Deep Dive: Jesus in the Wilderness
In Luke 4, Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days. These 40 days are symbolic of much more than you might think. They echo the 40 years of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. Jesus’s “40” and Israel’s “40” stand in such stark contrast in their faithfulness to God that we are immediately tipped off that Jesus is the truly faithful Israelite all the prophets longed to see.
These 40 days also remind us of Moses’ and Elijah’s 40-day fasts. Their fasts prepared us for a better prophet—one who would stand on the mountain before God, blameless.
We should note that the devil does not merely appear on day 40 of Jesus’s time in the wilderness. Instead, he was with Jesus everyday. Luke 4 records the end of those 40 days. Right when the devil thinks he may have weakened Jesus to the point of giving in to temptation, he tries three final times. And yet, when Jesus is challenged, he doesn’t resort to clever arguments. He simply recites scripture—Deuteronomy to be exact. Jesus uses the book most revered in his generation to communicate truth in the face of lies. (Any good study Bible will make this point loud and clear. 😀)
This whole scene should sound familiar to us. Is it simply that Jesus is our good example? Yes, that’s true; but there is something more. Jesus came to share our experiences and to show us what faithfulness and obedience looks like in the face of evil.
While Jesus withstood these temptations, we don’t. Temptation, in the soil of an uncultivated heart, is like fertilizer for the seeds of sin. These seeds take root and blossom again and again. But Jesus’s responses reveal the unreality of the devil’s lies and unveil formative, Christ-exalting, life-giving gospel truth.
Below are some questions to ask and gospel truths to rehearse with your children.
4:3-4 - The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Questions for reflection
What is so important that you resort to dishonesty to get it?
What do you feed yourself with that only leaves you hungry for more?
What gives you the illusion of freedom, but has instead made you its servant?
Gospel truth
God has supplied for all your needs. There is nothing he wants for you that he will not graciously supply at just the right time. A pursuit of those things which give the illusion of freedom and provision but lack God, are ultimately empty and will leave you lonely and hurt. We were not created for the temporary, but rather for the eternal.
4:5-7 - And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Questions for reflection
Do you ever believe the lie that you are in complete control of something?
What talents are your most proud of? What brings you glory? Where is Jesus in that pride and glory?
Gospel truth
I am impressive only because God has said it is so. I am only truly impressive when deployed in his service. I was made in his image and he has chosen to extend his grace to the world through me. I am limited, but he is limitless.
4:9-11 - And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Questions for reflection
Are there times where you do what you know is wrong because “God will forgive me anyway?”
How have you dishonored God in order to create an impression of yourself to someone else?
Gospel truth
God has chosen to love me by his grace. He did not have to love me, he wanted to. Out of the depth of his love, I get to live within the confines of his his friendly boundaries. Within these boundaries, I am safe, cared for, and loved completely.