Matthew 4:1, The Temptation of Jesus

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Comments

Matthew stressed that the intention of the Spirit was the testing of Jesus in the wilderness, the same place where Israel was tested and where prophets, like John the Baptist, went to engage with God.

The Greek verb “peirazo” translated “tempted” may better be understood as “tested.” Instead of “the temptation of Jesus” we are reading about “the testing of Jesus.” Satan tried to get Jesus to sin; however, the initiation was with God, who tested Jesus’ vocation as the Son of God. Jesus triumphed.

The source of this account must be Jesus himself—no one else was there. This story implies parallels between Jesus’ experience and the experiences of Moses, Israel, and Elijah in being tested while obeying God’s will.

Application/Reflection

Is there a time in your life when you were tested but chose to rely on God? Consider how God was with you through his Spirit to guide and protect you. Having endured similar temptations, Jesus will give us strength.

Prayer

Lord, for our sake you fought and overcame the temptations in the wilderness. We pray that we may have the strength to fight against our enemy the devil. Be with us today in our thoughts and plans to spread your word to all lands, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea