FRIDAY • MARCH 11
The story of the temptation of Jesus is one of the traditional passages read at Lent. Jesus’ 40-day fast before His temptation is considered the inspiration for why Christians worldwide and throughout history have observed 40 days of prayer and fasting before Easter. After this long fast, Satan appeared and tempted Jesus. This attack happened soon after Jesus’ baptism and before His public ministry began. This story reminds us that God often uses suffering and temptation to prepare us for what He has in store for us.
Scriptures for this week:
Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13
If You Are The Son of God
By: Madalyn Eagon (Residency Coordinator + Assistant to the Senior Pastor)
The Devil’s temptation of Jesus starts by attempting to erode Jesus’ confidence in who He is and whose He is. “If you are the Son of God…” Ironically, the Devil’s challenges are challenges to the actions that Jesus will later take in His ministry. Jesus will multiply loaves of bread to feed the masses just a few chapters later in the Gospels. He would not just be kept from striking a stone, but He would come back from death itself. Then, He will come in power, bringing the kingdom of heaven in its fullness.
When we look at the means and messaging by which the Devil attempted to persuade Jesus, we find that his tactics were not very different from how he deceives us. Rather than coming at us with an alluring proposition in itself, the Devil primarily wants us to question if we are actually known and loved by God our Father. “If you are His child…”
However, we can stand firm as Jesus did in the face of temptation. When we allow God’s voice to speak louder in our lives than the Devil’s, we come to find that we are forever loved, new creations, friends of Jesus, and children of God.
Questions for Reflection:
Think: What knowledge do you think helped Jesus withstand the Devil’s temptation? What wisdom could help you resist temptation in your life?
Pray: Spend some time in prayer today asking God to show you any lies that the Devil has led you to believe about who you are and whose you are. If He reveals anything to you, ask Him to give you wisdom and knowledge to replace these lies with the truth.
Respond: We all have times when we doubt our identity in God. So today, write down a few Scripture verses that remind you of your ultimate identity in Christ (you can do a Google search for verses if you need help finding ideas). Keep this list in a visible place where you will see them as a daily reminder of who you are and who you belong to.