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Jesus' temptation is a preview of the entire gospel.
Jesus, the Son of God, becomes flesh, and enters the wilderness of this world, the wilderness that Israel has become. He assumed all human frailties and undergoes all the tests that Israel and all humanity have endured. He is "tested" or tempted here by the devil, directly, as he will be tested by the Jewish leaders throughout the remainder of His ministry among His people.
Three times Matthew records the Jews testing Jesus (16:1; 19:3; 22:34-34), and when He hangs dying on the cross, the Jewish leaders echo Satan's challenge to Jesus Messianic sonship: "If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (27:40); "let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him" (27:42); "He trusts in God; Let Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (27:43).
Like the gospel as a whole, the story of Jesus' temptation is not a story of defeat but a story of triumph. Matthew ends the account of the temptation by recording that angels came and served Jesus (4:11). Adam was created among the hosts of angelic sons of God, but lost that status by submitting to a beast. Throughout the Old Testament, Adamic humanity was under guardians and managers, sons treated like slaves. Man was made a little while lower than angels, but now Jesus is exalted above the angels, and angels minister to Him. Satan leaves the desert, and awaits a more opportune time to test Jesus again, but Jesus has already passed this test and He will pass all the others as well. Winning the first battle, He already wins the war.
And so do we all, who follow Jesus who was led by the Spirit. The Spirit leads us into deserts, to hunger and thirst. The Spirit leads us to places of testing, where Satan tempts us to fall down and worship him. As we follow Jesus, live by the Word that proceeds from His mouth, trust Him, and worship Him alone, we too will trample Satan under our feet.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, August 04, 2007 at 11:14 AM
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