Lessons from the Gospel of Luke: Faith in Action

Read Luke 4

As Jesus began His earthly ministry and mission, Luke recounts several key events in chapter 4 of his Gospel.  He begins by telling us about Jesus’ temptation by Satan.  Luke’s account focuses on Jesus’ connection with His Father.

• In verse 1, he tells us that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit,” a reminder to each of us that we all need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish anything for God.

• Then, Luke lets us know that Jesus was also fasting during that period.  “He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” (Luke 4:2b NIV84). Jesus was both God and man, so like us, not eating for 40 days creates not just extreme hunger, but also weakness.  It is in those times of weakness that Satan is more likely to attack, and he certainly took full advantage of Jesus’ weakness. Unlike us, Jesus didn’t give in to the temptation.  Why?  First, because He had the power of the Holy Spirit, but also because He knew and relied on God’s Word.  Each of His responses to Satan’s temptations was based on Holy Scripture, reminding us of how important it is to know the Word!

• Next, we find Jesus returning to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14a NIV84). He was ready to begin teaching the people, and He did so with the Holy Spirit’s help.  Those who teach must rely on the power of the Spirit if they are to teach the Word in power and in truth!

• After Jesus spent His time teaching, healing, and casting out demons, Luke tells us how He began the next day of His ministry.  “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place” (Luke 4:42a NIV84).  He was God! Still, He sought quiet time with His Father. 

This brief look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry reminds us that we can do nothing without the power of the Holy Spirit, the strength of God’s Holy Word, and our quiet time with our Father.  Prayer, fasting, reading, and memorizing Scripture are essential not just to a Christian’s walk with God, but also to them having the strength to fulfill the mission that He gave us.  You can tell others only if you first trust and depend on God’s power.  That requires spending time with Him.  Don’t neglect prayer or Scripture reading.  Jesus didn’t, and if it was important to Him, it certainly should be important to us!