WEEK 5: Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51
In this week’s passages we read about the temptation of Jesus. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where He fasted and underwent temptations by Satan for 40 days and nights. This story in scripture is incredibly important for all Christians to read as we get to see the Son of God go through temptations and resist as only He can do.
Learn more about the Gospels of Jesus:
This example of His divine strength should stand as a hope and encouragement to us that Jesus understands what it is like to be tempted, but also, we can trust in His strength to resist our own temptations. By His strength we can endure, persevere, and grow in faith and strength.
What is it about Jesus’ time in the wilderness that sticks out to you the most, and why?
The devil leaves, John the Baptist is arrested, and then Jesus ventures over to Galilee which fulfills the prophecy from Isaiah 9:1-2. In the very beginning of His public ministry Jesus immediately jumped into preaching about repentance.
Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
Isaiah 9:1-2 NKJV
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
Why is it important that Jesus immediately began to preach about repentance?
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Soon after Jesus began His public ministry, He began calling His first disciples to follow Him. We see Andrew go and get his brother Peter, which is a great example to us. Andrew has a habit of going to get others to come and follow Jesus with him. We then see John and James, sons of Zebedee, called to follow Jesus. He then calls on Philip, Nathanael and Matthew to follow Him.
When Jesus calls on Nathanael, Nathanael is stunned that Jesus knows him and understands that Jesus is the Son of God. Nathanael’s faith is also a wonderful example to us of how we are called to respond when we learn about Jesus. We should have faith that He is truly who He says He is, that He is in-fact the Only Begotten Son of God.
What stands out the most to you about Jesus calling on these disciples to follow Him?
The remainder of Luke 5 shows us some of the first miracles Jesus performed in His public ministry. We also see Jesus take time away from the crowds and the disciples to pray alone. For me, this speaks volumes about the need for us to take time to do God’s work, and also to take time to be alone with God. Even Jesus took time to be alone with God. In our culture there are extremes of people being completely anti-social and introverted, and the opposite of feeding off of social interaction. It can be difficult to find balance.
I am also reminded here that there is a time and a place for being with others, for doing the Lord’s word, and for being alone with God. In all of this we also see that no matter where Jesus was, no matter what He was doing or who He was with, He was praying, worshiping, serving, teaching, healing… He was constantly focused on God the Father and His plan.
Are there areas of your life, relationships, or situations where you do not focus on God? How can Jesus’ example in our passages encourage you today?
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This study is part of the Study with Me: Chronological Gospels study series. It is an annual 48-week Bible study designed to encourage readers to follow along all year and dive deeper into the meat of the passages designated each week. I pray that you learn more about your Savior and grow in your relationship with Him through this study series. There is a free printable booklet available for download as well which allows you to print and take notes as you go through this study with me.
