Understanding The Temptation of Jesus

Amid our struggle with mortality, we sometimes become weary, weak, and vulnerable to the temptations placed before us. In the Savior’s life, we can learn a valuable lesson.

The story about when Satan tempted Christ three times in the wilderness teaches us a valuable lesson.

In this article, we’ll discuss the temptation of Christ, what it means to us, and how it affects our behavior as Christians.

Jesus tempted in the wilderness

In the Bible, the Gospel of Luke 4:1-15, Matthew 4:1-11, and Mark 1:12 all recount the tale of Christ’s dealings with Satan, the great tempter.

Following His baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus returned from the river Jordan full of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then led Him into the wilderness, where he fasted for 40 days and nights. Christ ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. During this moment of weakness, the Devil appeared to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Angry at his foiled attempt, the Devil led Jesus up a high mountain and showed Him all the world’s kingdoms. 

And Satan said to Him, “To you, I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’” 

Then the Devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and placed Him on the pinnacle of the temple in the Holy City, saying to Him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands, they will bear you up so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 

Then Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the Devil had finished every test, he departed until an opportune time approached.

What are the three temptations of Jesus?

Satan’s temptations boiled down to three things in the New Testament: hedonism, egoism, and materialism. 

These temptations can be categorized as “lust of body” (hedonism), “pride of life” (egoism), and “lust of eyes” (materialism). 

The Greatest Commandment states that temptations aim to deceive and corrupt three major aspects of human behavior: thinking, wishing and feeling, which are the mental, emotional, and spiritual components of the individual. 

The temptation scene tells the story of Jesus’s whole life and emphasizes His relentless commitment to His Father’s will. In addition to being the Messiah, Jesus was also considered the true mouthpiece of the Lord. Had the Devil succeeded in tempting Christ, then it’d be as if God Himself had succumbed to him. Christ understood this truth in His heart, so he refrained from all temptations. 

Although the Gospel of Mark states that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Luke and Matthew go into more detail on the type of temptations Jesus faced.

The first temptation: Hedonism

Temptation of the body was the first the Devil presented to Jesus. 

The ethical theory of hedonism holds that pleasure, defined as the satisfaction of desires, is the highest good and proper aim of human existence. When the Devil asked Jesus to turn a stone into bread while alone in the wilderness, Jesus replied, “Man does not live by bread alone.”

Similar to how Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, we fast for Lent and Ash Wednesday. Life comes from more than food alone. The word of God is necessary for food to be available. Our lives aren’t sustained only by bread but by all that comes from the mouth of God. All of what God chooses to grant us is according to His will. There’s no true life without God, and His people can find everything within life through Him alone.

The second temptation: Materialism

The second temptation was materialism. 

Materialism occurs when material possessions and physical comfort mean more to us than spiritual values. 

After Jesus rejected the Devil the first time, Satan showed Jesus the world’s kingdoms and said that all of it could be His if only Jesus bowed down and worshiped him. But once again, Jesus rejected him, saying, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’” 

At this point in the story, the Devil was appealing to Jesus by telling Him that he could rule the people if he would only worship darkness. But Jesus knew that relying on material comforts and ruling the people means nothing if you lose yourself and your true faith in the process. 

There is only one God to worship: the Heavenly Father. If Jesus had been an egotist, he could have easily taken the short path to victory. But Christ knew His true path and stuck to it, despite the Devil’s temptations. 

The third temptation: Egoism

The third temptation was related to ego. 

Egoism holds that morality begins with self-interest. Jesus once again rejected a request from the Devil to throw Himself from the building so the angels could catch Him. In Christ’s words, the Devil shouldn’t put the Lord to the test. 

We, too, are meant to hear this message. A test of faith defeats the purpose of faith. To gain the trust of the people and authorities, Jesus could have made a grand gesture and thrown Himself off the building. However, if Christ had done so, the people wouldn’t have had the appropriate faith in Him or God. 

What do the three temptations mean for us?

Deuteronomy 8:6 says, “Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to Him and revering Him.”

In this world, temptation is inevitable. Most people don’t even try to resist temptation, while others want to avoid it at all costs. However, as Godly people, we must learn to resist the temptations we face while accepting that temptation is a part of life.

Jesus Christ is our great example and teacher regarding resisting temptation. He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Those of us who strive to be like Christ must eagerly study His teachings and how he resisted temptation. 

The main point of the Lord’s fasting, despite comparisons with Moses and Elijah’s periods of fasting, is how he deals with temptation from the perspective of His humanity.

It’s because Jesus is human and made like us in every way that he could do three vital things: 

1. Destroy the Devil’s power
2. Become a merciful and faithful Messiah
3. Become the one who sympathizes with us 
   

Because of His human nature, Jesus can sympathize with the weaknesses of others since he experienced weakness as well. Furthermore, we have a high priest whose role intercedes on our behalf and offers us the grace of forgiveness even when we succumb to temptations.

Lead us from temptation

Jesus could have sinned. He could have succumbed to temptation. 

The plan of life and salvation could have been thwarted, but Jesus remained true to Himself. There would have been no real test and no genuine victory if Jesus hadn’t resisted the Devil’s temptation.

Now we must ask ourselves: will we succeed? Can we resist temptation in the same way Jesus did?

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