March 8, 2022
What does it say?
Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Although rejected in Nazareth, Christ was accepted throughout Galilee, healed many, and preached the kingdom of God.
What does it mean?
The temptation of Christ was Satan’s attempt to cause Jesus to disobey His Father’s will by stepping out of His humble state and using divine power for Himself. Jesus didn’t converse with Satan, but used the truth of Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy to counter each temptation presented by the devil. Through the entire ordeal, Jesus displayed complete trust in the love, plan, and perfect timing of His Father. Christ victoriously overcame temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit and Scripture. He proved His deity by remaining perfectly obedient to His Father’s will.
How should I respond?
How do you handle temptation? Jesus, our perfect example, clearly modeled the course of action we are to take. The Bible is our “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). In order to keep your sword sharp, you must know what the Word of God says, believe that it is true, and obey it diligently. Are you hiding God’s Word in your heart by spending time reading the Bible and meditating on it daily? To what truth of Scripture do you need to be more fully committed to live in obedience? By sharpening your sword, the Holy Spirit will empower you, bringing God’s Word to remembrance in times of temptation