Bible Question:
After Jesus was baptized by John, he was taken to be tempted by the devil, why? In the wildness for 40 days, Saturn ask Jesus to turn stone to bread. Why is this wrong as Jesus mention that men do not live on bread alone but on the words of God? |
Bible Answer: Hi Eng Yong, The temptation of Jesus was a testing permitted by God (Matt 4:1). The same Spirit that descended on Jesus at His baptism ( Matt 3:16), was the same Spirit that led Him up into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matt 4:1). The temptation of Jesus showed the cause of suffering to Him (Heb 2:18), and not a drawing away to sin. In all the temptations which Jesus endured, there was nothing within Him that answered to sin. There is no sinful infirmity in Him! While Jesus shared in our humanity (Heb 2:14-17), He was pure from human defilment. " Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). In the temptations, satan enticed Jesus to forsake His messianic commitment. Jesus however proved Himself loyal to the Father, He did not tempt God or put Him to the test. Knowing that Jesus was hungry after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights (Matt4:2), satan found an opportune time to tempt the Master. The first temptation, " Turn these stones into bread" (Matt 4:3), appeals to the fleshly hungar state that Jesus was in. Jesus knowing that there is more to life than satisfying the physical needs, answered him from the word of God, "Man shall not live by bread alone,...", for He lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4; Deut 8:3). When the appeal to the flesh failed, satan resorted to the pride of life, the second temptation. Taking Jesus up into the holy city and setting Him on the pinnacle of the temple, satan challenges Him to throw Himself down (Matt 4:5-6). He even quotes the scripture, purposely putting the Lord to the test. (Ps 91:11-12). Jesus once again anwered him from the word of God " Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." ( Matt 4:7; Deut 6:16). The third temptation was to gain worldly possessions by worshiping satan. The devil again took Jesus up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Him, if only He would bow down and worship him. (Matt 4:8-9). Jesus again answered him from the word of God, " Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only you shall serve". (Deut 6:13). The motive behind all these temptations, is that satan was seeking to destroy the mission Jesus was sent to accomplish,and that was to overcome death. Jesus' death and resurrection destroyed satan's power. Having overcome the tempter, we could now look to Jesus our High Priest, to comfort and aid us when we are also tempted. " For in that, He Himself has suffered, being tempted,He is able to aid those who are tempted". (Heb 2:18). Praise God! God bless you. Ptr. |