Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Matthew 4:1 KJV
The first thing I pick from this scripture is that it was not the devil that led Jesus to the wilderness. It was the spirit of God that led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and truly the devil tempted Him.
I want to anchor on a verse in 2 Corinthians :vs5 tells us that they were overthrown in the wilderness. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth. God delivered the children of Israelite from the land of Egypt. Paul tells the people in Corinth that many died in the wilderness. When Jesus came He went back to the wilderness to be tempted and He overcame. This is for us so that we too will walk through the wilderness and overcome. It will be a total waste if what we here in this words, we are unable to understand and liken it to our lives.
I have gotten to understand and to learn that God doesn’t work with numbers. God works with the people who are willing, ready and available. We will not be overthrown in our wilderness of life.
The bible tells us that we should not be overcome the same way that the children of Israel where overcome in the wilderness. Jesus has already conquered and He shows us how to do this. There are 3 temptations that Jesus was tempted with in the wilderness. These temptations covers all areas of challenge that man may go through.
First of all where exactly is the wilderness? We talk about the wilderness experience. This is true but then where is the wilderness? Jesus has allowed you and I to come to this earth, this earth is the wilderness experience. The promise land God has promised is when we seat with Him in eternity. What we pass through in life is the wilderness experience. In the wilderness experience of the children of Israel they had the trying times and the good times but all their celebration was done then in the wilderness. The wilderness is the journey between Egypt and the promise land.
The same temptations that the children of Israel complained about, went after other gods, isolated themselves but they never got to the promised land.
The bible says that some women were running after Him and they were weeping and mourning on the triumphant journey. Jesus turned and spoke to them that they should not weep for Him because His time had come.
After He had fasted for forty days and night Jesus was hungry. We expect that at the end of the fast Jesus would be spiritually sharp. But the bible tells us that Jesus was hungry. The first temptation which is an area that the devil has used to hold many Christians. The bible says that the devil tempted Him, at a point where He was weak - hunger, the devil said ‘command the stones to be made bread if you are the son of God’. Many of us do this often by questioning and doubting the authority of God.
Jesus answer was this ‘man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’.
The temptation of the lust of the flesh is the greatest and most prevalent area of temptation this days. Many of us as Christians we do not fast, and when we do not fast we are satisfying the lust of the flesh. We must always live by the words that come from God. We need to deny the flesh, when we deny the flesh we strengthen the spirit. The word of God is the bread of life. For emphasis Jesus didn’t say the bread of life, He said every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
There is spiritual and physical food. Jesus craved spiritual food. To pass through the temptation of the devil Jesus released the spiritual food He had built Himself on and so He was able to stand in the day of adversity (temptation).
People are speaking about the rates an increase of suicide, many are Christians who have lost hope in themselves. This is okay but we can’t afford to lose hope in God our maker.
Jesus is reminding us tonight that He has been and will continue to fight for us. We must deal with all negative voices in the wilderness so that we may overcome in the wilderness of life.
Even with the first temptation (hunger), we hear so many stories of all our brothers and sisters are doing just so they are able to feed. When the devil catches you hungry and you do not have your spirit man filled with the bread of life he will degrade you and reduce you to nothing. This is what he tried to do with Jesus. A lot of people are being overthrown daily by the lust of the flesh.
The second temptation is about is about the lust of the eyes. Even the church has defined success the way the world defines success. What is success to you? How many lives have you affected? How many people have drawn to the saving grace of the Lord. How many people have you paid school fees for? But we see the luxuries of life as success. We embrace crime and congratulate criminals.
Again Jesus replied the devil with the bread of life saying ‘it is written’. Each man has their own race. We all walk differently and each to his own gist.
The third temptation verses 8-9. the devil took Jesus to a high place and showed him some great things. He told Jesus that ‘all this I will give you if you will fall down and worship me’. how could the devil have asked God to fall down and worship him? Putting himself above God? Many of is are worshiping all sorts of idols because we want to satisfy our pride. We are try to give ourselves accolades that should go to God.
Some of us cannot seat beside certain kind of people. Who do we think we really are? Some of us are ruled by pride. We find it hard to relate with people around us. A lot of us are ashamed of Jesus and this shows in the things we do and how we act.
If we want to overcome in the wilderness of life we must forsake every sin, the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. Turn around today and accept the bread of life that God gives us freely through Christ Jesus.
