Scripture Reading(s)
Matthew 4:1-11
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4:4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,
4:6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'”
4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor;
4:9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
4:10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'”
4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Reflections
In yesterday’s passage, Paul commented on how one human brought sin into the world and how one man saved the world. Part of the incarnation of Christ was that God was made flesh. He was clothed in human flesh. The proof of Jesus’ humanity is written of many times in the gospels but no example is more interesting than Jesus being tempted in the desert. Here Jesus is confronted with the trials of being both fully human and fully divine. He endures trials in the desert for sure as he fasts. In addition, he has the devil tempting him to use his divine powers for gain. Yet, Jesus stood firm and resisted temptation.
Jesus’ trial in the desert is not just a good story though. It is an example of how Christ’s followers ought to live. While we might not have the exact same temptations as Jesus, we all have temptations. How we deal with those temptations is what separates Christ’s followers from the rest of the world. We are to be an example to world just as Jesus is an example to us.
During the course of Christ’s ministry, Jesus was able to experience all the human temptations and emotions that we go through today. This is the most extreme form of temptation that anyone could ever experience. The Devil Himself was offering Jesus things that any human would be so tempted to take and maybe even fall into.
Temptation is constantly surrounding us everyday. Jesus set the example of what it means to face temptation and how to handle it. He not only said no, but He was able to ward temptation off with using Scripture. God’s word is our ultimate tool that we can use to fight against what the world has to offer us.
Jesus Christ understands all that we go through. He withstood temptations regarding power, physical need, and testing God’s protective hand. From looking at the way Christ stood His ground in the face of great temptation, we too can find our strength through Him in fighting off the temptations of this world.