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Outline 031 of 100 · Luke

It Is Written

Luke 4:1-13 — Christ's victory over temptation as our substitute and example

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

Full of the Holy Ghost, Jesus is led into the wilderness where He fasts forty days and is then tempted by the devil at the point of His greatest physical weakness. Each temptation attacks a different front — bodily appetite, worldly glory, and presumptuous testing of God — yet Jesus meets each with Scripture: 'It is written.' Where Adam fell in a garden of abundance, Christ stands in a wilderness of want, succeeding where humanity failed, as the second Adam reversing the curse. Satan's temptations are subtle, twisting even Scripture to his purpose in the third test, showing that the tempter can quote the Bible while missing its spirit entirely. Christ's victory is not merely a moral example for us to imitate by willpower, but the ground of our righteousness, for His perfect obedience is credited to those who believe. The devil departs 'for a season,' reminding us that temptation is not a single battle but an ongoing war Christ has already secured the ultimate victory in.

  1. I. The context of vulnerability

    • Full of the Spirit, yet still tempted
    • Forty days of fasting — physical weakness
    • Temptation comes at our weakest points too

  2. II. The temptations that mirror our struggles

    • Bread — appetite and self-provision
    • Kingdoms — glory and shortcut to power
    • The temple pinnacle — presumption and testing God

  3. III. The weapon of the written word

    • "It is written" — three times repeated
    • Scripture correctly applied defeats deception
    • Even Satan can misquote Scripture for his ends

  4. IV. The victory secured for us

    • Christ succeeds where Adam failed
    • His obedience becomes our righteousness
    • The devil departs, defeated but not finally destroyed
The appeal

The Christ who defeated every temptation in the wilderness stands ready to fight your battles with you, not merely as an example to imitate but as the Victor whose obedience covers your failures. Trust Him today for both righteousness and strength.

Key points

  • Christ was tempted in every point common to humanity yet remained without sin.
  • Scripture rightly applied, not mere willpower, is the weapon against temptation.
  • Christ's perfect obedience in the wilderness is credited to believers as their righteousness.

Key passages

  • Luke 4:4, 8, 12
  • Hebrews 4:15
  • Romans 5:19
  • 1 Corinthians 10:13