In Luke 4 we have a beautiful principle. Before the Lord goes to assail Satan, He must withstand Satan. He lets Satan see that he has nothing in Him. If I take part in evil, I cannot rebuke it. So with Him; there was not one single principle of the power of darkness in Himself—and His victory was complete.
Satan tries to get into the Lord what he got into Adam, but he utterly failed, as he had entirely succeeded before. In Genesis 3 you get the defeat of man; here you get the victory of Man.
Jesus returns in the power of the Spirit and under that power goes into the synagogue and teaches. He opens the book to Isaiah 61—why? Because that chapter is the deep expression of the ministry He was entering upon the ministry of grace. Are we entitled to listen to such a voice? It makes no demands upon me such as Moses and John did. I am called to listen to One that is doing everything for me. Oh! Happy soul that knows what it is to listen to Jesus! It will do more for the purifying of the soul than could ever Moses and John. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:1010Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)).
But they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son”? It was their pride that could not brook the thought that the carpenter’s son should be their teacher. They wanted a teacher from college. They had admired His gracious words, but now they yield to a stronger current—pride—and seek to cast Him over the brow of the hill. But He goes on teaching and healing. They had no link by faith with Him.
How is the link formed between the sinner and Himself? Admiration, as we have seen, will not form it, nor will the healing of the body. Nothing but a work in the conscience will do. You must learn your need as a poor sinner one that cannot do without Him. Then the link is formed for eternity. The world is full of its wisdom, religions and speculations. The gospel makes short work of it all. It lets me know that I need a Saviour, and then shows me that I have a Saviour. I just ask, “Do you want Him?” If so, you are welcome to Him.
J. G. Bellett (adapted)