January 8th, 2021 Temptation 1-Today we will be looking at the first temptation. Then Jesus was led up to the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil, and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he did hunger. And the Tempter having come to him said, ‘If Son thou art of God — speak that these stones may become loaves.’ But he answering said, “It hath been written, ‘Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.’”
Let’s set the background and it’s more than just the 40 Day fast that he was on. Jesus had been baptized and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove rested on him as God’s voice spoke out from heaven. These were good times and it is after such times the devil will approach us because we may be found to be weak. The 40 Day fast was indeed a miraculous fast and one like those of Moses and Elijah. In such a fast one is declaring being loosed from the body and its control. The Tempter may perceive this as an opportunity to take advantage of but at this point we may find ourselves even stronger than when fed. The more we have control over our bodies, the less of an advantage Satan has over us.
In Matthew v2 we see “he did hunger”. In Luke v2 we see “he afterward hungered”. Jesus at this point may have been looking for food but of course, in the wilderness, he won’t find much. Matt 6 tells us that God takes care of us when He is first in our lives. This first temptation is a kind of temptation that tugs at the lust of the flesh. Natural lusts are hard to resist because they appeal to our nature and we are living in a natural world. Jesus was hungry from not eating for 40 Days and God who is providing for us seemingly didn’t provide for him at that moment. If the devil got Jesus to sin, then all of Salvation would have failed because the only reason he is the sacrifice that gets us reunited with God is because he was falsely tortured and killed so he paid a debt that wasn’t for owed by him.
Jesus could have turned the stones to bread but that would be a needless use of God’s power like asking God to float us across a room because we feel tired. God placed us in a natural world with His supernatural presence but that presence is for His glory not our own.
Jesus’ response though was to say that spiritual nourishment is more valuable than physical nourishment. So check this out, the devil used a natural need at a time when the need was great to make light of the power of God and to more importantly show doubt in God’s Providence. This would make it easy to rationalize our stupidity. We could make an excuse and say, “Well, if I don’t eat, I might die here so I need to make the stones turn to bread; otherwise all the good I will do will not happen and God’s plan won’t be fulfilled!” This situation is full of opportunity to rationalize. Satan can make it seem as if we have to take care of ourselves, independent of God’s Providence (though in this case we will use God’s power to our own ends). The devil may even challenge us in this to test the power of God. In our own temptations, we must not succumb because if we do:
- We’d literally be making a deal with the devil! In this case the miracle would not be confirming faith in God.
- Miracles are to ratify/make valid the doctrine and this would ratify the devil being right that God is not going to provide so be impatient.
- Jesus never did a miracle for his own benefit. He came to serve others and set that example for us to follow.
- Satan challenged him to prove his being the Son of God and that was proven by life, death and resurrection, not just some stone to bread for one’s own glory and edification.
- This miracle would show separation from God, the Father. Jesus’ claim to be one with The Father would therefore be invalid, if this was done.
Jesus’ response now is tremendous because here he speaks his first recorded words since being baptized and ready to start his ministry. God’s Word is our sword and faith in that Word is our shield, speak His Word and trust His Word.
Join us for our Zoom meetings: Fridays at 7pm; Prayer session Sundays at 6pm; Bible study Tuesdays at 8pm all times are Atlantic Standard Time.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6456598424