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Many people express support or enthusiasm for a particular cause. Until, that is, they are asked to give up something for it. To put it another way, we can measure the extent of our dedication to something by what we are willing to sacrifice for it. Simon, Andrew, James and John proved their commitment to Jesus by giving up their fishing business in order to follow and learn from Him. They were not the only ones. Luke tells us of another man who left everything to follow Jesus. This incident took place after Jesus demonstrated His divine nature by forgiving the sins of, and then healing a paralyzed man.

In chapter 5, verses 27 through 32 of his inspired Gospel, Luke writes, “After these things he went out, and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!” He left everything, and rose up and followed him. Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them. Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.””

After witnessing Jesus’ healing of the paralytic, the religious leaders praised God. They apparently accepted the healing as proof that Jesus had divine authority. They were willing to reconsider or revise their initial thought that Jesus had committed blasphemy when He forgave the paralyzed man’s sins. But when Jesus called Levi to follow Him, it again raised doubts in the minds of the religious leaders. According to Jewish thought, tax collectors were traitors. They had betrayed their own people by serving their Roman conquerors. The Jews considered tax collectors the equivalent of prostitutes, murderers and robbers and would not associate with them. Tax collectors could not serve as witnesses or judges in legal proceedings. Tax collectors were even denied entrance to Jewish places of worship. This is why Jesus described a tax collector in one of His parables as standing “at a distance” while he prayed (Luke 18:13).

But the Jews may have had a special reason to hate Levi. Based on his name, it is likely that Levi belonged to one of the families who were chosen by God to serve in the Temple at Jerusalem. If this is the case, Levi had turned his back on one of the most highly respected professions a Jewish man could have and chosen the most despised occupation. He truly was an outcast in the eyes of society, his religion and, probably, even his own family. Regardless of the circumstances which turned Levi into a pariah among his own people, he must have had a love for truth. When Jesus called him, he did not hesitate, but left everything and became His disciple. Perhaps one of the reasons he did so is that Jesus did not hold his profession against him. Jesus could look beyond what Levi was and see what Levi could become.

To show his appreciation for Jesus, Levi gave a banquet in His honor. Since respectable people would be unwilling to be seen at the house of a tax collector, Levi invited those who shared his own reputation – fellow tax collectors and others deemed disreputable by society.

That Jesus would accept an invitation to the feast and associate with such despised people dismayed and puzzled the religious leaders. Surely, someone sent by God would not fellowship with sinners and tax collectors! Can’t we know what kind of person someone is by looking at the people he associates with? If Jesus associated with sinners, didn’t that make Him one of them?

Jesus answered the objections of the religious leaders by pointing out that it is only the ill who need a doctor. Earlier, at the town of Nazareth, Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah to explain that one of the purposes for His coming was to heal those who are spiritually sick. Now He stated that He hadn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners. Jesus didn’t associate with sinners because He was one of them, but in order to cure them of their spiritual diseases.

Levi is a good illustration of Jesus’ ability to heal the spiritually ill. We know Levi much better by the name of Matthew, which means ‘Gift of God.’ It is he who wrote one of the four accounts we have of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus transformed him from an outcast to God’s gift to the church. In addition, we know that at least one of Jesus’ disciples belonged to the Zealot political party. The Zealots were extreme nationalists who often assassinated Jews like Levi who cooperated with Rome. Yet, Jesus transformed these former enemies into loving co-workers. We also know that Levi’s brother, James was another of Jesus’ disciples. It was Jesus’ influence which reconciled these estranged brothers. Just as Jesus changed Levi, He can change us as well.

Since the religious leaders could not argue with what Jesus said, they chose something else to criticize. In verses 33 through 35 Luke writes, “They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Jesus answered, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

The leaders seem to be saying that if Jesus’ disciples were truly religious, they would fast instead of feasting. Indirectly, the leaders were criticizing Jesus for permitting or encouraging a lack of piety in His followers. Jesus pointed out that there is an appropriate time for both feasting and fasting. To put it differently, there is a time for reverent contemplation, but there is also a time to express joy. Should Jesus and His disciples not have been glad about the change in Levi’s life?

The religious leaders judged whether a person was righteous by the religious rituals he performed. Jesus went on to illustrate why the leaders needed to change their whole way of thinking. In verses 36 through 39 Luke writes, “They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?” He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.” He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wine skins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved. No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’””

Jesus challenged the thinking of the religious leaders on another occasion as well. If you would like to know about it, please listen to our next program.

When we consider the miracles of Jesus, we are amazed not only by the number of them He performed, but also by the variety of them. Through the miracles Jesus demonstrated His power over nature, time and disease. But the miracles also raise an important question. What was the purpose of them? It is clear that Jesus did not desire notoriety because on more than one occasion He told people not to tell others about a miracle He performed. In fact, when the news of Jesus’ miracles became common knowledge, He often had to withdraw to lonely places to escape the crowds. What then, was the purpose of the miracles?

In his account of one of the miracles Luke tells us the purpose. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 5, verses 12 through 16 we read, “While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him. He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.”

It took a great deal of faith and courage for the man afflicted by leprosy to approach Jesus. According to the Law of Moses he should have remained in the distance. The Law says, “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:45-46 NIV) Thus, it was astounding that this man would risk coming near Jesus – particularly since he did not have the infection on just one part of his body, but was covered by it. He must have been a repulsive sight. Nevertheless, his faith that Jesus could heal him impelled him to risk the anger and revulsion of the crowd.

Even more astounding was Jesus’ response to this man. Jesus reached out and touched him. By doing so, Jesus ended his ostracism from normal human interactions. Jesus not only healed this man physically, He also gave him social acceptance.

Why did Jesus do it? No doubt He felt compassion for this man’s suffering. But there was another reason. The Law of Moses required that the Jewish priests certify a man was healed before being readmitted into society. From a human point of view there was no possibility that someone with such an advanced stage of illness could be healed. The fact that Jesus had the power to heal him was a testimony to them about who Jesus was – that He was from God.

Jesus used another healing to testify to the religious leaders about His identity. In verses 17 through 26 Luke writes, “On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (he said to the paralyzed man), “I tell you, arise, take up your cot, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God. Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.””

One of the responsibilities of religious leaders is to protect people from false teaching. Therefore it is not surprising that as Jesus became well known, they would inquire about His teaching. Was Jesus teaching the truth, or should they oppose Him and warn the people against Him?

The answer to their questions came in a very unexpected way. We know of other instances when the ill or infirm interrupted Jesus. But for people to break through the roof in search of healing was unheard of. Jesus response to the intruders was also unheard of. Instead of rebuking the men for damaging the house and interrupting His teaching, Jesus forgave the sick man’s sins. How could this be? It is one thing to forgive someone who has personally wronged you, but how can anyone forgive someone for sins committed against another? The Pharisees and teachers of the Law quite rightly said in their hearts that no one but God has the right and the ability to forgive such sins. Since this is the case, they naturally assumed that by claiming to forgive sins, Jesus took authority upon Himself which was not rightly His. To put it another way, they thought that Jesus had blasphemed against God.

In normal circumstances, the conclusion the Pharisees and teachers of the Law drew about Jesus would have been true. If anyone else had said what Jesus did, it would have been blasphemy. What the religious leaders did not realize was that Jesus was not like other men. He quickly gave them evidence that He was more than a mere man; He also possessed a divine nature. Jesus revealed their hidden thoughts, and who but God can read a person’s heart?

If the leaders had time to reflect upon this they would no doubt have realized that if Jesus could see what was in their hearts, He could also see what was in the heart of the paralyzed man. Therefore, Jesus knew whether the man had repented of his sins or not. To demonstrate His authority to forgive sins, Jesus instantaneously healed the man. This also was beyond the capability of ordinary doctors. No further therapy or course of treatment was needed. After witnessing this miracle the religious leaders were filled with awe and praised God.

But in spite of seeing the proof of Jesus’ divine authority, a time soon came when the religious leaders began to oppose Him. If you would like to know why, please listen to our next program.

We can tell what is really important to someone by seeing how he spends his time. For example, if a man says that he loves his family, but never spends any time with them – even though he has the opportunity to do so – we know that his family is not as important to him as other things. This same principle is true with regard to spiritual things. For example, if we say that we love Christ but are not willing to give Him much of our available time and resources then, perhaps, we do not really love Him as much as we say we do.

During Jesus’ time here on earth, many people became His disciples. However, the time came when Jesus asked His disciples to make a definite commitment. Would they follow Him in reality, or would they go on with their lives as they had before? The situation was like this: After the people at Nazareth rejected Him, Jesus moved to the town of Capernaum. This was the place where many of His early disciples lived. One Sabbath day, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man in the synagogue. As soon as the Sabbath was over, the people of Capernaum brought a large number of the sick to Jesus and He healed them. Early the next day Jesus went by Himself to a solitary place to pray. When His disciples found Him, they, and the crowds, urged Him to stay at Capernaum. However, Jesus said that it was necessary for Him to preach in the other towns also. It appears that Jesus asked His disciples to accompany Him on this preaching tour, but they refused.

In chapter 5, verses 1 through 11 of his inspired Gospel, Luke tells us what occurred when Jesus returned from His tour. “Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets. He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.” When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came, and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.”

Luke writes as if the men washing their nets and the man from whom Jesus borrowed the boat were unknown to Him. However, we know from other accounts that Jesus was already well acquainted with Simon, James and John. In fact, they were among the first to listen to Jesus’ teaching and to follow Him. They accompanied Jesus when He attended the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. They witnessed many of the miracles Jesus performed. Jesus had even healed Simon’s mother-in-law. Since these men already had such a close relationship with Jesus, why were they tending nets instead of helping Jesus minister to the people crowding around Him? Why had they gone back to their fishing business?

Though Scripture does not say this, it is probable they thought they had already given Jesus all the time they could spare. They had families to feed. How could they take care of their other responsibilities if they spent all their time with Jesus? They were still willing to listen to Him. They were still willing to help Him as long as it was convenient and didn’t take too much time and effort.

Simon was willing to let Jesus use his boat so He could teach the crowd more easily. But when Jesus asked Simon to let down the nets, he objected. “We’ve already put in a hard night’s work. Now is the time to rest, not to do even more work. I just finished washing my nets. If I put them in the water I’ll just have to wash them again, to no purpose.”

When Simon stated that they had caught nothing after a night of hard work, he also implied another objection. “What does a carpenter know about fishing? I’m the professional here. If I wasn’t able to catch anything, then you certainly won’t be able to. This is a waste of time!”

Whatever Simon may have been thinking in his heart, he decided to humor Jesus. “If you insist, I’ll put out the nets even though I know it’s pointless.” When he did, he and his partners in the fishing business received a tremendous shock. So many fish filled the nets that one boat was not sufficient to bring in the catch. In fact there were so many fish that both boats began to sink. In that moment, Simon realized how foolish he was. He recognized his own sinfulness and unworthiness.

Even so, Simon responded like many do today when confronted with their sin. Instead of expressing repentance, he asked the one who exposed his sin to go away. But Jesus would not be deterred. Instead of leaving as Simon asked Him to do, He again invited Simon and his partners to follow. From now on He said, they would catch men instead of fish.

The commitment Jesus asked these men to make was a serious one. The men were right in thinking that they could not do the work Jesus called them to do and still maintain their fishing business. They had to decide what was more important. They must have wondered how they would feed their families if they accepted Jesus’ invitation. Yet, implied in the miraculous catch of fish was the promise that Jesus would provide for their needs. As they well knew, there was no certainty in the fishing business. They might catch something or they might work all night for nothing. They chose to trust Jesus and left their boats and business behind. From this time on they remained with Jesus.

Today we are faced with the same choice. If necessary are we willing to leave everything in order to serve Christ?

Jesus performed an even greater miracle than the catch of fish. If you would like to know more, listen to our next program.

How we react to rejection says a lot about what kind of person we are. Some people allow rejection to destroy them. They withdraw from others and will not take the risk of trying again. Other people view rejection as a challenge. They will go somewhere else or try a different approach to accomplish their goals.

Jesus tried to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom in the town of Nazareth, where He grew up. However, the people there became offended and tried to kill Him. Instead of giving up on the mission God gave Him, Jesus moved elsewhere. He selected the town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee as His base of operations. Whatever His reasons for choosing it, Capernaum seems to be the place Jesus called ‘home’ during the rest of His ministry. It was after moving there that Jesus’ ministry became widely known.

In chapter 4 of his inspired Gospel, Luke tells us what sparked Jesus’ popularity. In verses 31 through 44 he writes, “He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down in the middle of them, he came out of him, having done him no harm. Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region. He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her. He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them. When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. Demons also came out of many, crying out, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn’t go away from them. But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of God’s Kingdom to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.” He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.”

Though Jesus had performed miracles before, it was these events at Capernaum which brought Jesus to the attention of the crowds. Of the total number of miracles Jesus performed during His ministry, only a few are recorded. The accounts indicate that the number of people Jesus healed probably numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands. This raises a question. What was the purpose, or intent, of the miracles?

One thing we know for sure is that, in contrast to many who claim to work miracles today, Jesus did not perform miracles or heal people in order to attract crowds or to gain notoriety. We know this because, on several occasions, He told people not to tell others about what He had done.

If the purpose of the miracles was not to draw attention, then what were they for? One of their purposes was to act as signs. In other words, they showed something about the nature and identity of Jesus. They were intended to open people’s eyes to greater truth or understanding.

The miracles were also Jesus’ authenticator. They were intended as proof that He came from God – that He was working in the power of God. For example, the Apostle John writes, “The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,”” (John 10:24-25 NIV) Another time He said, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” (John 14:11 NIV)

Another thing we can say is that Jesus never healed at random. It was either as a result of a specific request, He took pity on someone who was in no condition to ask for help, or to make a spiritual point.

In this instance at Capernaum, Jesus drove out an evil spirit. This demonstrated that Jesus had power over the devil. As a result of Jesus’ healing this man, people immediately recognized that Jesus had authority. This made them willing to listen to His teaching.

Incidentally, many people think that the devil, or evil spirits, cannot enter a place which is set apart to worship God. This is not true. The demon-possessed man came into the synagogue along with everyone who was there to worship and hear God’s word. It is not the place which is important but the condition of our hearts. Today, Satan can influence someone regardless of where they are, if they have not given themselves to Christ. It is becoming a follower of Christ and having His Holy Spirit living within us that protects us from Satan. Satan was able to enter Judas, who was one of Jesus’ chosen Apostles, in spite of Jesus’ presence because Judas determined to do evil. If we do not seek after the things of God, being in a church building, or wearing a cross, is no protection.

Jesus healed the demon-possessed man on a Sabbath, that is, the day the Law of Moses set aside for people to rest and to worship God. At soon as the Sabbath was over at sundown, the people of Capernaum brought their sick to Jesus – and He healed them all. One of the interesting things about this is that the demons He cast out knew who He was. However, Jesus would not allow them to speak. He did not need or want the testimony of the devil.

After healing the sick, Jesus slipped away from the crowds in preparation for traveling elsewhere. When people found Him again, they begged Him to stay. Jesus refused because God sent Him to preach the good news to other towns also. This is something we sometimes forget. Jesus did not come only for us, but for all people. Do we try to keep the good news to ourselves?

Upon His return to Capernaum, Jesus invited some men to give up their occupations and follow Him permanently. To learn about this, please listen to our next program.

It is often easier to accept teaching and correction from an outsider than from someone whom we knew when he was a child. Jesus encountered this problem when He returned to the place where He grew up.

In chapter 4, verses 14 through 30 of his inspired Gospel, Luke writes, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, “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 heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’” He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.” They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff. But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.”

After His baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the desert, fasting and being tempted by the devil. It must have taken a long time for Jesus to recover His strength after this ordeal, but the Scriptures pass over it with little mention. Before returning to Nazareth, Jesus performed several miracles. Several people also became His disciples. However, Luke passes over these events as well. He only mentions that Jesus taught in the synagogues of Galilee and that people praised Him.

Up to this time Jesus had not publicly declared the purpose for His ministry or declared Himself as the Messiah. This changed when Jesus spoke at the synagogue in Nazareth. He read from Isaiah, chapter 61 and then, declared to the people that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled before them.

Jesus’ statement has profound implications. By it He identified Himself as God’s Servant whom Isaiah predicted would come – the Servant who would sacrifice Himself in order to redeem people from sin. Through Isaiah’s words Jesus declared that God’s Spirit was upon Him. As Luke had already written, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism and Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. This meant that the words Jesus spoke and the works He did were not from Himself, but from God.

Jesus said that He was anointed to preach good news to the poor. This was a clear statement that He was the Messiah. For hundreds of years the Jewish people had been waiting for God to send the Messiah to deliver them. Now the Messiah was in their midst. The ‘poor’ to whom the Messiah would preach are not merely those who lack possessions, rather they are the ones who are not self-sufficient; they acknowledge their need of God.

The rest of the passage which Jesus read from Isaiah details the good news which Jesus would preach. Jesus would proclaim freedom for the prisoners. This did not mean that Jesus would open the jails. Instead, it refers to Jesus releasing people from the bondage of sin. Many years later the Apostle Paul wrote, “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” (Galatians 3:22 NIV) Indeed, it is good news that Jesus can release us from the sin which enslaved us.

Jesus would also preach that the blind could recover their sight. Though Jesus did heal many blind people, this pointed to a greater reality. It is Jesus who releases people from spiritual darkness. On another occasion He said, “…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)

Another aspect of the good news Jesus preached was release for the oppressed. In reality, the source of all oppression is the devil. The Apostle John writes, “…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8 NIV) Truly, it was the year of the Lord’s favor when Jesus proclaimed that salvation from sin had come.

At first, the people at Nazareth spoke well of Jesus’ words. But then, they took offense and opposed Him. There were two reasons for their opposition. The first was familiarity. “We know Jesus’ family. We knew Him as a boy. How could He grow up to become a prophet?”

However, their second cause of offense was more serious. Jesus used incidents from the time of the prophets Elijah and Elisha to rebuke the people for their lack of faith. Like many today, the people of Nazareth thought that their ancestry was what made them right with God. Jesus pointed out that it is not ancestry, but faith, which pleases God. It is not the family we were born into but following Christ which gains us God’s favor. When Jesus used the illustration of how God cared for and blessed non-Jewish people, those listening to Him became so angry that they tried to kill Him by throwing Him off a cliff. However, the force of Jesus’ personality was so strong that He was able to walk through the crowd and go on His way without harm.

Just as He promised, Jesus began to proclaim good news to the poor and the oppressed. To learn more, be sure to listen to our next program.

Sometimes we experience our most severe times of hardship and testing immediately after a spiritual victory. At Jesus’ baptism God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. God also declared, “…You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22 NIV). But then, Jesus faced a severe test.

In chapter 4 of his inspired Gospel, verses 1 through 13, Luke records, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.”

Why would God allow His Son, whom He loved and with whom He was well pleased to go through such a time of testing and temptation? One reason is that in order to become the Savior of mankind, Jesus had to experience the same kind of temptations that we do. The writer of Hebrews explains, “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17-18 NIV)

But there is another reason why God permitted Jesus to suffer temptation. The temptations Jesus endured parallel the experiences of the Israelites. The forty days of temptation Jesus experienced correspond to the forty years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel never fulfilled God’s purpose. The people failed repeatedly. God called Israel, His son. Where God’s son, Israel failed, God’s true Son overcame. Jesus, therefore, is the fulfillment of God’s purpose for the nation of Israel.

The devil’s first temptation had to do with physical needs. According to Deuteronomy chapter 8, God tested the Israelites with hunger so they would learn to depend upon God. “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NIV) The Israelites failed this test time after time. Jesus, passed it. He would rely on God’s word and be obedient regardless of whether he had physical food or not.

The next temptation had to do with worship. Though the Israelites had repeatedly been told to worship God alone, and they had promised to so, they often fell into idolatry. Jesus turned the devil’s temptation aside by quoting Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 13: “Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.” (NIV)

It’s ironic that the devil used the wealth and splendor of the kingdoms of the world as the incentive to try to buy Jesus’ worship. As God’s anointed King, the whole world belongs to Jesus anyway. But He was willing to wait for God’s timing. He would not go against God’s will in order to gain instant gratification. He would not give up the eternal to gain the immediate. Because He refused to bow to the devil, the day is coming when every knee will bow to Him.

The third test had to do with faith. Is God really with you or not? The Israelites had questioned whether God was with them. Exodus chapter 17, verses 1 through 7 says, “The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 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?” But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”” (NIV)

Jesus refused to test God. In refuting the devil He quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 16 which says, “Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah.” (NIV)

There is another dimension to the temptations, as well. Luke records the genealogy of Jesus just before the temptation account. He ends it with “…the son of Adam, the son of God.” (Luke 3:38) By doing so Luke contrasts the first Adam, with the second. The first Adam succumbed to temptation. Jesus, the second Adam, did not. Through Jesus, the curse which came on mankind as a result of Adam’s fall is reversed. Paul writes, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 NIV)

Jesus was able to overcome every temptation because he filled His heart and mind with God’s word. Do we have God’s word in our heart so we, too, can overcome temptation? After returning from the desert Jesus faced another difficulty. To learn about it, listen to our next program.