They knew who He was.

The homefolks in Nazareth may have misunderstood Jesus’ identity, but the demons in Capernaum knew Him all too well. He was bad news for them.

The angels believe. The devils believe. Humanity alone among the creatures of the universe hems and haws over whether Jesus is God.

Jesus did not want His messiahship tossed about in public excitement. He did not ask for mob scenes, but He got a few. Jesus was in the synagogue again. He worshiped on the Sabbath whether at home or traveling. Suddenly the service is interrupted by the pathetic cries of a demon-possessed man. “Let us alone!” (4:34 KJV). “Have you come to destroy us?” Have you, God’s Son, arrived in the world?

The devil using this poor man’s mouth spoke for all of his tribe. Jesus was their one unassailable enemy. Over and over again evil spirits recognized Jesus as Son of God and cried out the truth.

Jesus, speaking with authority, delivered the man, sending the demon out of him (v. 35). Evil spirits always obey when Jesus speaks.

Do we still need His authority? It is self-evident that we do. Only Christ can give relief for a whole host of debasing human passions.

Read Luke 4:13-30

We can be reasonably sure that Jesus attended Sabbath services regularly.

Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it (Matt. 5:17). As an observant Jew, He had been in the synagogue at Nazareth almost every Sabbath since Joseph led Him there as a toddler.

Now He is 30 years old. He has been baptized and endured temptations. He has come home to officially begin His public ministry.

How many Sabbaths had Jesus sat there listening to the rabbi while he was a teenager and in his twenties? Weekdays he made a living in the carpenter shop. Jesus knew who He was and why He had come to earth (Luke 2:49). But He never said a word.

Finally it was time. On this Sabbath He read the homefolks His job description, Isaiah’s words about preaching good news and freedom, giving sight to the blind and releasing the oppressed (Isaiah 61:1, 2). The folks nodded and smiled, and said, “Joseph’s son has done well.”

If Jesus had quit there, all would have gone smoothly. But He kept talking. He compared Himself to Elijah and Elisha. He even suggested that the God of Israel might have compassion on foreigners (v. 27). They were infuriated.

What happened next may be considered the first of Jesus’ miracles recorded by Luke. They tried to kill Him. In the majesty of His presence, God’s Son walked away, unseen and unhurt (v. 30).

Read Luke 4:1-12

When we are tempted, Jesus understands. Notice how His temptations parallel ours.

Jesus was alone and hungry, and the devil said, “Use your power to make bread.” Have you faced a difficult decision, only to discover that ultimately any moral struggle is one of intense loneliness? Nobody can decide for me what is right.

The devil offered Jesus all worldly power. Did you ever have some high encounter with the Lord, a fresh determination to live wholly for God? Before the day was over Satan was whispering in your ear, “Aren’t you the great one? I can make you rich and famous if you’ll use your talents in my service.”

The devil tempted Jesus to make a great public display of His power. Did you ever struggle with whether something you wanted to do was God’s leading or your own self-centered idea? Satan may argue on both sides to confuse you.

How did Jesus combat Satan? He used the Bible, the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17).

Jesus, the most skilled swordsman of all, wielded it against Satan, quoting three verses from the Law, Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, and 6:16.

Note that Satan is skilled with God’s weapon, quoting Psalm 91:11, 12 to justify what he asks Jesus to do.

The devil fights dirty. He hits you when you are hungry and alone. He will use your own weapon against you if you will allow it.

Read Luke 3:21-37

Did you ever wonder how the dove came to be a Christian symbol?

Here’s where it all began. John did not want to baptize Jesus but did so when Jesus insisted (Matt. 3:14, 15). In that moment, God the Father acknowledged Jesus as His Son, sending the Holy Spirit, who took the bodily form of a dove lighting on Jesus.

Baptism is a symbol of newness of life, leaving a sinful past behind. Jesus had no sin. Why was the baptism necessary? For one thing, it set Jesus’ seal of approval on John’s work. Second, it identified Jesus with the people. He had no sin of which to repent, but Jesus came as one who sympathized with the desire of John’s converts to be free of the burden of sin. You must sympathize before you can serve and save. A third reason is that, just as baptism is for us a symbol of breaking with the past and starting a new life, so Jesus was coming out of the quietness of Nazareth into a public ministry and life style.

This is the first mention of Jesus praying (v. 21). It was a habit He continued throughout His earthly ministry. He needed to talk with His Father.

Luke includes a genealogy at this point. Notice that he carries Jesus’ human family line all the way back to Adam. Jesus belongs to the entire human race, not just to Jews or to the Western world.