cross:

1 Corinthians 15:45 “45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”

1 Corinthians 15:48–49 “48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Luke 4:14–15 KJV

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.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Luke 4:16–20 KJV

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 Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 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. 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.

Jesus claims to be directed by God to minister and preach.

We as a reader of Luke’s Gospel know more about what this means than Jesus’ original synagogue audience would have known at the time.

They would have heard a claim for a divinely directed ministry, but they may not have realized that at his baptism Jesus had been anointed not just for a prophetic ministry but as Messiah.

Luke 4:21–27 KJV

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 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? 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. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, 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 Elias 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 Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Jesus compares the trouble the poor face in this world to the experience the prophets of old faced.

Jesus isn’t giving a full endorsement of the poor for being poor or victims of the powerful.

The hope Jesus offers earlier is only to the spiritually sensitive poor, to the responsive.

Not only the poor but all that know their need and have no delusions of power, control and independence. All who realize their only hope is in Jesus!

Luke 4:28–30 KJV

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

the only thing that ...was receiving Jesus as who He was saying he was, the Son of God sent to take away the sin of those that trust and believe on Him. The very thing that all here in Nazareth didn’t, couldn’t, and and were brought to wrath at the very thought of the idea of bowing in repentance to this “carpenter’s son”.

A rebellion against the Son is rebellion against the Father!

Luke 10:16 “16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Demon & Peter’s Mother-In-Law and Many Others Healed

Luke will finish the chapter showing some miracles of Jesus

The miracles Luke finishes the chapter with are real events that evidence Jesus’ authority.

Second, these miracles picture something more important. A deeper reality of just the event.

Third, the miracles here, unveil the supernatural struggle between the forces of evil and Jesus.

In Luke 4:31-44 Jesus tackles demons and disease to show he possesses the key to life.

That authority and exercise of cosmic power is why he can speak Luke 4:43 “43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”

Jesus’ shows the presence and concern of the rule of God on behalf of those who turn to God!

Conclusion

It all really comes down to which Adam will you be like: the first or the last?

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:10–11 “10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

Romans 5:12 “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Romans 5:17 “17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)”

Romans 5:19 “19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Will we be saved by and live in Jesus Christ?