What can we learn from the temptation of Jesus Christ?
The Temptation of Jesus Christ-What Can We Learn?
After his baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil. Jesus fasted there 40 days.
Luke 4
1 Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 where he was being tempted by the devil for 40 days. During that time, he ate nothing at all, and when they were over, he became hungry.
3 The devil told him, “Since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.’”
5 The devil also took him to a high place and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant.
6 He told Jesus, “I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
7 So if you will worship me, all this will be yours.”
8 But Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
9 The devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
10 because it is written, ‘God will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully.
11 With their hands they will hold you up, so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’”
12 Jesus answered him, “It has been said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”
13 After the devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left him until another time.
What can we learn from Luke 4:1-13?
First, it’s a common assumption that what happens in verses 3-12 constitute the devil’s attempt to corrupt Jesus Christ. But, according to verse 2, it was after 40 days of attempting to tempt Jesus to commit a sin that the events of the following verses occurred. So, all the while Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, Satan was repeatedly approaching him with the intent to corrupt him.
Second, note that in these verses, twice Satan refers to Jesus as “the Son of God“.
Verse 3
The devil told him, “Since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
Verse 9
The devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
A third notable thing is what verse 10 states that Satan said:
“because it is written, ‘God will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully”.
These verses show that Satan knew that Jesus wasn’t God. It also makes clear that Satan knew that God and Jesus Christ were two distinct beings.
Also reflect on verses 6 and 7:
6 He told Jesus, “I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.
7 So if you will worship me, all this will be yours.”
Satan tells Jesus that ” all of this authority” had been “given” to him.
If Jesus were God, would he rather have said “You gave me all of this authority”?
And how could the devil offer Almighty God anything? What did Moses tell the Israelites?
Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
What did David say?
Psalm 83:11
The heavens are Yours; the earth also is Yours. The world and everything in it—You founded them.
When Abraham came back from his victory over victory over Chedorlaomer and the other kings aligned against him, Melchizedek who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God is recorded as saying this:
Genesis 14:19
He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth;
Satan can’t give God a solitary thing. It has been by God’s allowance that Satan has had a temporary rulership in the kingdom of man. It was Almighty God who as Satan in verse 6 states, gave him what authority he has. But he could attempt to corrupt the Son of God with an opportunity for immediate gratification rather than faithfully waiting until his time to receive authority and rulership.
A fourth important thing to think about can be picked up on when reading Luke 4:1-13. Let’s refer first to the Book of James.
James 1:13 says this about God:
When someone is tempted, he should not say, “I am being tempted by God,” because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.
It was a different matter for Lord Jesus because he was tested with evil by Satan himself. This was necessary according to God’s plan.
Hebrews 2:14-18 explains why:
14 Therefore, since the children have flesh and blood, he himself also shared the same things, so that by his death he might destroy the one who has the power of death (that is, the devil)
15 and might free those who were slaves all their lives because they were terrified by death.
16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels. No, he came to help Abraham’s descendants,
17 thereby becoming like his brothers in every way, so that he could be a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and could atone for the people’s sins.
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
He was to be appointed God’s High Priest and had to be prepared for that role. That Jesus is not God is proven as well by this fact.
The High Priest occupies the Sanctuary and stands before God. This is the biblical pattern. It makes no sense to believe Jesus stands before himself.
One last point is that each time Jesus rebuffed the devil’s attempts to tempt him, he referenced obedience to God, his Father, and His word.
Verse 4
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.’”
Verse 8
But Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
Verse 12
Jesus answered him, “It has been said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Each time, Jesus quoted the written word from God. We should have the same practice.
Interestingly after Jesus had done so the first two times, the devil attempted to quote the word of God to induce Jesus into sinning.
Satan sought to use the word of God to entice Jesus into putting God to the test in order to prove something. We also need to be on the watch that we never tempt (put) God to the test by doing things contrary to His commandment thinking He will be obligated to save us.
There are many valuable lessons we can learn from Luke 4:1-13 and the entirety of the Holy Bible.
Read it carefully and meditate on what you read.
Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path”.
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