If you were starting a three-year project, how would you begin? Now that Jesus has gone public, He doesn’t dive right in, but follows the Holy Spirit’s lead into the wilderness – the dry desert wilderness that is Israel – to prep for this intensive ministry. And after 40 days of prayer and fasting, two things happen: first the devil comes to tempt Jesus, and then angels come to minister to Him. Let’s focus on the temptation for a minute.
The ancient enemy of the human race, satan, comes when Jesus is hungry, and he thinks that the Lord will be vulnerable. The devil shows up to tempt Jesus, because he knows that this is the guy; Jesus is the Messiah, He’s the guy! The enemy’s strategy is to derail Christ’s mission by getting Jesus to sin, to choose to die at the wrong time and in the wrong way, so there is no atonement for sin, no eternal forgiveness for human souls. 3 temptations: bread, suicide, and idolatry – do you see that the devil has no new game? Same categories of temptation he used on Adam and Eve. The enemy tempts Christ with: “Make stones into bread” (it will be good for food); “Throw yourself off the Temple” (because God will save you and you won’t die); and “Fall down and worship me and you will rule the world” (you’ll be like God). Each time Jesus answers the devil with Scripture and refuses the bait (Matthew 4:1-11 and in Luke 4:1-13).
Our Christ refused the temptation to have easy bread, quick death, and worldly glory so He could save us. He knew Who He was, and He wouldn’t violate God’s Law. Lunch could wait, He would not tempt God. And He already owned all the authority and glory because He is God. Like His Father, Jesus is in this work for the long-term goal: to save the world. And in the meantime, the angels come and minister to Him. I think they brought lunch.
More temptations would come in His life and work. The Lord Jesus was especially targeted by the enemy, and suffered more temptations than any human soul, especially during the last week of His life. But He never caved, and because of that, we have this promise here in Hebrews: we have Jesus, our sinless High Priest Who not only sympathizes with us when we suffer under the temptations of the evil one, but He provides grace to help us in our desperate hour of need.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that nothing comes our way that You have not faced in the same way or worse. Thank You that you can sympathize completely with our struggles against temptations, and bring mercy to our souls. You also provide grace – sufficient grace – every time to help us in our time of need. We praise You in Jesus’ name, amen.