Test

Rejoice in the perfect Lamb of God, Son of Man, the truly human, truly God Jesus. Our love in God is as secure as Christ’s perfection, as secure as the eternal bond of love between the Son and God as we are placed in Christ by faith. Celebrate! Oh, celebrate our Jesus!

Listen to the Father—he is watching his Son be baptized, obediently fulfilling all righteousness. The Father cannot contain his joyful, delighting love of his Son and a voice rips the heavens open, “This is my Beloved Son! With him I am well pleased!” (see Mat. 3:17). A momentous occasion—for thousands of years since Adam and Eve the ears of humankind had longed to hear that divine commendation. That unequivocal, clear, certain, absolute, unquestionable, and rock-solid approval. The bursting of the Father’s heart with delight. And here on this God-Man, finally. The hopes that had waited, growing for thousands of years, finally burst. The stars must have danced, the deep cold hearts of the mountains must have trembled, the angels watching must have gasped. Finally? Finally? A second Adam? A Son worthy of his Father’s complete joy and favor?

Just like Adam, there was a test. Satan tries the true Son of God.

With lies disguised in Bible verses, with powerful allures, using emotional grenades, physical fiery darts, psychological lances, and spiritual subtleties Satan asked the Son to love himself more than the Father. The stake: a breach in that eternal love-trust relationship of Father and Son. Some scholars comment that the temptations may test this very aspect of identity—“IF you are the Son of God.” It wasn’t his actual being the Son of God that was in question—that was made clear at the baptism. But what privileges? Does God care? In other words, “Are you really the Beloved? Is God really a good Father? Does he really have your best interest in mind? After all, you know what is waiting for you—suffering. Would a good Father allow that? You are not the Beloved; you are on your own. So take charge.”

You and I have read this story in the Gospels many times. We know the end. We know Jesus remained faithful. And many of us feel it was somehow easier for him. This was God in the flesh! Of course it was easy for him to brush Satan off. But the temptations were real. A small little temptation can move us. Like a pebble on the beach it just takes a small wave to move our wishy-washy wills. But Satan threw all of his wiles, forces, allures, temptation, and deceit against Christ the rock. It is the solid rocks on the beach that take a battering, and Christ withstood the horrors of temptation.

Jesus. Hot desert sun beating down. Sweat rolling down, and giving a brief relief to parched lips. Sun and hunger caused the world to swirl with sudden movements. Satan comes in his beauty and splendor to this humble, tired, and sweaty man. Jesus stands up, and sways as his stomach sends aches of pain. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Mat. 4:3). Bread. Food. Relief. Now. The Accuser probably continued crooning, “You remember your mother’s bread? Freshly baked pitas with golden olive oil? Mmm, smell it. Taste the warm bread just melting in your mouth. Just think about it. What harm is it to take care of yourself? You have to hike out of this wilderness. You need strength. Will God keep you going? Look at you! You can barely stand up! Will God come through? Do you know when this will end?”

Yet, from between Jesus’ lips, perhaps blistered by the sun and heat, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” And I get cranky and snap at my friends if I’m just a little late for lunch.

Then, with how-details that we want to know not shared, the Father-of-Lies and the humble Carpenter were on the highest point of the temple. The temple—the place of protection. The place where one could run for shelter (2 Sam. 22:7; 1 Kgs. 1:50-51; 1 Kgs. 2:28; Psa. 84:3). “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. You know suffering is ahead of you. Ask God to deliver you, carry you, and send angels to protect you. Would a good Father really allow his Son to suffer? Isn’t this what he promised—protection? So ask of it, now. Now.” In other words, don’t choose suffering, hardship, obedience. Oh! what fears crop up in light of those words “suffering” and “hardship.” What next? Can I stand up under it? Jesus faced that.

Then, “Are you the Son of God? Then where is your power? Your glory? Your kingdom? Didn’t you come to bring in the kingdom? That is your right, isn’t it? Just worship me. Then all this will be yours. Yours. Your name will be great. And think of all the good you could do. You’d be a good king, right? Now. Ask for power now.”

But my Jesus! He stood faithful! Think of yourself in the keenest moments of temptation, when that lure just calls. When you know your husband “deserves” a smart remark in return. When the finances are so tight that fear chokes and you just want to fudge a bit on the taxes. When that alcohol or drug is calling and your soul aches and you can’t escape. When you’ve tried time and time again so why bother trying and that bag of Oreos is just crying out that it is the Balm of Gilead? Whatever your moment, Jesus withstood far greater. Not to undermine yours. But it was a real temptation. Jesus suffered.

Take a moment and think of your own temptations. How was Jesus tempted in the same way? How is he with you in your temptations? How does that give you confidence?

Do you see how this connects to you? How does that give you hope?

Spend some time praising Jesus for his victory won on your behalf.