Jesus’ Temptation, Teaching and Healing
Book of Luke Chapter 4
When we need to know how to act in any situation, all we need to know is how Jesus would act in that situation.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We have no greater example to follow than the Lord Jesus Christ!
This will not always be an easy thing to do.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
We must never get confused. The Lord Jesus is God in the flesh!
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Jhn_1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Our greatest problem that we face in our Christian life is that we just do not handle temptation very well.
If Satan finds out what works on us, he will use that against us unless we wise up to him.
Victory over temptation is our greatest challenge as we walk in the ways of Jesus Christ.
Every temptation we face today is the same as the ones the Lord Jesus faced in His lifetime in the flesh.
*Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Then Jesus was baptized.
The Lord was the fulness of the Holy Spirit.
Here the Lord Jesus shows how to handle the temptations of the Devil.
The Lord Jesus Christ was about to launch the most important work of Yahweh.
The work of the Lord Jesus Christ was to determine the eternal fate of this world we live in today.
It was the Holy Spirit who led the Lord Jesus into the wilderness so that He could be tempted.
Mar 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
The Lord Jesus could not begin His ministry unless He could stand up to temptation.
The devil is our adversary, and we must know how to deal with him!
1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
If Satan, the Devil, is not afraid to tempt the Lord Jesus, then who do we think we are that we will not face his temptations?
The Lord Jesus is not tempted as the Son of God, but He is tempted as the Son of God who is also the Son of Man.
God allows this so we know that we have an example of the Son of Man, the man Jesus could withstand the attacks of the Devil.
We can too if we learn how the Lord Jesus accomplished this.
The Lord Jesus, one hundred percent God but also one hundred percent man, had to be totally committed to the salvation plan of God the Father.
He needed to gain the victory that was needed so that whosoever believed these things could be saved for an eternity in the presence of God.
God’s plan included the cross, the way of sacrifice and suffering, to help others.
The Lord Jesus would always be tempted to use His power of God to end His temptations, and had He done so, we would all still face that Burning Lake of Fire we know of as Hell.
The man Jesus had to be assured that the God Jesus had the power to deliver him and conquer temptation.
We must be winners of the trials of life.
1) Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.
2) Jesus was led to spend time alone with God the Father.
We must spend some time alone with God.
3) Jesus was led to be tried and tested.
It is our trials that test us and make us stronger.
4) Jesus was led to fast and pray.
Most of us pray, and maybe not enough, but very few of us take fasting seriously.
We must understand that God is not allowing us to be tempted so that we will fail! God is allowing our temptation so we can have victory over it.
Temptation comes from our heart; temptation does not come from God!
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
We are never singled out for some special temptation. The same temptations can happen to all mankind.
1Co 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.
There is only one way to overcome temptation!
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Let’s watch the Devil do his dirty work.
*Luk 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
The Devil knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God, but if he could get Jesus to use His godly powers to sustain His human side, then Satan would win this battle.
Jesus had gone forty days without food in a fast that was intended to prepare Him to begin His ministry.
Jesus, the man, knew He needed all the help He could get from His Heavenly Father, and by fasting, He wanted His Father to know how much He would give up completing His ministry.
Remember the Lord Jesus came to die for us, but Satan was not aware of all the plan of God.
No doubt Jesus was hungry, and those river stones probably looked a whole lot like a baked loaf of bread.
Certainly, He had the power to make some food if He wanted to, but His forty-day fast and prayer had given Him much spiritual strength.
All the power that Jesus had at that time could not be used to sustain Himself.
He had to live as a man in order for God’s will to be done and He refused to go against the will of His Father.
He could only use those powers that He had to help mankind!
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Jesus had to be who He claimed to be, just as every Christian is to be who they claim to be.
Each Christian and his ministry is to follow in the ways of Jesus Christ.
1) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, then it could not be said that He trusted His Heavenly Father.
2) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, it would be like saying that man could use their own abilities upon themselves instead of helping a lost world to come to know their Savior.
3) If Jesus used His power upon Himself, He would be teaching that men could use their own abilities to build themselves up instead of honoring God for His power.
If you are a Christian, you already know that we could not survive in this world without our Heavenly Father supplying our Spiritual means.
Food alone is not enough to sustain us; we need the Word of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
We must clearly understand that we may be better off than those who are lost, but we are not better than anyone else in this world, nor should we see ourselves as better; our pride will get in the way of God’s work.
There is a Spiritual hunger that food cannot satisfy!
*Luk 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6 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.
Luk 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8 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.
Satan does not give up easily, and we should understand this fact.
As we grow up in this wicked world, we are taught that we must have ambitions to succeed.
In the devil’s evil mind, he thought that Jesus, with His great power, would also have ambitions beyond those of His Father.
We must never believe that Satan does not have some powers, even though his powers are allowed to take place under the watchful eyes of God.
Satan never has control of this world, but the fact is, he can control every unbeliever because God allows it.
2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
What were the ambitions of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Luk_19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Isa 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;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 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.
Satan made a bold claim that he controlled the possessions and the glory of the world, which was a lie.
Satan may be the “prince of this world,” but every prince serves a King, and the Devil serves the Almighty God, Yahweh.
Dan 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Satan is only the author of confusion.
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Satan offered this part of the world that he influenced over to Jesus if Jesus would fall on His knees and worship him.
1) Could Jesus compromise His standards and behavior?
2) Could Jesus compromise His loyalty and faithfulness to His Heavenly Father?
3) Could Jesus give up His ministry and His mission?
The Lord Jesus was quick to answer: Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus could not follow the ways of worldliness and still be God!
We can have all the ambitions we want as long as they are in the Will of God for our lives.
God wants us to do the very best we can in everything we do, but not sin.
All sin is an abomination to our Heavenly Father!
1Jn 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.
1Jn 2:16 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.
*Luk 4:9 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:
Luk 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, we see that Satan is persistent, so we must be strong in the Lord.
We may not know what or where this pinnacle was located, but we do believe that the roof of Herod’s portico of the Temple, which overhung the ravine of the Kedron Valley, was six hundred or seven hundred feet high.
Surely this would have been the place that Satan would use, for no man could survive such a fall.
Jesus allowed Satan to take Him to this place because Satan had no intention of throwing Him off, but he wanted Jesus to jump off under His own power.
God had said that He would take care of His Son no matter what happened.
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
This was not the will of God for the life of Jesus the man!
Satan tempted Jesus to die some other way than the cross.
Luk 9:21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;
Luk 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
We know that Satan did not know about the cross.
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
If Satan had known, then those wicked men in Jerusalem would have known.
If you listen to this world, you will begin to believe that that are many ways to get to God’s House in Heaven, but reality is that there is only one way and that is God’s way.
God’s way is the way of the Cross!
Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1Co_1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Again, the Lord Jesus was quick to answer, and He answered for all of us: It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
When God says there is only one way to get to Heaven, He means what He says, and He says what he means!
*Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
Though Satan is much smarter than the sinner, he does not have a chance against the wisdom of God.
This is the major reason why we need the wisdom of God.
Satan did not have anything else with which to tempt the Lord Jesus at that time, but we see he would linger in the background until he thought he had something else.
Satan began working on the people of Jerusalem and those who represented the government of the Jews and the government of Rome. Those who did not have the power to resist him.
For us, the Church, we can see that Satan is a loser!
This man, Jesus, had defeated Satan and shows us that we can defeat Satan by making use of the Word of God.
It is God’s truths that defeat the Devil!
The Devil knows he is a loser, but he does not ever give up!
We must remember that Satan does not have to convince the sinner who already belongs to him.
Satan can spend the majority of his time trying to confuse God’s people, and he is good at it.
He has been doing it for two thousand years.
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
When we have victory over temptation, we will be able to see our lives change, and we will be able to see that change in others.
What did the Lord Jesus tell the Church, and the Holy Spirit confirm? Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
*Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
The Lord Jesus was not a Nazarene because He took some oath. The Lord Jesus was a Nazarene because He was raised in Nazareth.
Those people in that synagogue would be very familiar with Jesus, who was raised by Joseph and Mary, who kept the Sabbath and the Laws.
At the age of thirty, Jesus was allowed to teach and this is the place and He began His ministry here at this place.
There is something in the Book of Isaiah that these other Jews needed to take to heart.
Here it is not the man Jesus who is speaking it is the Son of God who is speaking: Isa 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;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Here again, we see the Triune God. We see the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus, and Yahweh, and it is here where the Lord Jesus first claims that He is the Messiah, sent from Yahweh.
*Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
We should be able to understand that when the Lord Jesus read the Scriptures, it was far different from when others read.
The author of a book knows his intentions when he reads his own words.
The Lord Jesus treated those Scriptures with reverence, and is another example for us when we read those same Scriptures.
The Messiah was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
He was called by the Holy Spirit.
He was equipped by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit goes with God’s Messiah everywhere He goes.
This is the same job the Holy Spirit does with every child of God today.
1) The Lord Jesus came to preach the Gospel, the Good Tidings of Yahweh.
He would preach to those who were poor financially, but more importantly, to those who were poor in spirit.
He was to preach deliverance to those who were captives of the Devil.
2) The Lord Jesus came to minister. To help and heal the brokenhearted. Give sight to those who were blind spiritually and physically. The Lord Jesus came to make us free from this wicked and evil world.
3) The Lord came to preach the Day of Salvation!
The Lord Jesus read from Isaiah sixty, verses one and two, but He did not read from verse three because verse three dealt with judgment.
The Messiah will deal with “judgment” when He returns with His saints.
Luk_21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
When the Lord Jesus finished reading, He sat down, but He was not through.
*Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
We may not realize it, but after the reading of the Scripture, the preacher would sit down to preach.
This is the way it was done in the Jewish synagogues.
All eyes were focused upon the Lord Jesus Christ as He sat down.
Jesus told them they were looking at the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah.
This was to be the work of God’s Messiah.
It made them mad that He, the son of Joseph, could say such things, and they would have murdered Him if they had been able to do so.
Jesus left and came to Capernaum and spoke at the synagogue in that place for several Sabbaths.
Jesus also began to heal many of their sicknesses and ailments.
*Luk 4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
Luk 4:39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
When we follow the life of Jesus Christ, we will see many miracles, and we should know there is a reason behind every miracle that He did.
,
For instance, the Lord Jesus could have healed everyone who lived during His life here on earth, but Jesus chose to heal certain ones, and He had a reason for each one.
Some say Jesus cured or healed the neediest.
The Lord Jesus had just left the synagogue in Capernaum and went to the home of Simon Peter.
Peter was a married man, and his mother-in-law was ill.
Notice she had a great fever.
Even today, the marshes associated with the River Jordan are the most fever-stricken regions of Israel.
In most cases, it was malaria carried by the mosquito.
It could cause jaundice in those who frequently have repeated attacks of this fever.
Typhoid was also common in this region.
This mother-in-law was critically ill and would probably not have lived through the fever at this time.
She was helpless and could not even speak.
She was so weak, she could not get out of bed.
I do not know how many of you have been this sick, but I have during cancer treatments and chemo. It’s terrible to think you might be gone by the next day but it is wondeful to know that if you do die you will wake up in Heaven.
The Lord Jesus just spoke the Word, and her fever was gone.
All the Lord has to do is speak the Word, He does not have to be present for the healing to take place.
Joh 4:52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Next, we see that whoever was in the home at that time compelled the Lord Jesus to heal her as He had those at the synagogue.
We can see that no matter what the Lord Jesus was doing as He began His ministry, it was always okay to take our needs to Him.
He is never too busy to deal with God’s children.
If and when you go through these days, you will find that the Lord Jesus is your only hope!
Also, notice that fever obeys the Lord just as if it were a person.
The power of this miracle is shown as this lady immediately rises, completely healed, and begins to minister to those in Peter’s home.
As many had witnessed this miracle, they left to bring back all those who were sick in that city.
*Luk 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
The Lord Jesus had been busy this day as His ministry began, but He never said no, “I’m too tired to do more”.
The Lord never gets tired of showing us His Grace!
2Co_9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
No matter when we call upon the Lord today, He is always willing and ready to help us.
Notice it did not matter what disease was presented to the Lord Jesus; He had the power to heal.
No matter what misery was brought to the Lord, He was able to remove that misery.
We see where those who were helpless had been brought to Jesus; they were so helpless.
No matter how helpless we are, we can always reach out to the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus did not overlook any illness or infirmity.
Jesus spoke to some illnesses, and some He just touched them, but they were all healed.
Some of those who were brought to the Lord Jesus had their bad health caused by the Devil.
*Luk 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
Notice that those demons knew exactly that Jesus was the Son of God.
Notice also that the Lord Jesus does not want any testimony from demons.
The Lord Jesus does not want His name associated with false preachers!
Demons were a deity and spirits. They were superhuman, but they were not supernatural!
Psa 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
Deu 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
Some people believe that demons are the spirits of dead evil people, but this is proven to be false by Scripture.
Remember that rich and evil rich man and Lazarus? Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Some people believe these demons are the remnants of those wicked people who rejected the preaching of Noah.
This theory comes from those who believe in the Gap Theory. They believe there is a great gap of time between Genesis Chapter 1, verse 1 and verse 2.
We know that God did not make man until verse 26, and besides this, we have Scripture that says sin entered because of Adam.
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Some people believe that these demons were the offspring of angels and women from the verse in Gen 6:2, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
That these giants became the demons that hound us today.
The majority of Christians believe that these demons are a remnant of fallen angels whom God has left unconfined.
Many of these demons followed Lucifer, and God allowed some to roam free.
Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
We know that at least most of those angels that followed Lucifer, God has already bound: 2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Another group is confined in a more secure pit: Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Even some of these will be released during the Tribulation Period: Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Demons are called spirits because they have no bodies: Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Demons are not omnipresent but exist locally and cannot go very far from where they are located: Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Demons are intelligent, but they do not know all things; they do know who the Lord Jesus Christ is: Mar 1:24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Demons will lead you away from Christ if you listen to them: 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Demons have some power. Mark 5:3-4
Demons can inflict disease. Luke 13:11
Demons can influence the mind. 2 Cor 4:4
Demons will deceive you. 1 Thess 3:5
Demons can possess you. Throughout the Gospels
Demons can deceive nations: Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
After praying alone, seeking the presence of God, Jesus became a traveling evangelist.
Jesus prayed often alone during His ministry, another great example for us!
*Luk 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luk 4:44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
We need some time alone with God!
Jesus had been preaching and healing for at least twenty-four hours, and He was exhausted.
Many desperate and helpless people were trying to find Him, and it is the same today.
Many desperate people are seeking something that they do not know, and it is our job to tell them where to find it.
It is in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We will need to stay in touch with God and seek His help.
After all, it is His plan, and we are to become a part of His plan.
We cannot save anyone, but we can lead them to the One who can.
The Lord Jesus was determined to complete His mission, and He had very little time to do it.
He already had a date with a cross on Mount Calvary.
Isa 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Amen
LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD 