The Gospels · Chapter 4 of 24

Luke 4

Full of the Spirit, Jesus is led into the wilderness and tempted forty days, answering each temptation with Scripture. Returning in power, he reads Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and declares the prophecy fulfilled in himself. His hometown turns on him. He moves to Capernaum, teaching with authority, casting out an unclean spirit, and healing many, including Simon's mother-in-law.

What happens in Luke 4

Led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Jesus fasts forty days and is tempted by the devil to turn stone to bread, to seize the kingdoms of the world by worship, and to test God at the temple's pinnacle. Each time he answers with the words of Scripture, and the devil departs for a season. Jesus returns to Galilee in the Spirit's power and teaches to wide acclaim. In Nazareth he reads Isaiah's promise of good news to the poor and liberty to the captives, then says the scripture is fulfilled that very day.

The crowd's wonder curdles into fury when he recalls how God's mercy reached Gentiles like the widow of Sarepta and Naaman the Syrian, and they try to throw him off a cliff. He passes through them, goes to Capernaum, silences and expels a demon, heals Simon's mother-in-law and many others, then leaves to preach the kingdom elsewhere.

Luke 4 in context

This chapter presents Jesus' public manifesto. The wilderness testing echoes Israel's forty years, but where Israel failed, Jesus stands firm on God's word. The Nazareth sermon, unique to Luke, sets the pattern for the whole Gospel: good news to the poor, release to captives, and mercy that overflows to outsiders.

The violent rejection at Nazareth foreshadows the cross, while the Capernaum healings display the kingdom's authority arriving in person.

Main themes of Luke 4

Luke 4 (KJV)

1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And 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. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And 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. 9And 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: 10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16And 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. 17And 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, 18The 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, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20And 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. 21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 31And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34Saying, 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. 35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 36And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 38And 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. 39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40Now 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. 41And 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. 42And 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. 43And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Verses to carry from Luke 4

“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.”Luke 4:8

“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,”Luke 4:18

“And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”Luke 4:21

Reflection

Notice that Jesus faced his fiercest testing after hearing he was beloved. Affirmation does not exempt us from struggle; it prepares us for it. When you are pressed toward a shortcut around God's will, reach for what is written rather than for your own strength.

And let his mission shape yours: carry good news to the poor and the outsider, not only to the familiar.

A prayer from Luke 4