Herald of the Hills

“The Temptation of Jesus”

One of the most reassuring things that we can rely on in our quest to follow Jesus is that He understands what we go through in this life.  The Hebrews writer confirmed this by stating, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).  One of the complexities in examining the duality of Jesus is how He could be completely human and yet completely deity.  Earlier the writer had noted that Jesus is able to aid [NKJV] us because of the temptation that He endured (Heb. 2:18).  In other words, in remembering that He Himself faced the very same temptations that we face, we can choose to avoid the pratfalls that occur from time to time in our lives.  We should be comforted in the knowledge that the temptations that we face are not too difficult for us to overcome.  Note the apostle Paul’s words of encouragement, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13).  It should be of great comfort that God has provided a way of escape for us.  When we allow temptation to defeat us, it is because we did not avail ourselves of the way of escape.
          The fact that there is right and wrong, and that as human beings, we have the ability to make choices inevitably puts us in a position from time to time to have to make those choices.  We are in the fortuitous position of also being aware of the consequences of those choices, so that the choice we make will be an informed one.  God, through His Word, has prescribed the plan of salvation for all mankind, He had designated how mankind is to offer worship to Him, and He had formulated a means by which mankind is to live.  In this present day and age, we hear much conversation about God’s grace and how we cannot nor are we expected to do anything in response to that grace.  Furthermore, we are often told that it makes no difference how we live, because God’s grace is so vast and consuming that regardless of how one behaves, they will be granted eternal life in heaven.  However, such contentions do not coincide with the Scriptures.  Paul, in his letter to Titus, explained that although we are dependant on God’s grace for salvation, that God’s grace is only extended to those who will receive it and receive it on God’s terms.  He stated, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12—emphasis RR).  Note that God’s grace teaches us that we must live righteously and godly lives, not degenerate lives, filled with pleasing ourselves and fulfilling our every whim and lust.  Those who would contend that grace by itself can and will save, would no doubt also contend that one could be a fornicator, alcoholic, drug addict, use filthy language, be dishonest, and still somehow manage to be granted access to heaven.  The very thought of that is ludicrous on its face.
          In facing temptation, we have to weigh the consequences.  Temptation involves something that we want very badly.  Otherwise, it is not a temptation.  Some want to drink or use drugs because they like the way it makes them feel.  Others want to tell crude and disgusting jokes, laugh at the same, or use other forms of perverse language, including taking the Lord’s name in vain because they want the approval of others.  Still others give in to sexual temptation because they simply want to enjoy the pleasure that it brings.
          After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River (Matt. 3:14-17), the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days and nights (Matt. 4:1-2).  Jesus was not the first to endure such a fast.  Moses (Exo. 34:28), as well as Elijah (1 Kin. 19:8), fasted for that length of time.  However, we must not overlook what an enormous feat that was.  Medical science has noted that forty days is about as long as the human body can endure without food before internal organs begin to shut down.  Since food provides physical strength, we may presume that in the absence of food for forty days, Jesus was considerably weakened.  Luke records that the devil had been tempting Jesus throughout this forty day period (Luke 4:2).  What these temptations consisted of, we are not told but we are provided information concerning three particular temptations.
          The first recorded temptation was Satan’s appeal to Jesus to satisfy His intense hunger.  He said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (Matt. 4:3).  Indeed, considering how hungry our Lord was and His weakened condition, how tempting it must have been to merely speak the words that would transform those stones into nourishing, strengthening bread.  Yet Jesus refrained from doing so and in fact, invoked scripture, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (v.4; cf. Deut. 8:3).  Jesus in refusing to succumb to this temptation made it clear that while human life is nourished by physical food, it is the spiritual food [the Word of God], that sustains the spiritual life and that must take precedence.  This stance is consistent with the continued teaching of Jesus throughout His ministry (Matt. 6:33; 10:28; 16:26).
          Next, the devil appealed to what he hoped would be the Lord’s vanity in tempting Him to hurl Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, even citing scripture [Psa. 9:11-12] to confirm God’s protection of Him (Matt. 4:5-6). In doing this, Jesus would be able to prove that He was the Son of God and that God watchful protection was over Him continually.  Yet again, Jesus refused, citing another scripture, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (v.7).  This is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16 where Moses reminded the Israelites that they strove against God and tempted Him at Massah.  The Israelites tempted God by implying that if God truly loved them and cared for them that He would provide water for them (Exo. 17:1-7)
          Finally, the devil hoped to persuade Jesus to worship Him by offering Him the kingdoms of the world.  In doing this, he was offering Jesus the opportunity to be a king, without enduring the sacrifice of the cross, and without waiting for the appropriate time.  Not merely an ordinary king, ruling over a particular province or nation, but ruler over all the kingdoms of the world.  However, the price was too high.  To reject God and to align with Satan, would bring instant earthly glory, but also eternal destruction.  Jesus replied, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Matt. 4:10).  With that exchange, the devil did depart, but Luke records for a season (Luke 4:13), indicating that this was not the last exchange between our Lord and the devil.
     Jesus was described as being in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, yet must we conclude that Jesus was subjected to every possible temptation?  Not necessarily, when we consider the phrase “all points.”  The points of which the writer spoke could be noted as those which John described as … the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…(1 John 2:16).  The devil used all of these “points” in his temptation of Eve, as she saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], and that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [pride of life] (Gen. 3:6). He also used these “points” in tempting Jesus.  He tempted him to change stones to bread [lust of the flesh], to accept his offer of the kingdoms of the world [lust of the eyes], and throwing himself off the temple [pride of life].  Yet Jesus did not sin.  We can take comfort in this life when we recall the Lord’s resolve to keep Himself sinless.  We can embrace His strength in overcoming the temptations that we face in this life.
Randy Robinson

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