Struggle in the Wilderness

GOLDEN TEXT: “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.” —Luke 4:8

LUKE 4:1-15

THROUGH the revealing power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus had learned that the will of God for him was that he was to die a sacrificial death—led as a “lamb to the slaughter.” (Isa. 53:7) The record is that he was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” (vs. 1) Evidently the great flood of truth which opened up to him upon receiving the Holy Spirit impelled him to seek temporary solitude that he might the better be able to evaluate its meaning.

In the wilderness he went without food for forty days. Then the Devil said to him, “If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” (vs. 3) This was more than an appeal to Jesus’ desire to satisfy his hunger. Forty days prior to this he had heard his Heavenly Father say to him, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (ch. 3:22) Now the Devil was raising a question about this—“if” thou be the Son of God.

Had Jesus for even an instant doubted his sonship, what a terrible moment it would have been for him! It would seem that then he would have taken almost any step in order to be reassured of this blessed relationship. But he did not doubt, and his natural hunger could wait. He replied to the Devil, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.” This was quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus had agreed to do his Father’s will, so every Word of God had a bearing on his course in life. His eternal existence now depended upon obedience to “every Word” of his Father’s will. He was to sacrifice his life, and he knew that to use the miracle-working power of the Holy Spirit to keep himself alive would be contrary to his covenant.

Then the Devil gave Jesus a mental picture of “all the kingdoms of the world,” and said, “All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them.” The condition was that Jesus worship the Devil instead of his Heavenly Father. To this temptation Jesus replied, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

Jesus did not deny that the Devil was in a position to fulfill his offer. Indeed, later he referred to Satan as the “prince of this world.” (John 16:11) Jesus was also aware of the fact that he had come into the world to be a king, a ruler. He knew that the time would come when all the kingdoms of the world would come into his possession. (Ps. 2:6-12; Rev. 11:15-18) But Jesus knew also that the Father’s will for him was first of all to suffer and to die, and then enter into this promised glory.—Luke 24:26

The Devil tempted Jesus along still another line, suggesting that he cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, depending upon the angels to prevent him from being harmed. This temptation was also introduced by the subtle suggestion that he might not be the Son of God. Again Jesus replied by the use of the Word of God, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

Since Jesus had been given such a definite assurance of his sonship, it would have been presuming upon his Heavenly Father to expect him to give further proof of what he had so clearly stated when he said, “Thou art my beloved Son.” Jesus did not expect any spectacular demonstration of his Father’s love and care. When hanging on the cross the people cried, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross,” but even then he refused to yield to the temptation to save himself, or to prove his claims to his enemies.—Matt. 27:40

Jesus successfully resisted all these temptations, but many of his professed followers have not. Instead of continuing in the pathway of sacrifice, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the “Christian” appeal today is too often one of material gain, social standing, good health.

Jesus refused the kingdoms of this world on the Devil’s terms, but later his followers united with them, and called their unholy union Christ’s kingdom—Christendom. And even today the vast majority of Jesus’ professed followers have no better hope than to suppose that he is in some way reigning over the world through earthly governments, hence they work politically with the governments, supposing that this is Christian service.

And the great nominal mass of Christians have yielded to the temptation to employ the spectacular to prove that they are God’s children. Million-dollar cathedrals, colorful regalia, paid choirs, spectacular methods of evangelism, the big crowd—all these are pointed to as evidences of God’s blessing, while those employing them fail to realize that they are in reality engulfed in emptiness, and have fallen from the favor of God.

QUESTIONS

Why and how was Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness?

Why would it have been wrong for Jesus to use his God-given powers to satisfy his natural hunger?

Was Satan in a position to give the kingdoms of this world to Jesus? Why did Jesus not accept them?

Why would Jesus have been tempting God by casting himself from the pinnacle of the temple?

In what ways have many of the professed followers of Jesus yielded to temptations similar to those which he so firmly resisted?

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