Luke 4:1-13  As Jesus was baptized and filled by the Holy Spirit, He left the Jordan, led by the Spirit to the wilderness.  He identified with us.. as a man.. a human just like us, in His baptism... and now in His experience in the desert. 

Temptations are "common to man" ( I Corinthians 10:13). James tells us that "each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." ( James 1:14)  Hebrews 2:17-18 tells us that Jesus "had to be made like them (us), fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." 

Satan pursued Jesus into the wilderness.  He watched as Jesus spent 40 days without food... and then he struck. "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."  Satan would not offer bread. He could not produce bread out of stone.. but he knew that Jesus could. But, Jesus would not.. He didn't need to for He knew that His Father would provide all that was needed. "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone.' "  This quote comes from the book of Deuteronomy 8:3  "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."  Hunger is a very human characteristic.. we all get hungry.  The problem is when we allow our craving. or desire.. our "lust" to drive us to the ways of the world instead of the provision of the Father.  The Lord allowed the Israelites to be hungry so that He could show them that He is the Provider.  Jesus trusted the Father and He teaches us to trust Him too. 

Satan had another temptation to present.. "he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall be Yours."  In one moment, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.  It was his.. his to rule.. his to manage.. his to do as he pleased.. and his to give. But, Jesus knew that unless the Father had allowed Satan to rule.. he would not.  Satan was and is not equal to God.. never has been and never will be! Jesus answered "It is written, ' You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.' "  Once again Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy...Chapter 6,verse 13 " You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name."   When we are tempted to take what we want.. in our own way and by any other means than the grace of God, we fall into this trap of Satan.  Like Eve.. we think that it is ok to take what looks good.. even if it is giving into the voice of the devil and ignoring the Voice of the Lord God.  Whose voice are we listening to ?  The only authority we should honor is the Lord our God and Jesus Christ our King. 

Satan had one last test.. "And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here... " Satan uses scripture.. as if he could reason with Jesus to make Him test the Father.  Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6 again " You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.. "  The Israelites tested the Lord at Massah. Moses said that they were quarreling with God.  They were thirsty and there was no water. They complained and didn't trust the Lord to provide. They "tested the Lord, saying 'Is the Lord among us or not?' "  How is it that we "test" the Lord?  Do we want the Lord to prove Himself to us?  How often do we want "sight" and forget that we are called to walk by faith? 

Satan "departed from Him until an opportune time." (Verse 13)  Satan still seeks "opportune " times to tempt us as he did Jesus.  We need the power and provision of Jesus and the Word of the Lord to help us stand firm and not yield to those times of temptation.  May the Holy Spirit make us always aware of the example of Christ so that we will walk in His light and live in His truth. 

Father, how we need You to keep us walking in faith, by the Light of the world... He who overcame the world, satan, and every temptation. We have one God and one King and we worship You only. Be glorified in our lives we pray, in Jesus' name . Amen.