The life of Jesus, as he lived on earth, was a life of faithful service to God the Father. We will discuss the key moment of his life as an example of perfect service. Looking specifically at the beginning of his ministry.
Jesus’ baptism set him on the path to begin his ministry, and thereafter fasted for forty Days and Forty Nights. Well, it is debatable whether an ordinary person can truly fast for forty days and nights without taking in any food or drink; however, Jesus was no ordinary person. The forty days are very symbolic; they mirror the Israelites’ forty years of wandering in the wilderness until that generation perished due to their lack of faith in God. Jesus succeeded, and his faith in God was tested after the fasting.
We can relate to this story of Jesus above. There are key moments in our Christian lives when we face difficulties because of our relationship with God. It might crescendo to the point that we thought we were about to drown and perish; however, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Jesus demonstrated that in this part of the scripture.
The Turning Stone into Bread: Yes, Jesus became hungry after fasting, depicting his humanity. Satan knew this; he always knew when we are at our weakest point and never ceased to use the moment to his advantage. He tried to use Jesus’ divine state as the Son of God to tick him off, prioritising his personal human needs. He wanted Jesus to prioritise his material needs and physical comfort over spiritual obedience to God. As we know from scripture, Jesus silenced him with the Word of God.
This Jesus’ experience is crucial for us as believers to imitate and make it our godly virtue. God has a plan for us, even though it can be difficult to see or understand amid our pressing earthly challenges. He told us in the scriptures that His thoughts toward us are good and not evil, and the Bible admonishes that the JUST shall live by faith. Whatever tough situation or challenging circumstances you face, you can rest your mind: God will not abandon you—he does not abandon the faithful. Just as we see at the end of Jesus’ temptation, God sent angels to minister to him. He has a plan for us; we have to key into it by faith.
The Jumping from the Temple: This is a profoundly insane temptation of pride and fame, and, as we know from scripture, pride goes before downfall. This is an extremely vital example for gifted Christians, anointed ministers, church workers, vessels of God, etc., to be wary of the trick of Satan. Pride is a streak in Satan’s nature, one of the causes of his divine downfall, and he ever readily tempts humans (especially God’s people) with it. Sadly, in Christendom today, pride and the craving for fame have taken root, and it has festered into an incurable disease, which has tarnished so many bright destinies in Christianity.
This is a call for the faithful in Christ to be extremely cautious. God’s gift/anointing in your life is for the sake of soul-winning, the development and growth of God’s heritage on earth, and not for personal glorification. Of a truth, honour will come to you if you use your anointing well, but the honour should be to the glory of God. Be dignified enough to humble yourself in all that you do. None of us has power of our own. Even Satan has no power of his own except as permitted by God Almighty.
Jesus demonstrated his humility and complete submission to God, his Heavenly Father, by resisting Satan’s temptation. He wanted Jesus to demonstrate His spectacular power for popularity and fame, and to test God Himself, rather than relying on faith and humility. Jesus’ words, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test,’ completely shattered Satan’s expectations and became an example for all his faithful followers: ‘Do not put God to the test.’
The Worshipping for the Kingdoms: Satan always wants to be worshipped and highly exalted as God Almighty Himself. It is his streak, the main reason he set his kingdoms in opposition to God’s heavenly kingdoms. Sadly, he has succeeded tremendously in gaining worshippers and idolaters. He knew who Jesus was before Christ became flesh and dwelt in the world. Being in flesh, Satan believed it had weakened Jesus like ordinary humans, and what better opportunity to tempt the Lord of lords himself with vain glory.
Jesus was genuinely provoked; he sharply rebuked Satan and told him, “Away from me, Satan!’ In truth, Satan does not have the power to give ‘all the kingdoms’ of the world to Jesus because the ‘earth is of the Lord and everything that dwells therein,’ as the scripture said. Jesus would have lost everything had he succumbed to this temptation of worshipping Satan for vain glory.
This is a core warning and example to God’s people not to seek power and glory through idolatry, worldly means, or by compromising their Christian values/Word of God, etc. Jesus attained glory through faithful service to God, and God Himself declared Jesus to the people, immediately after his baptism in Matthew 3:17 (NKJV), saying: “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ After Jesus had begun his ministry, God also declared him at the transfiguration in the book of Matthew 17:5 (NIV), ‘While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. ‘ ” Listen to him!”
God Himself will declare us to the world; He will uplift and uphold us with His mighty hands, and clothe us with divine glory and honour as we continue to serve Him faithfully through Jesus Christ. Satan has no glory to offer except vain glory with disastrous ends.
The account of Jesus fasting and temptation shows his humanity and divinity. He felt hungry and tempted like every human, but resisted and overcame. He achieved victory through the Word of God/Scripture, highlighting that divine truth is the ultimate weapon against the wiles of the devil. Though hungry and tempted, he proved that righteousness is possible through reliance on God’s words. So, as children of God through Christ Jesus, when we rely on God’s words, no situation or circumstance can overcome us, however overwhelming they may seem at first.
