Luke 4a Commentary
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Verse 1.
The opening statement compares favorably with what we are familiar with from the Book of Judges. We remember how the Spirit would empower select individuals like Gideon and Samson to deliver Israel.
David was empowered similarly and that’s how he killed both the lion and the bear. Goliath would be another adversary on the list of the slain.
Individuals pray and fast to acquire power through obedience and humility. We fast to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t have any of our reasons to fast. He was already full of the Spirit and was actually led by the Spirit at this point. There is more to this event.
The 40 days may parallel several instances of the 40 in the Old Testament. The 40 years in the wilderness come to mind. We may also refer to the many occurrences of 40 in the Book of Judges. They all have something to do with deliverance as a special gift from God. It is a time trip to the LORD God.
Jesus doesn’t need deliverance. There is absolutely no need for a trip back to the LORD God. It is done for Israel, for humanity. 40 years in the wilderness was a punishment. But it wasn’t served right; it was characterized by more disobedience. Jesus would serve this punishment in innocence. The LORD God Almighty should be happy with Jesus!
The LORD Jesus emerged from the wilderness unscathed. This is everything for the believers. The first son of God, Adam, failed the test. We watched carefully to see if this second son would succeed.
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Verse 13. The battle wasn’t over yet. We have all sorts of things in between, including Gethsemane. Oh, and that moment when Jesus rebuked satan through Peter, “Get behind me satan”. And how we learn that he can be resisted similarly by Jesus’ followers!
But we are here today because God’s second son succeeded. History changes. Genesis 3 must be rewritten. The peaceful and blissful existence in the Garden of God was rudely interrupted by Adam’s fall in Genesis 3. God’s blessing of increase, prosperity, and dominion fell apart. But here we are with the gospels redefining creation and existence; life cannot be the same anymore.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Verses 18 and 19.
It is a blessing to hear all of this in one statement. It summarizes the function of the Messiah.
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