Luke 4:1-2 

Luke is going to show us the whole ministry of the Christ. 

To be God’s Perfect Lamb, He would have to face and overcome temptation. 

Filled with the Holy Spirit, He is led into the wilderness. 

Key Lessons 

The Devil, Lucifer, Satan is never presented as an abstract evil force. He is a fallen arch angel who wanted the glory of God for himself.

We don’t seem to get a biblical physical manifestation of the Devil or his minions. We see possession, oppression, and influence.

We are warned: 

1. He schemes
   
   
2. We can come under his influence
   
   
3. He appears as an angel of light
   
   
4. He is like a roaring lion 
   
   
5. He is smart
   
   
6. He can be overcome by the believer

There is debate about how this manifested temptation happened. 

• Was Satan physically manifest?
  
  
• Was Jesus in a spirit state or dream?
  
  
• Was Jesus just battling these thoughts in His head?

In any case the temptation was real.

There is a difference between our temptations and Jesus’ temptations.

James 1:12-15
We have a fallen nature: Jesus did not.
What this means is we have no power on our own to overcome temptation. 

Jesus, on His own, had to defeat temptation and obey and honor the Father’s will.

His victory over temptation leaves Him as the Spotless Lamb that can be sacrificed for our guilt. 


The Three Temptations

1. Feed Yourself
Luke 4:3 
The great condition that the Christ had to meet was to be fully man. 

Luke 4:4 
Jesus was saying that His source is the Father. 

All of Jesus’ response would come from Deuteronomy 6 & 8.  

This was Jesus centering His actions on the truth that His relationship with the Father is more important than anything else. 


2. The Means to an End
Luke 4:5-7 
Here the Devil tempts Him to a shortcut: be the Messiah of the world. 

He appeals to the pride of the flesh to turn away from the sacrifice needed for God’s victory to be achieved. 

Luke is laying the foundation of the work of the cross. 

Luke 4:8 
God must be first in our lives.
Satan’s way would have subverted the plan of God and been in rebellion to God. 


3. Faith Over Fanaticism
Luke 4:9-11 
His temptation comes from Psalm 91:11 and he leaves out the words, “in all thy ways.”

Luke 4:12 
Test or tempt here means: to see how far one can go with someone.

God does not do miracles through us to glorify us.
God does miracles to glorify His plan. 

The fanaticism road is lined with self-glorifying actions and desires that we say point to God. In that case, it will fail because it tempts God and puts you in His place. 

Satan would leave for a time. That is true for all of us as well. Be well armed with the Word.