Luke 4:1-13

Introduction

Luke is writing a historical account, so that you may know…

Last week we looked at Jesus baptism and how it accomplished two things

First, it identified Jesus as part of the people. He is counted as one of them (us) and he fulfilled the Isaiah prophecies of the one who would come and bear the sins of the rebels (Is 53:12).

His baptism shows he is fully man, therefore he alone can save people because, as a full man, he lived righteously and fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law (Rom 5:12-21)

Luke then uses genealogy to show Jesus’ place in the historical family of Mary’s bloodline all the way back to Adam.

Second, his baptism identifies him as the Son of God, which God HIMSELF testifies to when “the heavens open” and says He is PLEASED with this man (which also points to how Jesus had lived faithfully all the way up TO that point)

AND the Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove, fulfilling Isaiah 61:1-3 which also points to how Jesus will redeem his people and give them righteousness

And so this week we pick up with the beginning of Jesus ministry, as the God-man, full of the Spirit, is led into the wilderness

“Lord, if you speak to me this EVENING I will listen and respond”

Read Luke 4:1-13

The Temptation of Jesus to Assume the Role of God

The first thing we see is, as theologian Thomas Schreiner puts it, Jesus’ life is “Spirit-directed and Spirit-empowered”. He is filled with the Spirit for ministry at his baptism (not that he wasn’t filled before) and then follows the Spirit’s leading INTO THE DESERT where he will be allowed to be tempted. And so we see that God’s plan was for Jesus to face temptation…so why?

1. Jesus’ temptation identified him with Israel

Luke 4:1–2 “Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil.”

Led into the wilderness - Israel is led into the wilderness out of Egypt (Exodus) as the people of God, where the trials and temptations they faced were meant to increase their trust in their God, but they repeatedly fell short, even though God was in front of them, providing for their needs, demonstrating his power and authority, and protecting them from the wilderness they were in

40 days duration representative of 40 years that the people wandered (still completely under God’s sovereignty, provision, power, and protection) while they were prepared to enter the promised land.

Jesus completing the 40 days faithfully (SPOILER ALERT) “completes” Israel’s wandering and begins the path for many in Israel to receive his faithfulness for them

2. Jesus’ temptation identified him with all mankind

Luke 4:2–3 “…He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.””

Satan’s challenges to Jesus are, essentially, ‘If you are the Son of God, then prove it.” There is something to be said here that Satan, in some way, understands who Jesus is, or certainly what power he can wield. All of the temptations that he gives Jesus are asking Jesus to “show himself” for who he is, and so Satan must understand something…but the things he asks Jesus to do show that he really has NO CLUE who Jesus is at the same time. So, does (can) Satan know truth, maybe, but it will always be limited.

Satan then begins to appeal to WHO Jesus is, and HIS rights as the Son of God. Jesus KNOWS who he is and what power he has, but as we will see, Jesus roots all of his answers in what God says about MEN, not HIM because he IS FULLY MAN. As we will see, his power to resist is empowered by the Spirit (we have HIM) and the Word (we have IT)

Jesus is not a man with a God brain, he is a man, LIKE us, so he can identify with us.

Provision - Who will provide your needs?

Luke 4:3–4 “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.””

Matthew 4:3–4 “Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.””

Satan begins at the end of 40 days, when Jesus has not eaten and, as one commentary put it, “was closer to death than at any other point in his life, except the crucifixion.” Satan says, as a human and the Son of God, you have a right to eat, so eat!

Jesus says, Deuteronomy 8:3 “He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Jesus CAN provide for his own needs, but he relies on God to provide and he knows that he must obey God. Do we trust that God can meet our needs? Do we put our needs ahead of our obedience to God?

Power (Authority) - Who’s power and authority will you rely on?

Luke 4:5–8 “So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to him, “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.””

Satan says, as the Son of God you have the right to be in charge, for nations to bow to you, for authority over the whole earth

Jesus says, Deuteronomy 6:13 “Fear the Lord your God, worship him, and take your oaths in his name.” Serve him only!

Jesus is offered earthly glory, power, and riches, that we could not even fathom. He is offered the kingdom without the cross, the crown without the thorns. and HE DESERVES IS ALL. Yet he will not forsake obedience to God and trust in Him inorder to obtain it. Do we look for power over suffering? Ease over obedience?

Protection - Who do you trust to take care of you?

Luke 4:9–12 “So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you, and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.””

Satan says, as the Son of God, even the Scriptures say that you have the right to be protected and to call on Angels. God has said it HIMSELF in Psalm 91:11–12 “For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Jesus says, Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not test the Lord your God as you tested him at Massah.”

Satan essentially says to Jesus, do you really believe you are the Messiah? Do you really believe that what the Scriptures say about you are true? Then just test it, have enough faith to throw yourself down and force God’s hand.

Do we look for more “signs” and “proof” outside of the Scriptures? Do we take God at His word?

A great summary from Micheal Wilcock: ‘You suggest that feeding my body may take precedence over obeying my God. But God has told men’—men—‘that they shall not live by bread alone; therefore I shall not do so. You offer me universal power, at the price of worshipping you. But God has told men that they are not to worship any but him; therefore I shall not worship you. You propose that I should test his promises to suit my own convenience. But he has told men that they are not to test him in this way; therefore I shall not do so.’

3. Jesus’s temptation identified him as the Messiah, King, and Son

Because he does not give in, we see that he is the NEW ADAM, the NEW Israel, the SUFFERING servant, the Messiah

4. Jesus’ temptation identifies how we must (and can) resist temptation

By trusting in Jesus

By relying on the Spirit

By relying on His Word

“Understand this: Jesus did not resist the temptations of Satan by the superior power of his deity, but in all the weakness of his humanity. This gives us hope. Sometimes we say that we sin because we cannot help it. But by the grace that we have in Jesus Christ, we too have the ability to resist the devil: “because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).” - Philip Ryken

Closing/Application

Are you Spirit directed and Spirit empowered?

Both ASSUME a relationship with Christ, are you a follower of his?

If no, then…

If yes, the you have the Holy Spirit with you as Jesus promised you would. And if you have the Spirit then your life SHOULD be Spirit directed and Spirit empowered. Jesus, even as he promises the Spirit, also promises the trials and temptations thats will come, and in these trials we can KNOW that we have the Spirit to empower us to stand in them, BECAUSE our trials and temptations are still under God’s sovereign control and within the realm of the Spirit’s work.

Who or what are you trusting for your provision, power (authority), and protection?

Our trials and temptations often come in the form of the three things we see Jesus tempted with: Provision, not trusting that he will provide. Power (or Authority), not allowing him to be in control. Protection, not trusting that he is with us.