The Church: Being A City Set On A Hill - Week 3 (Luke 4:1-13)
Luke 4:1-13
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Treasure God’s Word
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Luke 4:1-13 〰️ Treasure God’s Word 〰️
This week, we are in Luke 4:1-13. Our focus for this week as a church community is how we treasure God's Word. There are numerous connections and intricacies that link Scripture to itself, leaving us in awe of our Lord's written Word. For us, treasuring God's Word means holding it dear to us and steeping our minds and hearts in it. As we'll see in this passage, there are a vast number of connections between the Old and New Testaments and ways in which God's Words are relevant for our lives. At three points in this passage alone, Jesus answered temptation with God's written Word.
In Luke's Gospel account, chapter 4 begins with the temptation of Jesus. Verses 1-2 can be a shocking read for us, as we read that Jesus "was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil." What?
When we think about facing temptations, we will often view them as punishment or even a risk because we, as sinful people, will sometimes give in to these temptations. But here, it's different. In this story, the Hero, Jesus, will overcomethe tempter. The Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness is not so that He might fight for the sake of having the experience, but that He would face off with the devil and win.¹ This is the whole point of Jesus's arrival and earthly ministry: He has conquered that which we could not. Jesus has overcome sin, temptation, and death! So when we read this passage, we should keep in mind the role that the Holy Spirit is playing.
"The role of the Holy Spirit here is significant for at least three reasons: (1) the Spirit's role in driving Jesus to the wilderness shows Jesus's face-off with the devil was ordained by God; (2) the Spirit's activity is a repeated emphasis in Luke's Gospel; (3) the Spirit's involvement in Jesus's life highlights Jesus's genuine humanity. The filling (Eph 5:18) and leading of the Spirit (Gl 5:18) are key aspects of empowerment for the Christian life. The wilderness is where Israel failed its test of faith before God (Nm 14). Jesus would pass the wilderness test that Israel could not."²
By passing these tests, Jesus sets an example for us to faithfully pursue righteousness in following Him: in part by knowing His Word. When the devil tempted Jesus' most fleshly desires-- hunger-- He responded with reciting what He knew, God's Word.
Now, these weren't some magic words that make temptation go away. In fact, it's not all that uncommon for us to experience temptation that seemingly never goes away, but what we allow to disciple our hearts is what can and will shape our hearts. Jesus's answer to the devil's temptation of His earthly needs and desires was to recite aloud commands from God given to His people. In v13, we read that after he tempted Jesus, the devil departed him. We also read of something similar in the letter from James: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7).
Again, this isn't some magic spell to make the devil go away when facing temptation, but a reminder that clinging to God and His Word is what scatters darkness. If our great and powerful God can speak light into its very first existence, then His written words certainly have the power to guide His people. So, like Jesus, we should cling to Scripture as our refuge, seeking God's written truth as our compass to face the world and live righteously.
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
What did Jesus do in this passage that we could not?
What was the devil really trying to get from Jesus?
How did Jesus respond to the devil? What can we learn from His responses in v4, 8, and 12?
In this passage, we see that God's words were Jesus's response to temptation. What are some things that you allow to disciple (or influence) your heart the most?
Would you say you treasure God's Word? Why or why not?
What might it look like to treasure God's Word every day? What would change in your life?
1. A. Boyd Luter, CSB Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1609.
2. Ibid., 1609.