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TRANSCRIPT
In Luke , Chapter 4 we see Jesus on a 40 day retreat in the desert. Not at a hotel or vacation center, but a very intense retreat. Once again it says He was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit. For 40 days He ate nothing and then, on top of not eating, verse 2 tells us that for 40 days He was also tempted by the devil. So the devil saw He was weak from hunger and vulnerable and began to offer Jesus anything He wanted: wealth-food-recognition-power. He did this knowing who
Jesus was. Knowing he was the son of God. And thinking that, in Jesus' humanity, He would succumb to temptation, forgetting His position as God’s son.
The devil knew what was to come- that Jesus would break the chains of sin and death and bring forgiveness, hope, and eternal life with God. He couldn’t pass up this opportunity to try and break up God’s plan of redemption for us. However, when satan’s plan to break God’s plan didn’t work, it says in verse 13 that he left for a more opportune time. In other words, he left with his tail tucked to regroup and make a new plan of destruction.
Then in verse 14 it says Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. He was led into the desert by power of the Spirit to overcome temptation and commune with His father and was led out of the desert into the ministry that He was sent for.
Into the synagogue he went where He read from Isaiah as quoted in Luke 4 verses 18-19:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
Because He has anointed me
To preach good new to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
And recovery of sight for the blind
To release the oppressed,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
He then told them that the scripture was fulfilled that day.
As I read and looked at this passage I was struck by the words that Jesus was LED by the Spirit.
He was led by the Spirit which meant that He followed the leading of the Spirit and, as a direct
result, He was full of the Holy Spirit. He followed the leading of the Spirit wherever it took Him- even into what was a rough 40 days of testing, into public ministry where He was bold with His teaching - healing, and casting out demons - and ultimately to death on the cross.
Another point of interest also in this passage is that later on in the chapter after Jesus was in synagogue, He went to Simon’s house to rest and eat. It was at this time that people began to come and He healed them and rebuked demons. Jesus then again went to a solitary place to pray, and commune with His father.
Notice that Jesus takes time to be refreshed and refilled by the Holy spirit as He ministers.
It is the filling and refilling that refreshes and enables us to accomplish the mission that God
has for us. Are we being led by the Spirit? Are we following the Spirit? Are we taking
the time to rest and be refreshed in the Lord?