January 11 – Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-13
Main Focus: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus
Luke 3:21–22 describes Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus submits to John’s baptism of repentance to identify with Israel’s sin, foreshadowing the judgment he will endure at the cross. The heavens were opened to show visible evidence of God’s action. Jesus is anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit for his ministry. This simile of a dove does not necessarily mean that the Spirit actually assumed the form of a dove, but it does indicate a bodily form of something like a dove.
God speaks and says You are my beloved Son. Jesus is not only a man; he is also the uniquely loved Son of the Father. This divine affirmation will be repeated at the transfiguration (9:35). Well pleased shows that the Father takes delight in all that Jesus is and all that he has done in his life. It may also indicate that Jesus is the servant of the Lord by alluding to Isa. 42:1, in which case it would be forecasting the death of Jesus for his people.
Luke 4:1–15 takes us to the wilderness and temptation of Jesus. The temptation is the last preparatory event before Jesus’ public ministry begins. It is tied intimately with the declaration of his sonship at his baptism.Jesus, having been anointed by the Spirit at his baptism and full of the Holy Spirit, is led by the Spirit to face Satan. Forty days is reminiscent of Israel’s 40 years of wilderness wandering and the 40-day fasts by Moses and Elijah. Being tempted indicates Jesus was tempted the entire 40 days and that the three temptations mentioned were the culmination.
Temptation 1 – Luke 4:3-4
If you are the Son of God implies a challenge for Jesus to demonstrate his divine power. Satan is asking, in essence, “Why should the very Son of God have to suffer in the wilderness in this way?” Satan tempted Jesus to use his power to satisfy his own desires rather than trusting in God to supply all that he needed during this temptation. Jesus’ reply here (and in the following temptations) begins with It is written followed by a quotation from Deuteronomy that tells what the people of Israel should have learned in the wilderness: Man shall not live by bread alone (see Deut. 8:3). Satisfying one’s need for food is not as important as trusting and obeying God.
Temptation 2 – Luke 4:5-8
And the devil took him up introduces another temptation but does not imply that the temptations occurred in this order. This temptation involves being shown kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Though Satan claims that all this authority and their glory (of the kingdoms) has been delivered to me, and though in some sense Satan is the “ruler of this world”, the claim should not be accepted as fully true. Satan is “a liar and the father of lies”, and in the final analysis, all authority belongs to God. Because of common grace even a fallen world still gives glory to God. This is a temptation to break the first commandment. Jesus replies that worship belongs to the Lord your God alone.
Temptation 3 – Luke 4:9-12
The next temptation takes place on the pinnacle of the temple, the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount, overlooking the Kidron Valley. This time the Devil quotes Scripture (Ps. 91:11–12), but incorrectly, for the psalmist did not mean that a person should attempt to force God to protect him. Jesus replies, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. All of Jesus’ answers come from God’s Word, specifically from the book of Deuteronomy, which was highly respected in Jesus’ time. By quoting Scripture back to Satan, Jesus demonstrates the centrality of God’s Word in defeating Satan’s attacks and temptations.
The devil departed from him. Although the Devil will remain active in opposing Jesus’ ministry, Jesus will not experience such a direct confrontation again until his crucifixion. Having experienced divine confirmation and anointing by the Spirit at his baptism and now through his victory over the Devil in the wilderness, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to begin his ministry. That Luke describes Jesus as being glorified by all indicates Luke’s strong belief in Jesus’ deity.
Discussion questions
Read Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-13
– What questions do you have from reading the text?
– What do you learn about God from this text? What did you learn about our fallen nature from this text?
– As Satan attempts to deceive Jesus, part of his strategy is to utilize Scripture. By quoting Scripture out of context, he tries to support his wicked intentions with God’s Word. The devil has not abandoned this tactic. Even today, it is common in our culture to hear Scripture used out of context to support all kinds of false ideas. Have you come across false beliefs deceptively supported by Bible verses? What were they, and how did you navigate discerning the truth?
– Luke 4:13 says that even after the Devil had finished this set of temptations, he waited for another “opportune time” to attack Jesus. Each of us has our own experiences with spiritual warfare, areas in our life where we are particularly prone to demonic attacks. Nobody is exempt from this; in fact, the most vicious attacks often come upon those in seasons of incredible nearness to God. How are/have you experienced spiritual warfare or temptation in your life?
– Considering the unique ways that you are prone to attack by the enemy (desires, affections, actions, attitudes, thoughts, doubts, etc.), what systems of encouragement and accountability do you have/need from this group to come alongside you the next time you experience a similar attack?
– Christ teaches us the proper way to defend oneself in spiritual warfare is through reliance on the Word of God. We should study the Word of God with diligence, preparation, and prayer. When you read the Word of God, do you study with diligence, preparation, and prayer? If so, share with your group what your habits are. If not, discuss with your group what diligence, preparation, and prayer might look like.