Matthew 4
Satan Tempts Jesus
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘ He shall give His angels charge over you, and,
‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Many people get tempted each day but what you do with that temptation will lead you to sin or on the other end draw you to God. Temptation itself is neither good nor evil; it has the potential for both.

I remember something that happened in my life seventeen years ago in Bronx, NY. I was in Junior High and had to get to school. I had to walk to my elementary school (CS102) and get bused to my Junior High School (MS144). I had many friends and one day two of my friends asked me to cut school with them. They asked me the day before and the plan was to meet at the elementary school and cut out before the school busses came. I didn’t know what to do. While I was walking to school I had to make a decision to go or not to. I was thinking, “If I go, I can have so much fun – not dealing with school or getting homework.” And then I thought “If I don’t go to school, I will get in so much trouble with my parents, I’ll have double homework the next day, my parents will find out during that day and they won’t be able to trust me anymore.” So, I decided to do to school. I am not anywhere close to be sinless but at least I did the right thing and was glorifying God by not doing the wrong thing.

Jesus faced many temptations as us, probably more.

In Hebrews 4:15b says: When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. (NCV)

It only made sense that Jesus be tempted at least as much as we are. After all, if Satan could get him to cave on just one small temptation and sin, he could have kept us all doomed. A sinful savior is no savior just another sinner in need of a true sinless savior. Of his many temptations, one set in particular was clearly spelled out in the gospels.

Another temptation was recorded in the Bible with very different results in Genesis 3:1-10. It is the Temptation and the Fall of Man. Adam and Eve gave in to temptation but Jesus did not. I bet that fruit tasted so sweet and so tasteful and in the moment they ate it. After all Eve liked it enough to offer it to Adam. Sin has enjoyment in the moment, but it's a brief moment. After that moment came shame. Adam and Eve hid from God; The One that they walked with in the garden, and eventually there came more consequences for their actions. They were expelled from the garden and sin always has a price tag. Would you give away all that is good in your life for a single bit of fruit? Hardly, but that is the trouble of sin - it always demands a higher price than we really want to pay.

Look at Jesus, What happened after his temptation? "Behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

Adam and Eve were tempted and gave in. They were weakened. They began a life of toil. They condemned all humanity. Jesus was tempted and overcame. He was strengthened. He began a life of ministry. He redeemed all the people that have ever given in.

With each temptation that comes your way, you make a choice. You decide the results. You can choose brief pleasures or never-ending blessings. You can choose to conquer it or be weakened by it. The choice is yours.

In God’s Love,
<>< - - Mark E. Arroyo - - <><

This devotion was inspired by CF Devotionals