Leviticus 1:1-9

Leviticus may feel dull and dated, but it lays a foundation beneath the beauty of the gospel, showing us the holiness of God and the seriousness of our sin. Through the Levitical sacrifices, we glimpse the cost of atonement and the way God provides a substitute. The altar points forward to Christ, whose body was broken and blood poured out so that sinners might draw near to a holy God.

Leviticus 1:1-9

The first seven chapters of Leviticus detail the sacrificial system God gave Israel so that sinful people could live in the presence of a holy God. While the sacrificial system foreshadows the sufficiency of the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Christians should not move too quickly past important truths Leviticus painstakingly makes: God is holy, we are sinful, a sacrifice is necessary, and as Hebrews says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (9:22).

Luke 4:14-30

Today we witness a shocking scene: the very people who knew Jesus best tried to throw Him off a cliff. It wasn’t ignorance that led to their rejection; it was familiarity, entitlement, and expectations of a Messiah who would fit their preferences. Jesus proclaimed grace, freedom, and spiritual rescue, yet they wanted power, signs, and national glory.

This sermon explores how easily we can admire Jesus, speak well of Him, and still resist the real Christ when He confronts our pride and exposes our need. Ultimately, this passage warns us that grace is offered on God’s terms, not ours. We are invited to humbly receive the Savior we truly need.

Luke 4:14-30

Luke sites this event as the beginning of Jesus ministry. In an eventful interaction in the Synagogue, Jesus identifies who He is and why He has come.

Luke 4:14-30

Some things provoke strong reactions in people, like cilantro, pineapple on pizza, and rap music. Jesus provokes the strongest reactions as well. Those who know they’re desperate love the grace of God; while those who are full of self-sufficiency and pride respond with fury at the thought that they need grace or that broken outsiders can receive it.

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. Where humanity failed ... where we fail, He succeeded. To endure temptation, we must look to the One who suffered and endured. We too can endure as we trust Him, learn from Him, and receive His help.

Luke 4:1-13

Christians live in a real spiritual war where temptation is strategic, persistent and personal. By examining how the devil targets Jesus and how Jesus responds, we learn how to stay spiritually prepared and alert to the enemy’s schemes. Even when we do stumble and fall into sin, the hope of the gospel remains: Jesus has already won the decisive victory on our behalf.

Luke 4:1-13

When temptation strikes, it rarely comes loud or obvious. It comes quietly, offering shortcuts, questioning God’s goodness, and urging us to take control rather than trust Him. Today we step into the wilderness with Jesus and witness the greatest temptation ever faced and the decisive victory that followed. Where Adam failed and Israel stumbled, Jesus stood firm, trusting the Father completely. This message reminds us that our hope is not in resisting temptation perfectly, but in resting in the faithful King who resisted for us and secured a victory we could never win on our own.