Jesus and Satan Face Off: Temptation in the Wilderness

Lenten Journey 2024 | Ash Wednesday | Resurrection Sunday | Jesus Christ | Christianity

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The series:

Lent 2024 Week 1 | Lent 2024 Week 2 | Lent 2024 Week 3 | Lent 2024 Week 4 | Lent 2024 Week 5 | Lent 2024 Week 6 | Palm Sunday 2024 | Maundy Thursday 2024 | Good Friday 2024 | Resurrection Sunday 2024

My Lenten Journey 2024 Begins

I woke up on Ash Wednesday morning and opened a Lenten email devotional.

“This is it,” I thought to myself. “This begins the journey to the cross. And, it’s all about repentance.”

As I brewed my morning coffee, I thought about repentance. I thought about that life-changing day when in my bedroom, as a teenager, I fell on my knees stricken with grief over the immensity of my sins. I had nowhere to turn but to Christ. I begged Jesus to help me, to forgive me.

He gave me a vision of Him on the cross.

“I already have, child. Now, come and follow Me.”

Ash Wednesday

This season is a time of reflection, a time to ponder Jesus’ ministry, sacrifice, and work of redemption. It’s a time to reflect on where we all were before we believed in Him and pledged to Him our loyalty, before we all were rescued from sin and eternal death. It’s a season in which we reflect on when we called out to Him in repentance, when we realized the enormity of our sin, and how lost we were without Him.

Daniel 9:3 (HCSB)
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Lord, as I feel the ashes pressed on my forehead in the sign of Your cross, I receive this symbol of Your mercy with humility, for I’m not worthy. I receive it with a thankful heart filled with joy for Your grace and Your righteousness which cover me. Lord, through Your Spirit, guide the steps I take each day on this Lenten journey.
~Amen

Genesis 3:19 (ESV)
¹⁹ By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

First Sunday in Lent

Readings

This Sunday’s readings, according to one liturgical Church Calendar, are the following verses for the First Reading, a Psalm, an Epistle, and the Gospel. Here are the links for you to read each one when you have time:
[URLs to go Biblegateway.com - version is the ESV]

• Genesis 22:1-18

• Psalm 25:1-19

• James 1:12-18

• Mark 1:9-15

For this post, we’ll examine the Temptation of Jesus, which is briefly mentioned in today’s reading in Mark 1:12-13.

The Temptation of Jesus

This event, as Jesus begins His ministry, happens immediately after Jesus’ baptism.

Matthew 3:13-17 (HCSB)
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. ¹⁷ And there came a voice from heaven:

This is My beloved Son.
I take delight in Him!

Something powerful happened in the spiritual realm that impacted the earthly physical realm. The “heavens suddenly opened for Him” - it’s significant. Jesus saw the dove, the Spirit of God, and He heard the Father’s voice.

Who else might have seen and heard all of this?

The enemy, perhaps?

Maybe or maybe not, but he was curious about why the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, was here in his realm. The tempter waited until Jesus was physically weak after 40 days of fasting to check Him out.

Matthew 4:3 (HCSB)
³ Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Ah, ha! Satan was paying attention at Jesus’ baptism: “If You are the Son of God….” After Jesus rebuked him, the deceiver tried again, still mocking our Lord by taking Father God’s loving words and taunting Jesus: “If You are the Son of God….” in his effort to figure out why Jesus was in his earthly realm and what He was going to do. The enemy isn’t—and never has been—omniscient; he’s a created being. He’s not equal to Yahweh.

Matthew 4:5-6a (HCSB)
⁵ Then the Devil took Him to the holy city, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

He will give His angels orders concerning you ….

Jesus rebuked the tempter again. The enemy then changed his tactics as he tried to figure out what Jesus was up to on Earth, which is his domain. The adversary tried a new tactic and stopped taunting our Lord with “If….”

Matthew 4:8-9 (HCSB)
⁸ Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”

Satan, as ruler of this world [John 14:30], thought what he offered to Jesus was a pretty big deal.

Really?

I mean, how stupid can you get?

He offered to Jesus, who was present at creation, all the world’s kingdoms “and their splendor”. He offers this to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Yet again, this shows me that the evil one didn’t “get” Jesus Himself and who He is, let alone why He was here in the earthly realm in human flesh. (Satan knows now.)

Matthew 4:10-11 (HCSB)
¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written:

Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only Him.”

¹¹ Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.

Yahweh is Satan’s Lord and God, but he rebelled, turning away from God, so he can’t worship nor serve the One who created him. But, we who are imagers of Father God can. And with His rebuke to the enemy, Jesus reminds us who we are to worship and serve.

Our Great Redeemer

The theme of my Lenten Journey 2024 is Christ our Redeemer, whose life gives us so much hope, even in dark moments. This Lenten season, I’m focusing on my Redeemer’s victory and what He has won for me—for you.

Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness gives me great hope as I ponder my humanity, where I was before Jesus saved me, and as I struggle daily to become more like Him (theosis).

Hebrews 4:14-16 (HSBC)
¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

In this way, He gets us. Jesus understands and will help us if we’ll only ask Him.

He’s just a prayer away.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria!

And, if you’re a not-yet follower of Jesus Christ, please come along on this journey with us. You are welcome here.

Conversation & Community

Your Turn

What is Jesus saying to you, through His word and His Holy Spirit?

What’s on your heart?

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