Larry Shaffer

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. Genesis 3:15 

No doubt, this prophetic statement sent a wave of speculation and fear across the domain of Satan’s underlings. They trembled at the thought of their leader being crushed; what then would happen to them? 

Be afraid! Be very afraid! 

Our study of the story of Jesus in the synagogue in Capernaum bears witness to the trembling fear of the demons in the presence of Jesus. 

In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God.’ 

 

But Jesus rebuked him, saying ‘be quiet and come out of him!’ and when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘what is this message? For with authority and power, He commands the unclean spirits and they come out. 

 

And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district. 

For four thousand years, the demons had followed the seed of the woman after the prophetic words of Genesis 3:15. From Adam and Eve to Abraham and Sarah, Boaz and Ruth, to David and Bathsheba, to most recently, the virgin Mary. They feared that the son of Mary, the One who speaks with authority and acts with the power of God, might be the fulfillment of God’s prophetic words of doom for Satan.  

The Grapevine of Gossip 

You see, demons are not omniscient and omnipresent. They are not all-knowing and not everywhere at the same time. Those attributes belong to God alone.  They are spirit beings, yes, but they can’t read minds or be in multiple places at one time. So, I have to assume that they get their information from some sort of demon grapevine. The rumors flying around the demonic grapevine lately must be fearful rumors of the arrival of the Messiah.  

Has He come to crush us? 

The demon in the synagogue trembled and blurted out: 

Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God.’ 

Yes, indeed, the seed of Eve, the Holy One of God, has come to destroy Satan and his demons. At His first coming, Jesus will destroy the works of the devil. His death on the cross will usher in a spiritual crushing of the work and influence upon the people of God. At His second coming, He will ultimately and permanently destroy Satan. 

This verse describes the work of Jesus, at His first coming, on the cross: 

He himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil… Hebrews 2:14 

The work of Jesus at His first coming makes possible our victory of Satan. He cannot wield his power of death and condemnation over God’s beloved children. We are secure, safe and protected. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Roman 8:1. He seeks to influence us and cause us to stumble, but it’s only a temporary setback. 

The good news is that our souls are secure in Jesus if we have been saved by God. But Satan does, nevertheless, seek to make us stumble in sin and minimize our witness. He wants to put a wedge of sin between you and your earthly relationships as well as limit your pursuit of a vibrant relationship with God. 

We are secure! Now live in victory! 

Yes, Jesus has destroyed the work of the devil and his power of death — we are secure for eternity through Jesus — but he still has influence in this world. We can overcome his negative influence, but it is not a walk in the park. Take up the armor of God for it is a battlefield. Like a well prepared and diligent soldier, we are called to humbly, 

Submit to God! Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 

Submit and resist — these are military terms that describe our necessary resistance of the devil’s influence with determination and grit. 

How should I therefore live? 

The Christian life is about knowing the truth and then taking steps, one at a time, toward the truth. Here’s what we know about demons: 

• They live in constant fear of God. They tremble at the thought of His power and their ultimate doom. They know God is real and all-powerful and they tremble. 
• They are completely and utterly subject to God. If you are saved and a child of God, they cannot touch you. Romans 8:31-39 
• They are finite, mono-dimensional spiritual beings. They are limited in their work. They cannot touch you. Their work is to whisper and influence. 
• Do not focus on Satan or his influence. Focus on your love and devotion toward Christ. Submit your life to God and when temptations come, seek to resist the devil’s influence and he will flee. If you stumble, humbly get back up, turn to God and re-submit. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

At His second coming, Jesus will finish His work and ultimately and physically, annihilate Satan and his demons FOREVER! Revelation 20:10. 

Father, may our focus be on You and Your glory, power, and love. May we fix our eyes on Jesus who leads us toward the truth and ultimately, to victory. For all You are, we thank you and ask that You would be our strength and our victory. We can only live a life of abundance through You. Amen! 

But Jesus rebuked him, saying ‘be quiet and come out of him!’ and when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘what is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out. 

And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.

Last time, we saw the power of Jesus’ word. He spoke with authority and the people were amazed. They were amazed, but not saved. His words got their attention but not the devotion of their hearts. 

Click here to read the previous post.

In addition to the power of His word, we are about to see the power of His work and deeds. 

A Demon Speaks 

It’s not every day that we hear a demon speaks.

In the underworld of Satan, the usual manner of demons is to remain incognito. Their work is best accomplished without bringing too much attention to themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there is some horrendous evidence of the work of Satan in our world. There is a deep evil in this world and that evil is fueled by the forces of Satan. No doubt.  

But in our daily lives, the work of Satan and his demons is usually subtle. Their work is a work of influence. It’s not usually overtly loud and physically evident. The evil one tends to whisper to our mind rather than talk out-load in our face. 

Times are Changing 

My observation is that the demons were more visible during the ministry of Jesus and the early ministry of the apostles. This was a time when they were startled, unsettled and fearful.  

Why do I say this? Remember, when Jesus arrived on the scene, the evidence of God on the earth and among the Jews had been minimal. There hadn’t been a prophet of God preaching the Word for over 400 years. This period of time before Jesus arrives is called the 400 years of silence for Israel. They had the writings of Moses and the prophets but no one spoke with authority, such as the prophets had done many years ago. 

When Jesus arrived, I believe the demons were freaking out. We can see their frightened behavior in today’s narrative in Luke. 

There are two things that Satan doesn’t want you to know. 

There are two key things that should be ‘top-of-mind’ to us when it comes to the topic of Satan and demons: (These two things should bring comfort and confidence). 

• Demons are terrified of God – You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. James 2:19 
• Demons are terrified of God’s soldiers – Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 

First, demons are theologians. They are orthodox theologians. That means they have a true and correct understanding of God and who He is. They hate him, yes, but they believe in Him and know Him to be the true and living God. 

Have you ever heard someone describe an arrogant person by saying, ‘the fear of God is not in him’? Such a person is a fool. Demons, on the other hand, are fools as well but for different reasons. They do indeed fear God but they partake in evil anyway.

Demons fear God and tremble before Him. They know the true nature and power of God, and they tremble. They shake! They freak out! 

Back to our story.

The demon in today’s passage is probably trying to stay quiet. He doesn’t want to blow his cover. He’s trying to do his devious work in hiding. But he can’t help himself. He’s freaking out and you can hear it in his words.

‘Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God.’ 

This demon knows God; he hates God; he trembles in fear before God. I believe that is a correct description of all demons. They are cowards. 

Be encouraged; demons are terrified of God.

They are absolutely powerless and completely and utter subject to the will of God. Next time, we’ll look at the reality that demons are terrified of God’s soldiers (and why I use the word soldier). 

Father, we are sorry that we get wrapped up sometimes in the affairs of this life and allow Satan to wield his influence over us. He sometimes tricks us, but it is only temporary. We are so grateful that we are ultimately protected by the power of Your might and authority. You are everything to us. You are the shield and protector of my soul. I love You, I submit to You, I give You my heart in gratitude and humility. Amen!

Jesus created quite a disturbance in Nazareth. He told them that their stubbornness would result in Jesus taking His favor to the Gentiles. It did not go over well. They tried to throw Him off a cliff, but He simply walked through them and departed. 

He had the WOW factor! 

Jesus got out of Nazareth and went down to Capernaum and began teaching. As was His typical custom, He taught in the synagogue. Also, as was customary, His teaching amazed the people. 

What speech or sermon most amazed you in your life? It’s rare to witness the perfect mix of perfectly articulated words, compelling content, and passionate delivery.  

And they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. Luke 4:32 

Just a short time before there had been a similar response of wonder in Nazareth, (before they turned on Him). 

And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips. Luke 4:22. 

Amazed but not Saved 

The response to Jesus’ words were wonder and amazement. So, it seems it would be appropriate for me to challenge you to reflect on the wonders of Jesus and be more amazed with the gracious words of Jesus.

I almost did!

But then it dawned on me that these people were amazed but not saved. Should they really be an example to us? 

In the synagogues of Galilee, the people were amazed but they were not described as believing or receiving.  

It seems there’s an amazement of Jesus that doesn’t lead to salvation.  

On the other hand, when the message of Jesus reaches the ears of those who are to be saved, the Bible identifies them as believing or receiving.  

From that city many of the Samaritans believe in Him…many more believed because of His word…we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world. John 4:39-42. 

So then, those who had received his word were baptized… Acts 2:41. 

The Israelites in Nazareth and Capernaum were certainly intrigued and amazed, but there’s no sign they believed. Luke doesn’t use the descriptive words of believe or receive in our passage today regarding the people in the Synagogues. 

Amazed and Saved 

So, there is an amazement of Jesus that leads to curiosity and wonder but doesn’t lead to saving faith.

But on the other hand, there is an amazement of Jesus that does indeed lead to saving faith. We see similar contrast between believers and non-believers also from the ministry of Paul: 

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed…But the Jews incited…persecution against Paul and Barnabas… Acts 13:48-52 

What about you?

Are you amazed AND saved?

Father, You are the wonder of all wonders, it’s true. But don’t let us stop there. Let us go all in body, soul and spirit. We believe in You and we receive You; not just our emotions of wonder but with everything we are. We surrender to You our great and loving God. Bring us all the home, Amen! 

Last time I wrote: 

After Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus and the woman at the well, Jesus heads back to Galilee and his hometown of Nazareth. Things go bad in Nazareth. I provided this context of the spiritual versus the physical so that you could understand why the people of His birth place suddenly wanted to throw Him off a cliff. 

Click here to read the previous post.

Why are the people so mad??? 

In our text above, Jesus reminds them of two stories from the Old Testament. Two of God’s prophets provide provisions and cleansing. God uses Elijah to care for a dying widow and her son during a fierce famine. That’s a good story, isn’t it?

God also uses Elisha to heal and cleanse a leper. That’s a good story, right? 

The widow and the leper were Gentiles.

They were not Israelites.

Jesus is pointing out that God overlooked the widows and lepers of Israel and instead, cared for non-Israelites. Jesus is teaching them He has come to save the world.

The favor of God that Jesus is speaking of is not to save them from Roman oppression but to extend salvation to all nations. 

In light of this scenario, consider the following illustration. It’s a little silly but will help us understand why the people went from being amazed with Jesus to anger; angry to the point of (wanting to) killing. 

A Windfall 

I’ve lived in Texas now for almost 18 years. I love living in the state of Texas.

Texans are proud people; proud of their heritage and proud of their unique way of being Texan.

What if the governor of Texas announced a unique discovery of a huge treasury of money? This is money that Texans have contributed in the past from taxes but for some reason was lost or hidden until the recent discovery. 

What if the governor announced plans to use the new found treasury to fund massive road improvements; increase teachers’ salaries and enhancements to education; improve rural hospitals and healthcare; fund innovation and new business start-ups to enrich the economy and lastly, build beautiful nature parks and recreation fields and hiking trails.

The people of Texas would be thrilled. 

Jesus announced the favorable times of God has come at His coming. The Texas Governor announced some favorable times as well. Everyone is happy, of course, so why does the mood change so quickly?  

Here’s the rest of the story… 

The governor continues and announces that none of the money paid by Texas tax-payers will be used in Texas.

Then, the governor goes on to say that all the plans for improvement are going to indeed take place, but they are going toward improvements in California. 

What? California? How can this happen? This is an outrage! 

At this point, Texans may not grab the governor and carry him to a cliff to throw him off (like they did to Jesus). But they would be very, very angry that their hard-earned, tax-paying money is going to California. 

Jesus announces a windfall of blessings from God, BUT then tells the people it is going to be directed toward the Gentiles. This is an outrage to the Jews in Nazareth. They were so mad, they tried to kill Jesus. But it wasn’t His time just yet. 

But passing through their midst, He went His way. Luke 4:30 

The Same Thing Happened to Paul 

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly [to the Jews] and said…we are turning to the Gentiles…when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord…But the Jews…instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. Acts 13:44-52. 

I feel like the Gentiles described in this story from Acts. I am rejoicing and glorifying the Lord. He has saved me and I am forever grateful that Jesus’ mission is to take the gospel to all nations, Jews and Gentiles. I am a grateful recipient of the favor of God. I hope you are too.

For God so loved the world that He gave His Son! 

Father, thank you that you sent your son to save the world and that Your gospel is for all nations and all people. May my readers embrace this truth with all their hearts and all their souls. Amen. 

The Good Times Are Here 

What does all this mean? Seems Jesus is bringing some good news for the oppressed Jewish nation. God has been silent in Israel for over 400 years, but now, Jesus is proclaiming the favorable time of the Lord is coming. Is He claiming to be the Messiah? 

In short, yes, He is claiming to be the Messiah. He is claiming to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1,2a. The favor of God is back! Leviticus speaks of the favorable year of the Lord as the Jubilee. This is a year when slaves and prisoners are set free, debts are forgiven, the mercies of God are abundant. Jesus is proclaiming that it is time for Him to save and bring relief to the following: 

• The poor and afflicted (the spiritually poor or the physically poor?) 
• The captives (the spiritual prisoners or actual prisoners?) 
• The blind (the spiritually blind or the physically blind?) 
• The oppressed (the spiritually oppressed or the physically oppressed?) 

There’s a twist to the story 

This is all good news, right? How kind of Jesus to rescue and bring recovery to the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. He’s even performed some miracles to prove that He is able to do it. The Jews are excited and filled with anticipation. But is there excitement over the spiritual fulfillment or the physical fulfillment of these promises?

It is very clear that they expected the physical fulfillment of what Jesus is preaching. But Jesus is about to disappoint them, BIG TIME. 

Jesus came to earth to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came that we might have new life in Him. Jesus came so that the gospel of salvation would be spread to the entire world. The time of God’s favor has arrived and it will go beyond the Jews to the entire world. This is a time of spiritual favor, not the physical favor that the Jews wanted and expected. 

Spiritual Favor 

A short time before Jesus came back to Nazareth, He spoke to Nicodemus, a great teacher in Israel, (John 3). He told Nicodemus that in order to be born again, one must be born of water and the Spirit. He then told Nicodemus that this message will go beyond the Jewish nation to the entire world, (John 3:16). There’s two aspects of Jesus that frustrate the Jewish leaders: 

1. His work is spiritual 
2. His work is going to spread beyond Israel to the Gentiles.

Shortly after Jesus’ meeting with Nicodemus, he departs for Galilee. On His way, he stops in Samaria and visits with the woman at the well. The Jews do not like the Samaritans. But Jesus loves the world (John 3:16) and the favorable time of the Messiah is now. Jesus begins His outreach ministry by taking the gospel to the Samaritans, through the woman at the well. 

Just like the Jews, the Samaritan woman at the well initially thinks in terms of the physical. Jesus speaks of living water but she thinks in terms of the physical.

She said to him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?’ (John 4:11). 

Jesus explained to her that He is not talking about physical water. His message was this: but the water that I will give him will become in [you] a well of water springing up to eternal life, (John 4:14).

The living water that is spiritual and is within us. The woman finally gets it (unlike Nicodemus) and spreads the word around Samaria. What happened?  

From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified. John 4:39. 

Spiritual favor (salvation) came to the spiritually poor, the spiritual prisoners and the spiritually blind of Samaria. Praise God!!! 

Jesus’ ministry continues today. The favorable time of the Lord is here for you today! Today is the day of salvation! 

Back to Nazareth 

After Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus and the woman at the well, Jesus heads back to Galilee and his hometown of Nazareth. Things go bad in Nazareth. I provided this context of the spiritual versus the physical so that you could understand why the people of His hometown suddenly wanted to throw Him off a cliff. We’ll dig in further next time. 

Father, we are so grateful that You care about the spiritually poor, blind, the lost and oppressed. Because that is who we are. We are in need of a Savior! You bid us to come and You will clothe us in Your riches and bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We receive You in humility and with gratitude. Amen! 

Welcome back to our study in Luke. My last post on Luke was December 16, and then I spent some time in Psalms through the Christmas and New Year’s season.  

As review, here’s what’s going on: 

• Jesus emerges out of obscurity and is publicly baptized by John the Baptist. John pointed to Jesus as the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  
• Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to fast and pray and be tempted by Satan. After forty intense days of ministry preparation, Jesus goes to Jerusalem and creates quite a stir. Luke doesn’t write of His time in Jerusalem, but John does. He performs signs and miracles in Jerusalem and the people are very intrigued. He cleanses the temple and confronts the religious elite. He makes quite an impression on the Jewish leadership and as such, they do not like what they see in Jesus. 
• Interest in Jesus from the people in Jerusalem increases while opposition from the Pharisees increases as well. Jesus departs Jerusalem to head back to the region of Galilee. While on His way to Galilee, He meets the Samaritan woman at the well. Through her, Jesus reaches the Samaritans with the gospel and many of them are saved. 

Luke 4:14

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding districts. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. 

Ministry Success Coach 

Okay, let’s pretend for a moment that I am Jesus’ ministry success coach. (I know it’s silly, but go with me for a moment). Here’s what I’d say: 

Jesus, you are doing a great job. You are proclaiming release of the captives and liberation of the oppressed. You are letting everyone know that the favorable times of God are about to return. The people want physical triumph over the Roman’s oppression and physical blessings to come to them. Your message is resonating well and they love it. 

I know you’re speaking of spiritual blessings while they think you’re talking about physical blessing, but let’s just go with it for now.

It’s alright that they are confused about it for now because it is building your popularity and that’s what we’re really after. Let’s build Your Messiah brand for now and gain a huge following among the Jews and we’ll break the news about this being spiritual blessings rather than physical triumph at a later time. Let’s stay on point. OK?

And by the way, the miracles are really a big hit! Let’s definitely keep those going. Also, you may want to tone down the harsh words toward the Pharisees a little bit. Turning over the tables in the temple caused a lot of attention, which was good for attracting the regular people. But we don’t want to turn the Pharisees completely against You. Their support could help.

I’m not sure why you spent so much time in Samaria. The Jews are God’s chosen, so let’s focus on them. Those mix-breed people are not our target market.  However, things are going great now that You’re touring Galilee and gaining interest every Sabbath in the Synagogue. Let’s keep the message on point and keep gathering positive market share among the Jews.

Jesus to the Success Coach: You’re Fired! 

Of course, that’s all silly, but I think you get my point.  

Jesus is about to blow the mind of the Success Coach when he enters Nazareth and teaches the hard truth that the people don’t want to hear or accept. They hate what Jesus says so much that they grab Him and take him outside the village to a cliff to push Him off to His death. Jesus goes from being praised by all in Galilee (4:15) to being hated by all in Nazareth. The people were filled with rage as they heard (Jesus say) these things, (4:28). 

What did Jesus say to cause such a change of heart? We’ll dig into it next time.

Father, Your ways are not our ways. We understand the success principles of this world but we often miss out on Your Way of truth and righteousness. Forgive us for not always seeking Your Word and Your ways as our first priority. May we rest in Your Word and Your will; knowing that You work all things out for our good, according to Your perfect purposes in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. In His name we pray, Amen!