Both Luke and Matthew record at the beginning of their gospels what we call ‘The Temptation of Christ”. Mark actually records it also but covers it all in only 2 verses (Mark 1:12-13). In the gospels, Jesus being sent into the desert (yes…sent…in Mark’s abbreviated version he says that the Holy Spirit ‘drove’ Jesus to the desert right after His baptism. That word also can mean ‘compelled). Jesus in the desert for forty days was not a leisurely trip to Palm Springs but was an essential part of what He came to do on earth.

Jesus was also not at full physical strength for this either. He fasted for forty days. I’m not sure how many of us have ever fasted for an extended period of time (I have done a number of 24 hour fasts but nothing beyond that). I have a friend named George who, before deciding whether to propose to his wife, fasted for the same forty days. I saw him around day 35 and he had lost a lot of weight, he said his vision was a little blurry and he was not always coherent when he spoke. This is probably similar to the physical condition that Jesus was in. So He was weakened to the point where, humanly speaking, it would have been difficult for Hm to resist temptation.

Here is what I want to focus on in regard to the temptations. By the way, these are the three that are mentioned by Matthew and Luke. But Jesus was out in the desert being tempted for forty days. And even then, at the end, Satan left Him but only for a chance to come back at a more opportune time, which he did, and which culminated in the Garden of Gethsemane. But again, the main point is that all three temptations were for Jesus to do something legitimate but in an illegitimate way.

In the first temptation, Satan tells Jesus that, if He was hungry, He could just change one of the rocks around Him into a piece of bread and take care of His hunger just like that. Taking care of hunger is something that is appropriate in life. In fact, since Jesus was God, it would be even more appropriate. He was God’s Son…but He was out in the desert for a long time with no food and He was physically weak. But Satan is telling Jesus that maybe His Father doesn’t care for Him as much as He thought, being here in the dry, hot, desert. Maybe, Jesus, you need to do something for Yourself since maybe God the Father won’t. It’s just a small thing…make some bread and take care of Yourself since perhaps no one else will. C’mon, Jesus, You have a right to this. Take care of Yourself and don’t trust God to do so.

The second temptation for Luke (Matthew and Luke switch the second and third temptations in their narratives and no, I don’t know a good reason for it), Satan takes Jesus to a really high peak and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. This is quite probably just a vision or an image rather than Jesus being on a high peak in a physical sense) Satan tells Jesus that all of this had been delivered to him and he can give it to anyone he wants. And he wants to give it to Jesus. The only catch is that Jesus must bow down and worship Satan. The legitimate goal here is that all the kingdoms of the world already belong to Jesus (theologians call this the ‘already and not-yet) but for now it seems as if Satan runs them. One writer said that if Satan can indeed give the kingdoms to anyone he wants, that probably explains why so many ungodly people are running things. But the illegitimate way to gain this for Jesus would be to ignore/forsake the cross.

The third temptation is for Jesus (and Satan does take Him there in a physical sense) to take a swan dive off the top of the temple…the rocky valley would be hundreds of feet below—and, according to Satan’s interpretation of Scripture, God would send His angels to protect Jesus. What a sight that would be! And what a public proclamation of the coming of the Messiah! The legitimate aim is that would be publicly recognized as such. But the illegitimate was of doing this would be to avoid the cross…and the pain/shame involved with it.

Doesn’t Satan always offer the easy way out? His temptation that still works against us today is to have us take the wrong route to fulfill legitimate human desires. We have a legitimate desire for safety in life. But true safety is found only in Christ’s salvation, because He will not let those who are His fall. But we seek safety in large bank accounts…maybe thinking that power and authority can offer us protection. Building up security the world’s way is easy…trusting in God is difficult. Satan wants us to take the easy way out. And since it is easy, that is the way the world does it. But we have a higher call…let us answer that higher call even though the road may be more difficult.