By Randall L. Broad
Read: Genesis
5:1-7:24; Matthew 3:7-4:11; Psalm 3:1-8; Proverbs 1:10-19
The
day after we read about the fall of Adam and Eve in the One Year Bible we read
about the temptation of Christ in the wilderness.
The
Gospel of Matthew tells us:
1Then Jesus was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After
fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter
came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is
written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from
the mouth of God.’ ”
5Then the devil took him to
the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If
you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning
you,
And they will lift you up in their hands,
So that you will not strike your foot
against a stone.’ ”
7Jesus answered him, “It is
also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8Again, the devil took him
to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their
splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “If you will bow
down and worship me.”
10Jesus said to him, “Away
from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.’ ”
11Then the devil left him,
and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:1-11
The same story
of the temptation, although in a different order, is recorded in Luke 4:1-13
and mentioned in Mark 1:12-13. Satan has already undermined God’s creation by
challenging Adam and Eve with the million dollar question, “did God really say
…” Then in today’s reading he goes after an even bigger prize–the Messiah who
has wrapped himself in humanity to undo the victory of the serpent in the
garden. Though He was man in the flesh, He was still God in Spirit. Thus after
being declared the “Son of God” (Matthew 3:13-17); Jesus is led into the
wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted. Satan comes to Him on the final
day offering Jesus the chance to avoid any further suffering–not just in the
wilderness but on the cross as well. The tempter uses the same weapons against
Jesus as he did in the garden and as he does against all humanity: hunger; pride;
and compromise. The question the One Year Bible does not answer is how Matthew,
Mark, and Luke knew about Jesus’ encounter with Satan. All three gospels place
this story before Jesus calls His first disciple, yet all three record it or
make reference to it.
We cannot be
certain at what point in His ministry Jesus shared this story with His
disciples. There were no witnesses to the encounter itself. Indeed, the story
takes place in multiple settings; first the wilderness, then on the temple;
then on a mountain. Nothing finite could have traveled to so many places so
quickly; only Jesus and Satan could have been present. Yet we can safely
presuppose Jesus felt it was important to share this experience with His
disciples and for them to record these events alongside the miracles they
witnessed and the teachings they heard. Stories and parables were an
established form of teaching in Jesus’ time which combined an earthly event
with a heavenly meaning. The modern western mind often thinks incorrectly of a
parable as a “fictional story” with a philosophical meaning. For Jesus parables
were intended to be intensely practical and lead the people who could
understand them to a heavenly meaning. It is unlikely Jesus shared this story
the way He did His usual parables in the gospels’ “Once there was …”, but it is
also difficult to imagine Him telling it in any form that was not humble and
intended to convey a deep and important meaning.
As such the
story shares two characteristics of the parables which Jesus so often used as a
teaching tool for his followers.
The temptation of Jesus’ contains a
“heavenly meaning”.
In the passages
found in Matthew and Luke Satan tries three times to get Jesus to choose His
flesh over union with God just as Adam and Eve did. But Jesus came to restore
the union and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven. This heavenly meaning can be
found in the temptations themselves–Satan tells Jesus to turn stones into bread
to end His hunger. Satan challenges Him to throw Himself off the temple from
the highest point in the city performing an unforgettable miracle that will
draw men to Him. In the ultimate temptation, Satan offers Jesus all the
kingdoms of the world if He will bow and worship him. Each challenge is a
temptation to compromise. Each challenge represents a crown without the cross.
Jesus shared this story with the disciples so they would understand God will
build the Kingdom through faith, not by tricks, or spectacles, or compromises.
Jesus answers every challenge with the words “It is written …” for Jesus
understood the Kingdom could only be built by righteousness and through the
Word of God.
The temptation
of Jesus’ contains a “practical truth”.
Adam and Eve
were tempted one time in the Garden of Eden and failed. Jesus was tempted three
times in the wilderness and yet … He remained sinless. The Book of Hebrews
declares “... Jesus was tempted in every way!” a direct reference to the events
contained in Matthew 4:1-11.
For
we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did
not sin.
Hebrews 4:15
The practical
truths are found in Jesus’ three responses to Satan. When challenged to turn
stones into bread; Jesus replied, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God (v. 4).” When challenged to leap
from the temple; Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your
God to the test (v. 7).” When offered all the kingdoms of the world; Jesus
replied, Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only (v. 10).” Jesus shared
His temptations because He knew the disciples and every living human being in
the Kingdom of Heaven would face the same challenges to put physical needs
before their spiritual ones; to test God; and to compromise with evil. In his
answers we find the practical truths of the Kingdom: man does not live on bread
alone; he should not test God; and he must worship and serve only the one true
God.
Walk with the Lord …
Ephesians 1:17
(RLB250103)
© Copyright 2017: Randall L. Broad
Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.
