Luke 4:1-44 King James Bible KJV

The Temptation of Jesus, Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee, Jesus Rejected at Nazareth, Casting Out a Demon in Capernaum, Jesus’ Healing

Luke 4:1-44 King James Bible KJV. Luke Chapter 4 marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and outlines critical moments that define His mission, His authority, and His message. Luke 4 establishes Jesus as the authoritative, Spirit-filled Messiah who has come to announce and inaugurate the kingdom of God. His ministry is characterized by both miraculous power and a message of salvation that will be resisted by some but offered to all.

• Jesus triumphs over temptation and evil: The temptation in the wilderness and His authority over demons emphasize His power over both sin and spiritual forces.
• Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy: His reading of Isaiah in the synagogue and His declaration of the scripture’s fulfillment make clear that He is the long-awaited Messiah.
• Jesus’ message and mission will face rejection: Despite His miracles and teachings, many (starting with His own hometown) will reject Him. This foreshadows the broader opposition He will encounter during His ministry.
• Jesus’ mission is inclusive and urgent: He brings good news to the poor, heals the sick, and reaches out to those marginalized by society, pointing to a mission that transcends national or ethnic boundaries.

Luke 4:1-44 King James Bible KJV
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The Temptation of Jesus – verses 1-13
Jesus in the Wilderness after being baptized, Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, is led into the wilderness where He fasts for 40 days. During this time, Satan tempts Him three times, aiming to undermine His mission. The temptation narrative highlights Jesus’ faithfulness and His victory over Satan. It emphasizes that Jesus will fulfill His mission on God’s terms, not through shortcuts or worldly power. His responses show His deep trust in God and reliance on scripture.

• First Temptation: Satan challenges Jesus to turn stones into bread, appealing to His physical hunger. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, saying, “Man shall not live on bread alone.” This demonstrates that Jesus prioritizes spiritual sustenance over physical needs.
• Second Temptation: Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He will worship him. Jesus refuses, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” This reflects Jesus’ commitment to God’s authority and His rejection of worldly power.
• Third Temptation: Satan tempts Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple, twisting scripture to imply that angels will protect Him. Jesus rebukes Satan, again quoting scripture Deuteronomy 6:16: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus refuses to test God or manipulate His power for self-serving purposes.

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee – verses 14-15
After His time in the wilderness, Jesus returns to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit, and begins teaching in synagogues. His reputation quickly spreads because of His authoritative teaching and the power of the Spirit working through Him. This sets the stage for Jesus’ public ministry, which is characterized by both powerful teaching and divine authority.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth – verses 16-30
Jesus goes to Nazareth, His hometown, and attends the synagogue. He reads from the scroll of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2), proclaiming a passage that speaks of bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom for the oppressed. He then declares that this scripture is fulfilled in Him, effectively announcing that He is the Messiah.

The people marvel at His words but quickly become skeptical because they know Him as the son of Joseph, a local carpenter. They question His authority, asking why He doesn’t perform miracles in His hometown like He did elsewhere. Jesus responds by citing examples from Israel’s history where prophets were rejected by their own people but accepted by outsiders (Elijah and Elisha). This angers the crowd, who attempt to throw Him off a cliff. However, Jesus miraculously passes through the crowd unharmed. This episode foreshadows the broader rejection Jesus will face. It illustrates that familiarity can breed contempt and that the message of salvation, though first offered to Israel, will also be extended to the Gentiles.

Jesus Casts Out a Demon in Capernaum – verses 31-37
Jesus moves to Capernaum, where He teaches in the synagogue. There, He encounters a man possessed by a demon, who recognizes Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” Jesus commands the demon to leave, and it obeys. This passage shows Jesus’ authority over spiritual forces, demonstrating that even the powers of darkness submit to Him. His ability to cast out demons confirms His divine authority and mission.

Jesus Heals Many People – verses 38-41
Jesus goes to Simon Peter’s house and heals his mother-in-law, who is suffering from a fever. Afterward, many people come to Him for healing, and He cures various diseases and casts out more demons. The demons recognize Him as the Son of God, but Jesus silences them. Jesus’ healings and exorcisms reveal His compassion and divine power. His authority over sickness and demons is further established, but He also controls the timing of revealing His full identity.

Jesus Preaches in Other Towns – verses 42-44
Jesus retreats to a solitary place after healing and teaching during the day, but the crowds seek Him out. Instead of staying in one place, Jesus explains that He must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns as well, saying, “That is why I was sent.” This highlights Jesus’ primary mission – to proclaim the kingdom of God. His purpose is not just to perform miracles but to spread the message of salvation far and wide.

Luke 4:1-44 King James Bible KJV

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother wastaken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

42 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.
43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.