THURSDAY • MARCH 10
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
The Power of God’s Word
By: Christine Liang (Chinese Translator and Leader in B4 Culture)
Jesus was led into the desert. After forty days and nights, He was hungry. At that moment, the first temptation came to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” What a considerate “suggestion”! Wasn’t food among His basic needs? Didn’t Jesus have supernatural power? If both answers were “yes,” then why not do that? However, Jesus answered, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” By God’s Word, Jesus defeated the lust of the flesh, even though it came with the most reasonable excuse.
In the same way, through the Word of God, Jesus defeated Satan for the two other temptations. He didn’t use His power to win a large following by miracles or magic or when He was tempted to jump down from the highest point of the temple to test if God would protect Him. Jesus also didn’t compromise when Satan offered Him the splendor of the world. Do we believe in the power of God’s Word? Do we believe that, at all times, we can simply escape to God’s Word when faced with any temptation that comes our way?
Questions for Reflection:
Think: Read Hebrews 4:14-16. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage? How does it complement the story of Jesus’ temptation? How do these passages challenge or encourage you?
Pray: Today, spend some time in prayer asking God to help you discern the ways that Satan tries to tempt you in ways that seem excusable and don’t seem to cause any harm. Then, ask God to give you guidance in how you should respond to Him in an honoring way.
Respond: God’s Word is powerful. It enabled Jesus to defeat all Satan’s temptations. Are you spending time in God’s Word? Do you have a plan to continue to remain in the Word after you finish this devotional? If not, spend some time this week coming up with some ideas of how you can stay grounded in the Bible throughout the year.