Lukechapter 4

A.Tempted Forty Days in the Wildernessvv. 1-13

1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 “I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 7 So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.” 8 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” 9 Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You carefully; 11 and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” 12 But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

B.The Nazareth Sermon and the Angry Crowdvv. 14-30

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region. 15 He taught in their synagogues and was glorified by everyone. 16 Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, 17 the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, 21 and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’” 24 Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged. 29 They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. 30 But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.

C.An Unclean Spirit Silenced at Capernaumvv. 31-37

31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people. 32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, 34 “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 35 But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him. 36 All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.

D.Simon's Mother-in-Law and a Sunset of Healingsvv. 38-44

38 After Jesus had left the synagogue, He went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. So they appealed to Jesus on her behalf, 39 and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them. 40 At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ. 42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving. 43 But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

← Back: Luke 3 Continue: Luke 5 →

Chapter summary

Temptation in the wilderness.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

Temptation in the wilderness. Three testings, three Scripture answers. Nazareth manifesto. Isaiah 61 read in the synagogue, 'this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' Rejection. Capernaum's demoniac healed; Peter's mother-in-law; withdrawal at dawn to a desert place: 'I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Gospel · Luke — Luke overview

A. 1–13 Tempted Forty Days in the Wilderness
B. 14–30 The Nazareth Sermon and the Angry Crowd
C. 31–37 An Unclean Spirit Silenced at Capernaum
D. 38–44 Simon's Mother-in-Law and a Sunset of Healings

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Mark 112 verses
- Mark 1:12At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness,
- Mark 1:21Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
- Mark 1:23Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:
- Mark 1:24“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
- Mark 1:28And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.
- Mark 1:29As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
- Read Mark 1: 6 more there →
Matthew 48 verses
- Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
- Matthew 4:3The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
- Matthew 4:4But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Matthew 4:5Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.
- Matthew 4:10“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
- Matthew 4:11Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
- Read Matthew 4: 2 more there →
Luke 48 verses
- Luke 4:14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region.
- Luke 4:15He taught in their synagogues and was glorified by everyone.
- Luke 4:17the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written:
- Luke 4:32They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.
- Luke 4:35But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
- Luke 4:36All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
- Read Luke 4: 2 more there →
Matthew 84 verses
- Matthew 8:14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever.
- Matthew 8:16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
- Matthew 8:26“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
- Matthew 8:29“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
- Read Matthew 8 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

John 44 verses
- John 4:25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
- John 4:34Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
- John 4:44Now He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.
- John 4:46So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.
- Read John 4 →
Matthew 133 verses
- Matthew 13:14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
- Matthew 13:54Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.
- Matthew 13:57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”
- Read Matthew 13 →
John 83 verses
- John 8:2Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them.
- John 8:37I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
- John 8:59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
- Read John 8 →
Matthew 113 verses
- Matthew 11:5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Matthew 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Matthew 11:23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
- Read Matthew 11 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.