Matthew 4:1 - 11

In writing and speaking about Scripture, in order to make a point, I find I often zero-in on one aspect of it. Yet Scripture is so rich and multi-faceted.

This zeroing-in runs the risk of limiting the text.

Writing about Jesus’ baptism and His temptation, runs this risk of limiting in at least two ways. First, by making the text only about what we can take from it for our own day. Second, by allowing the divinity of Jesus to dilute the dramatic action that is taking place on planet earth. 

Consider the prior reflection. As I wrote about the Baptism of Jesus, I took a specific point of view. That being, how will the text challenge us today. 

I was attempting to zero-in so the text would not be some historic piece we would briefly gaze upon, only to depart from it unchallenged.

However I would be remiss if I do not point out that the Baptism of Jesus has much to say about how Jesus really is God, the Messiah, come to earth. So too the text telling us about His temptation.

Jesus, in his Baptism, gives us more than an example. Jesus, in his baptism tells John he is to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Many people, knowing Jesus was without sin, get confused because baptism is our statement of turning away from sin, repenting. Jesus did not need to repent.

Yet there is more to fulfilling all righteousness. Jesus, by His baptism, acknowledged Gods’ claim on him, as on others, for total consecration of life and holiness of character. (Green, p. 80)

It is part of Jesus’ life of obedience to the Father. Isn’t that amazing. How Jesus is obedient to the Father. It puts some meat on Jesus’s words, “If you love me you will obey me.” Jesus loves the Father and publicly consecrates himself to the Father.

His temptation similarly reveals much about Jesus and what will be the shape of His ministry.

Consider just what a high point his baptism was. The Father spoke. The Spirit descended. Jesus is launched into public ministry with a BANG.

The Messiah has begun in earnest. Yet how will he lead people back to God? What type of Messiah will he be? Will he be a conquering king or suffering servant? 

We must remember that in Jesus’ day the Jewish Rabbi’s had expectations for the Messiah. One was that he would provide, just as God had provided manna in the wilderness. Thus the temptation to turn stones into bread.

Another expectation was that the Messiah would stand on the roof of the holy place and announce himself. Thus the temptation to stand on the pinnacle.

Finally there is the temptation to rule over all the Kingdoms of the World if he would bow to Satan. The expectation that the Messiah would kick the Romans out of Israel and restore Israel’s grandeur beyond that of King Solomon was an expectation that ran through the Rabbi’s to all the people. 

What is going on here? Satan is tempting Jesus to bypass the way of the Cross. We are witnessing the testing of God’s Son. Will he go with the flow, with the way of popular expectation? Or will he fulfill all righteousness and be obedient?

Adam was given the opportunity to obey. So too, Israel. Jesus starts his ministry by publicly declaring he is submitting to God, and then fresh off that emotional high, the work of building the spiritual muscle needed for his earthly pilgrimage begins—it begins with obedience—not once but over and over.

When you ponder Jesus’ temptation, what do you notice? Might we begin each day in a similar way?