How do you deal with tempting offers and insinuations? Jesus’ temptations in the desert show how we can deal with them. The episode demonstrates the power of the word of God.
It is striking that Jesus responded to every temptation (Matthew 4: 1–11) by citing the Scriptures. This shows that the Bible not only serves for teaching, but also has spiritual power. God is the author of Holy Scripture, and it is the testimony of His revelation. Thus Jesus did not rely on His own strength and arguments in the temptations He faced, but trusted completely in the word of God.
Jesus responded to all three temptations by citing from Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Moses. He chose these scriptures to specifically address the generation of Israelites that was born and grew up during the nation’s wilderness wanderings. In retrospect, these quotations were a reminder of the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness, their trials and temptations, and God’s faithfulness. Israel had to prove itself during this time and learn to put itself completely into God’s hands and trust in Him.
1. Trust in God’s care
Naturally, the devil’s first temptation of Jesus after His forty days of fasting in the wilderness had to do with food. He suggested to Jesus that He turn stones into bread.
This quotation from Deuteronomy 8: 3 was a reference to the manna that God provided for Israel. Although God allowed the people to experience hunger, He did provide manna for them, a food that they had never known before. He wanted the Israelites to learn that their lives did not depend on food alone, but on God’s care and His word. God does not always provide for people as they imagine He should, but in His own way.
Jesus refuses to perform miracles for Himself and trusts in God. Human beings do not live from what they can earn or produce for themselves. Eternal life can only be obtained through the relationship with God and through His word.
2. Faith does not demand proof
In the second temptation, where the devil suggested that Jesus throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, Jesus cited part of a verse from chapter 6 of Deuteronomy. In full it reads: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.”
What had happened in Massah back then? The Israelites had camped in Rephidim during their wanderings. There was no water, and they accused Moses and doubted the presence of God. The situation escalated to the point where Moses even feared he would be stoned to death. God had Moses strike a rock and water flowed out and the people were able to quench their thirst. Moses then called this place Massah and Meribah, which means proof and contention.
By citing this passage and acting the way He did, Jesus made it clear: true faith means trust, not demands.
3. Loyalty is more than a deal
Finally, Satan offered Jesus a supposedly quick solution to power and glory without having to take the way of suffering and crucifixion. His answer from Deuteronomy 6: 13, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve…” made it clear: only God deserves worship.
The reason: the Israelites kept turning away from God to worship foreign gods. They were attracted to the idolatrous cults of Moloch, Baal, Asherah, and Dagon because they offered quick solutions to everyday problems. The Israelites often sought the seemingly easier path and even longed to return to Egypt several times.
Jesus made it clear that the true king is not the one who takes power for himself, but the one who serves God. He will be king, but through faithfulness and sacrifice—and not by compromising. Even today, people often look for quick solutions and are rarely prepared to wait for God.
The devil as an interpreter of Scripture
The devil, cunning as he was, also cited a passage from the scriptures, referring to parts of Psalm 91: 11–12: “He shall give His angels charge over you … In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” The devil instrumentalised the Scriptures and presented the psalm as a kind of carte blanche.
He deliberately omits the reference to where God’s protection really lies: “in all your ways”. These words are crucial because they do not infer that God protects human beings always and everywhere and unconditionally. Rather, Proverbs and Psalms often make a distinction between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. This psalm, for example, is not simply meant to be understood as all possible ways, but as the ways that are in accordance with God’s will.
The devil knows the Scriptures, but Jesus lives them perfectly because He Himself is the truth. Considered in isolation, the Bible can be misused, but in Jesus it is correctly understood and fulfilled, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, … full of grace and truth” (John 1: 14). And because Jesus Himself is the truth, the Scriptures today are also interpreted on the basis of Christ.
Photo: dzoot – stock.adobe.com