Commentators estimate the Lord’s age at thirty years when his public ministry began with a trip into the wilderness to face the devil’s direct temptation.
He was not the first to be led into the wilderness to meet the devil, but as a victor, he is preeminent as an example to us. In fact, his experience there is so eerily similar to that of the Exodus pilgrims that it becomes plain he is identifying with their plight while demonstrating a surer path to a better Canaan.
Israel, whose suffering in slavery attracted the attention of God, witnessed the ten plagues upon her enemy, culminating in the Passover night when the wails of the Egyptian mothers pierced the darkness. The Israelites faced defeat in their escape as the Red Sea loomed before them, only to observe its miraculous parting, allowing them to trudge through on dry land, until the all the Hebrews were safe and the walls of water crashed down on the pursuing Egyptians.
Barely did the song of Moses fade into memory, however, before the Israelites grew thirsty, anxious, and skeptical. God made them fresh water from a bitter spring, ensuring their physical survival in the Wilderness of Shur, but the Wilderness of Sin loomed ahead (see Exodus 16:1-4). Before long, they thirsted again and were prepared to stone Moses to death to clear a path back to Egypt. They celebrated bread from heaven, but eventually cursed that sickening manna. Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years because she lacked faith – she was discontent with providence, unable to trust in God’s promises, and prone to flirtation with idolatry. All these are weapons the devil continues to wield.
The book of Exodus is not recorded just so Israel would have some history of its travels; it is written primarily that others may read, learn, and avoid the same mistakes.
Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:11-13, ESV)
The wilderness of sin and temptation can swallow up your faith and soul as easily as it did theirs, despite the spiritual blessings you might have received formerly. The devil continues to appeal to the same methods today as used in the wilderness. He will exploit the lust of the flesh and eyes and the pride of life to tempt you to complain against God or serve him in the person of some idol. Make no mistake; he is active today.
Where defeat is prominent in the Exodus wilderness, victory is the theme of Christ’s confrontation there with the tempter. From Jesus, we learn to train, persevere, and outlast our mutual adversary.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4, ESV)
The first temptation plays upon the hunger of Jesus from fasting for forty days; would he react like the Israelites and complain against God, yearning to do as the slave master required, just to satisfy his fleshly yearning? Christ’s response reveals there is something more satisfying and necessary to human life, the word of God – heard and heeded. There is a carnal yearning in the flesh of all humankind that often leads to conflict with spiritual necessity (Romans 8:5-14).
The words of God bring life, here and hereafter, as
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4, ESV).
Be not deceived – the devil attacks you with the same brand of temptation on a regular basis. It is the temptation to bend or amend what you know to be God’s will in favor of satisfying the flesh. “I know I shouldn’t, but … ” – I shouldn’t see this lascivious movie, retell this ribald joke, associate with this churlish person, frequent this disreputable place, etc. The devil is assisted by the influence of immoral peers and a godless world that make rebellion seem the only logical response (First Corinthians 15:33, Second Timothy 2:22).
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:5-7, ESV)
The tempter and father of lies took Jesus to the southeast corner of the temple, overlooking the Kidron Valley. He reminded Jesus of all Jehovah’s promises and challenged him to prove God could really perform them. He was twisting the scriptures, using them against context to arrive at his conclusion. What he said was true, but his application was errant (see 2 Peter 3:14-19). Unstable and untaught people will attempt to prove their pet points by twisting the scriptures.
God has given us many great and precious promises, extended to us his grace, and promised to forgive us when we repent of our sins with sincerity, but that is not cause to put him to the test with as much sin as we can muster (Romans 5:20-6:2). Because Israel continued testing God, his patience was exhausted with the entire nation save two adults, and the rest fell short of the promised land. If you test God with intentional forays into the wilderness of sin, followed by hasty, but short-lived, retreats when it gets too hot, it will never be well with you.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:8-10, ESV)
The devil does not believe in faith and pessimistically attributes any such evidence to material bribery (consider Job for instance). Satan caused Jesus to see all the kingdoms of the world and promised them to him if he would only fall down before the adversary. A single part of Christ’s mission would thus be accomplished through compromise, but the price was far too steep.
Even the most noble goals are corrupted when we compromise divine authority to achieve them. Slavery to the devil is not confined today to Satanism, but extends into every corner of life in which God’s will is circumvented and people are enslaved to self-destructive habits, narcissism, or irreverence (Romans 6:15-19). There is a better way, one, however, that requires sacrifice and the carrying of a cross (Mark 8:34-38).
“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” (Matthew 4:11, ESV).
While the exact nature of this angelic ministry is a bit of a mystery, the New Testament does not reserve the sense of relief and accomplishment for Christ alone, but for all those who succeed through him. There is joy in heaven when even one sinner turns from iniquity (Luke 15:10) and refreshment is extended to all whose guilt is justly assuaged by obedient faith (Hebrews 5:8-9, First John 1:9, Acts 2:38-41, 3:19-20).
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness …. And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief … Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 3:7-8, 17-19, 4:11, ESV).
