The Devil Tests Jesus for The Third Time
The Devil tests Jesus for the third time
The Devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world ’in a moment of time‘. We do not know how the Devil did this. We do not need to know. He really did this. That is enough to know.
The Devil offered to give Jesus all the authority and greatness of these kingdoms. But first, Jesus must worship the Devil.
The Devil was pretending something: this is a quick and easy way to make the Bible true. God does want all the kingdoms of the world to belong to Jesus. The Devil tried to make Jesus take them like this. It would have been the wrong way. It would have been wrong for Jesus to use his power like this. It is wrong to obey the Devil, even for what seems to be good. The Devil is powerful and cruel. He is very wicked. We cannot defeat sin by sin.
Serve God alone
Jesus‘ answer is very important. He spoke words from Deuteronomy chapter 6. In this passage, God had promised to give the country called Canaan to the people of Israel. Canaan would become their home. But in Deuteronomy 6:10-13, God warned the people to remember something. They would receive Canaan only if they trusted God alone. In Deuteronomy 6:13 we read, ’Respect the Lord your God, and serve Him only‘. That is very clear. There was no other way and no easy way.
The Devil has always tempted Christians to use politics in order to obtain power. And many Christians want to please people in this way. We know this when we read about the Roman Catholic church, hundreds of years ago. Some churches today try to have power in this way. We can also see this.
The Devil leaves Jesus
So the Devil stopped testing Jesus. But Luke also says that the Devil left Jesus ’for a season‘. The Devil would test Jesus many times. Even on the cross Jesus could have used his power to save himself. People told him to come down from the cross if he really was the Son of God.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit was with Jesus while the Devil tested Jesus.
The Holy Spirit came to the Lord Jesus when John baptised Jesus. At the same time a voice from heaven spoke. This showed that Jesus was God‘s Son. God had also chosen him to serve in the world. That was when Jesus began his special work for God.
Before the Devil tested Jesus, the Holy Spirit led Jesus. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There Satan came to Jesus. In the desert the Holy Spirit gave Jesus power. This is how Jesus defeated Satan. Jesus did not do what the Devil wanted.
Many years before this, God called the people of Israel ’my son‘. They too were in the desert. The Devil tested them there. But they had not trusted that God would give them power. They had failed. But the Son of God won.
After the Devil tested Jesus, Jesus came back to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14). Then Jesus began to work for God publicly. Jesus knew that he was the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had given him power for this work (Luke 4:18). Jesus knew this.
