Lucas 4
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 4
Utley has an interesting note - The demon’s recognition and testimony was not meant to help Jesus, but to add to the Pharisee’s charge that His power was from Satan (cf. Lk 4:41; Lk 11:15; Mt. 9:34; Mt 12:24; Mark 3:22). Daniel Bock makes an interesting comment on I know (eido). "The demon's naming of Jesus as Holy One is an attempt to gain control of the situation. In ancient texts of exorcism, it was common to name the demon as a way of showing authority in the encounter. The move is a defensive one born from nervousness about Jesus' position and power." (Source Unclear) Holy One of God - exact phrase occurs only three times - Mk. 1:24; Lk. 4:34; Jn. 6:69. It is a recognition by the demon of Jesus' special status as one set apart (hagios) by God with the mission to redeem the world. In Lk 4:41 the demons were declaring “You are the Son of God!” They are repeatedly "unwelcome evangelists!" Related phrase Holy One of Israel - 31x in the OT - 2 Ki. 19:22; Ps. 71:22; Ps. 78:41; Ps. 89:18; Isa. 1:4; Isa. 5:19; Isa. 5:24; Isa. 10:20; Isa. 12:6; Isa. 17:7; Isa. 29:19; Isa. 30:11; Isa. 30:12; Isa. 30:15; Isa. 31:1; Isa. 37:23; Isa. 41:14; Isa. 41:16; Isa. 41:20; Isa. 43:3; Isa. 43:14; Isa. 45:11; Isa. 47:4; Isa. 48:17; Isa. 49:7; Isa. 54:5; Isa. 55:5; Isa. 60:9; Isa. 60:14; Jer. 50:29; Jer. 51:5 NET Note adds that "The confession of Jesus as the Holy One here is significant, coming from an unclean (Ed: "unholy") spirit. Jesus, as the Holy One of God, Who bears God’s Spirit and is the expression of holiness, comes to deal with uncleanness and unholiness. (Ed: What a scene! Unholy ones addressing THE Holy One!) THOUGHT - From results of surveys like Barna Reports, I fear there are many in the the so called church in America who profess a belief in Jesus, but it is little more than a belief like that of the demons. When I read a Barna report that says 75% of Americans profess to be Christians (2015 report), I am gravely concerned that many of them might be deceived and therefore be destined for eternal destruction. Why? If 75% of America was Christian, there would be an overwhelming spiritual outcry of righteous indignation against the incredible assault on the veracity of God and the sufficiency of His Word, the Bible. Jesus and James address this frightening self-deception, mincing no words when they say... “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does (present tense = as their lifestyle, which is not speaking of "perfection" but of general "direction" of one's life!) the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many (NOTE JESUS' QUANTIFIER!) will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never (at any point in time) knew you; DEPART (aorist imperative - Command with the sense of "Do it now!") FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE (present tense = as one's lifestyle. We are sin, but this describes continual sin indicating there has never been any change in the professor's heart!) LAWLESSNESS.’ (Mt 7:21-23+) You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? (James 2:19-20+ Robertson's note on the demons' recognition of Jesus in Mt 8:29 = "And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Thou Son of God. The recognition of Jesus by the demons is surprising. The whole subject of demonology is difficult. Some hold that it is merely the ancient way of describing disease. But that does not explain the situation here. Jesus is represented as treating the demons as real existences separate from the human personality. Missionaries in China today claim that they have seen demons cast out. The devil knew Jesus clearly and it is not strange that Jesus was recognized by the devil’s agents. They know that there is nothing in common between them and the Son of God and they fear torment “before the time”. Usually ta daimonia is the word in the New Testament for demons, but in Mt 8:31 we have hoi daimones (the only example in the NT). Daimonion is a diminutive of daimōn. In Homer daimōn is used synonymously with theos and thea. Hesiod employed daimōn of men of the golden age as tutelary deities. Homer has the adjective daimonios usually in an evil sense. Empedocles considered the demons both bad and good. They were thus used to relieve the gods and goddesses of much rascality. Grote (History of Greece) notes that the Christians were thus by pagan usage justified in calling idolatry the worship of demons. See 1 Cor. 10:20f.; 1 Ti 4:1; Rev. 9:20; 16:13f. In the Gospels demons are the same as unclean spirits (Mk 5:12, 15; 3:22, 30; Lk 4:33). The demons are disturbers (Vincent) of the whole life of man (Mk 5:2; 7:25; Mt. 12:45; Luke 13:11, 16). Ha! Ah! (435)(ea) perhaps related to the imperative of eao meaning let alone! Ea is used 4x in Scripture (Job 15:16; 19:5; 25:6; Lk. 4:34) and serves as an exclamation of surprise or displeasure especially before a question. Thayer writes ea is "an interjection expressive of indignation, or of wonder mixed with fear (derived apparently from the imperative present of the verb ean (according to others a natural, instinctive sound), frequent in the Attic poets, rare in prose writings (as Plato, Prot., p. 314 d.), "Ha! Ah!": Mark 1:24 [only found in the Greek Textus Receptus], Luke 4:34.)
Lucas 4
Utley - Just a word about Jesus rebuking a fever. This literary personification of a physical problem does not make this an exorcism. Demons can cause physical problems, but not all physical problems are demonic. Be careful of the extremes (no demons; demons cause everything)!