Luke 4:5-13 "It Is Written"

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘ You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘ On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” ¹² And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘ You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ¹³ When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

How important is it for us to study the Bible? If we consider that Jesus is the “Incarnate Word,” and He used the “written word,” when tempted by Satan, one would consider that it is very important. Jesus did not say to Satan in first person anything, but He answered according to the written word. It is written was the grounded reply to any schemes of Satan. Satan even tried to use what was written in a wrong manner, only to be reproved by Jesus with the written Word of God.

Daily Prayer: Father, we know that Your Word is the only thing that will endure. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Your Word will not pass away. Therefore place the wisdom in our minds to be students of what You have given us for successful living in our life. Amen.

Luke 4:1-4 The Temptation of Jesus

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘ Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

When Jesus was under temptation by Satan, He was said to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The New Testament says that if you walk by the Spirit, you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. The text says that Jesus was on a 40 day fast and was very hungry. The temptation then is to satisfy the flesh, but Jesus was fasting to strengthen His inner-man by starving His flesh. Jesus Spirit directed response, “Man does not live by bread alone.” To Jesus, it mattered as much as who the giver of the gift is, as much as the gift itself.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, we enter into temptation daily. Help us develop within our inner-man the will to resist by abiding with the Spirit who was sent to us. Let us not partake of any thing until it is confirmed to be from You. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Luke 2:41-50 Did You Not Know I Was Doing My Father's Business?

Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.

Today we begin the examination of the words of Jesus recorded in the gospel of Luke. In these passages, we find that Jesus has been taken to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The words of Jesus should be the words of every Christian also, which is that we should be about our Father’s business. In other words, seek ye first the Kingdom of God, Jesus teaches. And all these memories rested in Mary’s heart.

Daily Prayer: Lord, we too must be about Your business and Your business is telling others of the great work You have already accomplished on the Cross. Let us not shy back, but be bold in our proclamation. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 16:15-20 The Disciples Are Sent Out And Jesus Leads The Way

And He said to them, “ Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.] [And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]

If you are a follower of Christ Jesus, then you are commanded to proclaim Him to everyone. If you are not a follower, then you need to listen to the words of those who have been sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. If you don’t, you are declared condemned by Jesus so that not only will you not have a peaceful death, but will be tormented eternally. Where there is not forgiveness, there is unforgiveness and the judgment that follows.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, for those who cannot believe, draw them to Yourself so that they can see. Show them the mighty works and words that cannot be denied and bring others into their lives to lead them to You. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 15:34-35 Nobody Comes to the Father Except Through Me

At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.”

These are some of the words spoken from the Cross. Most of the words uttered from the Cross have Old Testament foundation. King David spoke in Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” The execution of the punishment for our sins requires a separation between the Father and the Son in this period of punishment for the sins of the world. Jesus was separated so that we would not have to be. God, on this day, accepted the punishment of Jesus to make atonement for the sins of the world.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, on this day, you suffered mightily so that my sins would be forgiven. Yet they are only forgiven if I am found to be identified with You, or “hidden in You.” This mandates that I and all others must receive You as our Savior, because nobody can enter the presence of the Father apart from You, because God is pleased only with those who are in Your company. Nobody comes to the Father except through You. Amen and Amen.

Mark 14:60-64 The Silent King of Kings

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Remember these words, because Jesus will not utter any more words in advance of his being hung on the Cross to die. Jesus will not speak again until after He has been raised from the dead when He speaks to His disciples resurrected, but before the ascension. Jesus had two large groups who opposed Him. First He had the Judaizers who were clinging to past commandments as their means for forgiveness. They could not accept grace and as such forfeited heaven. Heaven cannot be earned and God in the person of Jesus Christ is the means to justification. The second group who oppose Him are the Romans, who seek not the truth, but only make it their business to put down rebellion, in this case, the rebellion of the Judaizers. Jesus does not defend Himself, because His commission is the payment for sins by His blood, to all those who believe.

Daily Prayer: Lord, why is grace such a hard thing for the natural man to accept. One would think that after trying and failing over and over again that the free gift of grace would be weight off our shoulders as well it should be. Yet people think more highly of themselves than they ought to, and think to little of the One who brings life eternal. Therefore change the hearts of man to hearts of love and thanksgiving for all the Lord God and His Company in heaven have done. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Mark 14:43-50 Judas, will you betray Me with a kiss?

Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “ Rabbi!” and kissed Him. They laid hands on Him and seized Him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” And they all left Him and fled.

This scene shows the depravity of man. They stand in the midst of Jesus and one betrays Him, one makes an errant strike back, and the others flee. Just one week earlier, Jesus rode into Jerusalem with people proclaiming Him King. Now, the sentiment is turned and Jesus faces what will be the death sentence, not for any wrongs committed, but for the forgiveness of man’s sins against God. Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, throughout all of eternity, You will be the One crucified. Even now, the scars are on Your hands, and on Your side. Forgive me my sins, because it was for them that You were led to the Cross. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 14:39-42 You Are Either With Jesus, Or Against Him

Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

When Jesus hung on the cross, His disciples less John the beloved scattered. They were afraid of the weighty opinion of the crying crowd if they were determined to be identified with Christ. Did you realize that that is the situation today? Jesus has said that those who confess Him publicly, He will confess to His Father in Heaven. Also, those who fail to confess Him publicly, neither will He confess to His Father in Heaven. If you could see a video of your life, how would you feel if you were on of the ones fleeing from the Cross? You may say, I would not be one of the ones running away? Unless you have received Jesus as Savior and have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, you most certainly will be one of the betrayers. So what holds you back? Right now, bend your knees and fold your hands and tell Jesus that he is your all and receive Him as Your Savior, because until you do, you publicly shame Him.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, unless you send the hearers faith, they will not have it. Today, send faith to those who have not called You Savior and Lord. Let it begin in my own house and then to all who are seeking you, but need You to draw near. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 14:35-38 Jesus in Gethsemane, Prayer 1

And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “ Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Throughout our lives, the battle continues. The battle is not one of flesh and blood, but of the spiritual nature. On our side is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity. It is He against Satan, demons, forces of darkness, and all of the hierarchy of the satanic realm. The Bible declares that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. The reason so often we stumble is that we do not let the Holy Spirit do our fighting and attempt to defend ourselves in the flesh when we are not able. Victory comes two ways. First, Christ was crucified and was raised from the dead, defeating Satan, death, and his power. Second, the Holy Spirit is the restrainer against evil and works for our benefit when we do not get in the way. Whether by Christ or the Comforter, THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S.

Daily Prayer: Lord we mean well, but don’t do well. Let me get out of Your way when it comes to the subject of defending myself against evil. If I could do it, the Cross wouldn’t have been necessary. Therefore let me put on the armor of faith and let You do the heavy lifting in my life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Mark 14:32-34 Jesus in Gethsemane

They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”

The three disciples who are with Jesus are Peter, James, and John, who are the core group of His followers. He shares with them His trouble and commands them to watch out for him while he prays.

This will be an unpleasant sight as we move forward. Even though Peter has been told by Jesus that he will deny Him, Peter does not protect himself against Satan by entering into prayer just as Jesus did.

In his flesh, Peter is no stronger than the next person, yet when his example in Jesus prays, he does not imitate him or join in prayer, but instead lays victim to what lies ahead. What Peter needs to learn is that it is not about him, but about God, and to do things God’s way, it cannot been done apart from Him.

Daily Prayer: Father, it is easy to criticize someone else, but unless I become watchful over my own patterns of behavior, I will be no better off than Peter, nor will I have learned anything from his loss. Instead, let me draw on the Spirit whom You have placed in me to lead me into all truth and to be my guide to life until I am in the presence of Jesus myself. The Spirit is the same kind of helper as is Jesus, so let me depend on Him. Amen.

Mark 14:26-31 Accomplishing God's Plan For My Life

After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘ I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.” But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.

A person should never assume that they have power in their flesh. Peter and the disciples make claims of “I will…,” when they cannot. It is better to say “Jesus, by Your grace, keep me from this hour. Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.” This of course, is what Jesus said at the Garden of Gethsemane. Like it or not, all that occurs for better or for worse can only come about with God’s knowledge and permission. Satan cannot even tempt someone without God permitting it. Therefore our effort should be spent in building up our inner man, so that our visible self an obey.

Daily Prayer: Father, even Christians try to please you when they cannot. On our best day, all we can do is abide in You and You in me so that I accomplish all that you have for my life. In Your holy name I pray Amen.

Mark 14:17-25 The Lord’s Supper and Betrayal of Jesus

When it was evening He came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me.” They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?” And He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl. For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The final week of Jesus’ life before the Cross was eventful. Here, Jesus tells of the coming betrayal of Him by one of His disciples. Then come the hard words that will echo for all of eternity, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” The Son of God can not just be shaken from the earth, but instead the earth will quake at the consummation of the Holy One of Israel and Jesus will eventually ascend it glory and descend again in power.

Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, we need to fear You for who You are. We need to fully understand that You hold the power of life and death before each of us. By Your grace, You came for the purpose of our salvation, but woe to those who fail to trust in you before they pass from this life, because a brutal everlasting awaits those whom don’t belong to You. Reach those who need to know I pray Amen.