Article for the First Sunday in Lent March 9, 2025
Luke 4:1–2 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
Luke is calling the kettle white! Of course, Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit! This is God, Luke is talking about. Why wouldn’t Jesus be filled with the Holy Spirit? And then, to say after forty days in the wilderness without food or drink, that He, Jesus as man, was hungry is an understatement. Bring on the barbie this God/man is starving!
I wouldn’t have made it much past the first week without food. I probably wouldn’t make it past three days without food and water. Yes, Jesus fasted in the wilderness, and I’ll bet He spent most of that time praying to the Father. Unfortunately, Jesus was not alone. Something lurks in the shadows of darkness.
Jesus was being tempted by the devil who thought he could prey on the weakness of one who was very hungry. That is the way the devil tries to get under the skin of those who suffer. The devil waits to hit you while you are down. Not just in hunger for food, but also when you hunger for affection and the devil helps your greediness grow.
The devil knows our weaknesses and hopes he can use those weakness to bend your faith away from God. Kind of strange when you think about this meeting. The devil is trying to tempt God. Maybe the devil is not as smart as he thinks. However, don’t you underestimate the devil, after all, he was the most powerful angel until he decided to fall from God’s grace.
Luke 4:3–4 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Ok, you’re starving, you have the power to do anything, and you decide that this is not the time to flex your muscles. Why might you ask? Jesus was fasting and preparing Himself for the ministry His Father was sending Him to do. The ministry of salvation. You do realize we have a God who doesn’t ask of us to do what He would not be willing to do too.
You shall not live on bread alone but also by the very word of God. (Matthew 4:4) Jesus, the true manna from heaven, the true bread of heaven, the true Word of God. Kind of, sort of, sounds like the first part of the eucharist. That would be the Lord’s body that we take and eat during communion. This is the bread of life; this is Jesus Christ crucified for our salvation.
Luke 4:5–8 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
I love this part; the prince of the world is trying to bribe the King of the world with what the King already owns. Not a very smart move on the part of the devil. Who does the devil think he is talking to? Jesus is the Son of God and He is God in the form of a man. Does the devil think he really has a chance to get God to worship Him?
Again, to the point, Jesus is in His weakest form as He is man as well as God. The flesh is our weakest disorder and the devil thinks this might give him an edge to twist Jesus to his will. But Jesus is the Son of God and a loyal Son at that. The devil likes it when we are imprisoned by our flesh because he knows we seek means to appease our flesh and some will go to any length to appease their flesh. Thankfully, not Jesus who is the true epidemy of man.
We can thank God that He is not weak even in the form of man. We have a God of immeasurable strength that cannot be overthrown by the devil or anyone else. God is strong and God’s will to save us is strong too. Remember Jesus died when we were weak to save us from the temptations of all evil, and the devil is evil.
Luke 4:9–11 9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Not that Jesus would need angels to save Him, but that we should know not to be so bold as to test God’s grace and mercy on purpose. Our ignorance will test God enough, let us not push it. There are those who think they can wait to the last minute to believe in God or acquire faith. If this is your goal you are testing God, and this might not be a good idea. Belief, faith, and loving God is not something you can just turn on and off. Faith is an acquired means to trust and know God.
Luke 4:12–13 12And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
We know the opportune time. Jesus was hung on a criminal’s cross. It looked like the devil had a victory in hand. Except Jesus who was being punished for being Jesus turned His death into salvation.
For all the suffering Jesus bore as a man, as God, He gives us forgiveness. Jesus in what seemed to be His weakest hour showed the devil that His death was His finest hour. Jesus died to save us, and the devil learned along with death, that they could not hold Jesus in death as the Father resurrected our Lord in the triumph of the salvation. Salvation for His creation, you! Amen
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May
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