i have read and preached many times concerning the temptation of Jesus at the hands of the devil. It seems each time i revisit the story, i see something more powerful that was partially veiled to me previously.
Today, i read Luke 4, verses 1 through 13 from The Passion Translation [TPT] of the Holy Bible. The vocabulary that Jesus used to gain victory over His temper is pure awesomeness.
Temptation 1: The tempter urged Jesus: "Turn this stone into a loaf of bread."
Jesus replied: "I will not! For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Life does not come only from eating bread but from God. Life flows from every revelation from His mouth.’"
Temptation 2: The tempter said: "Simply bow down to worship me and it [all the kingdoms and regions of the world] will be yours."
Jesus replied: "Satan get behind me! For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Only One is worthy of your adoration. You will worship before the Lord your God, and love Him supremely.’"
Temptation 3: The tempter says: "Jump down [from the highest point of the temple] in front of all the people... the angels will hold you up."
Jesus replied: "How dare you provoke the Lord your God!"
In all three temptations, Satan wanted Jesus to prove in a sensational way "Who He was." He kept repeating to our Lord: "If you really are the Son of God..." [then prove it!]
Jesus knew precisely "Who He was and Whose He Was!" And by resisting the tactics of the temper, He further solidified He had come not to be a showman but to be our Savior and "to destroy the works of the devil!" [1 John 3:8]
If we find our identity, yes, "who we are," in the Son of God and if we belong exclusively to Him, that is, if we also know "Whose we are," then, in each and every temptation Jesus will prove to be our Everlasting Escape, yes, He will prove to be our Wonderful Way Out! [1 Corinthians 10:13]
Note: As i read Luke 4 and as i reflected and wrote this blog post, this song was on my mind:
Hope Happens HERE!
Presence Matters Most!
No Invisible People! UNITY!
Pastor Kerry Willis
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