Stories from the Bible - Ep 17 Jesus, Full of the Spirit (Luke 4)

Episode Date: March 26, 2022

After coming out of the water, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness.  He’s there fasting for 40 days and during that time is tempted by the devil. It sounds a bit like a miniature re-enactment of the Exodus and Israel’s desert wanderings. Unlike Israel who failed to trust God’s words, Jesus never falters. The words from heaven when he was baptised were ‘you are my one dear son’, and most of the devil’s temptations revolve around trying to get Jesus to doubt that, saying things like, ‘if you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread’. Jesus is tempted to prove his identity for his own sake, instead of trusting God’s clear declaration. But again and again Jesus shows that his heart is pure and true, and his trust in God’s timing, and God’s methods for proving his identity, is perfect. In today's story we hear what Jesus did next, including almost getting himself thrown off a cliff. The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved

Beauty, perfection, desire, deception, rebellion, judgment, hope. You're listening to Stories from the Bible. Bible stories told in order, using the words of the Bible, with introductions to give a recap and provide context. At the end of each story, you might want to pause and take a moment to reflect on what you noticed in the story. Things you liked or didn't like. Something the story showed you about God or about people. Don't worry if not everything makes sense. Keep listening to each episode and sit with the journey. I'm stoked to have you on the ride. Hello and welcome to episode 17. In the story we heard last time from Luke chapter 3 and 4,

John, the baby who was born to the old couple Zechariah and Elizabeth, he'd grown up and he'd begun baptizing people out in the wilderness. He says some pretty harsh stuff to the crowds that are coming to be baptized, calling them snakes that are fleeing from the coming wrath. What does John mean? Well, it will help us if we remember back to episode 14, where we heard about the hope that the prophets had for the future, especially the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah lived about 700 years

before this, and John understands himself and his role in the light of Isaiah's and the other prophets' writings. In episode 14, we listen to Isaiah chapter 59, which talked about the dismal state of things in the world because of sin, that is, rejection of God, and how there was nothing anybody could do about it. It was a pretty dark and depressing situation. But while humanity could do nothing, God could, and the prophecy was that God planned to come to the world himself to deal with sin and evil. This is the wrath to come that John is thinking of, that is, God coming in person to punish evil and fix everything once and for all. In the Isaiah passage, the only way to be safe is to repent of rebellion against God and turn towards him, not away from

him in flight. When John calls the people offspring of vipers fleeing from wrath, the image is of snakes slithering away into shallow holes in the ground to unsuccessfully escape the heat of an inferno bushfire. John's concern for the people who are coming to be baptised is that they are merely just going through the motions, ticking off the get baptised box so that they can be good with God and escape his judgement. They are, after all, descendants of Abraham, so surely they are good with God, and his wrath is not for them, especially if they go through the right ceremonies like baptism. John blasts this way of thinking. The only way to be safe from God's wrath is repentance. That is, turning away from following their own ideas of right and wrong

and instead trusting in God. Thinking that going through the ceremony of baptism or being a physical descendant of Abraham will keep one safe from God's wrath is like snakes trying to find protection from an inferno bushfire by hiding behind the rocks. So what is the fruit that proves true repentance? John tells the crowds that the evidence is how one treats those around them. Because at the heart of rebellion against God, that is sin, is living for oneself. If someone truly repents of sin, then they will no longer be driven to please themselves as number one,

or be a nice person to others but do it in order to earn future credit, but they will see the needs of those around them and genuinely help them for their own sake. Then we're told that the crowds were picking up on John's excitement about the coming deliverer, and they wonder whether John might be the long-promised king, that is, the Christ. But John clears up any confusion and states very clearly that he is not the promised rescuer. He tells them that one is coming who is so much greater than he is, who will baptize them, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit and fire. And then, who should turn up but Jesus, who, instead of blasting fire everywhere,

gets himself baptised, just like the people in the crowds. He looks like an ordinary man, and it's only the voice from heaven proclaiming, You are my one dear Son, in you I take great delight, and of course the dove landing on him, that marked Jesus out as special. After coming out of the water, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. He's there fasting for 40 days, and during that time is tempted by the devil. It sounds a bit like a miniature reenactment of the Exodus and Israel's desert wanderings. Listen to episode 6, 7 and 8 for some of that background. Unlike Israel, who failed to trust God's words and instead went by what they

could see around them, Jesus never falters in his trust in God's word. The words from heaven, that is from God, when Jesus was baptized were, You are my one dear son. And most of the devil's temptations revolve around trying to get Jesus to doubt that, saying things to him like, If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. Jesus is tempted to prove his identity for his own sake, instead of trusting God's clear declaration. But again and again, Jesus shows that his heart is pure and true, and his trust in God's timing and God's methods for proving his identity

is perfect. Today's story starts here. Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the surrounding countryside. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all. Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he'd been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to tell them, Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read. All were speaking well of him and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They said, Isn't this Joseph's son? Jesus said to them, no doubt you will quote to me the proverb, physician, heal yourself, and say, what we've heard that you did in Capernaum, do here in your hometown too. And Jesus added, I tell you the truth, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's days, when the sky was shut up three and a half years, and there was a great famine over all the land.

Yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of them were cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. When they heard this, all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, forced him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built so that they could throw him down the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way. So he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching because he spoke with authority.

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God! But Jesus rebuked him, Silence! Come out of him! Then, after the demon threw the man down in their midst, he came out of him without hurting him. They were all amazed and began to say to one another, So the news about him spread into all the areas of the region. After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered Simon's house.

Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked Jesus to help her. So he stood over her, commanded the fever and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed his hands on every one of them and healed them. Demons also came out of many crying out, You are the Son of God! But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.

The next morning Jesus departed and went to a deserted place. Yet the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them. But Jesus said to them, I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, for that is what I was sent to do. So he continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea. The story ends here.

Thanks for joining us for today's story. You might like to take a moment to pause and think about what you noticed. Things you liked, things you didn't like. Something the story showed you about Jesus. To read it for yourself, it's in the book of Luke, chapter 4. You've been listening to Stories from the Bible. I'm Jen, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you. you