May 3, 2018 - As Jesus came up out of the waters of the Jordan from his baptism by John the Baptist the Holy Spirit of God came to rest on him and filled him and then led him into the wilderness for forty days during which time he did not eat.
The devil came to him there and tempted him with promises of worldly riches and power, all if Jesus would only bow to him and worship him instead of the Father God.
As Jesus became increasingly hungry the devil used his hunger as one of his temptations when he asked Jesus to turn a rock into bread and to eat.
Jesus answered from a passage in (Deuteronomy Chapter 8) when he said; “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Luke 4:4) These words were taken from the message given by Moses to the Hebrew people showing them that they did not live by bread alone which God had furnished for them for forty years, but that man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Then the devil took Jesus up on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the known world at that time, offering him all that he could see if he would only bow to him, saying to Jesus; “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” (Luke 4:6) To this offer Jesus answered him, “It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” (Luke 4:8) As Moses explained to the Hebrew people, our God is a jealous God and he will not share his glory with anyone.
To turn from him is to incur his wrath as Moses says, “Lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he shall destroy you from off the face of the earth.” (Deut. 6:15)
From there the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and sat him on the pinnacle of the temple and asked him to throw himself down, to jump off the temple when he cites (Psalm 91) trying to use the scriptures to get Jesus to do his will as Jesus used the scriptures to defy his wishes.
Jesus again answered him, “It is said, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Luke 4:12)
And then, having used up every temptation he could think of the devil left him for a more opportune time when he would try to tempt him again.
Still being filled with the Holy Spirit Jesus returned to the area of Galilee where the word went out about his teaching as he taught in the synagogues and was glorified by all.
Jesus then returned to the place of his youth, Nazareth and went into the synagogue where again he read from the scrolls. He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah where it is written;
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
But those who had heard him were asking, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22) When he heard their doubts Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.” (Luke 4:24)
Showing us that even our Lord Jesus Christ could not be accepted by those that had known him as a child for he had to leave there and go to Capernaum and establish his ministry from there.
Now Jesus endured all of the devils temptations, without failure, remaining without blemish, that he might know any temptation that we might be subjected to today.
No matter the problem you may face, Jesus is the answer for he and he alone knows our troubles and he alone has the answer to any trouble, any problem.
So come to him today, come to the one who has been tested and submit to him as Lord that you too might pass the test of temptation.
Not by your own strength but by the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ who has already defeated the devil, death and the grave, and now lives eternally in heaven.
