Luke 4 1

Luke 4:1 kjv

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Luke 4:1 nkjv

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Luke 4:1 niv

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Luke 4:1 esv

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

Luke 4:1 nlt

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

Luke 4 verses

Luke 4 1 Meaning

Luke 4:1 signifies Jesus' immediate transition from His baptismal anointing to a period of divine preparation. Empowered and filled with the Holy Spirit, He was purposefully guided by the Spirit into the wilderness. This verse establishes the Spirit's central role in directing Jesus' life and preparing Him for the monumental spiritual confrontation with temptation, confirming His reliance on divine guidance before the commencement of His public ministry.

Luke 4 1 Context

Luke 4:1 serves as a pivotal transition in Jesus' early ministry. Immediately preceding this verse, Luke records Jesus' baptism, where He was identified as God's beloved Son and empowered by the descent of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). This verse directly leads into the account of Jesus' forty-day temptation by the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:2-13). Thus, it establishes the divine initiation and spiritual equipping for the spiritual warfare Jesus was about to endure, setting the stage for His public ministry which begins only after His victory over temptation (Luke 4:14). Historically and culturally, the wilderness (erēmos) carried profound significance for the Jewish audience, reminiscent of Israel's forty years of testing, provision, and failure after the Exodus, establishing a typology where Jesus, as the "new Israel," demonstrates perfect obedience where the old Israel failed. It was also a common place for prophets and seekers to retreat for spiritual solitude and encounter with God.

Luke 4 1 Word analysis

• Jesus: (Greek: Iēsous, from Hebrew Yeshua or Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh saves" or "the Lord is salvation"). This name carries the full weight of His identity as the promised Messiah, God incarnate, whose purpose is to save His people from their sins. His subsequent actions are thus seen in the light of this divine salvific mission.

• full of the Holy Spirit: (Greek: plērēs Pneumatos Hagiou).

  • plērēs: Denotes "full, replete, completely filled, pervaded." This is not merely an outward manifestation or a temporary visitation but a complete saturation. Jesus' very being is saturated with the divine presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Pneumatos Hagiou: Refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. This phrase directly links Jesus' condition to His baptism (Luke 3:22), emphasizing that He did not begin His ministry of His own accord but was completely equipped and empowered by God for His messianic task. This fullness indicates enablement for extraordinary service and divine leading.

• returned: (Greek: hypestrepse, from hypostrephō, "to turn back, return"). Signifies His movement back from the Jordan River, the site of His baptism, implying a specific divine redirection after His initial public identification.

• from the Jordan: This geographical marker explicitly connects the present event to Jesus' recent baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist. It grounds the subsequent narrative in a specific, recent divine act of anointing and affirmation.

• and was led: (Greek: kai ēgeto, from agō, "to lead, guide"; imperfect passive voice). Crucially, the passive voice emphasizes that Jesus was led; the action originated not from His own initiative but from an external agent. The imperfect tense suggests a continuous process or a period of being led, aligning with the 40 days. It highlights Jesus' perfect submission to divine will.

• by the Spirit: (Greek: hypo tou Pneumatos). Explicitly identifies the Holy Spirit as the active agent and director of Jesus' movement and purpose. This underscores the Trinitarian nature of Jesus' ministry, with the Spirit providing divine guidance for His preparatory phase. This leadership demonstrates absolute reliance on the Father through the Spirit.

• in the wilderness: (Greek: en tē erēmō, "in the desert, desolate place, uninhabited region"). This location is deeply significant both geographically and biblically. It represents isolation, deprivation, confrontation with evil, and a place of testing (as with Israel). Biblically, it is also a place where God met His people, where prophets received their calling, and where spiritual revelation often occurred.

• Words-Group Analysis:

  • "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit": This phrase immediately defines Jesus' state after His baptismal anointing. It’s not just a presence but an overflow, making Him perfectly ready and capable for divine action, illustrating His unique union with the Spirit, unlike any other human.
  • "returned from the Jordan and was led": This sequence emphasizes a direct, purposeful progression. The completion of His baptism at the Jordan (a public affirmation) immediately flows into His Spirit-directed movement. This demonstrates divine orchestration rather than a human decision.
  • "led by the Spirit in the wilderness": This entire phrase encapsulates the divine strategy. The Spirit deliberately guides Jesus into a place notorious for spiritual confrontation. This demonstrates Jesus' absolute surrender and active role of the Spirit in initiating periods of testing and preparation for God’s chosen ones.

Luke 4 1 Bonus section

• Luke's emphasis on the Holy Spirit's pervasive influence on Jesus' life and ministry in this verse aligns with his broader theological theme throughout his Gospel and Acts, presenting the Spirit as the primary driving force behind God's salvific plan, both in Christ and in the early Church.
• The imperfect tense of ēgeto ("was led") can suggest a sustained process of being led throughout the forty days of temptation rather than a single, instantaneous event, reinforcing the idea of continuous divine guidance.
• The wilderness served not only as a place of temptation but also of solitude, reflection, and deepening communion with the Father, essential for Jesus' holistic preparation for His earthly ministry. It symbolizes a "cleansing" or "purification" phase before His public manifestation as the Messiah.

Luke 4 1 Commentary

Luke 4:1 portrays a crucial and divinely orchestrated moment in Jesus' life. Immediately following His baptism and empowerment, Jesus did not embark on His public ministry but was supernaturally guided by the very Spirit who had descended upon Him. The emphasis on being "full of the Holy Spirit" and "led by the Spirit" underlines His absolute dependence on and perfect obedience to God. The choice of the "wilderness" as the destination is profound, echoing Israel's forty-year period of testing and shaping before entering the Promised Land. Here, Jesus, as the New Israel, undergoes His own intense spiritual trial, demonstrating His purity and unwavering allegiance to God, thus affirming His messianic qualifications before He proclaims the Kingdom. This divine guidance into testing establishes that divine anointing often precedes significant spiritual conflict, equipping the called one for victorious engagement.

• Example: Just as Jesus was filled with the Spirit and led into a period of challenge before His ministry, believers often experience seasons of profound spiritual preparation and testing, divinely guided, to forge resilience and deep reliance on God before stepping into their specific callings.