1Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’ ” 5Then the devil took Him into the holy city [Jerusalem] and placed Him on the pinnacle (highest point) of the temple. 6And he said [mockingly] to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You [to serve, care for, protect and watch over You]’; and ‘They will lift you up on their hands, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory [splendor, magnificence, and excellence] of them; 9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” 11Then the devil left Him; and angels came and ministered to Him [bringing Him food and serving Him]. Matthew 4:1-11 AMP
Lent is a very important time personally, and I believe for the whole body of Christ because what it symbolizes for me is a time of sacrifice AND intentionality reflective of what Christ underwent during his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Christ was led to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to commune with God, and be prepared for his ministry and ultimately his purpose on Earth. However it was also the place where satan presented himself to Christ to tempt him into forfeiting his heavenly assignment and purpose in exchange for a false blessing/elevation. Christ was able to withstand the temptation successfully for two reasons that I’d like to discuss:
- He was filled with the word
- John 1:1,14 says that in the beginning was the word, and word was God, and the word was with God…..and the word BECAME flesh. It is important to understand this concept that Jesus was the fulfillment, embodiment, and evidence of the word that since the beginning had brought all things into being. Jesus I believe had inspired the text of the old testament that had established life, prophesied his coming, and given the people a prescription for living a life worthy of God’s calling. When he was tempted by satan in the wilderness, Jesus recalled, and weaponized the word/scripture that he embodied which is required to defeat satan. For each of satan’s lies and misrepresentations of Godly truths, Jesus knowing the word, believing the word, and being filled with the word released it to counter satan’s claims. Jesus was filled with the word BEFORE the testing and temptation which enabled him to not be deceived in a time of vulnerability. A very powerful phrase I heard recently is, “We don’t rise to the level of our competition, we fall to the level of our training.” This means that you can’t do what you haven’t prepared for, but you WILL fall according to your lack of preparation.
- He was LED by the Holy Spirit
- This is a very important distinction that people in the body of Christ miss, and unbelievers don’t understand. Jesus didn’t arbitrarily decide to go into the wilderness, or try to test satan using his personal abilities. Because the Holy Spirit fell on Jesus after his baptism, and led him to the wilderness to pray and commune with God, it was the Holy Spirit that quickened, and strengthened him during his time of testing. Had Jesus chosen to go into the wilderness without the Holy Spirit aiding him, and if he’d tried to fast from food and water for 40 days solely through willpower and determination then he’d have failed; either through death, or exchanging his heavenly crown for an earthly one. Oftentimes we are out of touch with God, therefore we don’t have his spirit, and are unable to discern his leadings from our own motives.
Reflection Time
I think this is a good place to start for the Lent 2023 journey. Take some time to read this passage, and pray for the holy spirit to help you discern, and hear the voice of God.
