Dig Deeper:
NOT THE FIRST TO BE TESTED: Chapter 3 ended with Adam being designated 'the son of God,' yet we know that Adam forfeited that relationship because he failed the devil's test. Look how similar the three aspects of Jesus' testing in the wilderness are to Adam's testing in the Garden: Adam & Eve were tempted with food, to set aside God's instruction and take a shortcut, and to make themselves equal to God, just like what Jesus was after 40 days without food in the desert. The primary difference is that Jesus passed the test, and He invites you to share in the result.
HOLY SPIRIT WATCH: As we read through Luke, we're looking for mentions of the Holy Spirit. Once again we seem Him active in chapter 4, strengthening Jesus throughout the test, and helping Jesus fulfill the prophecy Isaiah had written (v18).
TOUGH CROWD: As Jesus returns to His hometown, he's quite popular: "everyone praised Him" (v15). After He identified Himself as the object of Isaiah's prophecy, "all spoke well of Him and were amazed at His gracious words" (v22). But something quickly changes; the grace that they were filled with when they first welcomed Jesus leaves them and in its place they were filled with wrath (v28) and hauled Jesus out to kill Him. Jesus hadn't given them what they wanted (the miracles He did in Capernaum recorded in the early chapters of Matthew & Mark), rather He confronted them with the fact that God's grace was no longer exclusively theirs because of their identity as Israelites, and the crowd chose to cling to their preconceived identity rather than trusting Jesus.
What are you holding on so tightly to that you would rather throw Jesus off of a cliff instead of letting go of it?
AUTHORITY: Twice Luke mentions that the people of Capernaum were amazed at the authority Jesus spoke with (v32 & 36). Ironically, authority was one of the things the devil attempted to give Jesus in return for His worship (v6). But the authority Jesus spoke with was not something bestowed upon Him, rather Jesus is authoritative because He is the Word of God. As you read this Word each day, you are cementing His authority in your life and equipping yourself to withstand the devil's temptations by clinging to the Word as Jesus did.
AAA Prayer Tips:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Worship the Lord your God (v8a)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Serve only the Lord your God (v8b) and not your own preconceived notions
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
