Luke the physician shared how Jesus, “full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”, and in chapter four and verse five of his book Luke shared how the devil took Jesus, “into a high mountain” where we read:
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain,
showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
The verse reads, “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, ...” Luke began with the words, “and the devil” or “and the slanderer, false accuser, calumniator Satan”, “taking him up” which means “leading or bringing Jesus to a higher place” “into an high mountain” or “to a lofty, exalted and eminent lifting above the plain”. Luke shared how “Satan” led Jesus to a “higher place” upon a “mountain”.
The verse goes on to say, “... showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” Luke continued with words, “showed unto him” which means “exposed to the eyes of Jesus” “all the kingdoms” or “each, every, the whole and everywhere that there were royal powers, kingships, dominions and rulers” “of the world” which means “belonging to the inhabited earth” “in a moment of time” or “in an instant point or space in time”. Luke shared how the devil “exposed” every “kingdom” throughout the entire “earth” to Jesus in an “instant” “of time”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn about the next temptation the devil presented to Jesus. This time “Satan” appealed to “the lust of the eyes” as he “showed” Jesus all the “kingdoms of the world”. The “devil” makes “sin” “look” good, and even as Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden because the fruit was “pleasant to the eyes”, so “Satan” used the “high” position to which he brought Jesus to “tempt” Him. We shall see how Jesus answers the devil in a few verses, but suffice it for now to know “Satan” will “tempt” people today because “sin” “looks” good. The appeal to the “eyes” has entangled many individuals, and that which appeared to be “pleasant” often resulted in destruction and demise. God sent His Son Jesus into the world not only to defeat sin and the temptations presented to Him, but because He remained sinless, He is the Messiah and “Savior” of all who believe and trust in Him.
Next time Luke shares how the devil told Jesus, “all this power will I give you”, 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".
No comments:
Post a Comment