Read:
Reflect:
The euphoria created by the Spirit descending on Jesus and the affirming testimony of the Father at his baptism were not followed by immediate success, but by testing. In fact, the Spirit sent him into the wilderness to face the devil’s temptations (v 1). The 40 days of fasting no doubt including much prayer and reflection on his calling. Then when hunger really struck home the testing of his status as the Son of God began. The pressing question is: will Jesus seek to bring in the kingdom in obedience to God’s will or will he succumb to selfish and destructive methods.
The first temptation (vv 3-4) tested what is most important to Jesus in the very depths of his heart. Hungry as he was, he refused to selfishly exert his power to turn stones into bread to satisfy his own needs. Living by every word that comes from the mouth of God mattered more to him than his personal wellbeing. When Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 (read the whole chapter) to Satan he drew attention to the fact that God graciously provided manna to Israel to see if they would obey his commands, which was more important than the manna itself. Living in obedience to God’s word is more significant than having other legitimate needs met.
In the second temptation (vv 5-7), Jesus’ trust in God was put to the test. The devil tried to get Jesus to leap from a high point of the temple and thus put pressure on God to protect him. Note that though the devil accurately quotes the literal words of Psalm 91:11-12 he deceitfully distorts their meaning by taking them out of the context of the entire Psalm. Jesus’ response: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test (Deuteronomy 6:16; see also Exodus 17:1-7) shows that one should not try to force God’s hand by foolish acts, but trust him in all circumstances. Jesus did that, not only this time, but also as he faced the awful circumstances of the cross.
The third temptation (vv 8-10) was an effort to lure Jesus into idolatrous worship. The devil presumed to offer Jesus the kingdoms of the whole world and their glory if he would worship him. At stake here was his very life because later on Jesus said to his disciples: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life (Matthew 16:26). Jesus’ answer to Satan was another quotation from Deuteronomy 6 (v 13) asserting that worship belongs to God alone. Israel was noted for its frequent digressions into idolatrous worship. Jesus resolutely refused to take that path and gave his full allegiance exclusively to his Father.
Verse 11 points out that the devil was forced to leave in defeat, although Luke (4:13) says that he came back later at opportune times to tempt Jesus further. Jesus must have been exhausted because angels came and were ministering to him. Nevertheless, he had survived the test and was prepared to launch his ministry.
There are numerous things we can learn from Jesus and apply to our lives as we face temptations. First, he turned aside each temptation with a faithful use of Scripture. So we should study and learn the Scriptures well to help us repel temptations that come our way. Afterall, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17) is the crucial weapon of the spiritual armor we need to counter temptations. Secondly, like Jesus, we need to make doing the word of the Lord our top priority over other concerns; trust God implicitly that his ways are best for us, and not put him to the test; and direct our worship to God alone, not indulging in various idolatries that subtly entice us. The evil one will try many strategies to distract us, throw us off course, and defeat us. But with the word of God firmly fixed in our minds and our heart commitments focused on God we will have the resources to overcome his trickery.
Respond:
May the words and commitments of the Psalmist strengthen our resolve to live for God.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)