The Second Temptation of Christ: Luke 4:5-8
“5) And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6) 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. 7) Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” 8) Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”” Luke 4:5-8
The second temptation of Jesus was aimed more at His soul. It appealed to the human hunger for power, control and self promotion.
In a moment of time, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Then he offered Him world dominion if He bowed down and worshipped him.
Notice the phrase in verse 6, “for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” That phrase is very insightful. When was world dominion handed over to the devil?
The answer is shocking. In Genesis 1:26-31, God originally gave Adam and Eve dominion over the world. God created mankind to rule planet earth. At the time of the fall, they forfeited world domain to Satan. He became the god of the world. (See the terminology of 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
The final phrase in Luke 4:6 is more insightful. The devil boasted, “I give it to whomever I wish.” Many leaders and political figures throughout human history have sold their soul to the devil for power and favors. This helps explains the tendency toward evil and corruption in many human civilizations. They often have an underlying anti-Christ bias.
Jesus once again quoted Scripture. He purposed to worship and serve only the LORD GOD. He refused to bend His knee to the enemy.
Why should He? The full identity of Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 19:20. He is King of kings and LORD of Lords.
The word “domain” or “dominion” appears twice in Colossians 1:13-17. This context proclaims that the Kingdom of Light has dominion over the kingdom of darkness. Jesus rules over the highest kingdom. He is a higher authority. He has infinitely more power. He is absolutely first.
The full teaching of the New Testament is that at the moment of salvation, the believer is raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We are invited to live in the authority and power Jesus offers us in the kingdom of light.
Most Christians are ignorant of these blessing and the position given us in Christ. (See Ephesians 1:3; 1:15-23; 3:13-21; Colossians 1:9-23) The early Christians were taught how to live and serve through their new dominion and authority given them “in Christ.”
The Holy Spirit desires to transform the human soul by the truth of Scripture and bring it into submission to the renewed spirit. He wants believers to live and walk in their full dominion “in Christ.”
The enemy thrives on ignorance. He works to keep Christians in sinful bondage and convince them that they are still ruled by the domain of darkness in this life.
The Freedom Quest Workshop that I teach dives into the depths of these biblical truths. Truth has the power to set people free and launch them on a new trajectory in life. I strongly encourage you to attend one of these workshops.
The next “in depth” workshop is January 10-12, 2025 at Village Creek Bible Camp, near Lansing, Iowa. Go to their website and register now. This annual three day event is by far my deepest teaching I offer on this subject. Register early as space is limited.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“5) And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6) 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. 7) Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” 8) Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ”” Luke 4:5-8
The second temptation of Jesus was aimed more at His soul. It appealed to the human hunger for power, control and self promotion.
In a moment of time, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Then he offered Him world dominion if He bowed down and worshipped him.
Notice the phrase in verse 6, “for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” That phrase is very insightful. When was world dominion handed over to the devil?
The answer is shocking. In Genesis 1:26-31, God originally gave Adam and Eve dominion over the world. God created mankind to rule planet earth. At the time of the fall, they forfeited world domain to Satan. He became the god of the world. (See the terminology of 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
The final phrase in Luke 4:6 is more insightful. The devil boasted, “I give it to whomever I wish.” Many leaders and political figures throughout human history have sold their soul to the devil for power and favors. This helps explains the tendency toward evil and corruption in many human civilizations. They often have an underlying anti-Christ bias.
Jesus once again quoted Scripture. He purposed to worship and serve only the LORD GOD. He refused to bend His knee to the enemy.
Why should He? The full identity of Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 19:20. He is King of kings and LORD of Lords.
The word “domain” or “dominion” appears twice in Colossians 1:13-17. This context proclaims that the Kingdom of Light has dominion over the kingdom of darkness. Jesus rules over the highest kingdom. He is a higher authority. He has infinitely more power. He is absolutely first.
The full teaching of the New Testament is that at the moment of salvation, the believer is raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We are invited to live in the authority and power Jesus offers us in the kingdom of light.
Most Christians are ignorant of these blessing and the position given us in Christ. (See Ephesians 1:3; 1:15-23; 3:13-21; Colossians 1:9-23) The early Christians were taught how to live and serve through their new dominion and authority given them “in Christ.”
The Holy Spirit desires to transform the human soul by the truth of Scripture and bring it into submission to the renewed spirit. He wants believers to live and walk in their full dominion “in Christ.”
The enemy thrives on ignorance. He works to keep Christians in sinful bondage and convince them that they are still ruled by the domain of darkness in this life.
The Freedom Quest Workshop that I teach dives into the depths of these biblical truths. Truth has the power to set people free and launch them on a new trajectory in life. I strongly encourage you to attend one of these workshops.
The next “in depth” workshop is January 10-12, 2025 at Village Creek Bible Camp, near Lansing, Iowa. Go to their website and register now. This annual three day event is by far my deepest teaching I offer on this subject. Register early as space is limited.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
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