In the Wilderness and at Nazareth.—Luke 4:1-22

Notes

1. The order of the three great temptations is given differently in Matthew from what it is in Luke; but there is not the slightest contradiction between the accounts. It seems evident that Matthew has given the exact order in which the temptations occurred, for the greatest temptation of all,—the one in which Christ called Satan by name, and told him to get behind him,—is by Matthew given last. Luke simply gives the facts, without indicating anything about the order of their occurrence.

2. In Luke's narrative we have an item that is not given elsewhere, and which is sometimes overlooked, namely, that Jesus was being tempted during all the forty days of his fast. At the close of the forty days' fast, when Jesus was enfeebled and emaciated by hunger, the devil brought his greatest temptations to bear.

3. "It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The way in which Jesus met this temptation is an illustration of this scripture. He gave us an example of how to meet temptation. It is not by parleying with it, not by will power, but by the word of God. The Holy Spirit will bring the word to mind in time of temptation, provided we have made a study of it. It is thus that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him. Isa. 59:19. Jesus "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;" and in this, says the apostle, he was an example to us, that we should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21, 22. Accordingly, the beloved disciple says: "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." 1 John 5:18. How does he keep himself so that the wicked one does not touch him?—By the "shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Eph. 6:16. But "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17. Therefore it is by the word of God that we are to be kept from sin.

4. It will be noticed that Jesus stopped short in the prophecy which he read from Isaiah. Compare Luke 4:18, 19 and Isa. 61:1, 2. He had come to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. He was also anointed to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God; but that was not his work then. He "came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47; 3:17. The scripture that was fulfilled in their ears that day was wholly a message of mercy, and as such it found a response in the hearts of the people. "And all bare him witness." Involuntarily they uttered the "amen" with which the Jews were accustomed to respond. In their case was manifested the power of the simple word of God. They could not but be melted by it, until they hardened their hearts by unbelieving questions.

5. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." All this was fulfilled hundreds of years ago. That is, all the liberty that Jesus came to bestow, was then available for the men of Nazareth. The deliverance was for them. Then certainly there is no reason for us to think that we must wait till some future time for its fulfillment to us. Who are they that are bound?—It is all who are in sin. When the Jews boasted of their freedom, Jesus said: "Everyone that committeth sin is the bond servant of sin. And the bond servant abideth not in the house forever; but the Son abideth ever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:34-36, Revised Version. Christ came to proclaim freedom from sin to them that are bound by sin. The thought of such a possibility is almost too great for the mind to grasp, yet we have the word of God for it, and must believe it. But the power does not rest in man. It is "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." Zech. 4:6. When we take God into the account, then it is not too much to believe that men may be perfectly freed from sin. No limit can be set to his power. The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God. Then shall we not yield ourselves wholly to him, submitting to him every moment, that his divine power, which brings to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and which also keeps us in the way of life and godliness (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24, 25), may abide with us continually?