The second temptation listed by Luke is the devil’s offer to turn over the kingdoms of the world, with all the authority and the glory of them, to Christ upon the condition that the Lord would fall down before Satan and worship him. In Luke 4:6-8 we find the account of this temptation. Here we are told that Satan caused all the kingdoms of the world to pass before the eyes of Jesus in a moment of time. The fact that Satan did this is proof that he had mighty power. Just how he performed this miracle, the record does not say. Did he present it simply to the mind of Christ, as something within Him? Or did he present the kingdoms of the world in a great panoramic form out before Jesus? In other words, was this a subjective vision which Satan presented to Christ, or, did he present it as a great moving picture out before the physical eyes of the Lord? Of course, it is impossible for us to state which method was used. Should I be permitted to express an opinion, I would say that it would be the latter. The reason for this judgment is that it does not seem appropriate that God would allow the defiled and sinful being of Satan to cross the sacred threshold of our Lord’s holy being and thus present this vision to Him subjectively. If this is sound reasoning, then we come to the conclusion that it was an objective presentation to Him, something like a panoramic spiritual moving picture show.<\/p>\n
In the vision which Satan presented appeared „all the kingdoms of the world“ with their glory. This expression evidently includes all the kingdoms of all the centuries. This he could present by the power and authority which he still retained. Since Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, we may believe that he presented the very best and most attractive portions of the kingdoms of the world to our Lord. There is a certain glory and a strong appeal which human governments have to the minds of men. Especially is the pull of the right to exercise authority and power over others like a great magnet. Allured by the terrific pull of the privilege of exercising authority and power over others, men, even many great and wonderful men, have been led to sell their very souls for the glory of being crowned ruler over an empire or a kingdom. The thought of reigning over the world kingdom in the end time will have a terrific spiritual and magnetic pull over the Antichrist, who will wade through blood in order to seize the imperial purple. But every earthly kingdom, with all its glory, like the fading flower, declines and passes away. Such is the temporary and illusive nature of everything temporal. The glory of these kingdoms had no appeal nor attraction whatsoever to the holy, pure soul of our Lord.<\/p>\n
To our Lord the devil said, „To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them; for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it,“ Satan made a bona fide offer to Christ. He fully intended to give all the kingdoms of the world to Him if He would only accept them from his, Satan’s, hands. Satan can mean business and tell the truth whenever it serves his purpose. There is nothing that he would have liked more than for Christ to accept his offer. He knew why the Lord Jesus Christ had come into the world–to destroy the works of the devil, to snatch the kingdoms of the world away from him. Thus Satan offered to Christ a short-cut. Instead of His pursuing the regular way of doing the will of God and going to the cross to suffer death for the human family, Satan offered to Christ an easy way, a short-cut. The devil’s logic was this: You have come to seize the kingdoms of the world and to become King over all nations. Why go the hard way? All this authority is mine, and I will turn it over to you without any resistance whatsoever, if you will only worship me. For Christ to do that would be for Him to abandon the plan which He came into the world to execute.<\/p>\n
Were all the kingdoms of the world in the hands of Satan? Was it in his power to give them to whomsoever he would? The answer is a strong affirmation. Satan is called the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4). The Apostle John said that the whole world lieth in the evil one (I John 5:19). But doesn’t God rule and overrule? Yes, He does. And He gives the kingdom to whomsoever He, the Almighty desires (Jer. 27:5-11). At the same time, Satan „farms out“ the world and its authority to those who will fit into his plans and purposes and allow them to forward his plans. Satan, therefore, did not make a bogus claim and promise. He can act only as the Lord, the Almighty, grants him power. On this point, study Job, chapters 1 and 2, particularly.<\/p>\n
In meeting this temptation our Lord again took His stand upon the Scriptures by saying, „It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.“ One must worship God, in whom we live, move, and have our being. To no creature or mortal shall man give any worship. Thus to render divine homage to anyone other than God is to ignore facts and to go contrary to truth. To God we owe all the allegiance of our souls and the worship of our spirits.<\/p>\n
The last temptation mentioned by Luke occurred when Satan accompanied Jesus up to Jerusalem and went to the wing of the Temple–probably on the east side of the Temple enclosure. Below, the brook Kidron appeared as an abyss. Satan therefore told Him: „If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence …“ The devil said to Him that He should rely upon the promise found in Psalm 91:11,12, which states that the Lord will take care of Messiah, lest He dash His foot against a stone and injure it, and that to the angels He would give charge concerning Him. An examination of Psalm 91 shows that that portion of it which Satan applied to Christ was interpreted correctly. God had promised in that psalm to take care of the Son of God and to commission His angels to protect Him. One should study Psalm 91 in the Revised Version and note the language carefully. Verses 1 and 2 state the general truth that God will protect anyone who trusts in Him. Verses 3-8 were addressed by the writer to the faithful Jews living in the time of the Tribulation, promising them exemption from disaster and protection through the terrible ordeals of that future time. But verses 9-16 are addressed to Jehovah the Son, who, when He came the first time, made God His refuge and the Most High His habitation. Thus we see that, when the verses which Satan quoted are studied in the light of the original context, it is clear that Satan did not warp the Scriptures, nor did he force an unwarranted interpretation upon them. God promised the Saviour in Psalm 91:9-16, protection and deliverance. Satan, knowing that Jesus accepted the Word of God at its face value and depended upon what was written, correctly interpreted the verses which he quoted and thought that, by so doing, he would lead the Son of God to make trial of the Almighty and thus violate the Scriptures upon which He depended so very completely. God had promised full protection and complete deliverance to the Son of God. The Lord Jesus took His stand upon those promises and enjoyed the benefits therefrom. But what Satan wanted Him to do was to claim this protection. At the same time He would be putting God Almighty to a test. Jesus refused to run into the trap which Satan set for Him. This promise of Psalm 91 did not instruct the Lord to create an unnatural situation and then call upon God to deliver Him by so doing. If the Lord had done that, He would have been putting God to the test. Such an act would have been a lack of faith and would have been a violation of the spirit and the letter of the promise in Psalm 91 and the prohibition against putting the Lord to a test. While Satan did correctly apply the passage, he did not quote the passage in its entirety–as many people do today. We should never take a text apart from its context, for if we do, we make a pretext out of it.<\/p>\n
With this final temptation Satan went down in utter and complete defeat. The Lord Jesus had each time taken His stand upon the infallibly inspired Word of God. He trusted God to fulfill every promise that He had made. The Lord never failed Him. Jesus came off victorious. He was even victorious in His dying, because He came for that purpose. Each one of us will do well if we will trust the Lord to the very limit. We may not be able to see how God will bring deliverance and protect, but He can do it by His omnipotence and omniscience. Satan is a conquered foe. We are to resist him, strong in our faith, and he will flee from us. God watches over His Word to perform every promise that He has ever made: „Then said Jehovah … I watch over my word to perform it“ (Jer. 1:11,12).<\/p>\n
When the devil had completed every temptation, he left the Lord, but only for a season. He kept coming back from time to time. Satan will never be discouraged. Though he is routed and suffers defeat, he will come back and renew his attack. He will come back in a different way each time, adopting different tactics and approaching one in a new way. He, as Paul said, will transform himself into an angel of light to deceive. He will appeal to one through „the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life“ (I John 2:16).<\/p>\n
There is no other way to fight Satan than by the use of the sword of the Spirit. One must believe God implicitly and trust Him to fulfill the promises. May the Lord bless us and enable us to take our stand, as our Lord did, upon that which is written. And even though we cannot, at times, see how our God can bring the deliverance, may He enable us to trust Him to do so. Prayer brings victory; prayer changes things.<\/p>\n
\n„0 Thou, by whom we come to God,
\nThe Life, the Truth, the Way;
\nThe path of prayer Thyself hast trod;
\nLord, teach us how to pray!“<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n<\/p>\n
An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke
\n(Installment 12)<\/p>\nThe Rejection of Jesus by the People of Nazareth<\/p>\n
IN THE LAST study of this series we investigated the temptations of the Lord Jesus, who completely routed Satan so that he left Him for a season (Luke 4:13).<\/p>\n
In 4:14,15 we are told: „And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.“ If Luke’s record were the only one which we have we would think that, immediately after the temptation, Jesus departed into Galilee. But when we look at John’s account of the Gospel, we see that many things intervened between the temptation of our Lord and His returning to Galilee. John 1:19-28 gives the record of the testimony which John the Baptist bore concerning himself. On the next day he saw Jesus approaching and pointed Him out, saying, „Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!“ (John 1:29). Jesus had already been baptized and was returning to the place where John was (vss. 30-34). From the connections in the various narratives it appears that immediately after John’s baptizing Jesus, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. In view of these facts it is most highly probable that, immediately after the baptism of Jesus, He was tempted of the devil for forty days. Upon the completion of this period, He came back to the place where John was preaching, and John the Baptist pointed Him out as the one upon whom the Spirit of God had come, and the one to whom God had spoken, saying that He was His Son in whom He was well pleased.<\/p>\n
On the next day Jesus won four of His early disciples (John 1:35-42). The following day Nathanael was brought to Jesus by Philip (John 1:43-51). On the third day (John 2:1) after the morrow mentioned in 1:43, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Since the day mentioned in verse 43 was the fourth day in the succession of days mentioned by John, and since the day of the wedding in Cana of Galilee was the third day after that, the wedding occurred on the seventh day from the one mentioned in 1:19-28. Jesus attended the wedding, where He performed His first miracle (John 2:1-11). „After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days“ (John 2:12). At this time Jesus seems to have made the city of Capernaum His headquarters.<\/p>\n
After some little time (we do not know how long) Jesus went from Capernaum to Jerusalem and observed the passover (John 2:13-22) and engaged in a great preaching ministry, which was confirmed by signs (John 2:23-25). While He was there, He had the great conversation with Nicodemus, found in John 3:1-15. Jesus engaged in His early Judean ministry following the passover. At the same time John was continuing his ministry in \u00c6non near Salim (John 3:22-30).<\/p>\n
Jesus became very popular in Judea and many compared Him with John. On account of this popularity Jesus left Judea and went into Galilee (John 4:1-3). He passed through Samaria and engaged in a great ministry there (John 4:14-45). From there He went to Cana where He had previously performed His first miracle (John 4:46).<\/p>\n
Presumably He healed the nobleman’s son when He was at Cana. From there He went to Nazareth and preached His first sermon in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-30) which constitutes the basis for our present discussion.<\/p>\n
Jesus‘ Attending Regular Services<\/p>\n
Luke tells us that, when Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, He entered into the synagogue „as his custom was“ on the sabbath day. Our Lord put spiritual things first. Abraham before Him did this. Whenever Abraham went to a new place, he first built an altar and then pitched his tent. For him, too, spiritual things were foremost. Thus it was with our Lord. Early in the morning Jesus would arise, pray, to His heavenly Father, and enjoy the sweetest divine fellowship with God (Isa. 50:4-9). Nothing can take the place of private devotions. Neither can anything take the place of public worship. Our Lord recognized this fact and was a regular attendant at the services. The children of God should do the same thing. It is a bad omen to see the people of God neglecting to worship on the Lord’s day.<\/p>\n
Jesus‘ Reading the Book of Isaiah<\/p>\n
We are told in Luke 4:17 that, when Jesus was in the synagogue, the roll of the Book of Isaiah, was delivered to Him, which He took, and from which He read.<\/p>\n
According to the custom of the Jews today, which dates back into the past (though no one knows how far) a certain section of the law is read and is followed by one from the prophets. It is altogether possible that Jesus read the latter section, namely, the passage from the prophets, and then gave the message.<\/p>\n
So far as we know, Jesus never participated in the public services prior to this time. Yet on this point no one can be positive.<\/p>\n
When the roll of Isaiah was given to Jesus, He turned to Isaiah 61:1-3. It seems that He did this normally, naturally, and easily. In our thinking of His familiarity with the Scriptures, we may believe that Jesus from childhood studied the Scriptures and learned them. We are told in Luke 2:40 and 2:62 that He grew and waxed strong, and that He advanced in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. It was a normal thing, therefore, for Him to study the Scriptures, to learn them, and to become familiar with them and their position in the rolls.<\/p>\n
The Scripture to which He turned was Isaiah 61:1-3. When a person reads this passage as it appears in Luke 4:18,19, and then reads Isaiah 61:1-3, he sees that there is a difference in the wording. (I am assuming that the student is reading from the American Standard Version.) By looking at the original Hebrew text of Isaiah and the Greek text of Luke, chapter 4, one sees that this quotation in Luke is a free rendition of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). This fact accounts for the difference in words. The thought, however, is just the same.<\/p>\n
Whenever a person comes to a passage in the New Testament, quoted from the Old Testament, the proper thing to do is first to study the passage in its original context in the Old Testament. Having done this thoroughly, he is then prepared to study the passage as it appears in the New Testament, and the way it is applied there.<\/p>\n
The prophets had two methods of delivering their messages. The usual one was to appear before the people as the representative of God and to introduce their message by saying, „Thus saith Jehovah of hosts …“ A second method, which was frequently used, although not so extensively as the one just mentioned, was that of impersonation. Whenever the prophet adopted this second method, he simply stepped before his audience and spoke as if he were Jehovah himself and sometimes enacted a dramatic scene. He thus enlivened and illustrated his message, impressing it upon his auditors more forcibly. In Isaiah 61:1-3 the prophet adopted this second method, that of impersonation. He therefore spoke of himself in the first person, as if he were the Lord himself, and as if he were going to do the things which he recounted–things which only the Lord can do. It is clear that no man can do the things which Isaiah mentioned in the prediction. The prophet is, therefore, playing the role of, or impersonating, the Messiah.<\/p>\n
According to this prophecy the Messiah is anointed to do seven things: (1) to preach the gospel to the meek; (2) to bind up the brokenhearted, to regenerate penitent souls; (3) to set at liberty captives, (or the restoration of sight to the blind); (4) to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor; (5) to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God; (6) to comfort all who mourn–because of their sins; and (7) to appoint unto official positions the penitent remnant of Israel. The Messiah is anointed in order that He might be qualified to do these seven things.<\/p>\n
The language is such that it is easily recognized as that of the proclamation during the year of jubilee. Captives were released and land that had passed into the hands of strangers was returned to the rightful, original owners. This year of jubilee–every fiftieth year–was a time of great rejoicing. It was hailed with great delight and joy whenever it was properly observed according to the Mosaic ritual. Thus the language of the proclamation of this year of jubilee is quite fitting to express the great liberation and restoration of the soul as being brought into harmony with God. Couching his thoughts, therefore, in the language pertaining to the year of jubilee, the year of release, Isaiah pictured very graphically to his auditors the great release, or emancipation, that the Messiah will announce when He makes His appearance upon earth.<\/p>\n
Let us now look at each of the seven things which Messiah is to do, for which He is equipped by the anointing given Him:<\/p>\n
(1) To preach the gospel to the meek. This is to be understood literally, exactly as it is written.
\n(2) To bind up the brokenhearted. The prophet speaks of the work of regeneration which the Messiah does for those who accept Him in terms of the dressing of a wound, or the mending of broken pottery.
\n(3) To set at liberty them that are captive; or, as it is given in the Septuagint Version, to restore sight to the blind.<\/p>\nThe Hebrew admits the rendering, „The opening of the prison to them that are bound.“ Here the picture is that of captives who are incarcerated in prison. Messiah is endowed with the proper power and authority to open these prison-houses and to release the prisoners, giving them their liberty. If we accept this rendering, this is a prophecy concerning Christ being put to death in the flesh, but in the spirit going and making a proclamation to the spirits in prison, in Sheol, or Hades. Then He seizes the keys of death and Hades and opens up that apartment where the saved have been incarcerated. He liberates them and brings them forth out of the prison-house of Hades and takes them on to glory, when He returns to heaven. This is indeed a possible and a likely interpretation of the passage. If we interpret it figuratively, the thought would be that those who are unsaved are bound in the prison-houses of habit and of lustful desires. Messiah liberates them and gives them freedom from the bondage of sin. Or, in the third place, it can mean that He opens their blind eyes. When all of these facts are taken into consideration, it is quite likely that there is truth in all of these interpretations.<\/p>\n
(4) To proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor. What is meant by the year of Jehovah’s favor? In order to see this, we shall have to look at the next statement (5) which is, that the Messiah is anointed to „proclaim the day of vengeance of our God.“ The day of vengeance is clearly a reference to the Tribulation Period, seven years, during which God is pouring out His wrath upon the world. About this interpretation there can be no doubt. This period of seven years is represented as a day, whereas the other is a longer period, which is thought of as a year. Thus the period of Jehovah’s favor is thought of as a year, whereas that of His vengeance is spoken of in terms of a day. We have, therefore, the right to believe that an approximation, at least, of the ratio which exists between a year on the one hand and a day on the other, exists between the two periods of time designated as the year of Jehovah’s favor and the day of vengeance. Since the day of vengeance is the Tribulation Period, which closes this age, and is seven years in duration, this present Christian Dispensation is the year of Jehovah’s favor. Thus the Messiah at His first coming is prepared, not only to engage in His personal ministry, but is to make an announcement ahead of time concerning this long Christian Dispensation, this year of Jehovah’s favor, which is to be followed by the day of vengeance, the Tribulation.<\/p>\n
(6) To comfort all that mourn. During the Tribulation there will be such suffering as the world has never seen before and men will be in need of comfort and of peace. Messiah is the one who is able to comfort them and to give them peace.<\/p>\n
(7) To appoint unto official positions those who mourn in Zion, that is, the faithful remnant of Israel mourning over their sins and turning to Him and accepting Him. Israel is now the tail of the nations; but, when he accepts Him, he will become the head of the nations.<\/p>\n
Messiah thus is going to work out the entire program of His redemptive career which culminates with His second coming to appoint Israel to official positions in order that „they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.“ God has been glorified in a measure–a very limited measure–through the church. But, when Israel is brought back to Him, the Lord will for the first time be glorified in the world in the sense which is here contemplated.<\/p>\n
Having in this cursory manner looked at the original prophecy, we must now turn to the quotation in Luke and see how far our Lord read. A glance at Luke 4:18,19 reveals this very clearly. He read through the infinitive phrase, „To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.“ He then gave the book back to the attendant. Jesus therefore stopped with the phrase foretelling that He would proclaim the Christian Dispensation. He had come in fulfillment of the passage and hence read this much of the prophecy and closed the book, stopping with the prophecy concerning the acceptable year of the Lord and saying nothing about the day of vengeance. This day of Jehovah’s favor had dawned by His coming. It has been running on ever since, for nineteen hundred years. It will be brought to a close by the day of vengeance of our God, the Tribulation Period. But immediately before the Tribulation begins, Christ will descend from heaven to the air to raise the dead in Christ and to catch up the living saints in order to take them out of the world. When He does that, the day of vengeance of our God begins. Thus it is clear from Isaiah, chapter 61, and a number of others that the Christian Dispensation was clearly revealed in the Old Testament. So this much of the prophecy was fulfilled, and Jesus was very specific in making this clear.*<\/p>\n
By the judgments of the Tribulation Israel will be brought to dire extremity and will, when his power is broken in pieces, call upon the Lord to return and to deliver him. When he does this, He will come, take matters into His own hands, and will establish His reign of righteousness and peace upon the earth. Israel, now the tail of the nations, will become the head of it, and all saved Israel will be appointed to official positions in Messiah’s government. Thus the latter part of this prophecy has never been fulfilled yet. Since no word from God is without power, and since this is the word of God, it is backed up by all the power and authority of God Almighty and will be fulfilled in His own good time and in the dimensions as set forth in the original prophecy.<\/p>\n
The Message of the Lord Jesus<\/p>\n
The message which Jesus delivered on this occasion is found in Luke 4:20-27. When Jesus had finished reading, He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Then the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened upon Him. We may be sure that He read as never man read before, even as He spoke as man never spoke before. Such reading doubtless gripped the attention of the people, for they were in expectation and focused their eyes upon Him. Today hath this Scripture been fulfilled in your ears (vs. 21). That part of the Scripture which He read was fulfilled in Jesus Himself and in His beginning His public ministry. Thus He launched a preaching ministry which is foretold in Isaiah 42:1-4, and which has been running through the Christian centuries and will continue till He comes for His own. As stated above, He will take the church out of the world by the rapture, before the day of vengeance begins. There was an air of expectation on the part of everyone because of the words of grace which He spoke. The people could hardly realize that Jesus, the supposed son of Joseph who had been reared among them, could thus speak.<\/p>\n
They doubtless had heard of the miracles which He wrought in Jerusalem and were eager for Him to perform some of them in their presence. God would not satisfy idle curiosity. He was familiar with the proverb, „Physician, heal thyself,“ and also the axiom, „No prophet is acceptable in his own country.“ Knowing human nature, Jesus would not perform any miracles there because of their unbelief, as we are told in another place. The people just could not take in the thought that one of their own could perform the miracles concerning which they had heard. Moreover, they were not open to conviction.<\/p>\n
Jesus justified His refusal to do any miraculous thing by the example of Elijah. Elijah prayed that it rain not for three years and six months. His prayer was answered. There were many widows in the days of Elijah, but he went to only one, a heathen, who lived at Zarephath, in the land of Sidon. In the days of Elisha the prophet there were many lepers in Israel, but only one was cleansed, Naaman the Syrian. These people had faith and they received a blessing. People in Israel who should have believed did not. They therefore did not obtain special ministries from God.<\/p>\n
When Jesus called their attention to these facts, the people took that as an insult, because they were not willing to receive the truth. And they rose up en masse and took him to the brow of the hill upon which the city stood and attempted to destroy Him. „But he passing through the midst of them went his way“ (vs. 30).<\/p>\n
Jesus would not cast His pearls before swine, or give that which is holy to the dogs.<\/p>\n
Sad to state, Nazareth missed her chance.<\/p>\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n
* Some have called attention to the fact that there is a comma in the original passage after the expression, „the year of Jehovah’s favor.“ Then the point is made that the comma comes in between the year of Jehovah’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God. By those taking this position it is asserted that the comma covers the entire Christian Dispensation. This is a fallacy. There was no punctuation in the original text. As stated above, the year of Jehovah’s favor is the entire Christian Dispensation, whereas the day of vengeance refers to the Tribulation, which follows this. Thus the force of the argument based upon the presence of the comma is rendered null and void.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/p>\n
An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke
\n(Installment 13)<\/p>\nThe Beginnings of the Great Galilean Ministry<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n
IN OUR last study of this series we investigated the incident of our Lord’s preaching in Nazareth, following His return to Galilee after His temptation. Matthew and Mark simply state that He returned to Galilee. Luke, however, is the one who gives us the information that He went to Nazareth and preached the marvelous sermon, which we studied last month. In Luke 4:31 we are told that Christ, after leaving Nazareth, went down to Capernaum. Luke, continuing his narrative, speaks of His healing a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit. If Luke’s were the only record we had, we would think that this cure was the next thing recorded of our Lord. But when we examine the accounts by Matthew and Mark, we see that, when He left Nazareth to go to Capernaum, He walked along the seashore and recalled four of His early disciples. Matthew informs us that, after the temptation of Jesus, the Lord went to Galilee and then, leaving Nazareth, He went down to Capernaum in order that the prophecy found in Isaiah, chapter 9, might be fulfilled.<\/p>\n
As He was going to Capernaum, He was walking along beside the Sea of Galilee and called these early disciples. Mark speaks of the recall of these particular disciples before Jesus entered into Capernaum (Mark 1:16-20). In view of these facts, we must believe that the call of the disciples found in Luke 5:1-11 is the same incident mentioned by Matthew and Mark. We shall, therefore, in this month’s study investigate Luke 5:1-11 in connection with 4:31.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
The Second Call of the Early Disciples
\n<\/span><\/center><\/p>\nThe Apostle John is the one who tells us of the call of the early disciples (John 1:35-51). Andrew was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who left the latter and followed Christ. Immediately he went and got his brother, Simon, and brought him to the Lord. Since James and John are mentioned among the disciples to whom Jesus gave the second call (Matt. 4:18-22), it is supposed by some that John was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who left the latter and with Andrew followed Jesus. John naturally brought his brother James to the Lord. Among the earliest disciples were also Philip and Nathanael. In all probability the disciples whom Jesus called on the occasion of which we are studying were Peter and Andrew, and James and John, because they were fishermen.<\/p>\n
In all probability, after Jesus gave His first call to the early disciples, He was tempted of the devil for forty days. These early disciples went back home and returned to their normal activities. When Jesus returned to Galilee after the temptation, He delivered His message at Nazareth and then went down to Capernaum. Before entering this city, He was thronged by a vast multitude to whom He, stopping, preached the Word of God, as He was standing on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee (Gennesaret).<\/p>\n
It seems that the incident of the recalling of these early disciples was early in the morning. There were two boats standing by the shore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. One of the boats belonged to Simon Peter. Since the crowd was thronging Him, Jesus entered into Peter’s boat and asked him to push out away from land. When he did this, Jesus spoke to the multitude from the boat.<\/p>\n
When He finished speaking to the multitude, He instructed Peter to put out further into the lake and to let down his nets for a draught of fishes. Peter began to remonstrate, saying, „Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets“ (Luke 5:5). When they did this, they enclosed a great number of fish so that the nets were breaking. Then they beckoned to their partners in the other boat, indicating that they should come and render assistance. The catch of fish was so very large that they filled both boats to the point that they were about to sink.<\/p>\n
When Peter really took in the situation he, in his characteristic, impetuous manner, fell at the feet of Jesus and said: „… Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord“ (5:8).<\/p>\n
Though these fishermen had toiled all night and had caught nothing, yet Peter at the word of the Lord was willing to lower his net for a catch. The command for him to put out the nets did not meet with Peter’s approval, or agree with his idea. Nevertheless, he was willing to do whatever the Lord said. Oh, that the people of God would always be willing to do exactly what the Lord says, regardless of whether or not they can see any reason or hope of gain! Implicit obedience is what the Lord wants.<\/p>\n
The Lord knows what is best for each of us and what will bring results, whereas we do not. It is, therefore, for us not to question, but to obey implicitly. When we do that, we will receive the blessing.<\/p>\n
The Lord knew where the fish were, and He gave explicit instructions to His disciples where to go and when to put down the nets. The Lord knows where the blessings are and how to get us to the place where they are. He is very eager to do the very best that He can for us under all circumstances.<\/p>\n
The Lord said on this occasion to Simon: „… Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men“ (vs. 10). Another account reads, „I will make you fishers of men.“ They were fishers of fish; but the Lord wants to make His disciples to become fishers of men. Our chief duty and responsibility is to become fishers of men–to become soul winners. After all, the only thing that counts for eternity is that service which we render in the Master’s cause for the advancement of the truth and the salvation of souls. Everything else is subordinate and secondary.<\/p>\n
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The Cure of a Demoniac in Capernaum
\n<\/span><\/center><\/p>\nAfter Jesus gave His second call to the early disciples, He went into Capernaum, which He made His headquarters, and from which He went out during the rest of His ministry.<\/p>\n
On the sabbath day Jesus was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. There was present a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and who cried out with a loud voice: „Ah! What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God“ (Luke 4:34). We frequently, in the Gospel Records, read of demon possession. Some spirits are called unclean demons; others are designated as deaf and dumb spirits. It seems that these spirits are named according to the outstanding characteristic of each. A dumb spirit would be one that would cause dumbness on the part of the one thus possessed. An unclean spirit would be thus described by the fact that he thus produced moral filth in a heightened degree in the one possessed. The man cried out to Jesus and spoke in the plural number: „What have we to do with thee … “ This language implies that either there were more than one demon in this man, or else that the „we“ refers to this man himself and the demon. It is difficult for us to determine which of these ideas is correct. The Gadarene demoniac acknowledged that he was possessed by a legion of demons (Mark 5:1-20).<\/p>\n
The demon speaking in the man in this case (Luke 4:31-37) recognized who Jesus was and confessed His divine nature. Demons are not omniscient, but they appear to have supernatural knowledge, which of course comes from Satan himself. Satan has a vast storehouse of knowledge, but he is not omniscient.<\/p>\n
Jesus would not permit the demon to witness in His behalf. He persistently refused to accept any testimony from the spirit world.<\/p>\n
By His word the Lord commanded the demon to hold his peace and to come out of the man, which thing he did. But first he threw him down on the floor of the synagogue and departed out of him. On one occasion when Jesus cast out a demon, He ordered him never to return to the man again. That command shows that, in some instances at least, demons can come back and repossess the individual out of whom they are cast.<\/p>\n
It is needless to say that the people in the synagogue were amazed at that which occurred, for doubtless they had never seen anything like that before. In their astonishment they said: „What is this word? for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and „they come out“ (4:36). Of course, they had seen Jewish exorcists attempt to cast out demons. This they attempted to do with charms and certain invocations, but it is very doubtful whether or not they could cast out demons. What they did was on a low plane, or level, in comparison with that which Jesus wrought on this and on many other occasions. The people therefore said, „What is this word …?“ or, What is this situation? All that Jesus did was to speak directly with His voice and to command the evil spirit to leave the man. Thus the words of our Lord were spoken with authority and power. Such an occurrence was an entirely new experience. The people, therefore, were amazed and spoke as they did.<\/p>\n
Rumors began to start the rounds. In every place in the entire region what Jesus did in the synagogue on this occasion was the talk of the town.<\/p>\n
The synagogue in which He performed this wonder was doubtless the same one in which He, one year before His crucifixion, preached the sermon on the Bread of Life, found in John, chapter 6. This synagogue is probably also the one that was built by a certain Roman centurion for the Jews (Luke 7:2-10). The ruins of this old building have been unearthed and partially restored. It is now, by common consent, recognized as the synagogue of Capernaum of our Lord’s day.<\/p>\n
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Peter’s Mother-in-law Restored to Health<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n At the end of the sabbath day Jesus arose from the synagogue and went to Peter’s home. Upon arrival there He found that the latter’s mother-in-law was sick with a burning fever. Those present earnestly besought Christ to heal this lady. Jesus went into the room where she was, stood over the bed, and rebuked the fever, which left her immediately. Then she arose and began to minister to Him and His needs.<\/p>\n
All diseases are the result of the curse which fell upon the earth and mankind when Adam transgressed the one and only prohibition which the Lord laid upon him (Gen., chap. 3). Satan and the curse are responsible for all ill health and disease. Jesus came, as I John 3:8 declares, „…that he might destroy the works of the devil.“ Thus He from time to time healed people of their diseases. This He did in anticipation of the atonement which He would make on the cross. Because of the certainty of this atonement and of its efficacy, He healed people of their diseases. Because healing is in the atonement, as we see from Isaiah, chapter 53, and Matthew 8:17, there will be no sickness nor disease during the great reign of our Lord when He comes at the end of the Tribulation to lift the curse from the earth and to bind Satan so that he can no longer deceive the nations during the thousand years‘ reign of our Lord.<\/p>\n
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An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke
\n(Installment 14)<\/p>\nThe Beginnings of the Great Galilean Ministry<\/span><\/center>
The General Healing Ministry of Jesus at the End of That Sabbath Day<\/span><\/center><\/p>\n In Luke 4:40 and 41 much activity is presented by the blanket statement that Jesus healed many diseases and cast out demons. Whenever He had what might be termed a healing service, to which the sick were brought, He always healed all of them. Note the language: „And 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.“ This He did by His mighty power. Every trace of the disease was removed, and there was complete restoration in each case instantly. There was no room for any doubt concerning the completeness of the cures wrought. There were no exceptions to the rule that Jesus healed all<\/i> their diseases.<\/p>\n
Moreover, Jesus cast demons out of many. These came forth, crying out and saying „Thou Art the Son of God.“ Whenever a demon left a person it cried out; „Thou art the Son of God.“ Jesus rebuked these evil spirits and would not let them testify concerning their knowledge that He was the Messiah of Israel. God revealed later on to the Apostle Peter that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and he confessed it (Matt. 16:13-20). John the Baptist had testified that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. Andrew accepted that testimony and passed it on to Peter, whom he brought to Jesus. Then Peter became a follower of the Lord Jesus. At some time, we cannot say definitely when, God revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. When he made this confession, the Lord Jesus said that no man made that revelation, but God the Father alone did it. The testimony of evil spirits regarding the nature of Jesus Christ and His personality was obnoxious to the Son of God.<\/p>\n
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The Multitude’s Seeking Jesus
\n<\/span><\/span><\/center><\/p>\nIn verse 42 we are told „And when it was day, he came out and went into a desert place and the multitudes sought after him, and came unto him, and would have stayed him.“ He went to a desert place, that is, one that was not inhabited. The question immediately arises, Why did He go out there? This information is given us in the parallel account found in Mark 1:35-39. Here we find that He went out to this solitary place in order that He might pray. Prayer figured very largely in the life of our Lord. Before He selected His Apostles, He continued all night in prayer. In the forecast concerning His personal life (Isa., chap. 50) we see that He would arise every morning and would have a time of prayer, communion, and fellowship with God. Thus He got in touch in the most intimate way with God every morning, and then it was revealed to Him what He should do and say, and how He should handle each situation. Not only did He pray early in the morning and during certain nights, but there were other times when He gave Himself to prayer. He realized that prayer changes things, and that prayer brings victory.<\/p>\n
Peter and the others who were with him went out and found the Lord in this solitary place praying. They insisted that He remain in Capernaum and not leave the community. The popular excitement concerning Him was running very high, and the people wanted to hear more from Him.<\/p>\n
But our Lord did not come to satisfy idle curiosity. He therefore said: „I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also: for therefore was I sent“ (4:43). John the Baptist broke the silence of the four hundred years of the inter-Biblical period by announcing that the time had been fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God had come to hand. What he meant by „the kingdom of God“ was the spiritual kingdom that was foretold would be established by the Messiah when He appeared the first time. A close study of such passages as Isaiah 42:1-4 shows that the Messiah was scheduled to come to launch a preaching ministry and to carry it on by the proclamation of the truth. Outwardly, it was foretold that this movement would seem to be a failure, but that it would not be. Neither would the Son of God be discouraged by outward appearances or circumstances. Messiah, according to this passage, would appear with well-defined, definite, political ideals–namely: to establish justice in the earth, a kingdom of righteousness in which the will of God will be done as it is done in heaven. He starts out upon His world campaign by preaching, not in public places, but in those places that are recognized as places for worship and for the proclaiming of the Word of God. He would not be a rabble-rouser, neither would He, according to this same prediction, be a dictator–a Mussolini, a Hitler, or a Stalin, who crush the bruised reed and quench the burning wick. But He carries on this preaching ministry of the kingdom of God in its spiritual sense throughout the centuries. Since He is establishing this spiritual kingdom, the nations upon His first appearance do not receive His law, but must wait until His second coming when He will establish His reign of righteousness upon the earth.<\/p>\n
Jesus preached the good tidings of the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. (These two terms are used interchangeably in the Gospel records.) Philip preached the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and the kingdom in Samaria (Acts 8:12). Paul proclaimed the gospel of the grace of God and of the kingdom also (Acts 20:24,25). Jesus therefore on His first tour of Galilee preached the good tidings concerning the kingdom of God, always ministering the Word in the synagogue, as we see in Luke 4:44.<\/p>\n
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Cures Effected by our Lord on His First Tour of Galilee
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THE FIRST of our Lord’s tours of Galilee is summarized in 4:42-44. But in 5:12-39 we have examples of cures which Jesus effected on this tour, as well as His call of Matthew and His treatment of the question of fasting. To these let us now turn for a brief survey.<\/p>\n
The cleansing of a certain leper, on this first tour is mentioned in Matthew 8:1-4 and Mark 1:40-45, as, well as in Luke 5:12-16. It is very instructive, and enlightening to read the three accounts, for each one gives some little detail that possibly the others do not. The spirit manifested by this poor, unfortunate leper was indeed marvelous, for he said: „Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean“ (Luke 5:12). Leprosy is a most dreadful and horrible disease. All of life’s values practically vanish whenever one is thus afflicted. This man had not given up hope. He had absolute faith in Christ and His ability to cleanse. The only question in his mind was whether or not it was Christ’s will to make Him clean. Jesus then stretched forth His hand, touched him, and said: „I will; be thou made clean.“ Immediately the leprosy departed from the man. Then the Lord instructed him to go and show himself to the priest and offer for his cleansing that which Moses had commanded for a testimony unto the priest, charging him to tell no man. But the report concerning the healing and cleansing of this leper spread throughout the adjoining territory. Then great multitudes came together to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities. On certain occasions Jesus would heal someone and then insist that they keep quiet and not say anything about the miracle whatsoever. In accordance with the requirements of the law Jesus commanded the leper to go to Jerusalem to the priest to be examined according to the law and thus be pronounced clean. When the report gathered great throngs together to hear Jesus, He withdrew Himself into a desert place and prayed. The Lord knew that that was a special time of crisis. Therefore prayer was the thing upper-most in His mind at the time. Prayer changes things; prayer brings victory.<\/p>\n
Another notable case of restoration to health when Jesus was on this tour was that of the healing of the paralytic. According to Matthew 8:5 this case of healing occurred in Capernaum–doubtless after Jesus completed His first tour, which probably took something like six months. On the occasion of Christ’s healing of this poor man, there were present Pharisees and doctors of the law, sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem (5:17). They were there for no good purpose. It is evident from all the facts which we know that they were there to criticize and to try to counteract whatever influence Jesus might have with the people.<\/p>\n
Jesus was in a house, which was crowded with people. The throng was so very great that the men who bore the paralytic could not enter the house. They therefore went up on top of the building, dug through the ceiling, and lowered the palsied man on a couch into the midst of the room before Jesus. He, seeing the faith of the man and of those who bore him, said: „Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.“ At this statement the scribes, Pharisees, and doctors of the law became offended. They reasoned in their hearts saying: „Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?“ They were correct in saying that God alone could forgive sins. But, not knowing Christ and not knowing the Scriptures, they did not recognize Him as God. Had they known Him, and had they known the Scriptures, they would have recognized instantly that He was the Holy One of God and that He was not blaspheming in forgiving sins, but was simply exercising His prerogatives as being divine.<\/p>\n
Jesus therefore reprimanded these men for reasoning in their hearts as they did. In trying to bring the light to their benighted hearts, He said: „Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house“ (5:23,24). The Lord changed His language and commanded the man to rise, take his bed, and go to his house in order to show His carping critics that He, the Son of man, had power to forgive sins. „And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day“ (5:26). They had indeed seen strange things that day!<\/p>\n
After the healing of this paralytic in Capernaum, Jesus went forth from the place and came to another place where was seated a man by the name of Levi, a publican. The Romans levied heavy taxes upon the Jews. Then they farmed out the privilege of collecting these taxes to rich men, who sublet the privilege to other men. Sometimes, in turn, these subcontractors let small portions of their purchases out to still smaller and less influential men. Very frequently the taxgatherers were unprincipled and resorted to any methods or means to extort from the people unjust and unrighteous levies. As a class, therefore, the taxgatherers were despised and hated by the people. Of course, not all taxgatherers were of this character. I am sure that Matthew, whose other name was Levi, was not of this type. Had he been of that character, the Lord would not have chosen him to be one of the Apostles and would not have permitted him to write the Gospel which bears his name.<\/p>\n
When the Lord called Matthew to follow Him, he immediately forsook all and did so. This is found in Luke 5:27,28. Following the call (Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell us), Levi, or Matthew, made a great feast for our Lord. Luke’s account is found in 5:29-39. If we had only the records of Mark and Luke, we would think that Matthew made this feast immediately after he received his call from the Lord. But when we look at the Gospel According to Matthew, it is very clear that the feast came later on in the ministry of our Lord. It is quite likely that Mark and Luke simply mentioned the fact that Matthew made the feast and connected it with the call of Matthew, simply to finish that episode in his account. Such a practice as that is common among historians.<\/p>\n
Finally, the matter of fasting was brought to the attention of our Lord for His opinion. His informants said that John’s disciples often fasted and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but that the disciples of Jesus did not. The Lord explained the reason for His disciples‘ not fasting by calling attention to the fact that He was still with them, and that there was no occasion under these conditions for them to fast. They were present with Him and could make all of their wants known to Him and were in such close touch and fellowship that it was not necessary for them to fast. But he assured them that the time would come–after His departure–when they would need to pray and fast in order that their voices might be heard on High.<\/p>\n
Our Lord followed this discussion with a parable concerning patching an old garment with a new piece of cloth and also putting new wine into old wineskins, or old bottles. It is inappropriate, according to His teaching, to put something that is new, virile, and strong upon that which is old and weak. By these parables our Lord taught the lesson that He was not trying to patch up old garments of ceremonialism and the observances of laws and ceremonies with new patches of revelation and regulations. The movement which He inaugurated was something entirely new and different from that with which His auditors were acquainted–though the gospel with all of its life and power was clearly foretold by Moses and the prophets. Christianity is something new in the world. It is a new life, a new relation to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It should not therefore be attached to the oldness of the letter. It was therefore a mistake to think that the praying and the agonizing as practiced by the Pharisees should have any part or lot with that which the Lord was bringing to men. Christ brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for all men who will accept.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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