Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Now it happened that when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”” (Luke 3:21-22)

Chapter three starts with when John the Baptizer began his ministry in the wilderness. Luke firmly fixes the time within the reigns of Pilate (A.D. 26-36) and Caesar Tiberius (A.D. 14-37). People noticed him out there preaching and began to come and see what he had to say. They received the message and began to be baptized. One of those who came was Jesus. Jesus was baptized and that was when Holy Spirit come on Him. Before this moment, He had no POWER. After this moment the POWER who IS Holy Spirit never left Him. Next, Luke gives the genealogy of Jesus from Adam to Jesus (Matthew’s only went from Abraham to Jesus). Luke traces descent through David’s son Nathan (Matthew used Solomon). It also appears to be Mary’s genealogy, not Joseph’s. A man’s son-in-law could be reckoned to the daughter’s genealogy if the father had no sons. That seems to be the case here, and very appropriate since Jesus was born of a woman (Mary) but not the seed of a man.

Chapter four has Jesus being led into the wilderness by Holy Spirit. This was not the Spirit leading Jesus into a time of temptation for His edification (Matthew 6:13). This was a time of fasting and spiritual focus to prepare Jesus for His ministry. The devil took the opportunity to attack and try to derail whatever was going on. For forty days, the devil tempted Jesus. Trying to whittle Him down. When Jesus – who fasted the entire time – was at His weakest, the devil hit Him with his strongest attacks: the temptation to doubt He was the Son of God; the temptation to compromise and shortcut to His goal; and the temptation to test God’s promises. The lust of the flesh (food), the lust of the eyes (gaining the kingdoms of the world), and the pride of life (I’m great, protect me). All temptation can be placed in one of these categories. Jesus was tempted exactly like we are. They were possible to one degree or another (the devil never tells the whole truth and promises what he cannot deliver) and were REALLY tempting. Jesus thought about them and rejected them consciously – just like we can do with our temptations. Jesus submitted to God’s timeline and plan and stood on the Word. What happened? The devil fled (James 4:7).

Jesus left the desert and returned to Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and got quite a reputation. He was based in Capernaum, but went back to Nazareth. He was handed a section of Isaiah to read and He read out His Messianic mission and then told them He was fulfilling it. They rejected Him. They had heard of what He did in Capernaum and throughout Galilee. But they remembered His father Joseph and His mother, brother, and sisters (Mary and Joseph had other children AFTER Jesus, but did not interact sexually before His birth). They were so mad at His claims, that they seized Him, took Him out of the city, and were going to throw Him off a cliff, but He just walked away. They had no power to take His life (John 10:18). He went back to Capernaum, teaching in the synagogues every Sabbath (where He must have known Jairus – Mark 5:22). He healed a man of an unclean spirit there and the people were amazed by His authority. He went to Simon’s (later Peter) house and healed Peter’s mother-in-law and everyone who the people brought to Him. He healed them all through the night and when the day broke He went to a remote place to pray and recharge Himself in fellowship with His Father. The people found Him there and tried to keep Him in their city, but He told them He had to go everywhere because He was called to preach the kingdom of God to other cities as well. Jesus preached in all the synagogues of Galilee. [Jesus believed in going to church regularly.]

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Simon, Jews

Key Verse(s): Luke 3:4-18; 4:16-21