Temptation

Jesus went out into the desert to be by himself and fast while contemplating his mission.  During this time, the devil came to Him and tempted him three times.  Jesus’ rebuke of these temptations are the perfect guide for us.

Temptation:  Hedonism

The devil used Jesus’ weakened state from his fasting for the first temptation.  In Luke 4:3:

 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus was hungry from his fasting.  But he said to the devil in verse 4:

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Temptation: Egoism

The devil tried a new tactic beginning at verse 5:

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Again Jesus rebuked the devil and says in verse 8:

“It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Temptation: Materialism

The devil tries a new method, quoting Scripture from Psalm 91.  In Luke starting at verse 9:

 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

Jesus showed us once again how we handle the devil and his evil ways.  And because Jesus did not succumb to the temptations of the devil, He shows us how we can also turn away temptations in our lives.

Listen as Pastor Paul Rieger discusses the Temptation of Jesus Christ and how we can use Jesus’ example in our own lives.

We hope this message is uplifting for you and brings you closer to God and the salvation He gives us.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this podcast, please contact us at info@trinityradioandvideo.org

Note:  All Bible passages are from BibleGateway.com and are from the New International Version translation.

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