The Temptation of Jesus
Mark 1:12-13, And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.The temptation of Jesus is recorded in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark & Luke. Mark give a short summary, but Matthew & Luke give three unique temptations, Matthew 4:1-11 & Luke 4:1-13, although in different order. All seduction can be grouped into three areas, the flesh, the world and pride. Satan first tempted Eve in the Garden with these three areas. These same areas are the focus points of all our temptations. All our desires can be summed in these three lust which are seduced by the three tempters, the World, the Flesh and the Devil.
Genesis 3:6, And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise...
1John 2:16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I. The Flesh
Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
The flesh is our basic desires for food, pleasure and sex. Our flesh is our biggest weakness.
Jesus response is that physical life is nothing with out spiritual life.
Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
II. The Eyes
Luke 4:5 - 7, And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
The world tries to allure us through the eyes. It promises fame, power and glory. The world also tries to get us to conform to its's ways.
Jesus response is to quotes the first of the Ten Commandments. If the Commandments are good enough for Jesus, they ought to be good enough for us.
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
III. Pride
Luke 4:9 - 11, And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
In other words, "You are the Son of God, nothing can hurt you". Satan tries to tempt Jesus into vainly displaying His Deity. Jesus, being part of the Godhead, could easily showed His might, but to flaunt it in a useless exhibition would be sin. Jesus performed all His miracles without boast.
Jesus counters this temptation with humility.
Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Satan didn't give up and would again tempt Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the Cross.
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
But after His resurrection, He ascended to the Right hand of the Father to be our Great the High Priest.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
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