Only One Plan

Luke 4:1-13

After reading the Scriptures, these are some insights I believe are being taught, and the first one is that from the beginning God never had two plans.  He gave the Law to expose our need for grace, look at Romans 3:20; “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Chapter four begins in this way; Jesus full of the Holy Spirit: Once more we see an example of Jesus depending on His Father, in the same manner, that you and I must.  And the Holy Spirit was leading Him into the wilderness, and it was there for forty days and nights he was tempted by the devil.  You do not want to go forty days without food and water, but if you could, you would be both hungry and thirsty and hunger would consume your actions and thoughts.  The deceiver had a plan for Jesus, and he has a plan for you and I.  The program has always been to get our needs met outside of Christ.

The deceiver is big on the “If” word and especially when it comes to God’s authority.  Doubt leads to fear, and fear leaves no room for faith, and that is what the “IF” is all about, it opens us up to look for a more common-sense way.

The old Serpent has one big problem; he longs to be worshipped.  It is what got him kicked out of heaven.  He wanted the Son’s place with the Father, but his one problem was he was created by the Son, and could never be God.  The deal Satan made that day with Jesus has been offered to many a person since, and though it looks good for a while, he cannot deliver.

What we know about the devil is at his creation his name was Lucifer, and his title was the chief archangel, and pride and evil was found in him, wanting his seat in heaven to be equal to God’s.  So when he told Jesus he had been given authority to give it to whoever he desired, we do know that Scripture calls Him the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2. 

Now we know in Luke 4:13, ”When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”  What was that opportune time?  I believe it happened often, and that is why Jesus frequently went away to be with the Father for Jesus’ only desire was to obey His Father. 

Let’s say we agree that Satan has the power to make the world bow down and worship whom he gives that power.  He cannot forgive sin; he cannot change the sin desire, not even his own. 

 Satan cannot deliver on His promise of bypassing the Cross-to bring redemption to a lost and dying world.  For it is written, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  God’s plan never changes.  When Adam and Eve sinned, God killed an animal to cover their nakedness.  Nakedness was not sinning until they sinned, but it exposed the sin that was in them.  For the first time, they hid from God!  Why, because they were naked, no because they had disobeyed the Father?  The law required the killing of a lamb, not any old lamb, but a perfect one, good only for a year.  Jesus took care of the sin problem on the Cross, and that was the only plan from the beginning.

I also do not believe Satan had any knowledge of the Cross.  If he did, he would not have put in the hearts of men to kill Jesus.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice