The Temptation of Jesus: The Desires of the Flesh (Luke 4:3-4)

Satan Tempting Christ to Change Stones into Bread By Rembrandt

(1 John 2:15-17; Genesis 3:6)(Deuteronomy 8:3)

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food…”

The first temptation we see Jesus face is the same one that we saw Eve face in the garden. The fruit was good for food’ Jesus is famished. John calls this temptation, “the desire of the flesh.” It is a most basic temptation. Our bodies are created things with needs that are natural. There need not be anything sinful about fulfilling these desires and needs—as God provided for them. Food, sex, exercise, sleep, and rest are all things we are designed to need. However, when we obtain these things outside of God’s design, that is when things go wrong.

The devil tells Jesus that He should turn a stone into bread and fulfill His need for sustenance. We know that this is something Jesus would be able to do. It would not even be something that anyone else would have to know about. It won’t harm anyone. So why doesn’t Jesus do it? Jesus’s answer is a quote from Deuteronomy. Chapter 8, verse 3.

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word1 that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus knows that life is about so much more than blindly satisfying our fleshly impulses. We are designed with those needs, but we are created with a much higher purpose. We are created to glorify God and be in relationship with Him as our Creator. When we trust God and follow His lead, we can know that our needs will be met by Him. Jesus knew that hunger and thirst and many other fleshly sufferings awaited Him. However, He had a much higher purpose, and the power He possessed would be used for that purpose… not to make a loaf of bread to silence a stomach rumble!