Luke 4:1-44
After Jesus was Baptized by John in the Jordan river he was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. The text records for us three temptations but indicates that he was being tempted by the devil for forty days. The devil departed him until an opportune time. The first opportunity came when Jesus began his public ministry, teaching in the synagogues and was praised by all. When he taught in Nazareth, he did not capitulate to the demands of the crowd, so that he might be praised in his hometown, but spoke truth, at which they were enraged. The apostle John summarized this in his prologue: “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” (Jn 1:11) The people of his hometown did not receive him, but only wanted to see a sign. He told them that Isaiah 61:1-2 had been fulfilled in their hearing, but they did not believe, they only wanted him to preform a sign. However, Jesus did not do as they wanted, but told them the truth. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:17) Jesus gave law to the proud but grace to the humble.
Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. (Pro 3:33)
In Capernaum, a city of Galilee, he was teaching, rebuking evil spirits and healing the afflicted. Jesus would not have one an election in America, because he was not a people pleaser; He was opposed to the proud, but gave grace to the humble. (Jam 4:6) A proud heart is the devils opportunity, because “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Pro 16:18) However, Jesus had existed in the form of God but did not regard equality with God a thing to be held on to, but emptied himself and became like one of us. (Phi 2:6-7)
