Many years ago there was a controversial movie about Jesus and His temptations. The temptations in the film are not the same He experienced, nor at the same time. It’s easy to skip that part of the Bible, but there is a lot to learn from these experiences.
Jesus wasn’t just the Son of God. He was also the Son of Man. He was fully human and had all the same feelings we have. He suffered pain, and He was tempted. The temptations mentioned in the Bible are an important insight into who Jesus was and what He could and did do for us.
He had been in the wilderness for forty days without food. Going that long without sustenance leaves a person really hungry. Satan suggested to Jesus that He turn a stone into bread so He could eat something.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal; why would turning a rock into bread be a problem? Jesus did not use His power on things for Himself. He knew that God would provide and that He had to wait for God’s timing. His answer to Satan was, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word from the mouth of God.”
His second temptation was earthly power. Satan offered Jesus the entire earth with everything on or in it. Think of all the good He could do if He accepted this. He could heal people, make them whole.
If Jesus had accepted this two things would result. First, He would not be able to heal the entire world. It takes belief to heal and those who didn’t believe couldn’t be helped. Second, that was not the Purpose God sent Him for. By skipping this temptation He could be the final sacrifice and allow us have a relationship with God.
The last test took place at the temple. Jesus was on the highest pinnacle and Satan suggested He throw Himself off of it. It was written that the angels would guard Him. Having a genuine miracle right in front of the temple might have made Jesus’ work easier.
“It is written, thou shalt not test the Lord thy God,” He replied. Yes, He would have been saved by the angels but it was not God’s way of doing things. In order to be in God’s perfect will, you have to wait for God’s perfect timing.
We have these same problems. It’s definitely not on the same scale as Jesus, but we are tempted every day. There are times when we may not know where our next meal is coming from. There are times when we think we could do a better job of running the world, and there are definitely times when we want to test God.
The good news for us is that Jesus, by not giving in, provides us with the strength of will we wouldn’t normally have. He also provided forgiveness when we give in to whatever temptation comes our way. That is the real meaning of His temptations and why Satan wanted to change Jesus before He even got started.