Luke Chapter 4

Luke Chapter 4

At this time Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost who led him into the wilderness, where his spent forty days being tempted by the devil.   JC didn’t eat anything for those forty days so when they ended he was really hungry.  The devil asked JC, if you’re the Son of God, why you don’t make this stone into bread?  Jesus told him, it’s written that man will not live on bread alone but by every word of God.

The Devil took JC up onto a mountain and took a moment to show him all the kingdoms in the world.  The devil tells him, he’ll give JC all of this power and glory of JC will worship him.  If you will worship me and be mine.  Ooo that’s sounded kind of dirty.   JC is all you get behind me Satan, it’s written that you should only worship the Lord!

So he puts his up on the pinnicle of a temple saying, if you are the Son of God, figure out how to get down.  It’s written that God told his angels to protect you and they will lift you anytime you would get hurt.  JC tells him that it also says, don’t tempt the Lord.  JC it’s the devil, he wants you to worship him, he’s got a little something against God he might not listen to those rules. Well, the devil quit tempting JC and left him alone for a season.

The Spirit directed JC back to Galilee, where he became famous through the region.  He taught at the synagogues, and was glorified by everyone. He came to Nazereth, where he grew up and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath to read.  They gave him the book of prophet Esaias, he opened and read where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he’s anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he’s sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach freedom to the captive, to heal the blind and the bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  Uh what?  The heck is the acceptable year of the Lord? 

JC closed the book, gave it to the minister and sat down.  Everybody in the synagogue watched.  He told them today the scripture is fulfilled.  Everybody wondered at his gracious words, and asked isn’t that Joseph’s son?  You will no doubt remind me of this proverb ”Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.” I’m not actually familiar with that proverb.  No prophet is accepted in his own country.  Why is that?

I’ll tell you the truth, there were many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when heaven was shut for three years and six months and there a great famine in the land.  Elias wasn’t sent to any of them except to the city of Sarepta to a widow there. There were many lepers in Israel in Eliseus the prophet, but only Naaman the Syrian was saved.  When they heard these things in the synagogue, they were filled with anger. They rose up and threw him out of the city, so they could throw him headfirst down the big hill there city was built on.  JC passed through the middle of them and went in his way.

Wow so heaven was closed for three and half years?  How does that work?  Actually I’m not sure I know how heaven works at all.  JC’s a little threatening with that story about the prophets only saving a few people. 

JC goes down to Capernaum in Galilee to teach them on the Sabbath days.  They were astonished at what he was saying and the power behind his words.  In the synagogue there was a guy who was possessed by an unclean devil who cried out in a loud voice saying, Leave us alone Jesus of Nazareth! I know who you are!  Holy One of God!  Ooo burn devil guy, good one!  No wait, that wasn’t even an insult.  JC rebukes him and tells him, hold your peace and come out of him.  And the devil obeyed JC coming out without hurting the guy. This amazed the people.  He commanded the unclean spirits and they came out!  So they went to tell everyone.

Next JC goes to Simon’s house, where Simon’s mother in law was sick with a bad fever.  JC took care of that, which was great because then she then she could get ups and take care of them.  As the sun was setting, a bunch of sick people came and JC healed them.  The devils came out crying  “You are Christ, the Son of God!” and JC silenced them, because they knew he was Christ.  JC went back to the desert and the people followed saying he shouldn’t leave them.  JC told hem I’ve got to go preach about the kingdom of God, in  other cities where I’m sent.  So he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.