Temptation...

In my Bible reading plan today, I came across Luke chapter four – the story of the temptation of Jesus – and as I read it, I saw it in a new way. In the different gospels the temptations are listed in different orders, but today, this order made complete sense to me.

In the first – the bread – Satan’s looking at Jesus in human form. He’s exhausted. He’s hungry. He’s human. The temptation made total sense. Most of us would have fallen then and there. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. What would you give up for a loaf of bread after fasting for 40 days?

But Jesus stood firm.

The second temptation is the one that would have done in Satan himself (that had actually already done him in). The offer of power and the feeding of pride. Satan would have jumped at that offer with the idea buried in the back of his thought processes that this was only a step on his career ladder, not the final stage. At some point he’d find a way to defeat the one offering the temptation and move up another rung. Satan would have caved here. 

But Jesus stood firm.

The third temptation was the one finely crafted to suit Jesus. Just jump off the temple tower – God has promised that His angels would catch him. Then the whole watching world would finally understand who He was and accept what He was saying. All those little ones Jesus’ heart was breaking for would see Him, would fully worship Him, would adore Him – if He only jumped.

Satan may have seen it for the pride side – all the world would know Who He was.

But Jesus saw it from another vantage point – all of the changed lives, all those who ignored Him finally seeing Him. The opportunity to tell the truth and have the world listen. Those who’d later try to kill Him would instead be at his feet adoring Him. No crucifixion. 

No crucifixion!

I think Satan really thought Jesus would stumble on that last one. He knew that for some reason we are important to God. But he wasn’t privy to the Great Plan. He thought he won when he got Jesus on the cross. He just didn’t understand how important we are in God’s eyes…

So Jesus stood firm.

As it is written: Human beings cannot live on bread alone.

                                Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.

                                Do not put the Lord your God to the test.