How many know that because of this temptation, Jesus is able to sympathize with our weakness! He knows that the spirit is often willing but the flesh is weak! He knows every device the devil uses against us and therefore, we can approach god’s throne and find grace and mercy when we need it!
In the text, Jesus is face to face with our most powerful enemy- the devil himself. When Satan was tempting Jesus in the wilderness, he made three statements all including an “if” (Luke 4: verses 3, 7, and 9). If is a conjunction which is used to suggest that something is being called into question. “IF” is Satan's main weapon. He cannot tell the truth, so he tries to get us to doubt the truth. He did the same thing in the Eden with Eve when he questioned God's instructions to her by asking “did god really say that?”
In the temptation of Christ, Jesus is famished and tired. He’s been in the wilderness with no food or water for 40 days straight! This is a desert: sandy, mountainous terrain with the sun beating down on Him! Add to it the devil’s temptation and you have a recipe for a breakdown! Now, the devil’s motive was the same here as it was in Eden. He brought the sonship and deity of Jesus into question by feigning doubt with his statement of ”if you are the son of God…” He was challenging the validity of Jesus' testimony. 40 days earlier, Jesus had just been baptized and confirmed as God’s Son by the Spirit resting on him like a dove but now he was in the fight of his human life.
Jesus was 100% God and 100% human and the temptation gives us a glimpse into the nature of Satan. His job and intent is to stir up the flesh. Satan says “if” to the flesh in order to stir it up, to suppress the spirit and to make us act contrary to what God has already said.
Satan is a master at trying to create conflict between man and God. He wants to raise doubts and cause us to question the truth, power and faithfulness of god. If he can do that, then he has created a conflict. He did it in Genesis and as a reminder; a flaming sword turning in every direction east of the garden of Eden is there to ensure that no one will ever enter there.
What we have to understand is this: yes, the devil will try to raise doubts and questions but God’s word is truth and we must stand on what god said over any doubts that we might have implanted by Satan
An opportune time:
Luke says here in verse 13 that the devil departed from Jesus until an “opportune” time. The Greek word kairos is used for time in lieu of the word chronos. Chronos describes hours/minutes) but kairos describes the right “moment” or “season”. Opportune times are usually times of high emotion, stress or depression! That’s why Paul tells us not to give the devil a foothold through anger, that’s why Satan is described as a roaring lion, that’s why we must stay sober minded- he is looking for the right moment to attack!
So if we trace the life of Jesus and His ministry, we can see instances where Satan just kept showing up. Let's look at it:
Working through the religious leaders: Jesus was in his hometown and drove out a mute demon! Satan used the Pharisees to accuse Jesus of working with Satan to accomplish his miracles- then- Satan tried to make the people think that Jesus was crazy- it got so bad that his mother and brothers showed up! In Mark 3:21, they said “he has lost his senses…” he’s gone crazy! Jesus straightened them out, Jesus said I don’t work for the strong man; I came to bind him up and rob his house! This is good news because once the strong man is bound up; everything he stole from you is coming back! Jesus said I cast out demons by the finger of God! I’m setting people free by the power of God! I am breaking chains by the power of the Holy Ghost!
The religious leaders couldn’t touch Jesus. Even those closest to the religious leaders were starting to believe! In John 7, the temple police who were sent to arrest Jesus said, “no one has ever spoken like him!” Nicodemus (well-known Pharisee) said, “We should hear from him before passing judgment…
Working through the disciples: When Satan can’t get you, he tries to get close to you? The devil couldn’t trap Jesus using the religious leaders…so, he tried to get to the disciples
At Caesarea Philippi, in Matthew 16:16, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ and then, 5 verses later, when Jesus is prophesying his death, the same Peter starts to rebuke Jesus saying “…this shall never happen to you”. Jesus turned to peter and said…get behind me Satan! Satan knew that if he could keep Jesus off the cross, he could keep god’s kingdom from being established in the earth! The sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary was God's way doing a new thing! It was God making a way out of no way and giving water in dry places! It had to happen.
The disciples argued over who would be the greatest in the kingdom, not understanding that being the greatest in the kingdom meant being last, washing feet, loving the least of these, loving the poor and the broken hearted!
A little later on, they were sitting at the dinner table and Jesus simply turned to Judas and told him what you do, do it quickly. Satan entered into him right there in the presence of Jesus (John 13:27), and for 30 pieces of sliver Judas sold Jesus out!
Even at the cross: When the disciple angle didn’t work, Satan got bold, he even showed up at the cross! At the cross, Satan was STILL challenging the Godhood of Jesus. There were people standing around the cross saying “If you are the Son of God, save yourself!” The thief on the cross says this: Save yourself then save us - as if they deserved saving! Men walked by wagging their heads and deriding Jesus!
The devil was again trying to raise doubts. What he was saying is this, “hey Jesus, do you really think that you are supposed to die for all these people that hate your guts? Come on down from there and save yourself. Don’t those nails hurt? You can wear a real crown, not a crown of thorns. You can come down and be a king right here on earth!”
He showed up to try to undo what put in motion from the foundation of the earth! Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king- he said to Pilate (John 18:36) - “my kingdom is not of this world…” Jesus came to establish the KINGDOM of Heaven on earth using earthly subjects! Jesus did not come to save Himself; He came to save those that would trust Him as their savior, through His death.
Friday Evening: A Change has come
Something started to change on Friday evening. The sun went black, there was a great earthquake and the temple veil was torn in two. WHEN Jesus gave up the ghost, even the Roman soldier at the cross started praising God saying “surely, this man must be the Son of God!” [Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39]- The light bulb came on for Him…he had an epiphany!
This is what the Lord spoke to me: SOMEONE HERE IS STRUGGLING TO BELIEVE…STRUGGLING WITH BELIEVING THAT JESUS IS REAL: When we begin to understand that God is real, cannot lie, cannot make a mistake, that Jesus is real and that He really came – and hold on to the truth…WE CANNOT BE TOUCHED!
The physical may get touched but FAITH SAYS “WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW!” Faith says “GOD IS FAITHFUL!” and WE HOLD ON TO THAT!
No matter what anyone says, we have unspeakable joy that comes from God and when you’ve held on to Jesus for a while, you have evidence that Jesus will do everything that He said! Yes we still make mistakes BUT WE SERVE A GOD THAT HONORS OUR FAITH! GOD IS REAL, and if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us! He’s full of lovingkindness, slow to anger and He rewards those that diligently seek Him.
The Million Dollar Question: Satan, where were you on Sunday Morning?
The bible says that it was early in the morning when Mary came to the (Luke 24:1-6) and the stone was rolled away BUT THERE WAS NO ONE INSIDE! There were two angels there that asked, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here but He is risen.” Remember he told you all these things?"
Here is the million dollar question…”SATAN, WHERE WERE YOU ON SUNDAY MORNING?” Yes you were in the wilderness, in the synagogue with the Pharisees, among the religious leaders, inside of Judas, you were even at the foot of the cross…BUT where were you on Sunday Morning?
Where were you when Jesus, after the humiliation of the cross, got up in glory? When the stone was rolled away? When the Living God got up with ALL POWER?
The empty tomb was one place that the truth could not be denied! This is the CORE of ALL Christianity. God had to protect it! On Sunday morning, the same way that God has Eden guarded, He guarded the tomb of Jesus with two angels SO THAT Satan had NO chance to say, “IF”, “Maybe”; or “listen to this” when the witnesses showed up. He did not give the devil the opportunity to confuse the witnesses.
I will tell you where Satan was…He was DEFEATED! Hebrews 2:14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” Sunday morning meant that the only weapon that Satan had, death, was taken away from him! Sunday morning meant that ALL power, even the power over death belonged to Jesus!
Thank God for Sunday Morning!
Death was defeated, the power and penalty of sin was defeated, peace was made with God through Christ's blood, the lost were found through His blood, the far off were brought near through His blood and God was satisfied because just as promised (John 10:18), Jesus got up from the dead!
God bless you and keep you. Sorry for the long delay! Grace and peace be upon you.
Beta-cyclodextrin (shown at right) is a molecule that is found in everything from toothpaste to cookies. The structure is simply several sugars linked together by ethereal bonds (please excuse the chemist in me). They are used to make cholesterol free products because one of their primary actions is the binding of cholesterol. The link between HIV, cyclodextrins and cholesterol is about as odd as finding Donald Trump in a room full of gay-rights activists that voted for Obama.
