March 19 – Reading Luke 4:1-13

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit … was led by the Spirit into the wilderness…and Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…”  Luke 4:1 and 14

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The Gospel according to Luke 4:1-13

Review:  Jesus – the Son of God – testified to by the descent of the Holy Spirit on Him, and God’s voice, and by His own genealogy.  Totally God and totally man with that genealogy leading clear back to Adam, who was formed of the dust by God’s own hands and received the breath of life from He Who IS life.  No wonder Paul calls Jesus “the Last Adam.” (Check out 1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

Today we will see Jesus tested by the same”Snake” that tempted the first of mankind.  But Jesus succeeds in resisting that old serpent again & again by using the two-edged sword, which are the words that God spoke.

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Vss. 1-4.

In a desert wilderness with wild animals and reptiles.  No food.  Hungry.  Tempted constantly by Satan in all the ways WE are.  (1 John 2:15-17)

#1 – the lust of the flesh

Satan: “IF you ARE the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…”   (‘You ARE hungry, Jesus. I know it. Maybe even starving.  You don’t want to die … now … do you?  You deserve some food.  You have the power.  USE it to satisfy your hunger.  God will understand…’)

JESUS: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.”

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Vss. 5-8.

#2 – the lust of the eyes

The devil took Jesus up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time (Persia, Greece, Rome, Great Britain, America), and said to Him,

Satan: “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. If YOU, then, will worship ME, it will ALL BE … YOURS.”   (You are God’s SON.  You deserve to have authority and glory… NOW.  You don’t have to go through all that ridiculous suffering.  Merely bow a knee – just one – to ME, and it will be yours NOW.  God WANTS this for You…’)

JESUS: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your GOD, and HIM ONLY shall you serve.”

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Vss. 9-12.

#3 – the pride of life

And the devil took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him,

Satan: “IF you ARE the Son of God, throw yourself down from here!  FOR IT IS WRITTEN,  ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’  and  ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike  your foot against a stone.'”  (See, Jesus, I know the scriptures too. Here’s a couple you can claim.  Just think, how amazed the people will be to see you walking on angels’ wings!  This is the sign they need!  They will see you as … THE MESSIAH!  Do it!  God is waiting to send His angels…)

JESUS: “It is said, ‘You shall NOT put the Lord your God to the test!'”

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And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him … until an opportune time.

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1 John 2:17 – “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

1 Peter 2:9 and 11 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  “Beloved, I URGE you … abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”