Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. 3 Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone." (Luke 4:1-4 NLT)
Temptations can be real and very dangerous. But temptations are not sins. Being tempted is not the same as sinning, breaking God's commands. Jesus was tempted but never sinned. He shows us how to overcome our temptations.
In the first of three identified temptations, Satan tempts Jesus to use His power as the son of God for selfish purposes. I wonder if this could be translated a different way. The New Testament word translated "If" can also mean "Since." So it could read "Since your are the Son of God." Either way the temptation was very real.
The temptation was not only about the bread, it was also about Jesus showing Himself as the type of leader the people wanted. If Jesus could make bread out of stones, He could become the "Bread King" of the people, feeding them and making them prosperous. Christianity is not about personal prosperity. But that was not Jesus' mission.
Jesus' mission was to say not to temptation, to defeat sin, death and Satan. Jesus defeated the Temptations by knowing God's Word and applying it to each situation. Jesus defeated the Temptations by staying connected with God the Father and drawing strength form Him.
We can follow Jesus' example to defeat the temptations that come our way by staying close to God in prayer, by studying God's Word and letting it guide us. Never forget that when we give into temptations, as we do, God is ready to forgive and restore us.
Temptations can be real and very dangerous. But temptations are not sins. Being tempted is not the same as sinning, breaking God's commands. Jesus was tempted but never sinned. He shows us how to overcome our temptations.
In the first of three identified temptations, Satan tempts Jesus to use His power as the son of God for selfish purposes. I wonder if this could be translated a different way. The New Testament word translated "If" can also mean "Since." So it could read "Since your are the Son of God." Either way the temptation was very real.
The temptation was not only about the bread, it was also about Jesus showing Himself as the type of leader the people wanted. If Jesus could make bread out of stones, He could become the "Bread King" of the people, feeding them and making them prosperous. Christianity is not about personal prosperity. But that was not Jesus' mission.
Jesus' mission was to say not to temptation, to defeat sin, death and Satan. Jesus defeated the Temptations by knowing God's Word and applying it to each situation. Jesus defeated the Temptations by staying connected with God the Father and drawing strength form Him.
We can follow Jesus' example to defeat the temptations that come our way by staying close to God in prayer, by studying God's Word and letting it guide us. Never forget that when we give into temptations, as we do, God is ready to forgive and restore us.
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