For a Time

Luke 4:1-13:

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, One does not live on bread alone.” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.

Blog:

Jesus’ Temptation in the desert is a stunning realization of just how arrogant and ignorant the devil really is.  He actually thinks that he can tempt the Son of God into denouncing His Father.  This is the same devil that already tried (and lost) to oust God from Heaven in a Spiritual revolt with a third of the Angels that got all of them kicked-out of Heaven Eternally.  This is the same devil that was kicked-out of the Garden of Eden for convincing Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.  This is the same devil that, that when Jesus has arrived on the earth in human flesh, was ready to try his losing ways yet once again.  Jesus’ doesn’t mix words with the devil – He simply rebukes satan with The Words of God from Holy Scripture.  But the devil wasn’t done yet – no, he went away (per the Gospels) “for a time” to come back and try to harm Jesus again.  The devil actually thought that he had killed God (in the form of Jesus) at Calvary upon the cross.  He actually thought that he had twisted enough earthly pawns (including Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, and Judas Iscariot) in order to do away with God and take over on earth.  When the stone rolled away from the tomb three days later, he knew yet again that he had been defeated – but, that doesn’t mean that he will ever stop trying to harm all of us (whom God loves) while he kicks and screams like a frustrated three-year-old toddler not getting their way (but, he’s doing it all the way to hell).  This world, for all of us, is but “for a time”, too.  It will challenge and tempt all of us to do wicked things.  The Truth is that God never, ever tempts us and He Promises to use each and every challenge that we go through while on earth for His Good, as well as our’s.  So, with the “time” that we have left, let’s be sure to focus on the Hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ and let’s leverage God’s Word in each and every thing that we do.  For it’s by the Truth that we shall all be set free.