What is happening when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness for forty days?

This happens right after Jesus is baptized and before he starts his public ministry. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he is led into the wilderness, away from people, to face testing from the devil. He eats nothing for forty days and becomes very hungry, showing his real human weakness. In that state, the devil tries three different ways to pull him away from trust and obedience to God. Instead of arguing, Jesus answers each temptation with Scripture, showing what it looks like to depend on God’s word and not on his own power or feelings.

What does it mean that man shall not live by bread alone?

When the devil tempts Jesus to turn a stone into bread, Jesus is very hungry and could have done it. Instead he quotes, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” This means physical food is not our deepest need. Real life comes from trusting and obeying what God says. Jesus refuses to use his power for himself in a way that would step outside his Father’s will. He chooses to wait on God’s timing and provision, giving an example of relying on God’s word in times of need.

Why does Jesus refuse to worship the devil for the kingdoms of the world?

The devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offers them if Jesus will worship him. Jesus answers with Scripture again: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” He will not take a shortcut to glory by bowing to evil. The devil’s claim to give these kingdoms rests on a kind of borrowed rule, allowed for a time, but it is still rebellion against God. Jesus chooses the path of obedience to the Father, even though it will be harder, instead of gaining power through compromise.

Why does Jesus say, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God?

On the temple, the devil tells Jesus to throw himself down and even quotes a psalm about angels guarding him. The devil twists Scripture to push Jesus into forcing God to rescue him in a dramatic way. Jesus answers, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” This means we are not to test God by reckless acts that try to make him prove himself. Trust does not demand signs on our own terms. Jesus shows that true faith uses Scripture rightly, respects God’s freedom, and does not turn God’s promises into excuses for foolish behavior.

Why did the people in Nazareth go from wondering at Jesus to wanting to kill him?

At first, the people in Nazareth are impressed by Jesus’ gracious words when he reads from Isaiah and says the Scripture is fulfilled. But when he reminds them that prophets are often not accepted in their own hometown, and he mentions how God once sent help to a widow in Sidon and to Naaman the Syrian instead of to many in Israel, they are offended. His words hint that God’s mercy reaches beyond their narrow expectations. Their pride and unbelief turn admiration into anger, and they try to throw him off a cliff, showing how a hard heart can quickly reject truth.

What does Jesus mean by The Spirit of the Lord is upon me in the synagogue?

When Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue, he chooses a passage that speaks of the Spirit of the Lord being on someone anointed to bring good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, free captives, give sight to the blind, and release the bruised. Then he says, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” He is saying this promise is now happening in him. God’s Spirit has set him apart and given him power for this work. The words describe both physical and spiritual need, showing that his mission is to bring rescue and healing to people who know they are needy.

Why are Elijah’s widow and Naaman the Syrian mentioned in this passage?

Jesus brings up Elijah being sent to a widow in Sidon and Elisha healing Naaman the Syrian to make a point to his hometown crowd. In both stories, there were many needy people in Israel, yet God’s help went to outsiders who believed. By using these examples, Jesus is hinting that his own townspeople are acting like unbelieving Israel, and that God’s grace can pass them by and go to others who receive it in faith. This angers them because it confronts their sense of privilege. It also shows that God is free in his mercy and responds to humble trust, not just to background or place.

What does this passage show about Jesus’ power over demons and sickness?

In the synagogue at Capernaum, a man with an unclean spirit cries out, calling Jesus the Holy One of God. Jesus rebukes the spirit, commands it to be silent, and it comes out without harming the man. People are amazed that his word has real authority. Later he rebukes a high fever in Simon’s mother-in-law, and it leaves her at once, and she begins serving them. Many others come with diseases and demons, and he heals them and drives out the demons. All this shows that Jesus’ word is not just talk. He has real power over spiritual bondage and physical sickness.

Why does Jesus not let the demons speak, even when they call him the Son of God?

When demons come out of people, they cry, “Thou art Christ the Son of God.” Even though the words are true, Jesus rebukes them and does not allow them to speak. Evil spirits are enemies of the truth, and their ‘testimony’ is not the way God wants his Son to be made known. Jesus controls the timing and way his identity is revealed. This also shows his authority over them. They may know who he is, but they are under his command. He will not accept their noisy witness, and he will not let them shape how people understand his mission.

What does Jesus mean when he says, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also?

After a busy time of healing and teaching, Jesus goes to a lonely place, but the people look for him and try to keep him from leaving. He tells them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” He is explaining that his mission is not to stay in one favored town, but to announce God’s rule and salvation widely. His calling is to travel, to teach in many synagogues, and to bring the good news to others as well. This keeps him moving, even when people’s strong response might tempt him to remain in one place.

Luke.4.1

Luke 4:1

KJV Holy Spirit

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

The Temptation of Jesus

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

The Rejection at Nazareth

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

Jesus Heals at Peter’s House

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

Jesus Preaches in Judea

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Cross References

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