Luke 4-5
Digging for Spiritual Gems: (8 min.)
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Lu 4:17—What shows that Jesus was thoroughly familiar with God’s Word? (“the scroll of the prophet Isaiah” study note on Lu 4:17, nwtsty)
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah: The Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah is composed of 17 parchment strips attached one to another, making up a roll measuring 7.3 m (24 ft) in length with 54 columns. The scroll used in the synagogue in Nazareth may have been of similar length. Without the help of chapter and verse numbers, which did not exist in the first century, Jesus would have had to locate the passage he wanted to read. But the fact that he found the place where the prophetic words were written demonstrates his thorough familiarity with God’s Word.

Lu 4:25—How long did the drought last in the days of Elijah? (“for three years and six months” study note on Lu 4:25, nwtsty)
for three years and six months: According to 1Ki 18:1, Elijah announced the end of the drought “in the third year.” Some have therefore claimed that Jesus contradicts the account in 1 Kings. However, the Hebrew Scripture account does not suggest that the drought lasted less than three years. The phrase “in the third year” evidently applies to the period that began when Elijah first announced the drought to Ahab. (1Ki 17:1) That announcement likely took place when the dry season—which typically lasts for up to six months but which may have lasted longer than usual—was already in progress. Further, the drought did not end immediately when Elijah again appeared before Ahab, “in the third year,” but only after the subsequent fire test on Mount Carmel. (1Ki 18:18-45) Hence, Jesus’ words recorded here, as well as the similar words of Christ’s half brother, recorded at Jas 5:17, harmonize well with the chronology suggested at 1Ki 18:1.

What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?

*** w18 January p. 26 pars. 16-17 What Kind of Love Brings True Happiness? ***
16 Jesus displayed a perfectly balanced view of pleasures. He attended “a marriage feast” and “a big reception feast.” (John 2:1-10; Luke 5:29) At the wedding, he miraculously changed water into wine, adding to the supply, which had run short. And on another occasion, he rejected the self-righteous views of those who criticized him for eating and drinking.—Luke 7:33-36.
17 Yet, Jesus did not immerse himself in a life of pleasure. He put Jehovah first and expended himself tirelessly in behalf of others. So that many might live, he willingly endured a painful death on a stake. Addressing those who would follow in his footsteps, Jesus said: “Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.”—Matt. 5:11, 12.

*** w18 February p. 21 par. 12 What Does It Mean to Be a Spiritual Person? ***
12 Yet, of all the people who have lived, who is the most outstanding example of a spiritual person? It is Jesus, of course. Throughout his life and ministry, he showed that he wanted to imitate his Father, Jehovah. He thought, felt, and acted like Jehovah and lived in harmony with God’s will and standards. (John 8:29; 14:9; 15:10) Note, for example, how Jehovah’s feelings of compassion are described by the prophet Isaiah, and compare that description with what the Gospel writer Mark reports about Jesus’ feelings. (Read Isaiah 63:9; Mark 6:34.) Are we like Jesus, ever ready to show compassionate concern when we meet people who need help? In addition, Jesus devoted himself to the work of preaching and teaching the good news. (Luke 4:43) All such feelings and actions are marks of a spiritual person.

*** w18 March pp. 26-27 par. 16 Discipline—Evidence of God’s Love ***
16 Jesus always listened obediently to his Father, even when doing so was very difficult. (Matt. 26:39) And he gave his Father the credit for his teachings and wisdom. (John 5:19, 30) Jesus’ humility and obedience drew people of honest heart to him and helped to make him a compassionate and gracious teacher. (Read Luke 4:22.) His kind words heartened those who were figuratively like a bruised reed or the wick of an oil lamp about to go out. (Matt. 12:20) Even when his patience was tested, Jesus was kind and loving. This was evident when he corrected his apostles for showing a selfish, ambitious spirit.—Mark 9:33-37; Luke 22:24-27.

*** w18 April pp. 11-12 par. 13 Serve Jehovah, the God of Freedom ***
13 What has Jehovah commanded us to do today? As disciples of Jesus, we are well-acquainted with our God-given commission. (Read Luke 4:18, 19.) Today, the vast majority of people are still blinded by the god of this system of things and are in bondage—religious, economic, and social. (2 Cor. 4:4) It is our privilege to follow Jesus’ example of helping people to come to know and worship Jehovah, the God of freedom. (Matt. 28:19, 20) That is not an easy work, and there are many challenges. In some lands, people are becoming more indifferent, some even hostile. The question that each of us should consider is, ‘Can I use my freedom to give greater support to the Kingdom work?’

*** w18 June p. 10 par. 11 May We All Be One as Jehovah and Jesus Are One ***
11 To fulfill their commission, Jesus’ disciples needed to conquer the pride and prejudice they had. Before ascending to heaven, he assigned them to bear witness to “all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus had earlier prepared them for such an extensive assignment by drawing their attention to good qualities in foreigners. He praised a foreign army officer for his outstanding faith. (Matt. 8:5-10) In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus spoke of how Jehovah had favored foreigners, such as the Phoenician widow from Zarephath and the Syrian leper Naaman. (Luke 4:25-27) And Jesus not only preached to a Samaritan woman but he spent two days in a Samaritan town because of the people’s interest in his message.—John 4:21-24, 40.

*** wp17 No. 2 p. 12 Escape From Slavery—Then and Now ***
“With Jehovah our God there is no injustice,” says the Bible, and it assures us that he has not changed. (2 Chronicles 19:7; Malachi 3:6) God sent Jesus to “proclaim liberty to the captives . . . , to send the crushed ones away free.” (Luke 4:18) Did this mean freedom for every literal slave? Apparently not. Jesus was sent to liberate people from bondage to sin and death. He later declared: “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Even today, the truth that Jesus taught liberates people in many ways.—See the box “Escape From a Different Kind of Slavery.”

*** w17 July p. 13 par. 7 “Weep With Those Who Weep” ***
7 Jehovah’s tender empathy was perfectly expressed in the words and actions of his compassionate Son, Jesus, when he was on earth. (John 5:19) Jesus was sent to provide comfort for “the brokenhearted” and “all who mourn.” (Isa. 61:1, 2; Luke 4:17-21) Hence, he was characterized by deep compassion—a sympathetic awareness of people’s suffering and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their suffering.—Heb. 2:17.

*** w15 6/15 p. 9 pars. 4-5 He Loved People ***
4 Jesus was well into his public ministry, and his most recent area of activity was Galilee. In one of the cities there, Jesus encountered a pitiful sight. (Mark 1:39, 40) Right in front of him was a man with a frightful disease, leprosy. Testifying to the advanced stage of the man’s illness, physician Luke describes him as being “full of leprosy.” (Luke 5:12) “When he caught sight of Jesus, [the leper] fell facedown and begged him: ‘Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.’” The man had no doubt that Jesus possessed the power to heal him, but what he needed to know was, did Jesus have the desire to do so? How would Jesus respond to this heartfelt request? What was Jesus thinking as he beheld this man who was probably disfigured? Would Jesus be like the Pharisees, who had developed a heartless view of people suffering from this disease? What would you have done?
5 Apparently, this leprous man had neglected to call out “Unclean, unclean!” as the Mosaic Law stipulated. Jesus did not bring that up. Rather, he concentrated on the man himself and his needs. (Lev. 13:43-46) We do not know exactly what thoughts were going through Jesus’ mind, but we do know what was in his heart. Moved with compassion, Jesus did the incredible. He stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and with a voice reflecting both strength and tenderness, Jesus said: “I want to! Be made clean.” Then “the leprosy vanished from him.” (Luke 5:13) Indeed, Jehovah’s power was there—not only for Christ to perform such a miracle but also for Jesus to demonstrate how much he loved people.—Luke 5:17.

*** w15 6/15 p. 28 par. 13 Live in Harmony With the Model Prayer—Part II ***
13 Jehovah is holy and therefore never tempts anyone to do evil. Rather, it is the Devil who is “the Tempter.” (Matt. 4:3) The Devil can create tempting situations. Yet, it is up to each individual whether he will allow himself to be brought into temptation or not. (Read James 1:13-15.) For his part, Jesus immediately rejected each temptation by the use of a relevant quotation from God’s Word. Thus, Jesus upheld God’s rightful sovereignty. But Satan did not give up. He waited “until another convenient time.” (Luke 4:13) Jesus continued to resist all of Satan’s efforts to break his integrity. Christ upheld the righteousness of Jehovah’s sovereignty and proved that a perfect human can be faithful despite the most extreme test. However, Satan attempts to ensnare Jesus’ followers, including you.

*** w15 12/15 p. 5 par. 7 Jehovah, the God of Communication ***
7 When God’s firstborn came to earth, he likely spoke and taught in what the Bible calls Hebrew. (John 19:20; 20:16; Acts 26:14) First-century Hebrew was evidently influenced by Aramaic, so Jesus may have used some Aramaic expressions. However, he also knew the ancient Hebrew of Moses and the prophets, which was read each week in the synagogues. (Luke 4:17-19; 24:44, 45; Acts 15:21) In addition, Greek and Latin were spoken in Israel. The Scriptures are silent about whether Jesus also spoke those languages.

*** w15 12/15 p. 21 par. 15 Use the Power of Your Tongue for Good ***
15 How we say something can be as important as what we say. When Jesus spoke in the synagogue of his hometown of Nazareth, the people were “amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth.” (Luke 4:22) Gracious speech appeals to the heart and in no way weakens the power of our tongue. In fact, graciousness can make our speech more persuasive. (Prov. 25:15) We can imitate Jesus’ gracious speech by being kind, courteous, and considerate of others’ feelings. Seeing the effort a crowd made to hear him speak, Jesus was moved with pity and “started to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) Even when he was being insulted, Jesus did not resort to harsh speech.—1 Pet. 2:23.

What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?

*** w18 May p. 23 par. 6 Know Your Enemy ***
6 By means of his spirit organization, Satan exerts authority over all human governments. That fact was made plain when Satan showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth” and said: “I will give you all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Luke 4:5, 6) Despite Satan’s evil influence, many governments do a measure of good for their citizens. And individual rulers may have noble intentions. But no human government or individual ruler is capable of bringing about the changes mankind needs most.—Ps. 146:3, 4; Rev. 12:12.

*** w18 May p. 31 par. 17 Young Ones—Stand Firm Against the Devil ***
17 How could Satan induce us to remove our helmet? Consider the way he dealt with Jesus. Satan surely knew that Jesus had the hope of eventually ruling mankind. But Jesus would have to wait until Jehovah’s appointed time. And before then, he would have to suffer and die. So Satan offered Jesus the chance to fulfill his hope sooner. Satan suggested that if Jesus would do one act of worship, he could have it all and have it right then. (Luke 4:5-7) Similarly, Satan knows that Jehovah offers us material benefits in the new system. But we have to wait, and we might have to suffer hardships in the meantime. So Satan offers us tempting opportunities to enjoy such a life now. He wants us to seek material benefits first—to have it all and have it now. Satan urges us to seek the Kingdom second.—Matt. 6:31-33.

*** wp17 No. 6 p. 8 What Did Jesus Really Look Like? ***
For the better part of 30 years, Jesus was a carpenter, working without the benefit of modern power tools. (Mark 6:3) He, therefore, must have had a sturdy build. Early in his ministry, he single-handedly “drove all those with the sheep and cattle out of the temple, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” (John 2:14-17) It takes a strong and powerful man to perform that feat. Jesus used the body that God had prepared for him to fulfill his God-given commission: “I must also declare the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities, because for this I was sent.” (Luke 4:43) It took extraordinary stamina to travel throughout Palestine on foot and declare this message.

*** w17 January pp. 27-28 par. 3 “These Things Entrust to Faithful Men” ***
3 Many of us love the work we do and would like to continue doing it indefinitely. Sadly, though, from the days of Adam, each generation grows old and is replaced by another. (Eccl. 1:4) In recent times, this transition has presented unique challenges for true Christians. The work of Jehovah’s people has grown in scope and complexity. As we tackle new projects, new ways of doing things are adopted—often ways that involve the use of rapidly changing technology. Some older ones may find it hard to keep pace with these advances. (Luke 5:39) Even when that is not the case, younger ones may have greater strength and energy than older ones have. (Prov. 20:29) Thus, it is both loving and practical for older ones to prepare younger ones to take on greater responsibility.—Read Psalm 71:18.

*** w17 February p. 10 par. 8 The Ransom—A “Perfect Present” From the Father ***
8 While on earth, Jesus helped his disciples to see the importance of God’s Kingdom. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus proclaimed “the good news of the Kingdom of God” far and wide. (Luke 4:43) In his last words to his disciples before he returned to heaven, Jesus instructed them to be witnesses of him “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8) By means of the Kingdom-preaching work, people throughout the earth would have an opportunity to learn about the ransom and become subjects of God’s Kingdom. Today, we show our support for the Kingdom by assisting Christ’s brothers on earth in carrying out the commission to preach the good news of the Kingdom worldwide.—Matt. 24:14; 25:40.

*** w17 July p. 23 par. 5 “May He . . . Give Success to All Your Plans” ***
5 Jesus grew up to be a happy adult. What made him happy? He knew that, among other things, God wanted him “to declare good news to the poor . . . and a recovery of sight to the blind.” (Luke 4:18) Doing what God asked him to do made Jesus happy. Psalm 40:8 expresses his feelings: “To do your will, O my God, is my delight.” Jesus enjoyed teaching people about his heavenly Father. (Read Luke 10:21.) Once, after teaching a woman about true worship, Jesus said to his disciples: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:31-34) Showing love for God and for others made Jesus happy. It can make you happy too.

*** wp16 No. 4 p. 4 The Bible Survived Decay ***
HOW THE BIBLE SURVIVED: Jewish law compelled every king to “write for himself in a book a copy of this Law,” the first five books of the Bible. (Deuteronomy 17:18) Moreover, professional copyists produced so many manuscripts that by the first century C.E., the Scriptures could be found in synagogues throughout Israel and even in distant Macedonia! (Luke 4:16, 17; Acts 17:11) How did some very old manuscripts survive until today?
“Jews were known to put scrolls containing Scripture in pitchers or jars in order to preserve them,” says New Testament scholar Philip W. Comfort. Christians evidently continued that tradition. Consequently, some early Bible manuscripts have been discovered in clay jars, as well as in dark closets and caves and in exceptionally dry regions.
THE RESULT: Thousands of portions of Bible manuscripts—some over 2,000 years old—survive to this day. No other ancient text has so many manuscripts from so long ago.

*** w16 March p. 23 Can You Help in Your Congregation? ***
Martin Goodman, professor at Oxford University, observes that the “sense of mission set Christians apart from other religious groups, including Jews, in the early Roman empire.” Jesus had traveled from place to place to carry out his ministry. Following his example, true Christians would have understood that spreading “the good news of the Kingdom of God” would involve finding people who desired to know Bible truth. (Luke 4:43) This is one of the reasons why the first-century Christian congregation had “apostles,” a term that literally refers to those sent forth, envoys. (Mark 3:14) Jesus commanded his followers: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations.”—Matt. 28:18-20.

*** w16 May p. 9 par. 4 “Go, . . . and Make Disciples of People of All the Nations” ***
4 Was Jesus referring only to the individual efforts of his followers, or was he alluding to an organized campaign to preach the good news? Since one individual would not be able to go to “all the nations,” this work would require the organized efforts of many. Jesus indicated as much when he invited his disciples to become “fishers of men.” (Read Matthew 4:18-22.) The type of fishing he referred to here was not that of a lone fisherman using a line and a lure, sitting idly while waiting for the fish to bite. Rather, it involved the use of fishing nets—a labor-intensive activity that at times required the coordinated efforts of many.—Luke 5:1-11.

*** w16 August p. 27 pars. 8-9 Do You See the Need to Train Others? ***
8 Converse with people. Jesus often spoke to individuals about the Kingdom. For instance, he carried on a lively and fruitful conversation with a woman at Jacob’s well near the city of Sychar. (John 4:5-30) He also spoke with Matthew Levi, a tax collector. The Gospels record very little of that conversation, but Matthew accepted Jesus’ invitation to be his follower. Matthew and others heard Jesus speak at some length during a feast held in Matthew’s home.—Matt. 9:9; Luke 5:27-39.
9 On another occasion, Jesus spoke in a friendly way to Nathanael, who had a negative view of people from Nazareth. However, Nathanael was moved to change his thinking. He decided to learn more about what Jesus, a man from Nazareth, was teaching. (John 1:46-51) So we have good reason to train new publishers to converse with people in a friendly, relaxed manner. Those whom we help in this way will likely be delighted to see how honesthearted people respond favorably to personal interest and kind words.

*** w16 August pp. 27-28 pars. 10-11 Do You See the Need to Train Others? ***
10 Cultivate interest. Jesus had limited time to carry out his ministry. Nevertheless, he took time to cultivate the interest people showed in the good news. For instance, Jesus taught a crowd, using a boat as a platform. On that occasion, he miraculously gave Peter a huge catch of fish and told him: “From now on you will be catching men alive.” What result did Jesus’ words and actions produce? Peter and his associates “brought the boats back to land and abandoned everything and followed [Jesus].”—Luke 5:1-11.
11 Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, became interested in Jesus’ teaching. He wanted to learn more but was afraid of what others would say if he spoke with Jesus in public. Jesus was flexible and generous with his time; he met with Nicodemus at night—away from the crowds. (John 3:1, 2) What lesson can we learn from these accounts? God’s Son set aside time to build up the faith of individuals. Should we not be diligent in making return visits and conducting Bible studies with interested ones?

*** w15 2/15 p. 13 par. 11 Imitate Jesus’ Courage and Discernment ***
11 Jesus showed discernment in all he said and did. In his speech. He used good judgment when he preached the good news, choosing “gracious words” that amazed his listeners. (Luke 4:22; Matt. 7:28) He often let God’s Word speak for him—reading, quoting, or referring to just the right scriptures to make his point. (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; 12:1-5; Luke 4:16-21) Jesus also explained the Scriptures, doing so in ways that moved the hearts of his listeners. After his resurrection, when speaking to two disciples on their way to Emmaus, he “interpreted to them things pertaining to himself in all the Scriptures.” The disciples later said: “Were not our hearts burning within us . . . as he was fully opening up the Scriptures to us?”—Luke 24:27, 32.

*** w15 10/15 p. 21 par. 10 Serve Jehovah Without Distraction ***
10 Many things happened during Jesus’ ministry that could have distracted him, but he never succumbed to them. Early in his ministry, after he had taught the crowds and performed miracles in Capernaum, people begged him not to leave their city. But how did Jesus react to this flattering request? He said: “I must also declare the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities, because for this I was sent.” (Luke 4:42-44) True to his word, Jesus walked the length and breadth of Palestine, preaching and teaching. Though perfect, he had normal human needs and sometimes felt very tired because of expending himself in God’s service.—Luke 8:23; John 4:6.