What is the meaning of Luke 4:6? “I will give You authority” • The speaker is the devil, addressing Jesus during the wilderness temptation (Luke 4:1-2). • He dangles “authority”—real power to rule—mirroring the serpent’s earlier promise, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). • Yet true authority belongs to Christ alone: after His resurrection He declares, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). • The temptation tries to shortcut the Father’s plan of the cross and resurrection (Philippians 2:8-11). “over all these kingdoms and all their glory” • The offer is global—every earthly realm, every bit of pomp and splendor (Daniel 7:14; Revelation 11:15). • Satan targets the human appetite for: – Power (“the pride of life”) – Possessions (“the lust of the eyes”) (1 John 2:16-17). • Jesus later gains the kingdoms through obedience, not compromise (Hebrews 2:8-9). “he said” • Luke highlights who is talking so we recognize the source: “There is no truth in him… he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). • Every word must therefore be weighed against God’s Word (Psalm 119:105). “For it has been relinquished to me” • Adam’s fall opened the door for satanic influence; the devil is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31) and “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). • His dominion is: – Delegated and temporary (Job 1:12; Revelation 20:10). – Subject to God’s ultimate sovereignty (Psalm 24:1). “and I can give it to anyone I wish” • Satan claims the right to distribute power, yet God alone “removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21; Psalm 75:7). • The offer is conditional—implied worship of the devil (Luke 4:7)—revealing the cost: allegiance away from the Father. • Jesus rejects the shortcut, choosing the path of suffering that secures eternal dominion the right way (Hebrews 12:2). summary Luke 4:6 records a real but deceitful offer: Satan, wielding limited authority gained through human sin, tries to lure Jesus with immediate worldwide rule and glory—if only the Son will bypass the cross. Jesus’ refusal exposes the enemy’s counterfeit power and affirms that true, lasting authority comes only from the Father and is obtained through faithful obedience, not compromise. |
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