Tonight our small group discussed Luke 4:1-13 “Satan Tempts Jesus” but more precisely, were these temptations valid or did Satan really think that he could tempt Christ.
To set this up, after Jesus was baptized by John he was full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. During those 40 days, he was tempted by the devil and was hunger when it was over.
Let us walk through the three-recorded temptation:
1. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command the stone to become bread”
Here we see the devil tempting Christ’s hunger from the fast as the Bible recorded in verse 2. My understanding of fasting (thanx to one member of our group who had fasted for one week) once you have gone beyond hunger you are not really hungry. But in my opinion, I think that the temptation was to uses the power of God to satisfy a human need for food thus misusing the power to put the physical ahead of the spiritual. Christ’s response to this temptation was a quotation from scripture (Deut. 8:3) which said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Nice come back to set the spiritual back ahead of the physical.
2. The devil then took Jesus to the top of a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Then said, “All this authority I will give You and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” “Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
This is a good temptation because Jesus can end evil for all time for the world but at what cost. Since Jesus is God, then God would worship the devil. By doing this, it would go against first of the Ten Commandments Ex 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.” At this price, the cost was far too high to take out evil with one act. Again, Christ responses quoting scripture to rebuke the devil’s temptation.
3. For the last recorded temptation the devil brought Jesus to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If Your are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
I thought this was interesting how the devil quotes scripture to provoke a response, to use scripture for his own ends. The devil wanted an audience, which is why he took Jesus to Jerusalem, to attempt to expose God’s power to the public. Again, Christ responses quoting scripture to rebuke the devil’s temptation.
In all three temptations, the devil tries to tempt Christ in areas that the devil knows would tempt Him. If they were not areas that would legitimately tempt Christ then the temptations would not be valid. The devil can only provide the choice; it is up to us to choose the right path.
Today we were challenged by our pastor on re-examining our lifes and how we live to follow the path Jesus. As I sat there I thought, am I living for Jesus the best I can; my answer was yes for right now I am living the best I can live for Jesus. I take comfort in looking to the future where I can live more for Jesus and working for God. As our kids get older, they become less and less of a time commitment and as they leave us to find their own path, they will become less of a financial commitment. The financial groundwork I am laying now will give me the ability to quit working for “The Man†and allow me to work for God.
As I sat there I thought, maybe there is something else I can do right now. I thought maybe I could use the knowledge gained from the path God has put me on over the last two years. I thought YES, there is something else I can do.
I will not spoil the surprise until it is launched but what I will say is, if God’s blessing is upon this idea then will help feed and care for the poor.
I think it is important to “Take Up the Cross and Follow Him†everyday. This can be done in seemingly small and simple ways.
- Hold the door for someone
- Pickup a piece of litter and put it in the trash
- Buy someone a coffee
- Smiling is contagious
- Pat someone else on the back
- Encourage someone
The list is long, use your imagination. It is amazing how a few acts of kindness can improve someone else’s life or even just their day. Sometimes you may never see the fruits of your labour but, do not let that stop you.
God calls us to a higher purpose. Are you ready to rise, take up the cross and follow him?
I have been meaning to comment on this subject about the “Left Behind” series. Is it better to be left behind or not to be left behind? The “Left Behind” series places their entire message on two verses, Matt 24:40-41 and Luke 17:34-36.
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Matt 24:40-41
I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:34-36
In these verses, Jesus said that if two men were in a field one would be taken and the other would be left. The trouble here is, Jesus never said if the believer would be taken or left. The “left behind camp” assumes that the believer would be taken and the non-believer would be left in the field.
This would all be well and fine accept for Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. He clarifies who would stay and how would be left behind.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thess 4:14-17
Here, Paul speaks of Christ’s return. When he returns, those believers who fell asleep in Christ will be raised up. But more importantly, those who are alive and remain will be caught up together and raised into the clouds with those who were called from their slumber. We will all be with the Lord forever.
I want to be left behind!