Download - Sabbath School Lesson 2, 2nd quarter of 2015
“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod
being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias
tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son
of Zacharias in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:1-2)
We find six historical facts in the book of Luke that help us to identify when
John and Jesus began his ministry.
1. The 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. He was
designated Roman Emperor on September 18, 14. The Jews
counted the years of reigns from autumn. Therefore, the
first year of the reign of Tiberius began around autumn 14.
The 15th year began around autumn 27.
2. Governor of Judea: Pontius Pilate. Between 26 and 36 AD.
3. Tetrarch of Galilee: Herod. From 4 BC to 39 AD.
4. Tetrarch of Iturea: Philip. From 4 BC to 34 AD.
5. Tetrarch of Abilene: Lysanias. According to the inscription
on an Abilinian temple, he reigned from 14 to 29 AD.
6. High Priests: Annas and Caiaphas. Caiaphas was High Priest
from 18 until 36 AD. Annas had already been dismissed but
the people still considered him a High Priest.
“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins.” (Luke 3:3)
John’s baptism by immersion went
through two phases:
1. Going down into the water.
A public sign of
repentance.
2. Coming out of the water.
Being born again. An inner
change that is revealed by
doing justice
(Luke 3:10-14)
As they came out of the water, He urged them to “bear fruits worthy of
repentance.” He said that a greater baptism was about to come: “but
One mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire.”
“And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek
Me? Did you not know that I must be about
My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49)
“For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the
temple… He beheld the bleeding victim upon the altar
of sacrifice… Day by day He saw their meaning more
clearly… The mystery of His mission was opening to the
Saviour.” E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 8, pg. 57)
About 20 years later, Jesus
went to the Jordan river to
be baptized by John. Jesus
was sinless, but He wanted
to be an example for us.
There were three solemn
declarations in that
moment:
He was the “Lamb of
God”, Saviour of the world
(John 1:29).
He was the Christ,
anointed by the Holy
Spirit (Luke 3:22).
He was the Son of God
in whom the Father had
delight (Luke 3:22).
“And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him,
and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son;
in You I am well pleased.’” (Luke 3:22)
“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate
nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” (Luke 4:1-2)
The Father just told Jesus: “You are
My beloved Son.” (Lk. 3:22). The devil
introduced doubt: “If You are the Son
of God…” (Lk. 4:3). Nevertheless,
Jesus didn’t doubt but held on to the
Word of His Father.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we
are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
God told Adam and Eve: “for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gn. 2:17). The
devil told them: “You will not surely die.” (Gn.
3:4). They doubted God and believed the devil.
“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of
the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will
give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to
whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.’” (Luke
4:5-7)
Jesus used the Word to repel
temptation again. We shouldn’t
trust our own strength or
wisdom to overcome
temptation. We must trust the
everlasting Word of God like
Jesus did.
Let’s follow Jesus’ example. God
must be the center and the
everything of our worship.
Satan wanted to be worshipped as god since the beginning of his rebellion (Isaiah
14:13-14). He was willing to renounce his “sovereignty” over this world if his Lord
surrendered to him.
But Jesus was not fooled by his apparent generosity. Jesus was loyal to God only.
He is the only One who must be worshipped.
“Now when the devil had ended every temptation,
he departed from Him until an opportune time.”(Luke 4:13)
In the last temptation in Luke 4, Jesus
visits the temple of Jerusalem for the
second time in His life.
Jesus is then tempted by the devil again.
This time, the devil used the Word of
God. He asked Jesus to prove He was
actually the Son of God (Luke 4:9-12).
If Jesus had done so, He would have
accepted He doubted His own divinity
and mission. But Jesus had no
misgivings at all. He trusted His Father,
and He felt no need to prove He was the
Son of God in that moment.
Jesus overcame “every temptation.”
Let’s review four
main teachings from
the temptations:
1. Nobody is free from temptation.
2. When God allows the devil to tempt us, He also gives
us grace and power to overcome temptation.
3. No two temptations are alike.
4. We won’t be tempted beyond our abilities.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;
but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of
escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
“Every one of us will be sorely tempted; our faith
will be tried to the uttermost. We must have a
living connection with God; we must be partakers
of the divine nature; then we shall not be deceived
by the devices of the enemy, and shall escape the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and
grounded in the faith.” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, book 2, cp. 5, pg. 50)