Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV)
4.1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written,
"'Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said 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,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
"'You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
It’s always amazing to read this passage because it’s hard for us to imagine the conversation that is taking place. It’s Jesus and the devil, locked in confrontation and conversation, and the whole encounter seems quite epic, and we struggle to think about how it all connects with us in our own journey of faith and relationship with Jesus.
But it does, and Matthew wants us to see those connections.
There is an Old Testament connection with the history of the people of God. Remember that, among the Gospels, Matthew has a distinctly Jewish perspective.
In Genesis, the people of God wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and just before that, they had crossed the Red Sea. Matthew is making the connection to Jesus’ baptism and His 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. The people of God failed during their wilderness time (on several occasions), but where they failed, Jesus succeeds; we are meant to see Jesus accomplish what the people of God were always meant to accomplish.
We can even go back further to Adam and Eve and the temptation they faced. God gave them one command; Adam and Eve faced one temptation, and their failure had catastrophic consequences that all of humanity has inherited ever since. Again, where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus succeeds.
Matthew also wants us to see our connection to the temptations. There are three temptations that Jesus faces from the devil: gratification, pride in position, and material possessions. Every temptation you and I face can be traced to one Jesus faced.
But temptation isn’t simply about sinful actions; there is a wickedness about them that we don’t often consider. N.T. Wright put it best, “Temptations are trying to distract us, to turn us aside, from the path of servanthood to which our baptism has commissioned us. God has a costly but wonderfully glorious vocation for each one of us. The enemy will do everything possible to distract us and thwart God’s purpose. If we have heard God’s voice welcoming us as his children, we will also hear the whispered suggestions of the enemy.”
It’s a reality that you and I will face temptation as we continue to pursue our relationship with Jesus; anyone who has been a Christian even for a little while has had this experience. So what are we to do?
Jesus gave us the answer; it is written. You and I need, must, stay grounded in Scripture. Know the story, store it in your heart, understand it, and know how to use it (did you notice that the devil tried to use Scripture against Jesus?). Keep your life centered on Jesus and trust Him with everything; every joy, sorrow, hurt, doubt, confusion, and hope for the future.
If you do that, I guarantee you won’t be distracted as you pursue your relationship with Jesus, and you will have the life He has promised you; life to the fullest (John 10:10).
One more passage that comes to mind for me this morning just to encourage you along the way:
Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)
3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
God bless you, and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott