The testing of Jesus in the desert has often seemed puzzling. Why did the Spirit lead Jesus out there? What was the real intent of the Devil’s attacks? Why did Jesus let Himself be tested when in the end, the simple command “be gone” sent the devil packing. Let’s have a brief look at Matthew’s account in Matthew 4:1-11.*
The testing takes place when Jesus is hungry (verse 2). Starvation is setting in and Jesus is severely weakened in the flesh at this point. It is, of course, an opportune time for the devil to attack, and he does. The first test is about food. Satan says,
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Satan knows that Jesus has the ability as the Son of God to make bread to eat, but will He?
The second test is about unnecessary risks. Satan takes Jesus to a high place in the temple and challenges him (verse 6),
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written...”
Satan quotes Scripture (out of context) to challenge Jesus’ trust of the Father. Will the Father care for and protect Him even to this extreme?
Finally, Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world, which Adam lost and over which Satan had authority. But the requirement was worshiping someone other than God.
What we see is the devil seeking to persuade Jesus to use His Divine Nature in an unusual way. When we read the rest of this gospel and the other gospels, we find that Jesus always did what the Father wanted and not what Jesus wanted on His own. As John said in John 14:7, Jesus illustrated who the Father was exactly. He spoke only what the Father told Him to speak (John 14:10).
So, we can now see that Satan is seeking to drive a wedge between the Father and the Son. If Satan can get Jesus to act outside of the Father’s desires and intentions, Satan wins. Of course, there is much more in this passage, but for a moment I want to muse further on just this one point.
If Satan sought to drive a wedge between Jesus and the Father, what might Satan try to do to us?
Why is it so difficult to do what is right? Why is it so difficult to forgive others? Why do we look to destructive habits to calm ourselves? Why are we so afraid to speak about Jesus to friends that need to know? Could it be that Satan has driven a wedge between us and the Father in one of a hundred ways?
Sin is one avenue Satan can use, and this passage gives three categories of sin: the lust of the flesh (hunger), the lust of the eyes (the kingdoms), and the boastful pride of life (testing the Father to see if He really watches over). Within each of these categories, there are many different techniques and methods Satan will use.
But there is another way the enemy tries to create distance between us and the Father. We’ll explore that in next week’s devotional!
*See R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007), 124-136.