Jesus Departs into a Desert Place - Luke 4:42

Luke the physician shared how, “devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, You are Christ the Son of God. And” Jesus “rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ”, and in chapter four and verse forty-two of his book Luke shared, “when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place” where we read:

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place:

and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

The verse reads, “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place:” Luke began with the words, “and when” or “and at the time and moment” “it was day” which means “it was the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night”, “he departed” or “Jesus left and went forth” “and went into a desert place” which means “and journeyed toward a desolate, solitary, lonely and uninhabited location within the wilderness”. Luke shared how “daytime” came and Jesus left where the people were and went to a “solitary and desolate wilderness area”.

The verse continues, “and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.” Luke added the words, “and the people sought him” which means “and the multitude of common people looked for, craved and desired Jesus”, “and came unto him” or “and appeared, arose and followed Jesus”, “and stayed him” which means “and detained, restrained, hindered and held back Jesus”, “that he should not depart from them” or “so Jesus would not leave or journey away from the people”. Luke shared how the “people” who heard Jesus and saw His power and miracles searched for Him and attempted to keep Him from leaving them.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see the influence Jesus had over people who believed in Him. They heard Jesus speak, and they saw Him do miracles. They observed His healings, and they did not want Him to leave them. Jesus left to be in a “solitary place” as He often did, but they looked for Him and attempted to keep Him from continuing on His journey away from them. Those who truly encounter Jesus will never want Him to leave, and although He was in a physical body then and would have to continue on, today He is accessible to all. God desires for us to know His Son Jesus, and those who recognize Him as God's Messiah, Savior and Son, will want Him to be in every aspect of their lives. Let all who read these words consider this beautiful “Savior Jesus”, and invite Him to continue with them for all their lives.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".