Jesus Identified: Jesus under pressure

The temptation of Christ is a passage that should give us caution but also encouragement. Christ goes straight from the pleasure and fellowship of God to being alone in the wilderness. "No sooner annointed than assailed" said C.H. Spurgeon and he was correct.

It seems true that at times of great spiritual fervor there will soon come times of spiritual declension. We might spend a few weeks talking about this one passage but let's get some of the best and obvious truths from it now. Jesus was unique and this was a unique temptation. But there are some lessons in it for us

How do we fight against temptation?

1.) Follow the Example of the Son

Christ suffered in the Extreme: This was a real temptation. We might have a tendency to think otherwise. "Surely," we say, "the Son of God does not suffer like we do." As a matter of fact, the Scripture points out just the opposite. Heb. 12:3-4 indicates to us that we have not suffered in "our struggle against sin" like Jesus.

Christ is therefore sympathetic to our plight: The book of Hebrews also tells us that Jesus is our "Great High Priest" because He knows exactly what it's like to suffer through temptation. (Heb.4:15)

2.) Fight using the Sword of the Spirit

The glaring take away in this passage is the way in which Christ combats the temptation. He does it by quoting Scripture. Now let's be clear it is the application of the truths of Scripture that Christ is reminding Satan of and He is sustaining Himself with.

Each of these Scriptures are truths that thrust deep into the heart of the lies of Satan.

a) Temptation of Perspective: ''command these stones to become bread". Could you imagine. Our Lord and Savior with the power but to speak

to His need and it is fulfilled resists the slightest tendency toward it. This is the most base and basic desire that we struggle with as human beings. All of the worry and anxiety surrounding simple survival. We need the right perspective. "Man shall not live by bread alone". This lie might cause us to doubt God's Wisdom.

3.) Fall onto the Sustaining Presence of the Savior

All this might not give us encouragement. Planning, preparation and equipping can be the best in a battle but that does not releave the anxiety o

f walking through the fire. Christ trusted that His Father would sustain Him, even at the brink. Even at the very pinnacle of His need.

The Temptation of Christ proves Christ’s priestly empathy and our pardon. We have already seen how the Scriptures bear witness to the sympathy of Jesus for sinners. He knows our frame. He knows that we are but dust. Because He was tempted, He knows what we are going through.

Christ’s temptation proves our pardon because Scripture clearly states that Christ’s victory over sin in our victory. “God made Him to be sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5:21.