Luke Reading (#9)
Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.
Read Luke 4:1-15
[4:1] And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness [2] for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. [3] The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” [4] And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” [5] And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, [6] and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. [7] If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” [8] And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
[9] And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [10] for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
[11] and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
[12] And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [13] And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
[14] And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. [15] And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Observation
- How does Luke describe Jesus’ state when he returned from the Jordan (v. 1)?
- Who led him into the wilderness (v. 2)?
- For how long was Jesus tempted by the devil?
- How did Jesus feel at the end of that time? Why?
- Luke records three of the interactions between Satan and Jesus.
- What was the first challenge that Satan threw down (v. 3)? How did Jesus respond (v. 4)?
- What was the offer that Satan made in v. 5-7? How did Jesus respond (v. 8)?
- What was the challenge that Satan made in v. 9-11?
- How did he seek to make it attractive to Jesus?
- How did Jesus respond (v. 12)?
- What was the result of this interaction:
- For Satan (v. 13)?
- For Jesus (v. 14-15)?
Interpretation
- Satan challenges Jesus to show that he really is the Son of God (v. 3).
- Why did Jesus not seem like the Son of God at that moment?
- Satan was tempting Jesus to use his status as God’s Son to demonstrate power and avoid suffering and temptation.
- How would that undermine what Jesus came to do?
- If Jesus escaped temptation and suffering by using his divine powers, what would that mean for you and me?
- Satan claims authority over the world in verse 6.
- In what sense is that true? How is it not true?
- Jesus would one day receive all authority over the world. He was not glorified at that moment in the wilderness, but was suffering.
- How would he one day receive that authority and glory (Philippians 2:8-11)?
- So, Satan was tempting Jesus to get authority and glory through a different plan.
- Why would that achieve Satan’s purposes?
- What would be the consequences for us if Jesus had given in to this offer?
- What was at the heart of the third temptation (v. 9-11)? Why is Jesus’ response significant?
- Luke has shown us that Jesus identified with us in baptism (3:21-22). He has traced Jesus’ lineage through Israel all the way to Adam.
- In what ways are the temptations of Jesus like the temptations of Adam?
- How are Jesus’ temptations like those of Israel in the wilderness?
- Why is it important that Jesus succeeded where Adam and Israel failed?
Application
- When you are tempted, how does it help to know that Jesus stood in your place and succeeded where you failed?
- When you give in to temptation, how does it help to know that Jesus stood in your place and succeeded where you failed?
Share prayer requests and pray for each other.