Luke | Chapter 4

Luke 4:1-2

“The condition of the temptation”

 

  • Introduction
  • 1-2 The condition of the temptation

 

Introduction

 

As we start the 4th chapter we have just concluded the early aspects of our Lords life from His dedication at the 8th day of His life, to His coronation and consecration at His baptism to what is before us now, namely His temptation, all of which brings us to the doorstep of His earthly ministry.

When we consider the temptation account it is unique as its source could only have come from Jesus Himself and passed down to His disciples.

As we start our study it is important to note that Luke’s account isn’t the only one where you will find mention the temptation. In fact three of the four gospel accounts with the only one not mentioning it John’s.

Below are the other accounts of the temptation of Jesus.

  • Matthew 4:1-11
  • Mark 1:12-13
  • Luke 4:1-13

Each of the gospel writers adds information that the other accounts don’t mention, and each looks at the temptation of Christ from their own perspective. For instance, Matthew shows Jesus confronting the devil’s empire of evil as God’s anointed King.

It is interesting that from Matthew’s perspective the same three temptations directly correspond to how the world-kingdoms have attempted to establish their governments.

  • The bread basis which is caring only for the physical
  • The false religious basis which emphasizes the spectacular
  • The compromise basis which suggests that you can have what you want as long as you compromise

We will briefly note the differences found in Luke whose emphasis is on the personality of Jesus.

What all three accounts agree on is that as Luke says in verse 13 that the devil’s “personal” temptation didn’t end after these three temptations. I think it is important to understand that what each of these three gospels record, which is the “temptation of Christ”. It is just that as Christ is a word that is specific to the Messiah which makes these three temptations “Messianic” in their application towards Jesus. That isn’t to say that Jesus wasn’t tempted “personally” but rather that this is a Messianic temptation and it wasn’t limited to those three as Jesus was tempted throughout those 40 days.

These three temptations represent satan’s attempt to thwart God’s purpose. These temptations are not so much the devil attacking the Person of our Lord Jesus as they are him attacking the Purpose of the Living God.

Luke switches the 2nd and 3rd temptation from the historical account, and I believe that he does this to show how the perfect man handles the three areas of temptation which are the same as Adam and Even were tempted:

  • Bread = Personally
  • Temple = Socially
  • High mountain = Spiritually

As it relates to the personal temptation of Jesus, those had been ongoing since His birth and would continue until His death. The truth about those personal temptations are the topic of interest from the author of Hebrews when we read, Heb. 4:15 in the ASV. says this: “For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” It is such a comfort to know that Jesus understands all that we weak humans go through, but more than that, he has shown us the way through our weakness: trust in His word. As we look at these temptations, you will notice that they are the same ones faced by us and that the answer is always found in our surrender to His Word.

There is something equally fascinating to me that, as you consider the first Adam and the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:15), they were both tempted by Satan, yet the surroundings were vastly different, as was the outcome.

  • Adam was tempted in a beautiful garden.
  • Jesus was tempted in a barren, forsaken desert.
  • Adam ate freely of all things in the garden except one tree.
  • Jesus ate nothing for 40 days.
  • Adam was in perfect health (no effects of sin).
  • Jesus was on the verge of death. 

What Adam lost in the garden Jesus won back in the desert. I have broken this passage apart into three sections to better our examination:

  • 1-2 The condition of the temptation
  • 3-12 The process of the temptation
  • 13 Being watchful after the victory

We will only deal with the first part this week and follow this outline.

My last observation before we start the text is that clearly God never attended that man to face temptation on their own strength. In fact we have the same resources that Jesus used when He faced and defeated satan plus one other:

  • Prayer as noted in Luke 3:21-22
  • The Father’s love (Luke 3:22)
  • The power of the Holy Spirit (4:1)
  • The Word of God as noted in Jesus own words when He said it is written.
  • We have one other resource according to James 1:1-8, 13-17 and that is we have Jesus in heaven interceding on our behalf.

 

Vs. 1-2 The condition of the temptation


Vs. 1-2 There are four things of note here in regard to the conditions of the messianic temptation, two are positive, two are negative:

Positive:

  • Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
  • Jesus was Led by the Holy Spirit

Negative:

  • Jesus was in the wilderness
  • Jesus hadn’t eaten in 40 days

 

Though the order of these three temptations differs from Matthew to Luke (Luke reversed to 2nd and third temptations). I believe Luke knew the historical biblical order of Matthew which we know is the actual chronological order that they happened and Luke’s recording the way he does is not contradicting Matthew’s account.

Luke’s focus is upon the only three areas that man can be tempted as seen in 1 John 2:16 where we are told, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

There is the fleshly, the aesthetic and the spiritual or intellectual. It was this way with Eve in the garden according to Genesis 3:6:

  • We note that Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food thus it appealed to the flesh, thus the lust of the flesh.
  • We note that it was pleasant to the eye, thus the lust of the eyes.
  • Lastly, we note that Eve saw that it was desirable to make one wise, thus the pride of life.     

 

Matthew’s account is the historical order while Luke’s address the moral order which is what the author of Hebrews in 4:15 was addressing.

There are several general things to consider:

1.) The timing of the test was right after Jesus’ baptism and blessing. What this reminds us is that testing seems to happen that way in our lives as well. It is often right after some great blessing or victory that spiritual battles come.

2.) The circumstances of the test:

“led by the Spirit…tempted by the devil.” Here is what every believer in Christ faces daily in our experience, whether we are going to be led by the Spirit or led astray by the temptation of the flesh. What we see is that the perfect man (Jesus) deals with what we face in everyday life. Humanly speaking, He was “led by the Spirit,” in other words, this was not something He went on His own. Mark’s account uses the least amount of words but the most suggestive words, “the Spirit DROVE Him into the wilderness….tempted by satan and was there with the wild beasts”. Mark’s wording implies three things about this temptation:

  • 12 Eager willingness: Mark use his favorite word “immediately” but does so in conjunction with something most of us would NEVER get excited over, not just a TEST but a temptation! Furthermore, not just any test, a test administered by a lying, murder who has designed the test not to see what you have learned but to ensure that you fail! The devil had given other tests to other people like Job, but this test was even more severe.

The word “drove” in the Greek implies something very different than what we think it means in the English as in the English we use the word “drove” to imply reluctance on Jesus’ part. When we compare the accounts of Matthew and Luke, we see that those two writers used very different words to describe Jesus’ journey into the wilderness to be tested as their word means was “led up” and “was led” which is the emphasis upon the Holy Spirit guiding. But Mark uses the word that implies Jesus’ perspective in going which speaks not of reluctance but rather of preoccupation of mind in going. Mark will use the word again in chapter 1:34, 39 speaking casting out or driving out demons. I believe we get the picture of Jesus’ intent as He couldn’t wait to drive out the evil influence in the world. This isn’t a picture of reluctance on Jesus part it is a picture of complete and absolute CONFIDENCE.

That is what happens when light comes into darkness it drives out the night. We don’t need to stomp or swing our arms in the dark we just need to turn on the LIGHT! 

  • Mark 1:13a also implies a Complete examination: Mark points out the thoroughness of satan’s examination. The word “tempted” is in the “present tense” which speaks of a continuous action. The three temptations that Luke and Matthew record at the end of the 40 days indicate the intensity of the temptations as the end of the 40 days as satan knew his time was short.
  • The place of the temptation: The “wilderness,” was the barren Judean desert. A place of solitude and severe conditions. We ought to remember this as we are being tempted to go after something in the flesh, that though it may appeal to our flesh, it is in fact a barren waste land void of any value.
  • The person of temptation isthe devil. The examiner was none other than the devil, a word in the Greek that means “adversary”. The word “tempted” in the Greek is a word that means to “pierce in search of”.

The word came to mean to “try intentionally with the purpose to discover weakness, to purposefully solicit a person to do evil.” Satan is the author of sin and the father of lies; Jesus, therefore, in winning here would show forever His ability to overcome evil. 

  • 2 The condition of the person being tested. The longevityof the test being 40 days and nights. When you look at the number 40 in the Bible you discover something very interesting as the number is almost always associated with testing or judgment.
  • Noah’s flood: It rained 40 days and 40 nights
  • Israel in the desert: They wondered 40 years
  • Moses kept his father in laws sheep 40 years after slaying the Egyptian in Egypt
  • Jesus: Tested 40 days 

In all the other cases mankind failed the test. Also of interest is that after 5 days of a fast, most people lose the sense of hunger, and they do not experience it again until they begin to starve to death. Though I’m certain that the Spirit sustained Jesus with the food of fellowship, satan used that as a temptation, to which Jesus responded that what sustained him was fellowship. The fact that after the 40 days and nights Jesus was hungry tells us that His body was dying; He was starving to death. 


Luke 4:3-13

“The temptation of Christ”


  • Introduction
  • Vs. 3-12 The process of the temptation
  • Vs. 13 Being watchful after the victory

Introduction

As we started our look at the temptation of Christ by first noticing that the temptation account is unique as its source could only have come from Jesus Himself and then passed down to His disciples. We also noted the overall familiarity of the story three of the four gospel accounts with mention with the only one not mentioning it John’s. 

  • Matthew 4:1-11 
  • Mark 1:12-13
  • Luke 4:1-13

We spent a brief amount of time noting some of the differences that each writer has with the main difference being that Matthew’s order is historical whereas Lukes is moral as Luke switches the 2nd and 3rdtemptation but both focus on the Messianic nature of the temptations in comparison to the personal nature which is covered by the author of Hebrews in 4:15 where we read, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” 

Lastly we noted the contrast between Adam and the 2nd Adam, Jesus, where we saw that what Adam lost in the garden Jesus won back in the desert. Now that we are up to date we will pick up the last two parts of our outline:  

  • Vs. 3-12 The process of the temptation
  • Vs. 13 Being watchful after the victory

Vs. 3-12 The process of the temptation


In verses 3-4 we start out looking at the first temptation which corresponds to “The Lust of the Flesh” in 1 John 2:16 we are told that “all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.” 

You will notice these three baits in the temptation of Jesus and ultimately in our own experiences as well. Every temptation we face will be in one of these three categories. 

Vs. 3 In Matthew’s account in 4:3 he uses the word “when” the tempter came; it is not an “if” but a “when with regards to his temptations. Again remember that Jesus was only tested 3 times during these 40 days; he was being tested the whole time, but we have only 3 of them recorded. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” The word “if” is actually better translated “since” as there was no doubt in satan’s mind as to who Jesus was. 

In Luke 4:34, the demon said, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are; the Holy One of God!” 

What the devil is saying, “Why don’t you use your divine powers to satisfy your own fleshly appetite?” In this region the ground is covered with loaf-shaped rocks, so satan comes and uses this to tempt Jesus. What this reminds us that we often think that the temptation is something that is far from us and we will see it coming, but more than likely it is something right under your nose. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread,” is the lust of the flesh. This test was on the physical level and tested the ideals for the kingdom. It was a test of loyalty and aimed at getting Jesus to question the Father’s vision. It is satan saying, “Since you are the Son of God, why is the Father allowing you to starve?” “Go on, use your divine powers to satisfy your own needs; you’ve got the power to do it, and He is not doing anything about your needs!” 

We face this one all the time. “Look at all of those bills piling up! If God loves you, so why are you so broke?” You better go out there and take another three jobs, because He is not going to help you!” Or perhaps you’re single and you really want to get married, but you just haven’t met anyone. So satan comes in and says, “Hey, look, God is not concerned with this, so why not just go out with that non-believer? He won’t care; just do it in your own power.” So what’s the answer?

Vs. 4 This is found in Deut. 8:3. In fact, all of the scriptures Jesus quotes from are found in Deuteronomy. It was the summary of the law and was written by Moses to a new generation so that they might obey. So what is Jesus saying? He is saying greater than any need I have in the physical realm, I have an even greater one in the spiritual realm, and that is fellowship with God. And fellowship with God cannot happen if I am disobedient. 

Notice Jesus says, “every word,” not just the ones that we agree with, but every word is inspired. This is much more than just the inspiration of scripture, it is the sufficiency of scripture. The problem with the Bible is not that it doesn’t have anything to say, but rather that what it has to say makes us uncomfortable at times. 

So in Jesus biblical reply he says, “The best of my existence is found in relationship with the Father, and I trust Him for everything.” In Ps. 119:11 we read “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” It does us no good just to know the Word; we must apply it in your life. In other words, if all we do is say, “Man does not live by bread alone,” it does us no good. We need instead to say, “I’m not going to live in the material realm, having the physical appetites rule over the spiritual ones. No, I’m going to live the way God has made me, dependent, trusting in Him alone to meet my needs! 

In verses 5-8 we are looking at the second temptation which corresponds to “The Lust of the eyes” in 1 John 2:16.

This is where Luke differs from that of Matthew’s account and this one deals with The Lust of the Eyes. Here satan attempts to get Jesus to question the Father’s promise, and you see that this temptation is concerned with the plans of the kingdom. 

Notice as well that all three temptations have THREE THINGS in common 

  • All of these temptations are an attempt to get Jesus and us to compromise! 
  • All of them deal with doubting God in some way, whether that is His provision, promises or protection! 
  • Also, in every instance, Jesus always goes back to the Word of God. Notice that satan’s attempt is to get Jesus, (as well as us), to use the circumstances and situations of our lives to interpret who God is, and Jesus’ answer is always the opposite, always using who God is to interpret the circumstance or situation. 

Vs.5 Here we have the setting of the temptation; though, we are not told upon what mountain Jesus was taken. There are several mountains in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and when atop them, you could survey a great deal of Israel. In Deut. 34:1-3, we read of one of them that “Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.” 

Vs.6-7 This temptation was aimed at Jesus dealing with God’s promiseas Jesus had come to win these kingdoms back by going to the cross. Jesus in the 3rd temptation will win the victory in the spiritual realm by declaring that there was no need to put God to the test. But satan here says, “OK, no need to put the Father to the test; here is what you have come for; here are those kingdoms; they are yours, and I will make it easy for you. Why do you even need to die? Just acknowledge the gift I’m offering you and show your gratitude towards me.” 

We need to understand several things as it relates to this temptation: 

  • First, who owned the right to the kingdoms? This is best understood by the text as Jesus does not refute satan’s claim as to who had ownership of them, just the means to obtain them. 
  • Second, when did satan gain control of the kingdoms of the world? The answer is way back in Gen. 1:28, where God gave dominion over all that He created to mankind through Adam. When they fell in the garden, the title deed went over to satan. In John 14:30, satan is called the prince of the world, so satan has been given a certain amount of control over the kingdoms. 2 Cor 4:4 tells us that his main deal is to blind the minds of the people to the truth concerning the gospel. Now Psalm 2 tells us that these kingdoms have been promised to Jesus, but they are only won by way of the cross (verse 8).

This is important for us to understand and is the reason the world is in the shape that it is in. People are always blaming God for the pain and suffering in the world. The fact is that the world is under the rule of satan and is in rebellion against God because of man’s sin. So all the pain and suffering in the world today are a result of rebellion against God. When Jesus comes back, there will be no more suffering, hunger, pain, or disease. 

We also get great insight into satan as he would rather have worship and recognition than all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Which is what we are told in Isa. 14:13-14, where we read about satan, “I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” 

Vs.8 Now we move to Jesus’ answer again from Deut. 6:13. In essence, Jesus says that He will never compromise with evil. “I will get these kingdoms from the Father, His way.” 

The phrase “Get behind me, satan” we note that Jesus is saying, “You offer Me the kingdoms of the world if I acknowledge you by paying you homage; I will take these kingdoms by kicking you out.” 

Folks, the truth we learn is that whatever god we serve, we are worshiping! You cannot serve masters! If you are serving the systems of world, pleasure, power, and popularity, then you are worshiping the wrong god. Only One is worthy of worshiping the Savior of your souls. Don’t be fooled by the lure of shiny things; there is nothing brighter than the “old rugged cross.” 

The third temptation found in verse 9-12 correspond to 1 John 2:16:“For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.” 

Vs.9 In Luke’s account this is the third temptation and falls into the category of the pride of life making it a spiritual temptation and is concerned with the laws of the kingdom. It is to get Jesus to doubt the Father’s protection. Look at the location of this temptation, as it reveals how Jesus was being tempted.

  • First, we have the words that inform us that, “The devil brought him and ..set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.” The word “brought” literally means to accompany or to lead. The word “set” means “had him stand” in the N.I.V. version, and I think it carries the thought better from the Greek. It is not referring this in some supernatural way, as satan did not hold Jesus up in the air and set Him on a spire. Neither does it mean that satan forced Jesus to go against His will. There is no evidence in scripture that satan has the power to do either of these two things. All it’s saying is that satan accompanied or took Jesus to Jerusalem to the temple with himself. 
  • Second, we have location or the setting of the temptation. The Holy City was called this because the temple was there. Jerusalem was the center of all cultural life for the Jewish people, and it all revolved around the temple. He was standing on the “pinnacle” of the temple. When we read this, our minds think that He was on the top of some very tall tower, but it is here that the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus help. The word “pinnacle” literally means a little wing. There is nothing in the Word that says that Christ was placed on the top of a spire. Herod’s temple was on the top of Mount Moriah, and it had two wings, the northern and the southern. The southern was the most grand of the two, both with its decor, “Solomon’s Porch,” as well as scenic beauty; it overlooked the valley of Kedron some 700 feet below. Josephus says that one could not look down without becoming dizzy. It is most likely to this spot that Jesus was taken. The greater question is twofold: Why and what does it have to do with the temptation?

To understand the why, we only need to go back to the first temptation. There Jesus declared the superiority of the spiritual over the physical. Jesus said, “In My kingdom the greatest need of man is fellowship with the Father; it is greater than any other need, even greater than My hunger.” So here satan takes Jesus to the center of spiritual life for His kingdom, the temple in Jerusalem. 

Vs. 10-11 tells us what it has to do with the temptation. In Matthew’s historic account this temptation is the 2nd and is right upon the heels of that victory over the temptation to place the physical above the spiritual and satan comes with these words. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” 

This is a partial quote or a misquote from Psalm 91:11-12. Again, the word “if” is better rendered “since.” So satan has this temptation by saying, “OK, since the spiritual is over the physical and you trust God’s provision for you to prove it!” “You say you believe God’s Word; then why not prove that you trust one of His promises, say the one in Psalm 91:11-12?” 

You can imagine this as Jesus is 700 feet above the canyon with people looking up? The King, the Messiah, and satan is asking Jesus to do something “spectacular” in front of the crowd, proving both God’s love for Him and proving that He really is the Messiah. That is the temptation. “You don’t need the cross and suffering; just trust God, and by doing this, you will demonstrate that you are the Messiah in front of all these folks.” 

I suggest to you that the moment we begin to test God as to His love for us, we show that we do not trust Him. Perfect trust waits; the moment we need some sign or some proof, we show we don’t trust. 

Suppose now I just stepped out in front of a speeding car to push you out of the way, saving your life, but the car hit me so hard that I’m near death lying in a hospital. Finally when I come too, you come to visit me. And say me, “Dale, I sure appreciate you saving my life and all, but I want some proof of your love for me. Is there not something you could do to show me you love me? I mean, perhaps you could pay my bills for a few months, or you could give me a pay raise.” Now, to be honest, I most likely would ask you to get out of my room. But we do this all the time to the Lord: show me your love; do this for me; do that for me. Don’t you know that He showed His love for you on the cross, dying for you? What more proof do you need? 

Vs.12 So here we see how Jesus answered this temptation again with the Word of God out of Deut. 6:16. If we were to go back to Psalm 91:11–12, you will see that satan leaves something out of his quote. “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up. Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” satan deliberately left out that little phrase, “To keep you in all your ways.” 

Jesus knew that satan left out the fact that God was promising to keep His promise as we keep His ways. 

Jesus quotes His answer which is to do something without the Bible’s authority is to sin; to tempt God to dare Him to intervene and rescue us when we have been deliberately disobedient is a good way to find yourself in a bunch of trouble.

Jesus is saying, “Yes, the Father will protect me, but I don’t need to put that to the test to satisfy the truth of it to you or anyone else, for scripture says that you are not to put God to the test.” We don’t need to test God’s love for us by seeing how close to the world you can live and still be called a Christian. That’s just stupid! 


Vs. 13 Being watchful after the victory


Vs. 13 We are told elsewhere that satan left him until an opportune time. He was probably back the next day. Folks, the keys are here: 

  • We do battle with the enemy by staying in constant fellowship with God. 
  • We do this by meditating upon His Word and ordering our lives by it. 

Mark notes that the wild beasts and the angels were present with Jesus. 

  • Wild beasts were with Him: Neither Matthew nor Luke record the wild beasts, but Mark does as he places the Greek emphasis on the word “WITH” which changes the meaning of the phrase to the fact that Jesus was at peace with the wild beasts. This fact reveals two very important truths:
  • Jesus enjoyed a relationship with His creation that hadn’t been experienced since before the fall. We are told in Genesis 1:28 that Adam and Eve were to “have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” This indicates that during those 40 days of temptation Jesus remained sinless and always had authority over His creation.
  • Furthermore we are told that during the 1000-year reign of Christ upon the earth. According to Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” This also indicates the future fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy as he describes Jesus in chapter 11 as having “The spirit of the Lord resting upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Jesus went out into that time of temptation with what Isaiah describes as “righteousness as His belt and faithfulness around His waist”. These “wild beasts” saw Jesus as God the Son, their creator and therefore worshipped His as such as He will be their liberator as well. Paul wrote in Romans 8:21-22 that “the creation itself also will be delivered from bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”
  • Angels Ministered to Him: In the Greek means to serve and is in the imperfect tense meaning that their care was continuous. The angelic creation ministered to Him at the end of His temptation which shows that Jesus not only was Creator and Master of that which was created on the earth, He is both Lord and Creator of the heavens as well. They executed the commands of the Father for the Son continually all during the 40 days and nights and Matthew adds that when satan left Jesus they ministered to Him and by this it is referring to Jesus physical needs as they had been attending to eternal needs. This was a test that offered satan’s worst but there was never a doubt that Jesus would pass the test 100%.

For forty days Jesus was tempted:

  • By His hunger to wonder whether the Father cared
  • By the scope of work, how far He could go apart from the Fathers guidance
  • By the offer of the kingdoms of the world what He may gain apart from His sacrifice

Where every other person that has ever been failed at every one of these tests, Jesus never once:

  • DOUBTED LOVE
  • TRADED TRUST
  • QUESTIONED HOPE