The 40-day wilderness experience that Jesus underwent immediately after His baptism is a story rich in lessons for us today. This is the topic of the current 6-part series, "The Wilderness Experience", appearing in the Saturday editions of The Nugget. If you miss any of these Nuggets, you will find previously-published lessons on-line at: www.scripturalnuggets.org/Folder5/the_wilderness_experience.htm
The Wilderness Experience, Part 4:
Throw Yourself Down!
Last week, in The Wilderness Experience, Part 3, we
discovered that we must be prepared to identify every sin of intemperance
and hit it over the head with the Truth that it is God who can fulfill our
desires and dreams. Not people, actions, or things. Today's devotional takes
a closer look at the second temptation recorded by Matthew:
"Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw
yourself down. For it is written: "He will command his angels concerning
you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone."' Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: "Do
not put the Lord your God to the test."'" (Matt. 4:5-7)
After failing at his first attempt, the devil's tactics change. If Jesus is
so adamant about relying on God, why not tempt Him to do just that? Why not
remind Him, using scripture, of what God has promised, and then prove that
God is true to His Word?
There are two interesting questions here: First of all, isn't it interesting
that the devil uses scripture to tempt Jesus?
We tend to think the devil is ignorant. Beware! His problem isn't lack of
knowledge of the Holy Scripture! Beware! The devil knows and understands
spiritual things far better than any of us, and as a result, he is able to
twist and distort them in logical-looking ways! Don't fall into His traps!
The second interesting point is this: Would it have been so wrong for Jesus
to have used this situation to prove beyond a doubt that God is, indeed,
true to His Word?
Friends, the real focus of this temptation was aimed at Jesus' faith in God.
Jumping from the pinnacle of the temple would have given us the message that
evidence of God's power is lacking, and that Jesus wasn't sure God was true
to His Word. It would have left us with the message that faith isn't enough!
But Jesus WAS sure that God was true to His Word. He didn't need to
purposefully put himself into a situation where God's miraculous power would
be needed. He already knew what God's response would be! He already knew the
miracle worker! And by resisting, He left us with a pointed example: If you
know the miracle worker, you don't need outright miracles to prove to
yourself that God is God!
Throughout His entire ministry, Jesus never ceased to do miracles. The blind
saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard, the dumb spoke, the dead were even
raised back to life. God was constantly at work in Jesus' life, and all the
people had to do was open their eyes to the works of God through Jesus.
When John the Baptist was in prison, he also began to doubt that Jesus was
God's Son. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus pointedly if He was the
Christ. Jesus' response? "Go back and report to John what you hear and
see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are
cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to
the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
(Matt 11:4-6 NIV)
Despite His abundant miracles however, the Pharisees never ceased to doubt
that Jesus was God's Son: "The Pharisees came and began to question
Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven." (Mark 8:11
NIV). Jesus' response? "He sighed deeply and said, 'Why does this
generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be
given to it.'" (Mark 8:11-13 NIV) If the Pharisees had really known God,
they would have recognized His hand on Jesus' life. But they didn't trust
God, and they asked for a sign.
Friends, things are no different for us today. There is no lack of miracles
in our lives. Every minute of everyday is filled with God's blessings,
protection, and power. All we need to do to have all the proof we need that
God does what He says He does can be found by meditating on scripture and by
keeping our eyes and our hearts open to what He is doing in the world around
us. We must simply WATCH!
Remember, God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to believe because of His
past, flawless record! When we are tempted to doubt God's power in any
aspect of the world today, we need to remember Jesus' response: "Don't
put the Lord Your God to the test!" In so saying, Jesus admonishes us to
learn to detect God's hand in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
If we do, then outward signs, requested with the sole purpose of proving
God's power to ourselves, will be completely unnecessary.
Enough to ponder, but do ponder this: In this, his second major temptation,
Jesus leaves us with the ultimate example in trust. We need to know the
miracle worker, and we need to be watching where He is at work around us
everyday. When we do, then outward signs become unnecessary!
Please join us next Saturday for a closer look at the last temptation: I
will give this to You if You bow down and worship me!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language
Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet
newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian
devotionals and inspirational poems,
www.scripturalnuggets.org ,
with Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org