PCIM

The Temptations of Christ, and Ours

Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was "tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." Interesting! So how'd He manage that? I've always wanted to be perfect, but have not managed that yet, by any means. I have tried to live in a manner that would make my Lord and my family proud. But my humanity shows through.

We are told about three of his temptations in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. Let's look that them to see how He handled temptation: it's a big inspiration to me to do so! Of course, I have come to a painful conclusion that I am NOT all God wants me to be and that I am NOT in total obedience to him. So I come to these Scriptures from time to time for help.

First of all, immediately following His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Satan made his purpose totally clear! Jesus remained in the desert 40 days, and had nothing to eat, so He became extremely hungry. (I guess so! I probably would not have lived so long!) The first temptation was that the devil tried to get Jesus to assuage his physical appetite by turning the stones lying there in the desert into bread for Himself. However, Jesus (who, being in for form of God had come in the flesh for us, not for His own comfort) would not yield! Was the temptation to selfishness and self-serving dealt with then? Yes, and overcome by Jesus, but how? Note that with all these temptations, the devil tried to twist the Word of God, and Jesus sets the old guy straight with the true Word of God! And, by the way, don't forget the Jesus IS the way the TRUTH and the life! (John 14:6) Matthew records Jesus's response "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) In this very materialistic and "ME" oriented world that may sound really out of place, but it is the mind of Christ, the heart of who He is! This life is NOT all about us, but ALL about the God who made us! It is HE who can keep us from becoming so self-centered that we forget who He is!

The second temptation was for Jesus to call on angelic powers for His personal protection and thus to pull in the crowds when they saw that power, Notice that satan here even quoted Scripture! (He can do that, then misuse it!) "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash they foot against a stone." Two things were at stake here: first Jesus' own personal protection by the angels (when it was HIS own power, not the angels' which did protect Him until the time when He would give His life for our sins. He had no sins of His own and needed no guarding by the angels (although we will see that they DID come and minister to him AFTER these temptations (verse 11), The second aspect of this temptation is that if he had yielded to this temptation, even if the angels had come to protect him, many may have come to him but for all the wrong reasons: not for the forgiveness of their sins, but only because of such a miracle. What was Jesus' response? "It is written again, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." OOH! This is truly ironic, but glorious! Jesus was reminding the devil who his Creator was and who God is! Yes, Jesus could and would claim that He and His Father are one! And rightly so! Again, He uses the true word of God to combat the devil and his temptations!

The third temptation is, to me the height of pride and totally disgusts me! The devil takes him up to a high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and says, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." That is the point at which Jesus tells him to "Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." For the Creator of the Universe to serve one who had made himself the Lord's own enemy was ludicrous! And if you don't believe that Jesus was fully involved in the creation and that He and His Father are one, read John Chapter 1. It's spelled out there as clear as a bell! The part of that sentence that says "and Him ONLY shalt thou serve" is the key here, too!

Notice that the devil did leave Jesus, but not for good. Luke 4:13 says it was "for a season". And we are told that the angels did come and minister to Him. But the devil would not stay away for good, and he certainly tries to trip up EVERY believer.

So how should we respond to temptation? Did you notice a common phrase in Jesus' responses, "for it is written"? Important clue here! We need to be so immersed in the Word of God that we KNOW what it says and how the devil tries to misuse it.

Then we have to realize that life is not about us and our desires and whims, but totally about God!

Finally, we have to WORSHIP the Lord our God and serve him only! ONLY! Worship is totally recognizing that our Heavenly Father wants to have an intensely intimate personal relationship with us. Only in HIS power and only as we from the heart can say "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done[/size]", as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (when he faced his most crucial temptation, the temptation to walk out on being our Savior) Hallelujah, He didn't! The perfect God in flesh became totally obedient to even the death of the Cross, not for Himself, but for YOU and for ME! In that understanding we can overcome when the devil tries to tempt us!

Excellent message and one we need to be reminded of from time to time (or even more often). Two comments, however. One a bit of a correction. Matt. 1:4 reads "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." It looks to me (and other translations translate it this way) that it was the Spirit that actually lead Christ into the wilderness (though heaven knows Satan did take advantage of it). The other comment is mearly a note in passing. You will note that Christ didn't claim that Satan couldn't turn over "all the kingdoms" over if Christ would yield to the temptation. The fact is that Satan gained control of them all when Adam and Eve fell. However, that will not always be the case. Christ will come again to redeem the fallen creation. (Not just sinners saved by grace but all of creation. For it has all suffered because of the fall).

Ooops, Cloud! You are absolutely correct about Jesus being led of the Spirit to the wilderness, but it WAS to be tempted by the devil. I will edit that immediately in my original message. Thank you for pointing out my misreading.

However, I maintain that the kingdoms of the world were not satan's to give. They were created by the Lord God. Although Satan seems to have the rule right now, look at John 16:33: "...in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (Note HAVE overcome.) I know what you are saying about Adam and Eve and satan being able to draw them into temptation and way from the Lord. But that's why Jesus came, also, to provide victory over sin and death and a way for us to be restored to fellowsip with the Father. Perhaps that's why Paul in Colossians 2;13-15 tells us how that on the cross, Jesus "...having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of tem openly, triumphing over them all in it." I look at it this way: satan is definitely not ready to admit defeat. At the Cross, he was wounded, but keeps up fighting! Yet, the final Victory over satan will be finalized in the Halls of Heaven, when God will cast him down to the pits of hell forever. I just see it as the height of irony and sickening pride that the devil thought he could give the creation back to the Creator.

My favorite statement sis is "It Is Written". Best way in the world to get Satan to back off. Amen...

Amen, Parson! I LOVE it when Jesus responds to temptation with the Word! Do you recall in the movie "The Ten Commandments" where Pharoah keeps saying "So let it be written, so let it be done"? To me, that's how every Christian should respond to the Word: "So there it is written, So let it be done." I pray that in my life!