3 Temptations Of Jesus
Let’s talk about the 3 temptations of Jesus now. This is from the book of Matthew, chapter 4. Jesus went into the desert before he started his public ministry, and the Bible says that he was tempted by the devil there. And there were 3 temptations we’re gonna break him down like this.
1. The Physical Temptation: Do What Feels Right
Look at what it says –Matthew 4:3-4: During that time the devil came to Jesus and said, if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread, but Jesus told him no. The Scriptures say people do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
So here’s the situation this was a physical temptation. Jesus had been fasting for forty days, which meant no food and no water for 40 days. So clearly, he was hungry. The Bible says Jesus was hungry. I mean, that’s a pretty major understatement. So he was super hungry, and Satan came to him to try to tempt him based on those physical needs.
Jesus had already committed to fast, and so if you’ve ever fasted before, you know how hard it is to keep a commitment like that. Satan was trying to appeal to his flesh, is what the Bible calls it? It was saying why don’t you just do it feels right to go ahead and eat this bread, and Jesus was able to withstand that temptation.
Now I don’t know about you. Maybe you’ve been tempted to satisfy your flesh now, maybe not by eating in the middle of a fast, but maybe with pornography or some other thing where there’s a clear temptation in your life, you’re drawn to this thing, and you’re telling yourself you’re convincing yourself in your mind. You’re saying, ” Come on, it’s not that big of a deal, and you’re drawn to that physical temptation. Jesus was – but Jesus was able to resist.
2. The Emotional Temptation: Questions God’s love
Matthew 4:5-7: Then the devil took him to the holy city of Jerusalem to the temple’s highest point. He said if you are the son of God, jump off for the scripture say will order his angels to protect you and they will hold you up with their hands and you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. But look at how Jesus responded. The Scriptures also say you must not test the Lord your God.
Now, this is maybe a little confusing at first. When you look into this, you say tempting him to jump off of a high building, and then Jesus said, don’t test the Lord your God. What are you testing? What is Jesus testing in this, or what is Satan want Jesus to test? Well, this is what I mean by this emotional temptation. Satan is trying to get Jesus to test God’s love for him. Satan is saying this: if God loves you, he’ll protect you when you jump off.
But what’s happening there is he’s saying, I want you to put the fleece out. I want you to test this thing that God already has said. Now I know it’s a little confusing because Jesus is God, but we’re talking about God the Father and God the father’s love for Jesus. And Jesus already knows to go back and see the baptism.
God the Father already told him that he loves him, so it’s already established, but emotionally, sometimes we can get to this place where we know what God has said, but we still want to test whether it is true. And so we’re putting God to the test because most of our emotions are getting us to think one thing about our situation when God has already said what is true. And so that’s why Jesus says I don’t need to test his love for me; I already know he loves me.
3. The Control Temptation: Take Over The Throne
Matthew 4:8-10: The devil took Jesus to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said, I will give it all to you if you will kneel down and worship Me. And Jesus said this get out of here, Satan, for the scripture says you must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.
All right now, a lot is happening here. Still, it’s this Jesus had come to establish his kingdom, the world now right now Satan had had sort of reign over the earth right I mean he’s wreaking havoc on the earth just like he is today the Bible says that someday Jesus is going to establish his kingdom and what Satan is doing is he’s saying here listen what if you do this now if you bow to me now then you can shortcut your way to God’s will into establishing the kingdom on the earth.
So, in essence, what he’s saying is a bow to me, and you can take control on your terms in your own way. You can take over sort of the throne. And you can sort of shortcut your way to what you want and even maybe what God wants? What the father wants, and Jesus said, no, I’m not gonna fall for that you know I’m gonna do it the way God wants me to do it you know for Jesus to establish his kingdom he was gonna have to go to the cross.
Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross in his flesh. But he knew that’s what he had to do, and he wasn’t going to take some shortcut to God’s will into establishing the kingdom of God on earth.
Now for us, how does this apply well? We are sort of trying to take over God’s throne, many of us. We have this temptation to have to take control on our own terms in our own way, and this is something that we shouldn’t do, even Jesus, whose God Himself didn’t do it, and we should resist the temptation also.
5 Lessons From 3 Temptations Of Jesus
- No One Is Exempt From Temptation – If Jesus wasn’t exempt from temptation in his life, then what makes us think that we would be exempt if no one is exempt from temptation.
- Temptation Is Not The Same As Sin – Jesus was tempted, yet he didn’t sin, so don’t feel guilty because of your temptation when you’re tempted. Just know that if you act on that, you’ve crossed over into sin, but the temptation is not the same as sin.
- We Should Respond To Temptation With God’s Word – That’s what Jesus did every single time he responded to the temptation that came in the form of a lie by speaking the truth of God’s Word over it.
- We Should Resist The Devil In The Power Of The Spirit – This is what Jesus did in this story. Jesus didn’t just resist the devil because he was the son of God and had some superpowers. Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit to resist the devil, which you and I can do as well.
- Pursue The Will Of God – In every single temptation in this story in Matthew chapter 4, Jesus was pursuing the will of God even above his own will, and what a great lesson for us today 2,000 years later if you want to overcome temptation in your life, pursue the will of God.
FAQ
What was Jesus’s first temptation?
What are the three temptations of Jesus Quizlet?
What are the 3 sources of temptation?
What is the 3rd temptation?
What was Jesus’ second temptation?
What do the 3 temptations of Jesus symbolize?
What is it to be tempted?
What does the Bible say about avoiding temptation?
God is faithful, and He will always provide a way of escape in times of trial. I have experienced this verse more times than I can count. Whenever I am faced with temptation, God always provides away. Whether I can take advantage of this escape method is up to me.
How did Jesus handle temptation?
What did Jesus say about temptation?
At that time, Jesus was carried by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and after that, he felt hungry. The tester came near and said to him, “If you are the son of God, command that these stones become loaves.
Is temptation a sin?
As told in the Gospel of Matthew, Satan tempts Jesus during the fast – he invites him. From this point of view, the temptation is Satan’s invitation to turn away from God and deny who and what God is. Christians view Jesus as both divine and human.
What is Jesus’ final temptation?
