Jesus, Example in Temptation

Jesus, Example in Temptation

Matthew 4 recounts the temptation of Jesus. Of course, He certainly faced others, including the temptation to avoid the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane, but Matt. 4 is a very specific retelling of the devil attacking Jesus in order to tempt him to sin. Jesus shows us by His actions how to handle temptation and be strong to resist it. 



To start with, Jesus fasted. He was already practicing a discipline of self-sacrifice. He weakened the flesh to strengthen the spirit.

Jesus resisted the temptations of the devil with Scripture. Note that the devil also used Scripture in the temptation. This is common. Our soul's enemy will try to confuse us with truth, facts and even Scripture used in a slightly wrong way. It may be difficult to discern the error in reasoning he uses, especially when our desire is often tied up in the misunderstanding. . . Thus the temptation. The devil has been studying human behavior since there were humans. He's well aware of our weaknesses.

With His spirit strengthened, Jesus resisted the pull of Satan's misuse of Scripture, and He refuted the devil's reasoning with rightly used Scripture.

Jesus had faced His greatest foe head to head and won. The devil left Him. Other gospels add "until another opportunity."

Do we follow Jesus' example when faced with temptation?

Do we prepare for the temptation that will surely come by disciplining our flesh through fasting and/or other disciplines as Jesus did?

Do we spend time in God's Word so that we know it and understand how to use it correctly?  Do we allow it to determine our decision-making so that temptation will not catch us off guard? Can we, like our Master, say we faced our opponent and came out victorious?

If so, then we are Jedi disciples of Christ!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Last Jedi, Inspiration from

Image
Inspiration from The Last Jedi I’m always inspired spiritually by Star Wars movies, and this one didn’t disappoint. I love how the question as to who Rey was kept coming up and in the end the answer was, Nobody! As far as they’ve revealed in the movies, she is not from any special bloodline like Anakin, Leia or Luke. I love how the movie ended with the hope of a new resistance to be raised up. And the slave children--an army of nobodies--in the end, who dream of being part of the resistance, already have the force with them. I love how Luke has come to realize that being a legend isn’t what it’s about. That the hope of the resistance can’t be laid on one person, no matter how talented or committed they are. He’s sorry he got cocky, but he learns that he can still help the resistance, and he can help others learn, even from his mistakes. No one is the hero alone, save Jesus. But we, His followers, His disciples, can practice the disciplines He taught u...
Read more

Jesus, Example in Baptism

Image
Jesus, Example to Sinners In learning from Jesus, the “Jedi” Master, I am challenged to deeply ponder the things He said, the things He did, and the things He prayed. So, as I read through the gospels again, these are the things I want to keep in mind. In Matthew 3:13-17, We know, as did John, that Jesus had no sin. But He came to John to be baptized. John started to protest but Jesus told him to allow it in order “to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus was willing to look like a sinner in order to be the example for sinners to follow. So John baptized Jesus. When Jesus came out of the water the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove and a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God gave a miraculous testimony about Jesus to those who were there. (And to us as it was recorded for all time). Baptism is an important part of following Jesus. He told his followers to repent and be baptized. They go together....
Read more

Do You Want to be a Warrior?

Image
Do You Want to be a Warrior? Do you want to represent Christ in such a way that you make a difference in this world and the next? Do you want to be a warrior? Yes? Then you must train. Train your body and your mind as well as your spirit. Lack of discipline in one area will pull other areas down. Right now you are soft, but when war comes, you need to be hard. You have to train hard when you can’t see the war yet, so you’ll be ready when the war comes. You must remain focussed. Keep your eyes clear and on your goal no matter what distractions come and tempt you to look away. You must become skilled with the light saber (sword). This takes much practice. First to know the Word of God, which is the Sword of the Spirit. Then to learn how and when to use it. Become aware of your own personal weaknesses. Is it food? Then you can fast for a time. Is it T.V.? Then fast the T.V. for a time or cut down the time you give to it. Whatever draws your attention, whatever you...
Read more