The Temptation

Luke 4:1…

Now that Jesus has been baptized, and His public ministry life has begun, you might think He would immediately be led to heal and to teach and to reveal to all the people the long-promised Messiah has come.

All of that would have to wait.

For immediately upon His baptism, Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit, was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness – away from anyone.

Is this any way to begin a ministry?

The Bible teaches us we serve a Savior Who as Our High Priest is intimately familiar with all of life on earth, including all the ways we are tempted. Hebrews 4:15 teaches us Jesus was tempted in ALL the points we are tempted, yet was without sin.

This reveals to us a couple things that are profound to our understanding: temptation itself is not sin; and, we are capable of resisting temptation when it comes.

In fact, we are without excuse when we yield to temptation, because Jesus has not only revealed who the tempter is, He has also shown us how to defend ourselves from all temptation when it comes.

Jesus may have been alone in this period of forty days in the desert, but the Holy Spirit was careful to record these events that we may learn important lessons necessary for life in Christ on this earth.

Moses was forty years in the back of the desert in preparation for his ministry – Jesus was forty days similarly prepared. It seems being hardened to the offerings of the enemy is a lesson that must be learned prior to serving people and receiving any form of acclaim.

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the tools the enemy employs against all of us – including Christ. Christ’s defense is the Word of God.

-Pastor Bill