Luke 4:1-13 comments: Satan's temptation of Christ

Luke 4:1 ¶  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.

We’ve already discussed that the person of the Holy Ghost is the very mind of God. Here, the Holy Ghost is referred to in His person and in His activity. Ghost and Spirit are used in the same sentence referring to the same individual. As Spirit is a reference to the actions of the mind of God it is sometimes referred to as it while the Holy Ghost is always referred to as he.

Here is another verse where the two words are used synonymously

1Corinthians 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Here, we have the Holy Ghost referred to as he.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

And here where the Spirit is referred to as it.

Romans 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

The one sin, possible only while Christ walked the earth, that no Jew could be forgiven of, was ascribing the work of the Holy Ghost as from Satan rather than God.

Mark 3:22 ¶  And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 23  And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26  And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27  No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28  Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

An important point must be made about verse 2. To tempt is to test or try.

Revelation 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

When Satan tempts one, tests one, the ultimate goal is to make them fall. God never tempts anyone of His people for the purpose of making them stumble as it says in James.

James 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

God tempted Abraham but knew that Abraham’s faith would keep him from disobeying.

Genesis 22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

A temptation then is not merely a matter of whether you looked too long at the magazine rack at the airport but a test of your faith, a trial. Only who is it from; the Devil, Satan, to make you fall or God to prove your position in Him, if only to yourself? Job’s entire ordeal can be called a temptation. Early Christians were sometimes faced with a demand that they reject Christ or die. This is also a tremendous temptation, an assault on one’s faith, belief in God, and trust in God as can be an illness or pressure from the world. Noteworthy scripture on temptations include;

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

James 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Satan wishes to have Jesus take the Crown before the Cross and subvert His mission as Saviour of the world. He uses His human hunger to begin demanding that He turn stones to bread but Jesus answers with Scripture.

Deuteronomy 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Then, Satan tempts Him with power and the glory of the kingdoms of the world. God has given those over to Satan and the lowest of men rule over nations through him as the god of this world system (2Corinthians 4:4). He demands worship.

Daniel 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

One day Jesus will seize these kingdoms.

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Christ replies with Biblical truth.

Deuteronomy 6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deuteronomy 10:20  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

Satan then tries to tempt Him with presuming on God, to his sense of self-preservation and tries to create a sense of needing to prove at this time His relationship with God the Father. He quotes:

Psalm 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus replies by alluding to this Scripture.

Deuteronomy 6:16  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

In these things, Satan tempted Christ with the lust of the flesh regarding hunger [see Deuteronomy 12:15 for lust and hunger], the lust of the eyes regarding power and glory of man’s kingdom, and the pride of life with the temptation to display His supernatural power.

These are types of the temptation that disobedience to God put in the hearts and minds, the spirits, of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

It is what the Christian must face and oppose to truly love and serve God.

1John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

On a note of personal opinion I think these passages teach us that it is inconsistent with being a Christian to be constantly employed with seeking to satisfy our physical desires, to seek political power for self-glorification, or to presume on God’s mercy and love for us.

Satan, who understood the prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament certainly better than the Jews or us, having failed in his desire to subvert Christ’s mission, leaves Him.

Luke 3:15-38 comments: the presentation of Christ

Luke 3:15 ¶  And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 18  And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John the Baptist prophesies both advents of Christ; the first to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin against God for those who would receive the gift and trust in Christ’s righteousness and not their own for salvation receiving the Holy Ghost, the very mind of God indwelling them, and then the judgment at the end of human history in which all those who reject Him are judged for those works they refused to stop depending on.

This is done in Isaiah 61 and other Old Testament passages, as well. In the passage in Isaiah both advents are listed, separated for our understanding by a comma in verse 2. Jesus will quote the verse up to that point in chapter 4 of Luke referring to Himself.

Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

While he was preaching Herod the tetrarch, who was angry at being called out for his adultery, arrested John and locked him up.

    Luke 3:21 ¶  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22  And the Holy Ghost descended

in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24  Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25  Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26  Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27  Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28  Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29  Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30  Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31  Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32  Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33  Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34  Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the

son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35  Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36  Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37  Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

The baptism of John the Baptist was one of national repentance for the Jews. Note the parallel when Peter called the Jews to regret what they had done to their Messiah in Acts, chapter 2. So, why was Jesus baptized?

Matthew 3:13 ¶  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

He is our High Priest as spoken of throughout Hebrews and the Aaronic priesthood was washed in Exodus 29 as a part of their consecration. Also, by submitting to John’s baptism He was identifying Himself with the Jewish people as their Messiah. Although He needed no repentance from sin He suffered the ritual to fulfill righteousness, setting in motion His ministry as part of God’s plan of reconciling mankind to Himself becoming not only our High Priest but our sacrifice for sin.

Here we have the three parts of God in one text with the Holy Ghost descending on Christ like a dove (it doesn’t say it was a dove) and then God the Father speaking. Jesus was about 30 years old as mentioned in Numbers 4, the age of service to God.

It is commonly noted that Luke’s genealogy starts with Mary and Joseph, as the text says, was presumed to be Jesus father in the sense of the world. Her genealogy goes backwards all the way to Adam connecting Christ with Adam as the Saviour of all mankind. Matthew’s genealogy would then be Joseph’s genealogy, from Abraham, the first Hebrew, to Joseph connecting Jesus under the Law as the Saviour of the Jewish people specifically. Joseph adopting Jesus as his son would with full rights of being a legal heir would give this perfect meaning. Both Joseph and Mary come from the line of David but through a different son of David; Mary through Nathan and Joseph through Solomon. Paul said to his young proteges, Timothy and Titus.

1Timothy 1:4  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

Titus 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

So, I will leave discussions about seeming conflicts in the genealogies in Matthew and Luke to expert commentators and Bible students like Matthew Henry and Peter Ruckman as we could endlessly discuss possibilities for things like why Cainan is inserted where he is here. I’m not saying that any Bible study is not important. This would be a fascinating study all by itself worthy of a book long dissertation, but I don’t feel it has a place here other than to say that we must ask two questions; why was it written and why was it preserved?

The argument that Luke got his genealogy from the mythological Septuagint, supernaturally translated from Hebrew into Greek at the behest of an Egyptian king is absurd. The only physical evidence for any Septuagint is a fraudulent “Letter of Aristeas”, a mention by a Jew steeped in Greek philosophy named Philo, and Origen’s Hexapla in the early third century. The name Septuagint wasn’t given to it until the fifth century and it is often conflated by most people with other Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible with which it has no connection.  There is no real evidence for this Septuagint to exist until the after the Bible was published in the Old Latin in the second century, translated from various common, called Vulgate meaning the vernacular language of the people, Greek versions and the Hebrew. H.C. Hoskier, early twentieth century Bible scholar pointed out how the Bible was translated back and forth between Latin, Greek, and other languages in the era of Christ and the Apostles and their disciples.

The Bible is not only given by inspiration, which does not mean word-for-word dictation but wisdom and understanding…

Job 32:8  But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

2Timothy 3:16a  All scripture is given by inspiration of God…

2Peter 3:15  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

…but it was preserved through the centuries of usage.

Psalm 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

So, were there two Cainans with one omitted in the Old Testament genealogy of Genesis? I don’t know and neither does anyone else on earth. But, while this genealogical issue is very intriguing I intend to move on. We have issues like this because modern man wants to read the Bible like a textbook or the instructions for his or her computer rather than a conversation with God. For those of us, like myself, who believe in Biblical inspiration, not just in the original autographs but in copies and translations if God’s hand was on them…

Jeremiah 36:32  Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

…I realize there must be a reason for the insertion of this Cainan here as well as other minor issues, worthy of discussion in another venue.

 One thing to note is the reference here to Adam as the son, small ‘s’, of God. It is important to note the different meaning of the phrases Son, large ‘S’, of God and son, small ‘s’, of God. Son of God refers to God in the flesh, walking on the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ. But son of God refers to those beings both spiritual and human who are directly created by God either here as in the first creation or in the following regarding the new birth, being born again.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

This act of God is referenced in the Psalm that Jesus quoted part of the first verse of from the Cross to direct us to it.

Psalm 22: 1 ¶  « To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. » My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?...30  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

Matthew 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Luke 3:1-14 comments: John the Baptist's admonitions

Luke 3:1 ¶  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11  He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12  Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

I’ve already mentioned that Herod’s territory was divided among his children after death. Tiberius Caesar had been a very successful general but also a very reluctant emperor at the age of 55 when he succeeded Augustus who spent much of his time away from Rome. The wicked Caligula would rule after him. Pontius Pilate is known to us outside of the Bible account by the inscription on the Pilate Stone, a brief mention by the historian Tacitus, and some apocryphal Christian writings.

Like any good historian, Luke is giving the political/religious context of the events he is about to relate starting with the beginning of John the Baptist’s preaching. The Saviour of the Jews and mankind has come to earth at the bottom of the socio-political ladder. God’s order and His plan is not about kings and princes. He doesn’t come into the world in a palace with a high-sounding titles like king so-and-so or general whose-its leading an army with swords and spears.

John came preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Ezekiel 18:30 ¶  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

This is fundamentally different from the baptism that Christians will have done after the resurrection. Notice how Apollos had to be corrected because he knew only this baptism of national repentance for the Jewish people.

 Acts 18:24 ¶  And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25  This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26  And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

Notice here in Acts that the community of the Jews and proselytes had to be baptized before receiving the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

But, in Acts 10 the Holy Ghost is poured out on the Gentile believers who then are baptized afterwards as a sign of their new position in God with Christ.

Acts 10:44 ¶  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Baptism is an important Christian ordinance associated with a changed heart without which baptism alone has no saving power. It is not magic, but an outward profession of an inward commitment after the Holy Ghost has worked on a person’s heart and they realize they must turn from their dead works and receive Christ as their Saviour. Baptizing a baby who has no understanding of what is happening is no more effective than baptizing a corpse.

Remission is synonymous with forgiveness with the former implying a lessening of the penalty and the latter is the act of forgiving. This usage of words teaches us that we can refuse to enact the punishment and still not forgive. They both go hand-in-hand in the way God deals with us. You cannot say you forgive someone and then punch them in the mouth for their offense against you anymore than you can honestly say that simply because you did not choke someone unconscious that you’ve forgiven them. God forgives and doesn’t exact the penalty we so richly deserve. That is grace that goes beyond mercy. The Greek word is translated 9 times as remission and 6 as forgiveness.

Ephesians 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; [see forgiveness with grace, unmerited mercy, here]

Colossians 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: [see forgiveness lined up with redemption through Christ’s blood here]

Matthew 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. [Christ paid the penalty that man deserved]

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [remission, not demanding that man pay the due debt for sin, is based on the forbearance of God]

On a side note of warning, though, about interpretation one of the errors of modern fundamentalism is the viewing of the Bible like the owner’s manual for your car or computer and refusing to use the cross-references to see parallel or synonymous meanings. Obviously, they say, if it is a different word it must have a different meaning. But, by cross-referencing verses, like reviewing the entire context of a verse, the passage in which it is found, one can learn meanings without spending all of our time trying to figure out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, a phrase that refers to the foolishness of wasting our time on nothing of value.

Cross-referencing verses, like context, provides meaning. The Holy Ghost, for his own purpose, defines gospel as good tidings (good news) by comparing Luke 4:18 with Isaiah 61:1 and the kingdom of God as also the kingdom of Heaven by comparing Matthew 19:23 with verse 24 and Matthew 11:11 & 12 with Luke 7:28 and other passages. The Bible, the story of God’s ministry of reconciling man to Himself, is not like Emily Post’s Etiquette, put your fork here and your knife there, but is a conversation between our Creator and ourselves. Be careful how nitpicky you get trying to swallow subtle meanings, numerology, and codes while choking on mercy, truth, justice, faith, and turning from sin. It is not rocket-science but we make it so because of our modern mind-set about judging a thing by its smallest part from the bottom-up rather than judging a thing by its context from the top-down.

Verses 4-6 hearkens back to;

Isaiah 40:3 ¶  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

By comparing verses in Isaiah and here in Luke we see that one definition of the glory of the LORD is His salvation. You do this by seeing how an Old Testament verse is quoted or alluded to and then noting the words that are substituted by the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist is pretty rough on his congregation, the crowds coming to be baptized by him. In verse 7 he uses a phrase the wrath to come. While he will elaborate on God’s judgment through Christ at the end of the human story in the next passage this phrase is used elsewhere for the judgment to come.

1Thessalonians 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Revelation 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

God’s wrath on fallen mankind who rejects His free offer of amnesty is a prominent subject of the book of Revelation but is mentioned throughout the Bible and the church is promised that it will be spared from God’s wrath, although many Christians will experience the wrath of the Beast, popularly called the Antichrist.

John the Baptist tells them to bring an attitude of repentance, not self-justification and ethnic/racial pride. Regardless of their heritage from Abraham they stand morally and religiously bankrupt before a holy God. In the so-called “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus said;

Matthew 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Poor in spirit is defined in Psalms and Isaiah.

Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

This attitude is the foundation of and the origin of fruits worthy of repentance, not pride over your race, religious affiliation, national origin, political leanings, or any other dead work.

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

The people then pleaded with him for instruction. How will these fruits display themselves?

For the people, in verse 11, it is a life of generosity and charity, helping each other.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Paul will further define the fruits or proof of the Holy Spirit indwelling a Christian in Galatians, chapter 5, as something against which there can be no law.

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And in Ephesians, chapter 5;

8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Verses 12 and 13 show that those wielding governmental authority, here the hated collectors of Roman taxes the publicans, were not to abuse their lawful authority or go beyond it, not to be corrupt. Remember how Zacchaeus in Luke 19, a chief tax collector, swore to Jesus that he restored fourfold to any man that had been accused falsely.

Verse 14 has to do with the extortion that soldiers could be guilty of with their authority of the government behind them and carrying weapons of death on their persons. The people suffered at their hands. The same might be applied to police today. Jesus gave instructions to His followers that when one of these soldiers demanded that they carry the soldier’s kit for them a mile that they offer to go another mile, giving the disciple of Jesus a moral authority and control over the situation that one does not have if you just grudgingly comply with a soldier who could legally require your assistance in first-century Judea as a guide or a porter. The ability to requisition local services was fundamental to an occupying army. In the context of this next passage you can see the contrast in that while John the Baptist focused on those who had power Jesus focused on the response of those who did not have power.

Matthew 5:38 ¶  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Traditionally, many Christians have not viewed these admonitions in regard to avenues of power. They have denied that a person can even defend themselves from ruffians and robbers which shows a clear disregard for the context. This is evident in an interaction Jesus has later in Luke with His disciples.

Luke 22:36  Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. 37  For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. 38  And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

To say that Jesus’ admonitions deny your ability to defend your family from criminals, whether they wear uniforms or not, is an absurdity. In the passage in Matthew 5 quoted above the context is lawful authority. John the Baptist said to exercise authority lawfully and Jesus said to obey man’s law to the fullest extent and beyond. We are then told the exceptions in Acts when man’s law intrudes on God’s command.

Acts 5:26 ¶  Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Luke 2:41-52 comments: astonished at His understanding at twelve years old

    Luke 2:41 ¶  Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42  And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43  And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44  But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45  And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46  And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47  And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48  And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? 50  And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51  And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

 

When Jesus is old enough to attend the Passover with his parents at Jerusalem there is a revealing of sorts. He is old enough to attend this rite and he is old enough to probably travel with the clan or village as a group and not have his parents ‘helicoptering’ over his every move. We are appalled and confused at something like this today in a world darkened by a growing perversion and violence against children. But, it is likely that Joseph and Mary felt that Jesus was safe with the group and he was not required to report in to them regularly. It is not hard to imagine in a pre-modern culture how care of children and young adults were viewed as a communal responsibility. As an example, in Polynesia there are cultures where young children are tasked to take care of even younger children, even those that are not their siblings, and child-rearing was a communal responsibility, or so I’ve read.

Rather than discuss issues of the Law given to Moses I’d like to point out that Jesus was gone from them for three days before they found Him preaching to the pious but lost Jewish religious leaders, which we can contrast with His three days in the tomb and preaching to the spirits in Hell.

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

1Peter 3:18 ¶  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once

the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Jesus is discussing theology and points of the Law with learned men who are amazed at his understanding. This was most likely a fascinating sight to behold, a twelve-year-old boy discussing things way beyond His years and assumed learning with the experts. Later in His ministry the “experts” will think the same thing.

John 7:14 ¶  Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 15  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Mary asks a question and makes a statement that many parents might ask and say in this circumstance. She uses the phrase thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing and Jesus corrects her, in a fashion. He is about His Father’s business who is, of course, not Joseph. They didn’t get it, what business exactly was He about? Still, Mary kept these things along with the others she had heard about Him in her heart. Jesus subjected Himself to his step-father and his mother as a good child should.

Jesus grew over these next 18 years, pleasing God and being an admirable person among men. Now, comes the time for Him to be presented to Israel.