'In all points tempted as we are' | Westside Eagle Observer

"Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil." Luke 4:1-2a (1-13)

Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). Sometimes it's hard to imagine Jesus being tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but He was; and He never yielded but was perfectly obedient to God's Word in every point that He might be our Savior.

When Jesus had been 40 days without food in the wilderness, the devil tempted Him to use His power as the Son of God to turn the stones into bread that He might eat. But Jesus trusted in God His Father to provide for all His needs and did not yield to the temptation to take matters into His own hands rather than patiently trusting in the promises of God's Word.

Jesus came into this world to establish an eternal kingdom made up of people from all nations, and the devil offered Him an easier way than the cross to establish His rule, but Jesus refused to worship or serve anyone but the Lord His God.

And each time Jesus used the Scriptures -- from Deuteronomy -- to answer the temptations of the devil (Deut. 8:3; 6:16).

Jesus came to be recognized by God's people as the Son of God, their Messiah and Savior. So, Satan took Jesus up upon a pinnacle of the temple and tempted Him to show Himself the Son of God and prove His trust in God's promises to send His angels to bear Him up (Ps. 91:11-12). But once again Jesus used God's Word to refute Satan's temptation (Deut. 6:13; 10:20). He remained obedient to God's Word, trusting in the Lord God and His Word.

Note that in each temptation Satan offered to Jesus a shortcut -- and easier way -- to meet His needs and achieve His purposes than trusting in God and His Word. And He still tempts us in much the same way today. When we have needs, He tempts us to find our own solutions rather than trust in the Lord God to provide for us in His way and in His time. We may needlessly borrow money, be less than honest or even play the lottery or gamble in an attempt to meet our needs our own way.

Satan offers us glory and fame -- to be accepted and liked -- if we just honor him in some way, and we so easily fall. We exalt ourselves, boast, belittle others, do works to be seen by others.

He offers us shortcuts to our goals and twists the Scriptures to make them sound good in our ears. He urges us to put God to the test, to tempt God and see if He will really keep His promises to protect us, provide for us, give us blessings. He even urges us to give in to our sinful passions, saying it will be alright because God will forgive us afterward if we just ask Him.

But what does God say? "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God"; "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve"; and, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God."

How thankful we can be that Jesus did not give in to the temptations of the devil, during this time in the wilderness or ever! How thankful we can be that, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42)! How thankful we can be that He obeyed His Father and went to the cross as a holy Sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world and then rose again! In Him, we have forgiveness (Eph. 1:7).

Dearest Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your perfect obedience and Your perfect sacrifice upon the cross that through faith in You we might have forgiveness for all sins and a place in Your eternal kingdom. Amen.

Editorial on 01/20/2016