The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil in order to test Him. What kinds of tests did Jesus undergo?
Test of hunger
The first test was the test of hunger.
Jesus went into the wilderness and spent 40 days and nights fasting and praying. After the 40 days, He was at a very weak point physically. That was when the tempter came to tempt Him.
The tempter suggested Jesus turn stones into bread. Afterall, it had been 40 days already. Jesus had the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit to sustain Him this long. The fast was almost over. What was the harm in eating a little?
“The tempter came to Him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread'” (Matthew 4:3).
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4).
Jesus knew what was more important in those moments. He knew He should not eat at that point, but show all of us there is more to life than food. So Jesus continued His fast.
He also knew He should not listen to the evil one, but only listen to God. A person does not live to satisfy his own belly. But a person lives on God’s words.
How does the word of God feed us?
God’s word nourishes us and helps us grow. Here are some great verses to know and put into practice:
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
“He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5)
“He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
“God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16)
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” (Luke 6:31)
Test of identity
The second test Jesus underwent was the test of identity. The tempter made Jesus stand on top of the temple in Jerusalem and said,
“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You’;
and
‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” (Matthew 4:6)
Jesus answered, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’ ” (Matthew 4:7).
The devil wanted Jesus to prove He is the Son of God. Furthermore, he tried to tempt Jesus into doubting His own identity. But Jesus knew who He who was and His relationship with the Father. Jesus remembered God’s commandment that we should not test God.
What is testing God? In this example, it is doing something reckless to see what God would do in response. Jesus teaches us to not test God this way. God is not obligated to respond to reckless and disobedient children.
Some people want God to prove Himself immediately when they ask. This is also a form of testing God. We should approach God in humility. God is not obligated to respond to defiant demands.
Actually, there are many reasons to believe in God and the Bible.
We can see God’s handiwork in all of creation. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
There are also many discoveries that confirm the events of the Bible.
Here are some examples:
Archaeological Finds
Hezekiah Inscriptions
If we want to get close to God and know Him first-hand, we need to obey God and do things His way. The Bible tells us how: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).
So the secret to knowing God and growing in faith is to draw near to God by spending time with Him everyday (like praying and reading His word). We also need to practice what we read.
As we practice what God says in the Bible, we can experience His faithfulness day-by-day. As you obey God, you will experience Him more and more.
We need to seek God and keep away from sins. We can experience God day-by-day if we follow God His way. There is no shortcut to this. We should not put God to the test.
Test of the easy way out
The third test Jesus underwent was the test of the easy way out. The devil showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9).
Jesus answered, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” (Matthew 4:10).
Wait a minute! Why didn’t Jesus argue that He owned everything already?
Jesus did not argue with the devil over this. Even though God reigns over everything, God does not want to do things purely by force. When the first humans sinned, power and control was ceded over to the evil one, because people chose to listen to him instead of to God. Ever since then, we have also made bad choices, so that everyone has sinned and done what was not right. So the evil one has control over the world. God can take everything back by exercising His power, but He chooses not to do that right now.
God wants to win hearts first. He does not immediately quash all rebellion by power and force.
Instead, God does things the hard way. The Father chose to win hearts by giving His Son to die for the entire world.
Satan tried to tempt Jesus into getting the world back by going the easy route. He promised to give Jesus the world and all the people in it, if Jesus would worship him.
But Jesus chose the hard route. He went to the cross!
Today, we have a choice of who has power over us. We can choose evil to reign or God to reign in us through Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Jesus underwent several tests before He started His ministry. The first test was related to food. Interestingly, the first sin committed by humanity was related to coveting food (Genesis 3). But Jesus overcame sin by His righteousness. The second test was related to Jesus’ identity. Jesus is the Son of God and He knew it. We also know we are children of God if we believe in Jesus and practice His words. The third test is the temptation to take the easy way out. Jesus did God’s will, even though it was difficult. We should follow in His footsteps and be willing to face difficulties, because God has the best for us.
After Jesus’ time with God in the wilderness, His fasting and prayers and His testing, Jesus began His ministry. Jesus called His first disciples. And He began to preach the gospel and heal many people.
Read Matthew 4 (NIV) in the Bible. See other lessons in the Gospel of Matthew.