Lesson 3

STUDY NOTES on previous study

Temptation and Rejection Luke 4:1-44

There is so much that could be studied in this chapter! Unfortunately, it is not possible within the confines of this study to look at every verse. As I informed you in the introduction, we are going to intentionally focus on “authentic discipleship”. Again we encourage you to dig into the Scriptures and allow this study to whet your appetite for deeper study. Develop the habit of keeping notes of all of your studies for future benefit.

The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is a profoundly significant event. There is surely an intended relationship between Jesus and the children of Israel and their common wilderness experiences. Jesus was tempted there for forty days, Israel for forty years. Where Israel failed and constantly complained - even when miraculously given every daily need by God Himself - Jesus successfully defeated Satan. While the Israelites were unfaithful as God’s children, Jesus was the victorious and faithful Son.

There is rich and amazingly relevant teaching in Jesus’ example in the wilderness. The three temptations which Satan used had always worked well with humanity, and they continue to be the basic tools the deceiver uses in today’s world. Satan doesn’t have to be very creative - we seem to be more than willing to fall into his schemes. There are valuable lessons to be learned from Jesus’ defense against Satan’s attacks.

First, after being constantly tempted and without food for forty days, Jesus was famished. At this point, Luke informs us of specific attacks of Satan. Thinking Jesus would be weak because of His lack of food - he tempted Jesus to use God’s power to meet His own needs. Some have struggled to understand why this is even regarded as a sin. After all, Jesus was hungry. He clearly had the power to do what Satan suggested. What harm would be done by turning a lifeless stone into nourishing bread? The fact this sounds so harmless to us shows how easy it is to rationalize sin. First, Jesus was in the wilderness at the behest of the Holy Spirit. The fast He was experiencing was God directed. Would He break the fast on His terms or would He trust in the provision of God? Israel whined even when God made constant provision - Jesus remained faithful even in the absence of food. Secondly, Jesus was being tempted to use the power granted Him by God for His own self-serving purposes. It is essential that we understand this point - Jesus is the first to model a life of complete self-denial. He refused to use God’s blessings for His own sake. I fear that Satan has inflicted great harm to God’s cause with this temptation. We take the wonderful blessings of God and consume them as if it is all about us. We have become gluttons at God’s table instead of heralds of His love.

The defense for this temptation is to acknowledge what Jesus had learned in those forty days that many of us still desperately need to know - “One does not live by bread alone.” While Satan thought Jesus would be weak after weeks without food, Jesus had never been stronger!! Food no longer had a hold on Him, for He had learned that one is sustained by God alone! The appetites of the flesh lose hold on us when we learn that there is great food in our relationship with God. This is why it might be good to rediscover the spiritual discipline of fasting. We are so quick to fill our every hunger pang that we become subject to every whim of appetite that our bodies might have. We make ourselves available to Satan’s temptations with all of our bodily appetites - whether it be food, sex, comfort, self-esteem - all of these become handles by which Satan pulls us off the path of the kingdom. We need to be freed from our addiction to immediate gratification of our appetites. Indeed, one does not live by bread alone.

What of the second temptation? Apparently Satan has the authority to offer exactly what he offers here. He gives Jesus the chance to reign over the kingdoms of the world – but on his terms, not God’s. Oh that we could learn the antivenom to this poison of Satan! WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE ONLY HIM! This is the theme, the motto, the focus, the raison d’etre of the life of Jesus. Satan continues to offer the world to us, all we have to do is worship him (or our jobs, our self-image, our families - anything but God). It is frightening to note how well this temptation has worked in our present age! In a sense, it is the American dream – “You can have it all – just give yourself to your career and amass enough money to buy your dreams. The world is yours!” Seeking first God’s kingdom becomes very problematic in such a world. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with having a nice house, a good job, and a family that has no physical needs, but when that becomes the pursuit of our lives, Satan has tricked us into pursuing the world instead of God.

The third temptation places Jesus in the center of Jerusalem. Now Satan knows that Jesus will not fall for the temptations that have always worked before. So he devises a new plan – this one is to test the theory Jesus has so staunchly defended in the wilderness. It seems rather harmless. “Test your theory of sonship, Jesus, jump into the arms of God.” In some ways, it seems a noble test of faith. Once again, Satan tempts us to do this everyday. Look for signs, put God to the test. Lay out Gideon’s fleece - see if God is there. But what Jesus shows us with His “Do not put the Lord to the test” is another wonderful manifestation of what He came to show us. A life of faithful sonship chooses not to doubt. The faithful Son lives in complete assurance of God’s design for His life. There is no need for a test. Faith is a choice beyond the need for testing. After all, hasn’t God continually manifested His presence in your life?

This is a rather difficult beginning for the ministry of Jesus, isn’t it? Jesus now begins a ministry of teaching and healing. But it isn’t all a time of wonderful success. He finds himself back in his hometown of Nazareth. As was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the sabbath day. He read from the Isaiah scroll a wonderful passage long known as one foretelling the Messianic age. It tells of one anointed to bring good news to the poor, to release the captives, to give sight to the blind, and to free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Jesus boldly proclaimed this as in the process of being fulfilled. He was announcing the coming of the messianic kingdom! Rumblings now began among the listeners. Was this not Joseph’s son? How could he know such things? Jesus responded with the now famous “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” This is an interesting observation of human nature. But it is a part of God’s amazing plan - He works by means of the common, the usual, the simple. He works against humankind’s uniformed and wrongful view of what is important and significant.

Note, however, what really angers those of Nazareth. They may have been uncomfortable with Jesus’ proclamation of the arrival of the kingdom, but they literally rioted at the thought that God would bring His wonderful blessings to the Gentiles! When they heard Jesus’ response, inferring that because of their hard hearts, as had happened in the past, God would open His blessings to non-Jews, they intended to kill Him! But God would not allow this. Once again Jesus finds Himself at a dangerous height (remember the pinnacle of the temple), and just as Jesus knew He would - without putting God to the test - God delivered Jesus. His time had not yet come.

Jesus now experiences great success in many ways. He heals, He preaches, the crowds gather around Him with great joy. He is being acknowledged as from God, people are astonished at His power and authority. After a particularly busy day of healing and preaching which must have gone deep into the night, Jesus rose early the next day to spend time alone with His Father. Finally, the crowds caught up with Him. They pleaded for Him to return to Capernaum, where He had been so well received. But once again, Jesus had spent time alone with His Father in the wilderness. He knew He had not come for that to which the crowds were calling Him. He would stay on task. And He knew His task because He sought the will of His Father. “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom to other cities also: I was sent for this purpose.” The faithful Son continues on His journey of obedience.

There is so much for us to learn about authentic discipleship - just this chapter alone challenges just about every element of our lives. Will we use God’s blessings for us alone, will we place as the object of our adoration anything besides God, will we put God to the test? Are we willing to suffer rejection for the sake of truthful proclamation? Are we “on task”? If we struggle with these things, there are clearly very practical teachings by the example of Jesus we must consider - times of fasting and times of seeking God apart from the noise of the crowds. Jesus clearly knew the purpose of His life. Do we?

Healing and Fasting (Luke 5:1-39)

After having read the study notes from the last lesson, answer the following questions:

1. Think of specific contemporary examples of how Satan continues to attack us with the three temptations he used against Jesus.

2. Do we have any responsibility to continue in the “job description” of Jesus as prophesied by Isaiah and quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-29?

3. Do we look for opportunities to spend time alone with God as Jesus did? Should we?

Read:5:1-11

1. Why was Simon reluctant to do what Jesus requested concerning fishing?

2. What do you think Simon was thinking about Jesus’ understanding of his (Simon’s) vocation of professional fisherman?

3. Do you believe that Jesus understands the particular nature of your vocation? Do you think this is important? Why or why not?

Read: 12-26

1. What do you find surprising of Jesus’ treatment of the man stricken with leprosy?

2. Why were the friends of the paralyzed man so driven to get their friend in front of Jesus?

3. Do we have the faith to seek Jesus in order to heal our difficulties or to bring our friends before Him for healing (whether physical or other)? Why or why not?

Read: 27-32

1. Why is it surprising that Levi is chosen as a disciple of Jesus?

2. Do you find it disturbing or surprising that Jesus would go to Levi’s party, especially considering the guests were “sinners and tax collectors”?

3. Do we see ourselves as sick or healthy? Are we in need of a physician? Do we live a life manifesting our constant and desperate need of Jesus?

Read: 33-39

1. Why didn’t Jesus’ disciples fast?

2. According to Jesus, would His disciples fast?

3. Should we fast? If so, why? If not, why?