Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” –Hebrews 4:15

Before Jesus begins His public ministry, we see that He is prepared by facing temptation from the adversary. We see three temptations: the needs of the flesh, pride and the beauty of the world.

All three areas where the devil tempts Jesus are things that one could argue are not “bad” for Jesus. God’s plan is not for Jesus to starve to death. God will protect and preserve His life. And, ultimately, God wants to give the whole world to Christ as King. This is a case of opportunities to achieve good in an easy, painless way. You could say in today’s popular vernacular, “Where there is an open door, God is giving you an opportunity.”

Even the devil tries to justify the temptations, using Scripture and partial truths in his aid.

We are shown this scene in Jesus’ life for a couple reasons. One, we see that He faced every sort of temptation that we will ever face. He knows what we face. He is not oblivious to our struggles. But we also see an example to follow. We need to trust God’s plans and not try to do things—even the things we think God wants—in our own power. And the only way to know what God’s will is—to avoid a temptation to do good for the wrong reasons—is to abide in God’s word.