Temptation of Jesus
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| Not by Bread Alone- Michael Dudash |
"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil." Luke 4:1, 2 NKJ
Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted? We'll answer that question later. For now, lets look at 1 John 2:15, 16 again, this time in the New King James: "Do not love the world...for all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world."
Both Adam and Jesus faced three aspects of temptation; (just as we do even to this day as descendants of Adam and Eve). Adam yielded, bringing upon humankind sin and death. Christ resisted, resulting in justification and life.
The lust of the flesh: "the tree was good for food" "command this stone to become bread".
The lust of the eyes: "it was pleasant to the eyes" "the devil...showed Him all the kingdoms".
The pride of life: "a tree desirable to make one wise" "throw yourself down from here" also the devil tempted His pride by saying "If you are the Son of God..."
If you read the account of "Jesus' Temptation" in your own Bible, notice the parallels above. You'll find the account in Matt 4 or Luke 4. How do these same temptations play out in modern people and personally for each of us? Paul made a comparison between with Jesus and Adam in Romans:
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned... But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many... But, even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adams one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone." Romans 5:12, 15-18 NLT
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| Not by Bread Alone- Michael Dudash |
In answer to the question, "why did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted? The author of Hebrews answers this question in such a beautiful way. The verses below are full of God's love and grace for us, His funny little human beings:
"Because God's children are human beings- made of flesh and blood- the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying... Therefore, it was necessary for Him to be made in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then He could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing (temptation) He is able to help us when we are being tested (tempted)." Hebrews 2:14-18 NLT "So then, since we have a high priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He face all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted? It
is because He Himself needed to go through suffering and testing
(temptation) as we do; so that He would be able to help us when we are
being tested (tempted). What a comfort to have a High Priest who
understands our weaknesses! We can come boldly to the throne of our
gracious God and receive His mercy and help just when we need it the
most!
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation;
for when he has been approved,
he will receive a crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
James 1:12 NKJ
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