#21 Luke 4:9-13 Do Not Put the Lord Your God to The Test

On May 30, 2021 by Amy Burgin

Joy: Episode#21 Luke 4:9-13

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you’re here. I’m Amy Burgin.

Joy:
I’m Joy Burgin

Amy:
Christgazing is the act of looking steadily and intently at Christ. This podcast is just one small tool to help us make room to do that. Each week we focus on one passage from the Bible as Joy reads it several times and creates stillness after each reading to consider who God is and what he wants us to know. We are in a series that brings us the words of Jesus as found in the book of Luke.

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy:
Today is Memorial Day, a day we honor those who have given their lives for the sake of freedom in the United States of America. When I remember them, I think of John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Before Joy brings us today’s verses, take 45 seconds to remember the ones who have given their lives and to pour out your heart to God, whether it be gratitude, anger, forgiveness or bitterness. Whatever is on your mind, name it and bring it to the Lord in these next 45 seconds.

[Pause and pour out]

What Does This Passage Say About God?

Joy:
I’m going to read today’s passage two times. As I read, consider the question, What does this passage say about God?

Luke 4:9-13 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Again?

Take a few moments to answer the question, “What does this passage tell you about Jesus?”

[Pause and know]

What Does This Passage Say About People?

Joy:
As I read the scripture again, consider the questions: What does this passage tell you about people or about the devil?

Take a few moments to answer the question: What does this passage tell you about people or about the devil?

[Pause and know]

Lord, What Would You Have Me Know or Do Today?

Joy:
As I read for the last time, ask God the question, “Lord, what would you have me do today in response to this passage?” Remember, he is a good father. God wants you to know him better. He never condemns or belittles but rather, he is the lifter of our heads.

Take a few moments to listen for his voice as you ask him, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today?”

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Joy:
Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. May you also turn your face toward his and may your thoughts, words, and deeds be compelled by what he has written and what he has said.

One Response

Amy:
The devil did tempt Jesus again at an opportune time. When he hung on the cross suffering, the people stood watching, and the rulers sneered saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers sneered, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” A criminal hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

In 1882, Jens Peter Jacobson, wrote a short story titled The Plague in Bergamo where he imagines what it might look like if Jesus fell prey to the devil’s temptation. Let’s read the excerpt from his story here so we can imagine it together.

They called out to Jesus, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Then He, the only begotten Son of God, was taken with anger, and saw that they were not worthy of his salvation, these mobs that fill the earth. He tore free His feet over the heads of the nails, and He clenched His hands round the nails and tore them out, so that the arms of the cross bent like a bow. Then he leaped down upon the earth and snatched up His garment so that the dice rolled down the slope of Golgotha, and flung it round himself with the wrath of a king and ascended into heaven. And the cross stood empty, and the great work of redemption was never fulfilled. There is no mediator between God and us; there is no Jesus who died for us on the cross; there is no Jesus who died for us on the cross; there is no Jesus who died for us on the cross!

Wow, can you imagine our world without Jesus dying on the cross for us? I could never fall in love with a god like that, so typical, so weak, so lacking in love. Jesus did die for us on the cross and we will love him forever because of it. I want to join the loud voices of thousands of thousands described in Revelation 5:11-14 giving praise to Jesus saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” May this be the deep heart cry within our bones moving our bodies today and every day.

Closing

Amy:
Joy and I will be back again next week to go Christgazing together. We live you with our familiar closing, and did you know every phrase in it is mapped to scripture in the transcripts of each episode, which are found at amyburgin.com? For it is written and it is said, When you put your trust in Christ, you are one in whom he dwells and delights, a dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his strong and unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails and so do you.