Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) – Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “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.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
So what just happened?
Satan talked to Jesus and Jesus talked back to Satan.
First, Satan
- Satan knew that he could do anything he wanted to do to tempt Jesus as the Spirit led Jesus there specifically for that purpose.
- Satan knew Jesus was hungry.
- Satan challenged Jesus to prove himself by turning stones into bread.
- Satan took Jesus to a holy city and to the highest point in the temple.
- Satan challenged Jesus to prove himself by jumping off.
- Satan took Jesus to a mountain and showed him all the wonderful kingdoms and splendors.
- Satan challenged Jesus to prove who he would really worship.
- With each challenge Satan quoted scripture.
- Satan then left Jesus.
Now, Jesus
- Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and he went.
- Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights.
- Jesus knew he was to be tempted by the devil.
- Jesus knew he was hungry.
- Jesus heard the devil’s challenge for food and made a counter-statement.
- Jesus went with Satan to a temple.
- Jesus was challenged by Satan and again Jesus made a counter-statement.
- Jesus went with Satan to a holy city.
- Jesus was challenged once again by Satan and Jesus made a counter-statement.
- Jesus went with Satan to a mountain top and saw the wonderful kingdoms and splendors.
- Jesus was challenged by Satan as to who he would worship.
- Jesus made a counter-statement to Satan.
- Each of Jesus’ counter-statements were quotes from scripture.
- Jesus told Satan to go away and he did.
- Jesus was attended by angels.
My Thoughts
Quote: For most people in developed countries, being hungry is the uncomfortable feeling you get if you skip lunch. But it’s very different if you’re one of the hundreds of millions who don’t get enough to eat every single day. Being malnourished means you don’t have the strength or energy to do even the simplest tasks. Hunger makes you weak, tired and unable to concentrate. Work or study of any kind is exhausting. All you can think about is when you are going to eat.
After 40 days and nights I think Satan was counting on Jesus suffering in this way. Malnourishment can happen in less than 30 days. I think Satan thought Jesus would not be able to resist him. He tried with three different challenges. The first one he just counted on Jesus being too hungry to resist. When that didn’t work he showed Jesus what would humanly be desirable and quoted twisted scripture. That didn’t work either.
Jesus knew the point to being sent into the desert, it was to be tempted. Because of this he was willing to follow Satan to these various places and listen as Satan spoke.
Jesus knew what he was hungry for and it wasn’t what Satan was offering him.
I don’t think Satan was trying to get Jesus to doubt, I think he was trying to get him to prove himself. The “if you are” statements sound like a challenge to prove something.
Jesus nor Satan were mentioned as having debated, they both made statements. Satan challenged, Jesus opposed, and that was that.
I think Satan will challenge us at least three different times in one trial, mixing truth with twisted scripture, hoping we will cave. We know who we are in God, do we really need to prove it?
I also think that these challenges should to be met with scripture. Not just chanting them to ourselves, but addressing Satan as Jesus did and telling him whom we will worship. In this way Jesus resisted and Satan left.
We need to know scripture well enough that we can tell when it is being twisted.
We need to know what we are hungry for as there is more than one way to be malnourished and more than one type of wilderness.
After we resist Satan (not before) we will be attended to.
References & Definitions
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/food/whatishunger.shtml
Twisted: forced out of its natural or proper shape; crumpled
Resist: to take action in opposition to; succeed in ignoring the attraction of; not give in to
Hunger: to have a strong desire or craving for
Counter-statement: a statement made to deny or refute another statement.
Jackie Emerson Sexton 