Pages 311-336 cover the first half of the Book of Matthew. Matthew was one of Jesus’s 12 disciples who traveled with Jesus and documented His teachings. Matthew’s account shows Jesus as our King, the long-awaited Messiah of the entire world, and begins from Jesus’s human genealogy through His life and teachings to show us the uniqueness of Jesus as the Messiah—our God who took on flesh.
In these pages, Jesus taught us to discern God’s purpose through prayer, to follow Jesus’s teachings, and to prepare for and go to the frontlines of our communities to share His message. Jesus said so much in these pages that it was hard for me to focus on only one idea that stood out. However, Jesus’s responses to the temptations he faced in the wilderness struck me in their power and scope.
Jesus had fasted and prayed to His Father for 40 days and nights to prepare for His ministry. Even during this intimate time with His Father in Heaven, Jesus allowed the devil to interrupt and tempt Jesus three times in strong and powerful ways. For me, this means that temptations come at any time and often when we least expect them.
When tempted by his arch foe, Jesus used each of the temptations and His responses as an opportunity to teach God’s Truth not only to us, but also to the devil, himself. Jesus misses no opportunity to witness to anyone who comes forward to Him, no matter how lost that being is or how wicked their intent may be.
In Jesus’s responses to the temptations, we are reminded to put God first in our lives and to respond in faith and trust God in everything. Below are Jesus’s responses to the 3 temptations and what stood out to me for each one.
1 “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
We as humans are tempted to think that abundant food, nice clothes, and a sheltering roof over our heads, all of which show our standing in the community, will satisfy us. But, for me, Jesus’s response shows that physical needs being met—bread alone—will not sustain us. Our spiritual need is paramount and can only be met by God’s Word, Jesus.
2 “You must not test the Lord your God.”
We may be tempted to make decisions and act on our own intellect, power, and strength without seeking God’s Will. Jesus warns us to seek God first and trust Him, not ourselves, in all our circumstances. We live for His God’s glory, not to display our own courage and valor because of risks we take. We are not to think of ourselves as invincible and expect God to protect us and bail us out while we take credit for the recovery.
3 “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”
We may be tempted to seek fame and fortune or other pursuits as our priority instead of putting God first in our lives. But Jesus’s response reminds me to seek God first—to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first, and all other needs will be met by God.
No one and nothing else deserves our worship or service except the Lord. This reminder was a complete rebuff to the devil who wants first place in our lives. Jesus’s behavior models a response for whatever temptations we face. His Kingdom and our future home are not of this world.