Luke 4:5-8 The Kingdoms can be Yours
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: June 27, 2018 Luke 4:5-8
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
(Understanding the Text) How could Satan show all the kingdoms of the world at once? I understand how Satan could physically take Jesus up because Satan was a covering cherub and could fly. He is compared to a dragon in scripture, so I can see that it would be possible to fly up, but seeing all the kingdoms of the world makes me think that it was a vision rather than physically. On the other hand, if the powerful jets between the U.S. and Europe could make that long trip in two to three hours, a cherub could probably fly faster than that, but for now, I’m going with the idea that this was a vision. However, it was a vision of reality like webcams of all the nations that were there already.
At this point, Satan was the ruler of this world. He was speaking a form of the truth when he said that the authority and glory of men had been delivered to him. Adam did that when he took his allegiance away from God. On the other hand, Satan knew that his claim was illegitimate since Adam only had dominion because he was a vassal of God and had been given that power by God. In fact, as Creator of this world, Jesus, the Word of God, was the ruler of the world. Technically, when Adam lost dominion, the power would have reverted back to God. However, God did not challenge Satan on this technicality as might have been expected. Instead, He turned the tables on Satan by winning the dominion back by becoming a Man and triumphing as a Man over Satan. Our allegiance has to go somewhere, and we were created lower than the angels. Adam and Eve trusted Satan, so they were giving their allegiance to him. That’s why faith is so important. Our allegiance is where our trust is.
Satan was probably also speaking the truth when he said that he would give the whole world of men to Jesus. Satan had never had the objective of being the leader of mankind. He was much more ambitious than that. If Satan had been able to get Jesus to worship him, then he would have advanced higher in power out of this earth back into heaven. This was Satan’s attempt at getting back into the heavenly courts that he had been thrown out of.
(Revelation of God) Did Jesus recognize Satan from His past dealings with him? Jesus was a man now without his omniscience, and Satan may have been different from earthly eyes. Did Satan realize what he was dealing with in Jesus? Did he just see a modified created being higher than an angel, but not God Himself made flesh? I guess maybe Satan is so full of himself and his pride that he imagines himself more powerful and capable than God.
Why would this have been a temptation to Jesus? He had come to earth to win back men from Satan and death, but he would have to undergo a process that Mark tells us terrified Him in Gethsemane. Jesus knew what He was facing and did not want to do it if there was another way. I guess Satan thought that Jesus’ dread of the coming separation from His Father would be enough to tempt Him into taking a shortcut. I guess Satan was gambling that the desire for a different way would blind Jesus to the end result of the shortcut which would be separation from the Father and second death without mankind being saved. Jesus answered with scripture that said to only worship God.
(Application / Prayer) Too many times, Satan has tricked us into worshipping other things besides God. He has lured us into taking shortcuts instead of following the path that God has laid out before us as the correct way to travel. I took shortcuts in the past instead of searching for God with all my heart. I pray that I won’t take shortcuts now or in the future. I pray that I will only worship You, God, and not put anything or anyone before you. I pray for a heart that draws solely to You, not a divided heart that looks to physical comfort or shortcuts as being more important than being with You.