Day 36 – Third Temptation
“Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, 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 shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Luke 4:9-12
The third temptation is aimed at our souls and our eternal heritage in the Kingdom of God. Satan had a subtle way of tempting Jesus to commit suicide. Though subtle, he twisted the truth and the Word of God as he did with Eve. Jesus countered Satan’s misapplied quote with relevant scripture from Deuteronomy 6:16, “You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah”
Just as Adam was the first man, Jesus is the second Adam. Adam ate the fruit; Jesus didn’t fall for it. Adam’s disobedience brought sin and brokenness into the world. Still, Jesus came to set us free, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to pay for the disobedience of Eden and our own daily stumbles.
Have you noticed that every time Jesus quoted Scripture to overcome temptation, He quoted directly from the Torah book of Deuteronomy? This highlights the immense value of the Old Testament, showing us that Jesus came to fulfil the Law, not to abolish or replace it. He stood in the wilderness as the living Voice behind the written Word.
Temptation will always try to contradict God’s Word and His divine plan for our lives. It continually promises a quick, immediate shortcut, urging us to take matters into our own hands rather than patiently waiting on the Lord.
Pray with me: Father, thank You for the example Jesus gave us to withstand and overcome temptations. Help us guard our mind, body, and soul against temptation. Give us discernment to identify the subtle onslaughts and counter them with the Truth. Amen. ©
Love, Pastor Iriza
