When Trouble Takes a Break

Luke 4:13 - And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

We all experience difficult seasons. We may feel we have the “right” to a trouble free life, but life does not come with a trouble-free guarantee. When things are going well, they will get tough again. When are tough, they will get better.

Satan tested Jesus with “every temptation” then gave up. However, Luke is clear he only gave up until an “opportune” time came. Temptation often comes when we least expect it. One day we can win the victory, but the devil will be back. In the Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson painted that opportune time in Jesus’ life in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed, “If possible, remove this cup from me.” It makes sense that Satan launched his ultimate assault on Christ through the Crucifixion. Yet, Jesus was not caught off guard. He ultimately won the victory through his Resurrection. We need to be alert to Satan’s schemes. He will often attack when we are most vulnerable and not on the alert. If he is not pestering you now, he will be back, but you can overcome him, as Jesus did, through faith and the word of God.

What Matters Most?

Luke 4:6-7 – [Satan] said to [Jesus], “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”

Satan’s second temptation of Jesus is probably the clearest to most of us. He gave Jesus the choice of having power over all the nations of the world if Jesus would worship him. In one sense, it seems like a small price for a huge gain. However, ultimately, Jesus will become King of Kings and Lord of Lords (See Revelation 19). Earning that title cost him everything, though. Satan gave him the opportunity to get it with a simple bow of the knee and the acknowledgement it represented.

What would you have done if given that choice? There are opportunities we have every day to give away our worship to something other than Jesus. Do you trade your integrity for financial gain, prestige, or pleasure? It is really a question of priorities. What matters most to you?

The Fact You Can Does Not Always Mean You Should

Luke 4:3 -The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

When playing games, whether Chess, Bridge, or Medal of Honor, there are many times you have an opportunity to take a piece, a trick, or an opponent that may give a short term victory but ultimately result in loss of the game. Jesus’ first temptation was like that. Verse two says he was hungry. Satan reminded him that as the Son of God, he had the power to turn stones into bread. In the short term, he could have eaten and satisfied his hunger. In the long term, he would have lost his ultimate victory.

So much of the temptation we face is like that. We can do it. It may bring short term benefit or pleasure, but we will ultimately lose what matters most. An indiscretion with a cohort, a fudged tax return, even that extra cookie may seem like a “win” at the time, but it is no fun to win a short battle and ultimately lose the war. Remember, you do not have to give in. When temptation comes, keep in mind the long term goal and seek God’s help to say no.

Passing the Tests

Luke 4:1-2 - And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

Our school year is off to a great start, but, at the end of the term, I will give my students a final exam. They will probably not like it, but it will be necessary to prove that they have learned the lessons I taught them. I will assign them a grade for the course, and they can order a transcript sent to a graduate school or potential employer to prove they are knowledgeable and competent in the subject.

In the English language we make a big distinction between the words “test” and “tempt,” but they are the same word in Greek. The devil may want to tempt us to take us down, but passing the test of temptation shows we are spiritually fit.

Notice that Jesus was intentionally led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (tested) by the devil. Through faithfulness and good use of scripture he passed that test and showed that he was ready for his ministry.

The next time you face temptation see it as an opportunity to prove you are ready for more. Temptation and tests will come, but as you trust in Christ you have what it takes to pass with flying colors.

Jesus Was

Luke 3:23 - Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli…

Many people will resist believing in Jesus because it seems so uncertain that such a person ever lived. Others may acknowledge the possibility of a First Century Palestinian Jew named Jesus gathering a following, but they cannot accept he was who he claimed to be. Doctor Luke seems to anticipate this skepticism. All through these first three chapters of his gospel and on through the rest of the gospel and the Book of Acts, Luke brings up evidence again and again that Jesus was and that he was who he claimed to be.

His introduction culminates with this genealogy. It contains real names of real people who really lived. Contemporary readers were invited to check out its validity. Notice, though, Luke gives credence to the virgin birth story he recorded a few pages ago: Jesus was “supposed” to be the son of Joseph. Enomizeto in Greek has two major ideas that both relate here: The first is thinking and considering – in other words, people “thought” Jesus was the son of Joseph. The second is the fact that the root of enomizeto is the root of the word that means law. In other words, Joseph was Jesus’ legal father. In both cases, Luke provides solid evidence of Jesus’ reality without denying his virgin birth and divinity.

Jesus was. He was a real person. However, he was unlike any other person who ever lived. In fact, he still lives. He still works. He still changes lives. If you have not yet come to trust him, I encourage you to do so. He will change your life.

The Power of Affirmation

Luke 3:22b - A voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Have you ever overheard someone describe you to another person? It is hard not to get itchy ears in such a case. You will typically either get angry or happy depending on how that person describes you. My doctoral mentor Leonard Sweet often says the greatest compliment you can give someone is to tell their story in front of others in a way that is accurate and honors them. This is what God the Father does for Jesus at the inauguration of his ministry while he is baptized by John.

These words are incredibly significant. They are drawn from the prophetic Divine Servant prophecies given by Isaiah 700 years earlier. They show intimate relationship: my beloved Son. They show trustworthy character and conduct: with you I am well pleased. They are given publicly so Jesus’ credibility with others is immediately established. They are even accompanied by the physical affirmation of the Holy Spirit descending on him in bodily form like a dove. Although Jesus was truly the Divine Son, this affirmation gave him immediate credibility with all those present and word about him spread.

When was the last time you publicly affirmed another? It is so easy to tear down others in gossip, but we have the opportunity every day to affirm others in a way that can establish their credibility and increase their ability to accomplish their mission. Look for a chance today to speak well of someone to another.

Good News Does Not Always Look Like It

Luke 3:18-20 So, with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

American media and marketing has led us to expect that life should be comfortable and fun all the time. Just watch any TV ad. If your life lacks anything other than pure pleasure and ease you MUST buy that product, visit that destination, or eat that food and then you will have life the way it is meant to be lived.

This idea of the “good life” and the “American dream” has infected our Christianity. Sadly, we have exported it around the world. Nigeria has many megachurches built on the prosperity gospel that says, “God want you to be rich and worldly successful.” I wonder what John the Baptist would say.

John “preached good news to the people.” Thousands responded to the message. He even got to baptize Jesus in direct fulfillment of the prophecy he gave. He was faithful. He successfully completed his mission. Yet, look how this episode ends: His faithfulness and success did not lead to wealth and comfort. Instead it led to prison and beheading.

Serving Jesus does not inevitably lead to prison and beheading. Millions of Christians have discovered God’s blessings flow in very tangible ways when we are faithfully obedient to him. Yet, we must not put our hope in the comforts of this life as if it is our divine right. The good news is about much more than that. I love the Laura Story song “Blessings” that drives this sentiment home:

What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home