Jeremy Hoover

 
 
I'm preaching from Luke 4:1-13 on Sunday. Here are some notes and study questions to get you thinking about Jesus, temptation, and your own spiritual growth.

Did You Know?
  • Luke portrays as the "new Adam," much like Paul does in 1 Cor. 15. He expressed the absolute humanness of Jesus by mentioning how hungry Jesus was, and much like how Adam faced false promises from the serpent in Genesis 3, so Jesus must endure the false promises of the devil. "He has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin" (Heb. 4:15).
  • Luke also reports the presence of the Spirit in Jesus. Make no mistake--Jesus didn't endure these temptations because he used "magic powers" to overcome. He became the example par excellence for us by relying on God through the Spirit. He taught us, through his example, the power of the Word of God and the Spirit of God in our lives.
  • Jesus overcame temptations about physical needs, power, and pride by relying on the power of the Spirit and the promises of God.
  • Note that the devil did not go away permanently; he only left until "an opportune time" (4:13).
Study Questions
  • Why did Jesus have to face these temptations?
  • How did he get through them?
  • Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness (4:1)?
  • Why did the devil twice bait Jesus as "the Son of God" (4:3, 9), but not on the second temptation (4:6)?
  • Why did Jesus respond to the temptations with the phrase, "It is written," twice (4:4, 8), but not on the third temptation (4:12)?
  • Why does Luke remind us that the devil only left Jesus "until an opportune time" (4:13)?
 


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