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JESUS IS TEMPTED IN ALL WAYS BUT OVERCAME

The author to the Hebrews (4:15) tells us that Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Therefore, Jesus is our High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses and He is our example to overcome all temptations.

The biblical account of Jesus being tempted is recorded in Matt 4:1-11. On the surface, we think that it is a simple situation of being tempted and He, being the Son of God, should have no trouble overcoming the temptations of Satan. After all, He is God.

More importantly, this sequence of temptation by Satan was designed to disrupt God's plan to save mankind. They actually encompass all the temptations that we face in our lives and Jesus shows us how we too can overcome and be strong in such trying times.

Just when you hear your friends succumb to temptations or fail in their faith to God, don't ever think that you will not. For when you least expect it, you can fall too. The devil is working overtime to derail your relationship with God in any way he thinks possible. And you are the next candidate.

So let us learn from Jesus to see what exactly is our secret of success. God's way and not ours. Read on.

POOF! STONES TO BREAD AND SATISFY YOUR HUNGER

Jesus is God, Word in the Flesh, taking on the form of man and dwelling amongst man. His mission is to live the life of man to die for man so that we in turn might be saved. He is God but took on the lowly form of man to show us how we might live.

After 40 days and nights of fasting, Jesus became hungry. This clearly shows the humanity of Jesus. Hunger is a basic feeling of man. To eat and drink are some basic needs of man. And here, Satan comes to tempt Jesus.

The first temptation took the form of a challenge to Jesus. The tempter said, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." On the surface, this is really no big deal. What can Jesus not do? After all, He is God, the Creator of the Universe. This turning the stone to bread is easier than anything else He will face in His later life.

But Jesus did not do that. Instead, He said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jesus did not answer the devil temptation. If Jesus had used His powers to turn stone to bread, He would have lost to Satan in using His powers to satisfy basic human needs. There will be no need for Jesus to go to the Cross. In fact, Jesus will no longer be able to identify with human weakness and overcame them and lived. When in need of basic requirements, turn stone to bread. Not that He can't, He won't and at this time, definitely not appropriate.

Jesus knew that and showed us all how to live. The reason to live is not bread alone. That is only to satisfy the physical life. But more importantly, the spiritual life has to be fed by God's word. Even if we lose this physical life, we must ensure that our spiritual life lives forever. And we will by God's word. What will it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our soul? Ask ourselves. But when we face the basic challenge of temptation, we too will give up all too quickly.

Are we prepared to die so that we might live? Are we prepared to give up ourselves to gain eternal life? Do we really know what it means to live and live abundantly? Do we have God in our lives that the physical needs are no longer important?

Know that by God's word, we will be fed. Remember, God takes care of the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet the Father feeds them. Are we not of more value than they? (Read Matt 6:25-34). So God's word teaches us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt 6:33). We must live by the word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Jesus was absolutely hungry but refrained from listening to Satan. Knowing clearly that Satan was there to twart God's plan, Jesus overcame by not using any of His powers but as man denied Satan of victory and affirmed the more important need of the soul. God's word is more important than bread. If we have God, we have everything. We may try to have everything but we will not have God who is our Everything.

This temptation was designed to put us against God for the sake of fulfilling the basic necessities of life. Do you know Jesus? Do you live by God's Word?