Luke 4:1-15
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the
wilderness…” (1) Before Jesus entered “ministry,” God led His sinless Son into and around a
wilderness where He encountered temptations from the devil. The devil tested Jesus’ identity and use
of power. He was tempted to use the Spirit for personal provision, position and promotion, but each
time Jesus appealed, NOT to His experience at baptism, but to Scripture. THEN, “…Jesus returned to
Galilee in the power of the Spirit,…” (14a). Being “filled” with the Holy Spirit does not qualify us to serve
in God’s kingdom. First, we must learn not use the the Spirit for our own selfish purposes. Then we are
equipped to serve in the power of the Spirit.