Luke 4
by Pastor David Groendyk

Chapter 4 continues the theme of confirming that Jesus is the Son of God filled with the Holy Spirit. The phrase “Son of God” (or something similar) is mentioned another four times (vv. 3, 9, 34, 41) in this chapter, while the Holy Spirit is also mentioned another four times (vv. 1, 14, 18). Each of the sections in Luke 1–4 are absolutely crucial to understanding Jesus before getting into the meat of this Gospel and his various miracles and teachings.

What does the familiar story of Jesus’ wilderness temptations teach us? The common lesson is that we ought to overcome temptation with the Word of God. But this section teaches us much more. Notice exactly how Satan tempts Jesus, always with the phrase, “If you are the Son of God…” Satan is saying, “Jesus, why don’t you just show your divine power here? You shouldn’t have to suffer and be humiliated like this! Show yourself! You are the Son of God… right?” Now, Jesus absolutely would be proved to be the true Son of God… eventually. The resurrection is God’s great vindication of that truth. But Satan is tempting Jesus to short-circuit that pathway. Jesus’ road to glorification is a road that must include being human, suffering, and demonstrating faith in his Father. Falling in any of these three tests would be to say that Jesus didn’t trust his Father or his Father’s plan.

Jesus’ quotations in Scripture come from Israel’s own sinfulness and rebellion in the wilderness. It’s easy to see how Jesus is doing what wilderness Israel could not. However, as one writer notes, with Adam just being mentioned at the end of chapter 3, we must also read Jesus’ temptations in Luke 4 side-by-side with Adam’s temptations in Genesis 3. Ralph Davis writes: “In Genesis 3 Adam faces the tempter in the richness of the garden, in Luke 4 Jesus faces him in the desolation of the wilderness; Adam is surrounded with provision, Jesus with destitution. Genesis 3 depicts the fall of man, Luke 4 reports the standing of man… Jesus reverses, or begins to reverse, the ravages of the fall. Here is the second Adam, the representative head of a new humanity.” Jesus succeeds where Adam (and we) falls; Jesus obeys where Adam (and we) sins. Whether it’s the temptation to idolize and deify material needs or to want to rule the world rather than bow down or to test God rather than to trust, we will always succumb apart from Jesus. We need him to stand in our place and to be the creator of a new humanity who are themselves empowered to obey by the Holy Spirit.

Verses 16–30 tell us about Jesus’ own “coming out party,” so to speak. This is his big opening sermon to tell everyone who he is and what he’s come for. He quotes Isaiah 61 and says that he is the Suffering Servant and Royal King who will bring about the new age of deliverance and restoration for a sinful and exiled people (if you have time, read through all of Isaiah 59–62 for the context). Jesus doesn’t just say that that age is coming; he’s saying that he is the bringer of that age. Jesus is the good news who brings spiritual deliverance to people. Naturally, no one believes Jesus. The general response is that it was a marvelous sermon, but… really? This is just Joseph’s son that we grew up with! They’re skeptical now; however, by the end of this scene, they’re ready to kill Jesus. What takes them from skeptics to murderers? It’s the mention of two very specific stories regarding Elijah and Elisha, where they ministered to people in pagan Sidon and pagan Syria. When the people of Nazareth ask Jesus for proof to back up his claims, Jesus tells them, “No; I’m passing over you in judgment so that I might go to outsider pagan Gentiles instead.” That’s not what they would’ve expected Israel’s great deliverer to say! Israel had rejected God, so God rejected them and took his gospel message to the rest of the world instead. This is one of the big themes in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus goes to the Samaritans, the Gentiles, the women, the poor, the outcast, the sick, the demon-possessed—everyone you wouldn’t expect. Jesus gravitates to poor and needy people.

Actually, that is the entire gospel message. Jesus is kind and gentle with those who know themselves to be dogs who don’t even deserve scraps from the table. He doesn’t show up to deliver people who have already cleaned themselves up or put in some work first. That runs counter-intuitive to every bone in our body. We love to favor and show grace to people we like, people whom we think deserve it. The gospel says that Jesus comes exactly for those who don’t deserve it. And praise God that he does! Which people in your life do you consider to be “outcast” or “poor” or “dogs” or “undeserving”? What does Christ’s sermon in Luke 4 tell you your heart and your attitude should be toward those people?