Dan Streeter.co.uk

The Temptation of Jesus (Matt 4:1-11)

The start of Matthew 4 tells the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. This was the reading for day 4 of the Soul Survivor 'Bible in a year'. There were a few verses that jumped out and made me think...

 

 

v1: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted...

This interested me because it says that the spirit led Jesus to be tempted, not 'Jesus was IN the desert and the devil tempted him' - Jesus was LED to be tempted, not by man, or by the devil, but by the Spirit, the word Spirit is also capitalised in the Bible so I am guessing they are referring to the Holy Spirit - so for Jesus to be led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, God must have ordered/summoned/been behind the whole thing...

v2: After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry...

I bet he was, I've fasted junk food for 3 days and been hungry. But forty days must have been a killer. What I liked about this verse was that Jesus had fasted for a long time, so was probably very weak & very hungry; but still the Spirit (God) led him to be tempted by the devil. I think its often the times we are most tired, or weak, or hungry (spiritually or physically) that God leads us to testing or temptation. Only then after everything is stripped away can we see past our own strength (which isn't there any more) and put our trust and strength in him.

v6: If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning you, and they will...

Just goes to show that the devil knows not only his stuff, but he also knows the scriptures. Watch your guard!