July 18, 2016
SUPER POWERS? WHO NEEDS SUPER POWERS?
Luke 4:14–30
Brian Ricketts
Central Truth
We don't have the power to fulfill God's plan for our lives without abiding in and connecting with Him daily.
Key Verse | Luke 4:14
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. (Luke 4:14)
Luke 4:14–30
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
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“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
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to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers 1 4:27 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13 in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
Dive Deeper | Luke 4:14–30
I must admit that, while I am a big fan of superhero movies, I never grew up as a comic book fan. Still, I think every kid had a favorite superhero, and everyone has a super power that they would most love to have.
But that's not the kind of power that Luke 4:14 talks about. Obviously, Scripture isn’t talking about super powers, so what is it talking about? Well, the Greek word for power is dunamis, and it is used throughout the New Testament. It can be translated a few different ways, such as: "ability, miraculous power, moral power or excellence, or inherent power residing in a person or thing."
The context here has Jesus returning from his time in the desert where He was tempted and challenged by Satan. He was able to withstand that time by praying, fasting, and relying on His knowledge of and trust in Scripture. Then He returns to Galilee in the "power of the Spirit" (verse 14). He is returning to begin His ministry that will quite literally change the world. We are talking about power that can only come from God through the Spirit. He was in perfect communion with the Father and the Spirit, and there was power in Him to fulfill His purpose to offer redemption to all who accept Him.
As I apply this to me, I look at the times when I have been most effective for God's purpose in my life. I don’t have to think for very long to know that those were the times when I was abiding in Christ and the Word and in prayer. In those things are the power of the Holy Spirit in my life to fulfill God's plan for my life. Without Him, through those things, I am lost and can do nothing (John 15:5).
Discussion Questions
1. Have there been times in your life when you gave all power and control to God? If yes, what was that like?
2. When do you feel most connected to God and the Holy Spirit? This could be prayer, community, time in the Word, or even praise through song.
3. Is there an area of your life in which you don't want to let the Spirit offer healing and power to overcome a struggle? What is the root of not giving that over to God and seeking healing through Christ's redemption?
4. Stop for a moment and think about God's plan for your life. How are you allowing the Spirit's power to make you effective for fulfilling His plan for you?