After Jesus was baptized,
He was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil. The account of the temptation of Jesus offers some of the richest
lessons in scripture. In studying the temptation, many have sought to
explain why Jesus did not follow Satan's suggestions by various,
sometimes ingenious, ideas. These ideas may be true, and are definitely
worthy of thought. Jesus, however, knew best why He could not do the
things Satan wished Him to do. We shall be guided in this study,
therefore, solely by the replies Jesus Himself made.
Jesus was in the
wilderness for forty days during which time ; He fasted. Both Matthew
and Luke indicate that Jesus' felt no hunger until after the forty days.
"And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterward
hungered"
(Matt.
4:2). "And He did
eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, He hungered"
(Luke
4:2). Hunger fell
upon Jesus more as a blow than as something to which He had slowly grown
accustomed. Mark indicates that Satan had been tempting Jesus already.
"And He was in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan"
(Mark
1:12). Now Satan
comes again.
"If thou art the Son of
God, command that these stones become bread"
(Matt.
4:3). Now we know
that Jesus had the power to change one substance into another (see
John 2
where Jesus
changed water to wine). We also know that several times Jesus used His
power to provide food
(Matt.
14; 15; John 21).
Why not this time? Satan seemed to be tempting Jesus to prove His
Sonship, but Jesus' reply was not, "Satan, I do not have to prove my
Sonship. Both you and I know who I am." The temptation was more subtle
than that. Jesus replied, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"'
(Matt.
4:4). If we are to
understand what Satan's temptation was, we will do so only by
understanding Jesus' response.
When Israel was encamped
in the plains of Moab, poised to invade Canaan, Moses preached to them.
He said, "All the commandment which I command thee this day shall ye
observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the
land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all
the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, that He might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was
in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not. And
he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna,
which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that
proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live"
(Deut.
8:1-3).
If the Israelites had
been asked to list their necessities, they would have said food and
water. We cannot be critical of them without some self-examination. If
someone were chosen at random and asked to list the necessities of life
he would list: (1) food, (2) water, (3) shelter. The Israelites had to
learn that God was more important to their survival than bread. They had
to learn that the first necessity is to obey the words that proceed out
of the mouth of Jehovah. Oh, how we today need to learn to include that
necessity at the top of our list.
How, though, does this
.point tie in with Jesus' refusal to turn stones into bread? Satan was
telling Jesus to use the power He had for His sole benefit. It was not
the Father's will that Jesus' power be used in that manner. Though Jesus
knew He needed food He also knew one thing He needed more - to do the
Father's will. God did not give Jesus His great power so that if He had
a headache He could merely wish it away, or if He became thirsty He
could cause a glass of water to pop into His hand. He always used His
power for the sake of others to produce faith in them. Thus it would
have been contrary to the "word that proceeded out of the mouth of God"
for Jesus to use His power for His benefit. Therefore He would not and
told Satan why. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
Other Articles by Bob
Waldron
The
Temptation (Part 2)
Buy the Truth and Sell It Not
The
Jewel of Consistency