2002-01-01
Good Morning Fellow Believers,
What a wonderful treasure we have in our lives when Christ is a part of them! He has set an example for us to demonstrate that the devil doesn’t have to be the victor, despite his power to bring us suffering and loss. Of course, that is a small part of all the many blessings we have from our faith in Christ, but an important one none the less. Today the Holy Spirit leads me to go back to MT 4: 1-11 to take another good look at it. Remember that every time we are taken back to territory once covered, God has more wonderful lessons for us that bless our lives. So, we don’t waste our time. Before going there, however, there are some important things to bear in mind that God has told us in the Scriptures about Christ’s duel nature, both God and Man. MT 1 :18 tells us his mother, Mary, was with child by the Holy Spirit. That means He didn’t inherit the original sin of Adam and Eve. 1 COR 5: 7-8 and HE 10: 10 tell us He is our Passover Lamb and made the once-for-all perfect sin sacrifice on the cross that purifies all who believe in Him from sin. JN 3: 16 and RO 3: 24-25 tell us that He gave His life as a free offering out of God’s grace so that we could be saved. MT 3: 13-17 and LK 3: 21-22 let us know that He was baptized in the water and in the Spirit. All of this uniquely qualifies Christ to be our Blood Avenger and Kinsman-Redeemer. Now, let’s look closely at MT 4: 1-11, the story of His temptation in the wilderness.
When we read this passage, there are three ways which Satan used to tempt the Lord. First he tempted him with hunger. MT 4: 3-4, “Then the devil came to Him and said, ‘If You are God’s Son, order these stones to turn into bread.’ But Jesus answered, ‘The Scripture [DT 8: 3] said, ‘Man cannot live on bread alone, but needs every word that God speaks.’” Christ’s response here has an important lesson in it. Miracles don’t come on demand. This brings to mind the time when the Pharisees demanded a miracle in MT 12: 38. Christ’s response to them was equally revealing. MT 12: 39-40, “’How evil and godless are the people of this day!’ Jesus exclaimed. ‘You ask Me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and nights in the big fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth.’” How very wise our Lord is in using a story to put His point across to these Jewish leaders, one with which they would all be familiar. The sad part is that they still didn’t get the real implication of what Christ was saying, or they would have come to faith in Him immediately and recognized that He is the Messiah.
The second way Satan tempted the Lord in the wilderness to try to get Him to jump down from the pinnacle of the temple to see if angels will protect Him. This temptation goes to the very heart of the Lord’s power, His power which is sovereign and supreme. If it sounds like I’m confusing Christ with God here, it’s because Christ is the second personality of God, and God is in Him [JN 14: 9, 11]. Christ’s power was not for show, nor was it to be questioned. The act of questioning it in the first place is arrogant disrespect. Christ knew this and was not about to give in to it. God’s power through Christ would never be used for unrighteous reasons. Satan’s disrespect goes even to the point of quoting Scripture for the wrong reasons here. MT 4: 5-7, “Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the Holy City, set Him on the highest on of the temple and said to Him, ‘If You are God’s Son, throw Yourself down, for this Scripture [PS 91: 11-12] says, ‘God will give orders to His angels about you; they will hold you up with their hands, so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.’ Jesus answered, ‘But the Scripture [DT 6: 16] also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
The last way that Satan tempts the Lord is found in MT 4: 8-10. “Then the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in all their greatness. ‘All this I will give You,’ the devil said, ‘if You kneel down and worship me.’ then Jesus answered, ‘Go away, Satan! The Scripture [DT 6: 13] says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him!’” God has made His will regarding idolatry so well known right from the time He handed down the Law to Moses. EX 20: 3-5, “Worship no God but Me. Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under earth. Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord, your God, and I tolerate no rivals…” Christ, Who is perfect, gives us one of the most compelling demonstrations of why He is qualified to be our Kinsman-Redeemer and of God’s power we’ve ever had in MT 4: 11. “Then the devil left Jesus and the angels came and helped Him.” Christ had to be worn by what had happened, but He wasn’t defeated. He was the victor. In EPH 1: 18-20, we are reminded that God gives us that same power to overcome temptation and to be victorious in Christ’s name against Satan. We may be tired from our battles with Satan, but we hold the power to chase Him away, just as Christ did. I find real encouragement in that and hope you do too.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have instructed our Lord Jesus Christ to give us a message in MT 5: 6 & 10 as a part of the Sermon on the Mount that is critical for us to heed. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires…Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” Each day of our lives on earth, we as believers striving to live “in Christ” are tempted by Satan and his followers. We must often leave what is comfortable, shuck off an old well-worn habit, attempt tasks we didn’t know we could do, and even leave some people behind who habitually reject the Lord to remain obedient to Him. We frequently find ourselves dealing with people in the workplace or even in our own families who hate everything we have been taught You to believe. Temptation comes our way through the media and culture in which we live. We must stand strong against it all, remaining faithful to all Your teaching. We must keep our eyes and ears open for Your instruction, encouragement, and correction when it’s needed. Christ’s example in dealing with Satan is there to help us realize we too can stand up to him. PS 9: 10, “Those who know You, Lord, will trust You; You do not abandon anyone who comes to You.” Instead, You are there to help us avoid Satan’s snares set for us. You give us discernment from Your word, and the Holy Spirit to understand Your teaching. We present ourselves in gratitude today, to humbly confess our sin, pledge our loyalty, promise our diligence, remember the power You have given us against Satan, and to use it with courage. We do not know what our future holds, but our trust in You tells us that when we are obedient to You, it will be one filled with justice, love, eternal life, joy, and fellowship with You. We worship and adore You, Dearest Abba, and offer You praise and thanksgiving. We look forward to the Day when we are with You forever. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to say even more about the lessons we learn from MT 4: 1-11. This passage is a treasure trove, and I know it’s a worthwhile exercise to delve into the wealth of God’s goodness we can have from it. All around me today, I can feel God’s love. His love is not only for me, but it is for each of us who believes in Him. He has given us reason to feel His power in combating the adversary, and He has shown us a way to set a worthy example for others around us who might come to faith. We should never forget His love for us or be ashamed of witnessing to it. Our Lord is a Being eager to bless and to bring new sheep into His fold. We can be a part of that wonderful work. Pete and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn