Luke Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness.

He has just been baptized. The Holy Spirit has descended upon Him. The Father has declared Him to be His beloved Son. Luke has also traced His genealogy back to Adam. As discussed in Luke Chapter 3: Repentance, Fruit, and the Salvation of God, Luke wants us to see Jesus entering real human history as the obedient Son.

Now Jesus is tested.

Where Adam failed, Christ obeys.

Where Israel failed in the wilderness, Christ remains faithful.

This connects closely with Matthew Chapter 4: The Temptation of Christ and the Light in Galilee, where Matthew also shows Jesus resisting Satan by the Word of God.

The Temptation in the Wilderness

Luke says Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.

That matters.

Jesus is not outside the Father’s will. He is not accidentally trapped by Satan. He is entering the place of testing as the faithful Son.

The devil first tempts Him to turn stone into bread.

Jesus is hungry. He has fasted forty days. But the temptation is not merely about food. Satan is tempting Jesus to use His Sonship apart from the Father’s will.

Jesus answers:

“Man shall not live by bread alone.”

Then the devil shows Him the kingdoms of the world and says:

“To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.”

That raises an important question.

Is Satan telling the truth?

Has the World Been Handed Over to Satan?

Satan is a liar, so we should never treat his words as trustworthy in the same way we treat God’s Word.

But that does not mean his statement is pure nonsense.

Scripture does speak of Satan having real influence and authority in the fallen world. Jesus calls him “the ruler of this world” in John 12:31. Paul calls him “the god of this world” who blinds the minds of unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Ephesians 2:2 calls him “the prince of the power of the air.” First John 5:19 says “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

So Satan has real power in this fallen age.

But his power is not ultimate.

He is not equal with God. He is not the true owner of the world. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Satan can rule only as a rebel creature under God’s sovereign permission.

So when Satan says the kingdoms have been handed over to him, there is a dark truth in it. The fallen world is under satanic influence. Human kingdoms often reflect sin, pride, idolatry, violence, and rebellion against God.

But Satan twists the truth.

He speaks as if the world is his to give away freely. He offers Jesus a kingdom without suffering, without obedience, and without the cross.

Jesus refuses.

He says:

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”

That is the center of the temptation. Satan offers Jesus glory without the cross. Jesus chooses obedience to the Father.

From a Christian Reformed lens, this is beautiful. Our salvation rests not on our ability to defeat temptation, but on Christ’s victory for us. He obeys where we fail.

The Devil Departed Until an Opportune Time

Luke says that when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Jesus “until an opportune time.”

So when does Satan come back?

Luke does not immediately say, “Here is the exact next temptation.” But as the Gospel continues, Satan’s opposition appears in different ways.

Demons confront Jesus. Religious leaders oppose Him. Crowds misunderstand Him. Later, in Luke 22, Satan enters Judas, and Jesus tells Peter that Satan has demanded to sift the disciples like wheat.

So Satan’s return is not necessarily one single small moment. The opposition continues throughout Jesus’ ministry and becomes especially intense as Jesus moves toward the cross.

But Satan never wins.

The wilderness temptation points ahead to the whole life of Christ. Jesus will not take the easy road. He will not bow to Satan. He will not avoid the cross. He will obey the Father all the way to death, and through His death and resurrection He will defeat Satan.

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth

After the temptation, Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.

He comes to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. This connects back to Luke Chapter 2: The Savior Is Born and the Light for the Nations, where Jesus grows in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man.

In Nazareth, Jesus reads from Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”

He reads about good news to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.

Then Jesus says:

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

That is a huge claim.

Jesus is saying that Isaiah’s promise is being fulfilled in Him. He is the Spirit-anointed Messiah. He is the One who brings salvation, freedom, restoration, and grace.

At first, the people marvel.

But then they begin to question Him.

“Is not this Joseph’s son?”

They are familiar with Him. They know His family. And familiarity becomes a barrier to faith.

Jesus then reminds them of Elijah and Elisha, when God’s mercy reached outsiders: the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian.

This angers the people.

Why?

Because Jesus is exposing their unbelief and showing that God’s grace is not controlled by hometown pride, ethnic pride, or human expectation. God’s mercy can reach the outsider.

That connects with the theme in John Chapter 4: Living Water and the Savior of the World, where Jesus brings salvation to Samaritans and is confessed as the Savior of the world.

They Tried to Throw Him Down the Hill

Luke says the people drove Jesus out of town and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so they could throw Him down.

Yes, that means they intended to kill Him.

They were not merely asking Him to leave. They wanted to throw Him off the hill.

But Jesus passes through their midst and goes away.

Luke does not explain exactly how this happened. The point is clear: they cannot kill Jesus before His appointed hour. Jesus’ life is not ultimately in their hands.

This is already pointing us toward the cross. Jesus will die, but not because an angry crowd in Nazareth takes control. He will die at the appointed time, according to the Father’s plan, as the Savior of His people.

Jesus Has Authority Over Demons

Jesus then goes to Capernaum and teaches on the Sabbath.

The people are astonished because His word possesses authority.

Then a man with an unclean demon cries out:

“I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

This connects with Mark Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, where demons recognize Jesus, but Jesus silences them.

The demon knows true facts about Jesus.

But this is not saving faith.

Demons know who Jesus is, but they do not love Him, trust Him, worship Him, or submit to Him in faith. Their knowledge is filled with terror and rebellion.

Jesus rebukes the demon and commands it to come out.

The demon obeys.

That shows Christ’s authority. Satan and demons are real, but they are not equal opposites to God. They are creatures. Christ is Lord over them.

This also connects with Mark Chapter 3: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit and the Mercy of Christ, where Jesus explains that He is stronger than Satan. He is not working by Satan’s power. He is binding the strong man and plundering his house.

What Does Intercede Mean?

Later, Jesus enters Simon’s house, and Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a high fever.

Luke says they appealed to Jesus on her behalf.

That is the idea of intercession.

To intercede means to go to someone on behalf of another person. It means to plead, ask, or appeal for someone who needs help.

So when they intercede for Simon’s mother-in-law, they are bringing her need to Jesus.

That is different from the demon crying out. The demon is not interceding in faith. But the people around Simon’s mother-in-law are appealing to Jesus for mercy.

This gives us a simple picture of prayer. When we pray for someone who is sick, suffering, wandering, or in need, we are interceding. We are bringing that person before the Lord.

Of course, Jesus is the ultimate intercessor. He is the true Mediator who represents His people before the Father.

Jesus Rebukes the Fever

Luke says Jesus stands over Simon’s mother-in-law and rebukes the fever.

That language is striking.

Jesus speaks with authority not only over demons, but also over sickness.

The fever leaves her, and immediately she rises and begins to serve them.

This does not mean every sickness is a demon. Luke distinguishes between sickness and demon possession. But both sickness and demons belong to the brokenness Christ came to overcome.

His healings are signs of the kingdom.

They show that the Savior has authority over the effects of sin and the curse.

Why Jesus Would Not Let the Demons Speak

At sunset, many sick and demon-oppressed people are brought to Jesus. He heals them.

Demons also come out, crying:

“You are the Son of God!”

But Jesus rebukes them and does not allow them to speak because they knew He was the Christ.

Does that mean Jesus does not want announcements from nonbelievers?

In this passage, the issue is more specific: Jesus does not receive testimony from demons.

The demons know His identity, but they are not faithful witnesses. They are unclean spirits. Their words are not worship. Their confession is not love. They are not proclaiming Christ in repentance and faith.

Jesus also controls the timing and meaning of His revelation. Many people had wrong expectations about the Messiah. They wanted signs, power, political victory, or earthly glory. But Jesus’ Messiahship must be understood through His mission, His suffering, His cross, and His resurrection.

So Jesus silences the demons.

The kingdom of God is not advanced by demonic testimony.

Christ will reveal Himself according to the Father’s will.

Jesus Came to Preach

When the crowds try to keep Jesus from leaving, He says:

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

That is important.

The miracles matter.

The healings matter.

The deliverances matter.

But Jesus did not come merely to become a local miracle-worker in Capernaum.

He came to preach the kingdom of God.

He came to announce salvation.

He came to call sinners.

He came to fulfill Scripture.

He came to defeat Satan.

He came to go to the cross.

The Message of Luke Chapter 4

Luke Chapter 4 shows us Christ as the faithful Son, the Spirit-anointed Messiah, and the Lord with authority over Satan, demons, sickness, and hostile crowds.

Satan offers Him the kingdoms of the world.

Jesus refuses worship without God.

Nazareth hears His words but rejects Him.

Jesus passes through because His hour has not yet come.

Demons know His identity but are silenced because Christ will not use unclean spirits as His witnesses.

The sick are healed.

The oppressed are delivered.

The kingdom is preached.

From a Christian Reformed lens, this chapter reminds us that Christ is not merely an example of obedience. He is the obedient Savior.

He defeats temptation for us.

He proclaims good news to the poor.

He brings liberty to captives.

He gives sight to the blind.

He frees the oppressed.

He rules over demons.

He receives intercession for the suffering.

And He goes forward toward the cross, not by accident, but by divine purpose.

Satan has real influence in this fallen world.

But Satan is not sovereign.

Christ is.

The devil may tempt.

The crowds may rage.

The demons may cry out.

The sickness may afflict.

But Jesus speaks with authority.

And His kingdom will come.