Jesus Tempted by the Devil – What Does This Mean?

Adam and Eve were created pure and given a divinely planted garden. But they were deceived by the Devil. They doubted the goodness of God and ate of the forbidden fruit. Their fall plunged all of humanity into sin and are cast us all into the wilderness. But even with this severe consequence of sin, a Promise is made: The Seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. The head of Satan and deliver to them life.

Jesus begins to reverse the curse at his baptism. It is there that the Great Exchange begins. He purified the waters of Baptism and took upon himself our guilt. The heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended and rested upon him, and the Father spoke. Immediately after this, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness. Jesus, who had freshly taken upon himself our guilt, is taken into the wilderness. He is cast out as were Adam and Eve.

When there, he fasted for forty days and forty nights. At the end of this time, the Tempter came. And he used the hunger of Jesus in the first temptation. He tempted Adam and Eve with food, and he does it with Jesus too. The temptation of Adam and Eve was to doubt God’s goodness. The temptation of Jesus is to use his divine abilities to serve himself rather than the people he has come to save. Jesus answers the devil with Scripture. The devil sought to make him selfish, but Jesus declares that the true bread that truly sustains us is the very Word of God.

After this swing and a miss, the devil took Jesus to the highest point of the Temple. There he again sought to get Jesus to be selfish. And he this by quoting Scripture. Well, by misquoting Scripture. Jesus again rightly used and quotes Scripture: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” He would not fling himself off the Temple, by testing the Lord God to protect him., Jesus would draw attention to himself. And since it was not yet his time or hour for glorification, this is something he could not do.

But beyond that, the devil is twisting Scripture yet again. This should not surprise us as he is the father of lies. The Psalm isn’t about being reckless and forcing the protection of God. It isn’t about making a show for people to see that Jesus is the Christ. It is a Psalm of comfort for the afflicted Christian. In it we confess God as our shelter, our shadow, our refuge, and our fortress. God is our defender and deliverer. The Christian is not exempted from trials and tribulations, but he is protected in the midst of them. And even if our physical bodies are tarnished or destroyed, our soul is kept and preserved.

And so, now with an 0-2 count, the devil desperately tries once more time. He takes Jesus to a high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. And he again tempts Jesus to turn away from his Father and bow down to the devil. “All these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Sure, Satan has some dominion over this world. But this is an offer of something that is not his to give. He does not have the authority to give what is not his. Let alone at the cost of worshiping him. And so, Jesus replies, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

With that third swing and a miss, the devil goes away. And as he leaves, angels come to Jesus and minister to him. They support him and, I am sure, provide his weary earthly body with food and drink. In the end, we see Psalm 91, the Psalm he devil twists and the Psalm we heard as our Introit this morning, is fulfilled.

With the devil defeated, Jesus does what Adam, Eve, Moses, Israel, and everyone since them including us could not: Perfectly resist the temptations of the devil. Jesus won a victory for us in the wilderness, and his march to the cross is already well underway. More trials and temptation will come his way. The devil will return and try to get him again. But the course is set. Jesus eyes the cross. Eyes your redemption.

While we concern ourselves with food and importance and power, Jesus is focused on saving his creation. While we are easily and constantly fooled by the Tempter, Jesus rebuffs him even when starving after a fast. We can be tricked by twisted Scripture, but Jesus wields the Sword expertly as it is his own Word.

In about forty days, we will gather at the altar on the night Jesus is betrayed, we will observe his death, the church will stand vigil on Holy Saturday, and then we gather to celebrate his victory over sin, death, and the devil with his resurrection. But today we begin the road to victory. Begin the road to the Great Reversal. And so let us come to Jesus.

Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD