This is My beloved

Matthew 3:13-4:11from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. ¹⁶ After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

⁵ Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

⁸ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; ⁹ and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” ¹¹ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

In yesterday’s text from Genesis 3, we saw the devil’s temptation of Eve. We saw that he began by getting Eve to question what God said. Then he offered to give her something which in truth she already had. The serpent told Eve that by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil she would be like God. In truth God created Adam and Eve like Him.     God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27)  

In today’s text we see that the lies and the deception of the devil really do not change. It is with the same strategy he successfully employed against Eve, he attempts to tempt and deceive Jesus. The first temptation or deceit is to question what God said. The devil speaks saying:    “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”    When Jesus was baptized the text says:  “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said,  “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”    Jesus heard the voice of the Father affirm that He indeed was the beloved Son of God. Jesus had the Holy Spirit to also affirm God’s word. Jesus did not take the bait, He knew who He was and He answered the devils attempt to question God’s word with God’s word. His response was not to entertain the thought or to engage in debate, but rather He said:   “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”       Jesus, the Word made flesh, answered the deception of the devil with the truth of God’s word.

The devil does not give up easily. In Genesis 3:1 it says: The serpent was more crafty( cunning, shrewd, clever) than any other animal God had made.    The devil continues his attempt to tempt and deceive Jesus, this time trying to use God’s word in the temptation.     Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”    Again Jesus knew who He was, what God had said. He would not be tempted to try to prove Himself to the deceiver. He answered the deception with truth. We should never allow ourselves to be tempted to believe an application of God’s word which contradicts the rest of God’s word. Jesus said we are to live on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. In order to not be deceived by out of context quotes from the word, we need to know the whole word and like Jesus, we need the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us. Jesus says:  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)   

We see then the devil’s last effort to tempt Jesus. As he did with Eve, the devil tries to offer something that Jesus already has.      Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.     Satan couldn’t give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, they are already His. In fact Jesus is not only the ruler of the world, but of the heavens as well. In Matthew 28:18, after His resurrection Jesus says:   “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”      Jesus is one with the Father. Like God the Father He is eternal, not limited by finite time. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. Hebrews 13:8 says:  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.       The authority satan tried to offer to Jesus was already eternally His.

Like Adam and Eve and like Jesus Himself, the devil will tempt us. James 4:7-8 instructs us on how to respond to the temptation of the devil. It says:    Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.    We need to know, like Jesus knew, that we are God’s beloved. In fact:  “God so loved the world,(and us individually) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:16)   The devil cannot give us anything we need. God has already given us everything through Christ

Heavenly Father thank You for Your word of truth. Thank You for the examples from Your word of both those who failed and those who succeeded through faith. Thank You Lord Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, my Savior, my Redeemer, my brother, through the finished work of the cross I, like You have been restored to the image and likeness of God. I am His beloved Child. Thank You Holy Spirit; for abiding with me and in me, for teaching me all things and for bringing all that Jesus said, all the truth of God to my remembrance. Satan you cannot give me or offer me anything. In Christ I have all I need.      Amen