Testing 1, 2, 3 (part 2)

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Temptations of Jesus

In Part 1, we witnessed Jesus’ identity declared by the Father: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Unfortunately, divine testing sometimes follows divine affirmation. What happens when the truth God speaks over us meets the trials that test it? That’s where we find Jesus next: in the wilderness.

Have you ever experienced a spiritual high only to face your greatest fear or temptation right after? One moment, everything feels secure; the next, it’s unraveling.

That’s what happens after Jesus’ baptism. Heaven opens, the Father’s voice declares, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The Spirit descends like a dove, and the Trinity stands revealed at the start of Jesus’ ministry.

And how exactly does Jesus’ public ministry begin? Well if you’re anything like me, perhaps you would expect that the following chapter to include a big miracle, powerful sermon, or high level meeting with Jesus’ inner circle. But no, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, whom God loves, goes off on his own. To the wilderness of all places.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (Luke 4:1)

The same Spirit who descended on him at baptism now leads him into battle. The voice that once called him beloved will soon be questioned: “If you are the Son of God…” The wilderness always tests the words we last heard from heaven. That identity spoken over him at the Jordan was exactly what Satan sought to unmake in the wilderness.

It wasn’t the devil who lured Jesus to the wrong place at the wrong time. Scripture is clear: the Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted. This was part of God’s plan, not an accident.

So why did Jesus have to go through this testing?

Just as Jesus identified in baptism with the sinners he came to save, he entered temptation to succeed where Israel had failed—to remain faithful to the Father.

Starting his ministry with a mass healing, feeding or teaching would certainly have sent a message of power and influence. But identifying with our struggles postured Jesus in such a way that he was able to receive the broken, the sinners, the worn out, and cast out with a heart of compassion and gentleness.

Significance of Each Temptation

Without context, Scripture can feel distant or confusing. So what’s really happening in these temptations?

The Temptation for Security (Provision)

The first test Jesus went through was one of security and provision but it was packaged in something less threatening: a simple snack. 

These temptations came after forty days of fasting and prayer. Fasting focused Jesus’ attention on the Father in solitude.

So in Matthew 4 when the devil tells him, 

“If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus would have been really hungry! Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Satan tempted Jesus to use his power to satisfy his own desires, rather than trusting in God to supply all that he needed during his temptation. Jesus’ reply tells us what the people of Israel should have learned in the wilderness all those years prior: that people do not live by bread alone. Satisfying one’s feeling of a need for food is not as important as trusting and obeying God.

Despite the devil’s tempting offer, Jesus refuses to use his divine power to make the trial any easier for himself. He models for us the correct response to temptation by employing memorized Scripture and responding instead to God’s invitation. An invitation to trust him for our daily provision and security rather than depend on our own efforts and striving apart from him. 

The Temptation for Approval (Reputation) 

Many of us still crave acceptance long after high school. Our reputations matter deeply, and the lengths we go for approval can look desperate.

Now in the second temptation, the devil shows his flare for the dramatic. Matthew 4 continues by saying,

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,    and they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

He’s moved on from trying to get Jesus to turn a stone into a snack. He’s now pushing spectacle. What a sight that would have been: watching Jesus leap off the highest point of the temple, the crowded city centre of Jerusalem, only to have mighty angels swoop down scoop him up before even a hair falls out of place. 

We see this kind of thing with social medial influencers all the time. Trying just one more dangerous feat for the likes, the shares, the subscribes. Just one more viral post. But this isn’t Jesus’ way. And if he did this to gain approval from the people, he would not have fulfilled his calling as planned. Such a spectacular display might have gained Jesus an enthusiastic following, but would not have followed God‘s plan for Jesus’ work as Messiah. His reputation wasn’t going to be built on sensational spectacle, it would be built on service and sacrifice. 

So what does Jesus reply? You guessed it. More Scripture. He doesn’t disagree with Satan but tells him that the Scriptures also tell us not to put the Lord your God to the test.

The Temptation for Control (Power)

Finally for the third temptation, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

The temptation for power and control is an ancient one harkening back to the Garden. We want control and power and we want them apart from God. Adam and Eve were tempted to become like God, forgetting that they already were— they already bore his image. The dominion Satan promised was already theirs as they were commissioned to rule over all living creatures, including over the serpent himself!

The power and control that the devil offered them was already theirs. They were given dominion over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and the animals that roamed the earth—that included the serpent with his slithering lies!

Eventually Jesus would declare that “all power in heaven and on earth has been given to me…” (Matthew 28:20) But not without the cross. Not without the pain and the humiliation and isolation of that moment. Not without sacrifice. Not without death. 

The devil offers Jesus a way to rule the world that avoids the cross and exchanges worship of God for worship of Satan. When he says all these things I will give you, it is a lie because ultimate dominion belongs to God alone.

Jesus replies, 

“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Jesus passes this test where we continually fail. To honour God and worship God and 

Matthew’s account says that, the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. 

In Luke 4, it says that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee. Officially launching his public ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Gospel Truth Paired with Solid Identity 

What can we learn from Jesus’ response to temptation? First, his masterful use of Scripture.

Hebrews 4:12 says,

“The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Scripture’s power lies not in ink on a page but in the living Word himself—Jesus, who spoke divine truth with God’s authority. When we speak Scripture in faith, the same Spirit empowers our words against the enemy’s lies.

We often focus on Jesus’ use of Scripture against the devil, but there’s something even more central we tend to miss. It’s not about what Jesus did, but who he is.

Remember, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil only after the voice of God declared from the heavens that Jesus was his beloved Son with whom he was well pleased. He didn’t have to pass the wilderness test to have these truths declared over him. His identity was sealed before he did anything to earn it.

He stepped from the waters of baptism into the dry wilderness of temptation — from overflowing affirmation to absolute emptiness. And yet the truth spoken in the river still held firm in the desert.

The enemy’s first words—“If you are the Son of God…”—were a direct attack on what was already true. The same is true for us: Scripture is our weapon, but knowing who we are in Christ is our anchor. Don’t believe the enemy’s lie that you’re less than who God made you to be. 

The same strategy tempts us today—to doubt God’s goodness and grasp for security, approval, or control on our own terms.

A life surrendered to Jesus means we’re adopted into God’s family—his children, purchased by the blood of Christ. Our identity is secure.

Want to flourish? Start by knowing who you are in Christ. 

Rooted in Identity

Before Jesus began his ministry, he was loved. Before he faced temptation, he was secure. Pause today and hear again the Father’s words over you: You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased. Let those words speak louder than your fears, your striving, or your need for control.

What’s in the Ears

This is the part where I share a song or podcast I’m currently into. The podcast I’m sharing today is titled Slow Theology: Simple Faith for Chaotic Times hosted by theologians A.J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta. Their conversations are enlightening and relevant for our day and the episode I’m recommending was published on October 1 titled, The Spiritual Danger of “Speed Privilege”. Let me know if you check it out!

If this stirred something in you, share this post with a friend or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear what small step you’re taking towards the flourishing life today! And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.

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