Week 7 - Day 3
THE STORY
Rescue (New Testament)
TEMPTATION
Three week’s ago we looked at Satan’s Temptation of Adam and Eve and how they fell for Satan’s lie and rebelled against God’s command and authority. Their rebellious disobedience caused our separation from God and Satan’s enslavement of this world. The Story now continues with Satan’s temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
How did the devil (Satan) tempt Jesus?
Why were these real temptations for Jesus?
How did Jesus withstand Satan’s temptation?
Hebrews 2:17-18 (NIV)
For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
What do these two passages from Hebrews say about …
The severity of Jesus’ temptations?
The reality of Jesus’ resistance?
And the ability of Jesus to relate to our own temptations and His ability to help us when tempted?
Romans 5:19 (NIV)
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Who is this first “one man”? What did he do?
Who is this second “one man”? What did he do?
If our Rebellion came about through disobedience, our Rescue comes about through obedience.
According to Romans 5:19, whose obedience saves us?
Jesus’ Temptation is important for many reasons:
In the First Great Temptation, Adam and Eve failed the test, separating the human race from God and giving Satan authority over the world. In this, the Second Great Temptation, our Second Adam, Jesus Christ passes the test, taking the authority back and offering the human race a new relationship with God.
Because Jesus obeyed His Father not just in this temptation, but throughout His life, Jesus also kept His Father’s will as revealed through Moses in the Old Testament law. Jesus, then, fulfills the law of God by perfectly obeying it.
Just as the Old Testament Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness being tested by God (see Deuteronomy 8:2) and failed over and over again, Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness being tested by God and decisively passes the test. Once again, Jesus has done what Israel and we could never do—perfectly obeyed. So not only is Jesus our new and perfect Adam, He is the new and perfect Israel. He is Abraham’s blessing to the whole world.
Jesus’ resistance to Satan’s temptation and His perfect obedience to His Father and God’s law, qualifies Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. More on this next week when we look at Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.
If disobedience is the basis of our Rebellion, obedience is the basis of our Rescue. The Good News is that it’s not through our obedience. If that were the case, no one could be saved. We’re all sinners who have already disobeyed God’s law and continue to disobey God’s law. The Good News is that our Rescue doesn’t depend on our imperfect obedience, but on Jesus’ perfect obedience. Unlike Adam and Israel and ourselves, Jesus perfectly obeyed His Father’s will in every circumstance and through every decision of His life. And Jesus’ perfect obedience (righteousness) is credited to all who believe in Him.
Finally, Jesus can relate. He’s been tempted in every way we are and has resisted. So you can go to Him for help when tempted.
Which of the above 6 points encourages you the most? Why?
What help do you need from Jesus right now?
In light of what you have discovered through the Bible readings and your personal reflections, how will you respond? Finish this sentence: I will …