The Genealogy & the Temptation of Jesus
January 31, 2016
SPEAKER: Bill Richardson, Pastor of Adult Ministries
Luke 3:23-38 - Luke 4:1-13
Main idea: As Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert, he is tempted by and overcomes the devil. Jesus shows
us his steadfastness to God’s word and mission for his life.
v23-38 With regards to the genealogies of Jesus (cf Matthew1:1-17), Luke’s starts with Jesus and works back to
Adam, but Matthew begins with Abraham and works forward to Jesus. Matthew traces his genealogy through
royal succession and Luke traces the genealogy through physical descent. The main points of Luke’s genealogy
are:
1) it shows that Jesus is clearly related to King David (2 Samuel 7) and is therefore entitled to be the Messiah.
2) it identifies Jesus with the human race by tracing it back to Adam.
“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1
“…the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as
to his earthly life was a descendant of David… “ Romans 1:2,3
“Tracing the genealogy beyond Abraham, the father of the Jews, to Adam, the father of all nations, takes the
genealogy beyond a Jewish perspective to encompass the entire human race. Jesus is not only heir to Jewish
hopes; he is heir to human destiny.” Garland, ECNT Luke
Ch4:v1 Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit from his baptism (Luke 3:21-22) and was clearly ‘in tune’ with the
Spirit. He is guided by the Holy Spirit into the desert. Jesus has everything that he will need for his earthly
ministry. He lacks nothing in spiritual gifting.
“To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be completely yielded to Him and to be completely obedient to
every word of God. A person who is filled with the Spirit is emptied of known sin and of self and is richly
indwell by the Word of God.” MacDonald, Believers Bible Commentary.
v2 Jesus is tempted for 40 days by the devil. It is important to note that it is satan that tempts us and not God.
Jesus is also fasting during this time.
Your enemy the devil is relentless with his temptations against you. He will never give up until either you
die or Christ comes back.
Do you believe that the devil is real?
Do you believe that he has the power to tempt you?
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
“The thief (devil) comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to
devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Israel - God’s chosen nation - was tempted in the desert and failed in idolatry and rebellion. This resulted in
40 years of wandering (Exodus 16-20, 24, 33-35). Jesus - God’s chosen Son - succeeds his temptation in the
desert after 40 days. In all three temptations the devil is trying to stop Jesus being dependent on God.
Israel was tempted by hunger as was Jesus (Exodus 16:18).
Israel was tempted to worship something other than God as was Jesus (Exodus 32).
Israel was tempted to put God to the test as was Jesus (Exodus 17:1-3).
“The devil is the one who both puts the faithful to the test and who opposes divine interests. In particular, the
devil tries to disrupt the relation between God and man, and especially between God and Israel.” Garrett, The
Temptations of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he
tempt anyone;…”James 1:13
What temptation are you facing at the moment?
How are you dealing with that temptation? In your own strength or God’s strength?
If you are a believer, temptation will come. It is a fact!
It is not a sin to be tempted. It is only a sin when we give in to temptation.
v3-4The devil knows that Jesus is the Son of God and is trying to get Jesus to abuse his divine power. The
devil knows that Jesus is hungry and targets him there by asking the question “Why should the Son of God
deny himself and be hungry?”
“This temptation of the evil one is thus directed against the chief requisites for the execution of his calling as
Messiah: His consciousness of his vocation, His faith in God and his self-renunciation.” Geldenhuys, The
Gospel of Luke
Temptation will always be pleasing to the eye! It will never be boring or irrelevant to our situation. It will
always be something we want or desire.
Jesus responds as a man with scripture; he does not use any of his supernatural gifts.
The bible is a major defense against temptation and should be used to overcome.
Are you using the bible to fight temptation?
Are you applying it to daily trials in life?
Jesus had total focus - not on his own whims, but on what his Father wills for him to do. Jesus will obey God
his father and not satan.
“‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34
“…that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
v5-8 This temptation would have been devastating for the whole of mankind if Jesus had failed it. The devil is
providing a way, that would mean that Jesus did not have to go to the cross. The offer is to make Jesus King of
Kings without the sacrifice of crucifixion.
satan wanted Jesus to worship him and to take the place of his Father in heaven. Some of satan’s names are
‘prince of this world’ (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11), ‘god of this age’ (2 Corinthians 4:4), and ‘ruler of the kingdom
of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2). He had the power to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world. God is sovereign, has
total control and has total authority. The devil only has power for a limited time and only because God allows
it (cf Job 1). Christ has defeated the devil at calvary and his power will only last until Christ comes again. God
will give Christ the kingdoms of the world for eternity.
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever
and ever.” Revelation 11:15
“…and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:11
“ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the
false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
“Only to the extent that mankind surrender themselves in sin to the evil one does God permit him (the devil)
to rule over the world of men, but nevertheless always under His highest and final overruling, so that
everything in the end leads to His glory. God never lets the reigns slip out of his hands.” Geldenhuys, The
Gospel of Luke
Jesus loved his Father and knew that the Father loved him; there was to be no short cut to glory.
“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup
be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.” Deuteronomy 6:13
Jesus was going to worship and serve his father in heaven only; he shows steadfast allegiance to his Father.
Have you submitted to God’s will for your life?
What do you need to sacrifice in order to do his will?
What areas of your life need to change?
v9-12 The devil is asking Jesus to test the faithfulness of his Father in heaven. Israel failed this test (Exodus
17:1-3) and tested God. Jesus passed this test because his trust and dependency was on God alone. What a
perfect way for people to believe that you are the Messiah by throwing yourself off the temple and being
miraculously saved by angels! Again, this would mean that Jesus would not have to go to the cross. This is a
shortcut and mankind would have no way for salvation had Jesus succumbed to this temptation.
“So they quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’Moses replied, ‘Why do you quarrel with me?
Why do you put the Lord to the test?” Exodus 17:2
The devil use scripture here from Psalm 91. The devil will tempt us by twisting scripture for his own purposes.
He is deceitful and a liar.
“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he (the devil) is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
Do you recognize the ‘voice’ of the devil?
His words are often condemning, accusing and lies.
Again we see Jesus using scripture to counter temptation.
“Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16
v13 These temptations did not end after 40 days for Jesus. The devil attacks him throughout his ministry
(Judas - Luke 22:3, Simon - Luke 22:31, at his arrest and death - Luke 22:53).Temptations come at sporadic
times not in constant streams. They often appear when we are tired, stressed not walking closely with the
Lord.
Jesus has conquered and overcome the devil here. On account of him, we can overcome temptation and
conquer as well.
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews
2:18
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who
has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you
be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you
can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
There is no temptation which is too strong for us, there is always a way out!