v1: Jesus was "led by the Spirit" (also v14), another evidence of His manhood; there was always perfect agreement between Son and Spirit. The conflict that we endure between flesh and Spirit was not in Christ.

When Jesus was tempted, there was no possibility of defeat, for He could not sin; the Father allowed the testing to prove the Son, Heb 5.8; the Holy Spirit led Him to the place of testing and victory.

The devil had a different agenda, to seek to destroy Jesus. As such, the temptations were both real and serious.

v2: Christ suffered temptation and hunger; He also endured the passage of time; He had made Himself subject to time; as the Word in Heaven there would be no experience of time.

v3: The first temptation, "if you are the Son of God"; see also v9; this temptation was repeated in Matt 27.40, 42; the challenge to Christ to prove His deity; He does indeed prove His deity, but in His way. The unspiritual mind seeks to have God work his way, compare Judg 6.36-37. The spiritual mind is submissive, and is prepared to let God be God, and do all things His way.

This temptation was "the lust of the flesh"; the temptation of physical satisfaction; the Lord was tempted to use His powers for purely personal benefit.

v4: The Lord's first response; He showed His dependence on:

• the Word of God; divine authority; and
• the life of God; divine sustenance.

"It is written", was His threefold response, see also v8, 12; authority is found in God's word; God has given this by inspiration; the authority of God's word is because its source is God Himself.

v5-7: The second temptation, "the pride of life"; the temptation of authority and glory and power. In this temptation was a lie; Satan may indeed be ruler of the kingdom of the air (Eph 2.2), but he would never voluntarily give this up to anyone.

v8: The Lord's second response; He gave no detailed theological response; He did not cast pearls before swine. This was a time for rebuke and declaration, not explanation. The answer is clear; it is only God who is to be worshipped.

v9-11: The third temptation, "the lust of the eyes"; the temptation of worldly fame and success. Satan misquoted and distorted Scripture, seeking to give some authority to his invitation. False religion misquotes Scripture, therefore we need to be discerning.

The error here; Satan used "carefully", not "to keep you in all your ways" (Ps 91.11); God's angels are ministering spirits (Heb 1.14), to keep us in all the ways of God, not to protect us from all harm.

v12: The Lord's third response; again insisting on the authority of Scripture. Just because Satan misquoted one Scripture does not mean that we cannot use Scripture properly in resisting temptation.

We must not tempt God; He does not tempt us to sin.

v13: Jesus Christ endured every temptation; He was in all points tempted as we are, but without sin. Jesus resisted the temptation, just as we can; He did not use His power as the Son of God, but endured as the Son of Man. The lesson is clear; we too can resist temptation, and we too must have confidence in Scripture to strengthen us.

James 1.14-15 refers to human temptation, coming from "his own desires", which are sinful; this was not true of Jesus, for He was born of a virgin, and in Him was no sin.

Like Moses, Abraham, David, Paul, Jesus had private trials before embarking on public ministry. This seems to be God's pattern in preparing His servants. Further, the Lord Himself frequently withdrew from the crowds to be alone with the Father. This verse also indicates that Satan's attacks were not ended. He would find an "opportune time" to attack again.

v14-15: Jesus found immediate popularity in His ministry. In particular, Jesus had a real impact upon ordinary people; they marvelled (v22), they were astonished (v32), they were all amazed (v36). This was true whatever He did, whether speaking or performing miracles. The comment here, which is a summary of His ministry in the early months, refers to His teaching which drew much praise.

The section 4.16-9.50 relates the ministry of the Son of Man. Much takes place in and around Galilee.

v16: Nazareth was the place where Jesus had grown up, and was doubtless known by many. Here He was first rejected; although it had been His custom to meet here with God's people in the synagogue. The people in the synagogue were ordinary religious people; it was the eyes of all of them that were fixed on Him (v20), and it was all of them who were filled with wrath (v28). Jesus went alone, without the Twelve. Although He had previously met them, as John records (John 1-4), they had not yet left their regular work to follow Him.

Dr Alfred Edersheim reports that 'Nazareth lay on the world's great highway. What was spoken there might be carried to the remotest lands of the east and of the west.’ (Sketches of Jewish Social Life)

v17: Jesus had the opportunity to read from the scroll; see also Acts 13.15. The O.T. was written on a number of scrolls, without our chapter and verse divisions; so Jesus "found the place". He read from what we call the Septuagint, reading Is 61.1-2, and inserted words from Is 58.6, "to release the oppressed." Desmond Tutu comments: ‘The remarkable messengers of God declared God to be notoriously biased in favour of the little ones of the world.’  (God is not a Christian)

v18-19: The Scripture chosen by Christ; the Scripture that was fulfilled that day.

• He was anointed by the Spirit; anointed for a specific purpose;
• to preach good news to the poor;
• to proclaim freedom for the prisoners;
• recovery of sight to the blind;
• to release the oppressed; and
• to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

These were the signs of the Messiah, see 7.22. This incident marked His entering into public ministry as the Messiah.

v20-21: Today the Scripture is fulfilled! The extraordinary claim! The unmistakable claim! It was this claim, and the later statements, that precipitated the immediate opposition.

v22: Jesus was the centre of attention. All in the synagogue, having fixed their eyes on Him, marvelled at the gracious words He spoke. He may have brought a challenge, and even offended some, but His manner was perfectly gracious, and without offence. He was full of authority and grace.

It was the message itself that brought offence; in Acts this theme continued, since the only crime that could be laid against the apostles and the early Christians was that they preached Jesus Christ. Let our manner be without offence, even though the message itself does bring offence.

v23-24: The prediction of criticism and rejection; John 1.11; Matt 13.54-58. It was in His home town that He met criticism.

v25-27: As in His conversations with others, Jesus put His finger on the real problem. Compare His conversations with Nicodemus, the rich young ruler, the woman of Samaria; also when He dealt with the Twelve, and with Pharisees.

His reference to O.T. incidents is significant; He picked two incidents when Gentiles were blessed by God's servants; this was one of the themes of Stephen's message in Acts 7. Indeed, Jesus suggested that people of Israel actually missed out on blessing.

The prophecy of Is 61.1-2 is therefore extended beyond the people of Israel.

v28-29: All this was too much for prejudiced Jews; compare Jonah's sorrow when the people of Nineveh repented. Whilst they knew the stories of Elijah and Elisha, they would not draw the same conclusions that Christ did.

v30: The response of the people was no surprise to Jesus; He knew what was in their hearts. They could not kill Him, as His time had not yet come. By His power, He simply walked through them.

v31-32: Christ's word was with authority; and with authority He cast out unclean spirits. This is the Son of God acting with rightful authority. His words and actions matched His claims at Nazareth. Doubtless this display of authority set Jesus apart from other Jewish teachers.

Later He gave authority to the Twelve, 9.2, and to the Seventy, 10.9; they shared in Christ's ministry.

v33: The man with the unclean (evil) spirit was in the synagogue; the religion of the day was impotent to help him.

v34: The unclean spirit recognised Jesus as the Holy One of God, the Son of God; he would never think of Jesus was just a man. But he could not benefit from his knowledge of Jesus; he could only tremble (James 2.19).

v35: Jesus' act of casting out the unclean spirit was without ostentation; simple, clear words; with authority. The man was preserved and delivered.

v36-37: It was not surprising that Jesus became very well known; see v40, 42; 5.1,17; many people gathered to hear Him.

v38-39: Jesus rebuked the fever, just as He had the unclean spirit. He displayed His authority over illness also. Immediately the woman was strong enough to serve the Twelve.

The phrase, "high fever" appears to be a medical term, consistent with Luke being a doctor.

v40: Jesus healed all that came to Him; nothing was too hard for Him; He touched them, showing identification and acceptance.

Jesus' two or three years of ministry were extremely busy; all servants of God must expect demands on their time.

v41: Many were demon-possessed; a sad reflection on the state of Israel. The demons recognised Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Luke clearly demonstrates Christ's full deity.

v42: Christ's habit of private praying; 5.16; 6.12. The solitary place; in this He displays the character of a man of God.

v43-44: Christ knew His mission and calling, and nothing would prevent Him from fulfilling it; a single-minded commitment to obeying the Father. Some, perhaps well-meaning, would have sought to divert Him from his level of commitment.