Luke 4:12

New King James Version

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

For Meditation

When Satan puts up a show, it sparkles with beautiful choreography and showmanship. He brings out his best to lure in his victim, leaving nothing to chance. His goal is to captivate and charm his victim into trusting him instead of God. His show is a deception, a carefully crafted illusion that finally betrays its audience.

Elevation pleases the heart. It conveys privilege, acceptance, love, and a sense of belonging. It is always cool at the top and relaxing, too, so people crave it. The devil lures his victims to the heights, displaying the power and riches available, intoxicating them until they willingly submit to his will. The view from up there is breathtaking, so why come down? That is humanity’s dilemma—the struggle for power and top position on the devil’s elevator, and the emptiness thereafter.

Though the devil took Jesus to the mountaintop (Lk. 4:5), it was the Holy Spirit who led Him into the wilderness for that spiritual exercise (1-2). Satan did the tempting, but Jesus had absolute control over every move he made. The devil did not ambush the Lord. Jesus, in His divine power, allowed it all for a purpose.

Testing has always been part of the story of God’s faithful servants, Abraham being the most outstanding in the Bible (Gen. 22:1-3, 10-12), and He could not exempt His Son, who is the center of His redemption story. Jesus could not qualify as the sinless Lamb of God for the ultimate sacrifice if He could not pass His testing. So, while Satan thought he was tempting Jesus, God was testing His Son in the furnace of affliction to seal and strengthen His faith for the task ahead of Him. God does the same with believers as well (James 1:12-18). Having failed in the first two temptations, the devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Jerusalem Temple for the last temptation.

He challenged Jesus’ sonship, telling Him to prove it by throwing Himself down into the open arms of the angels God had charged to bear Him up, lest He dash His feet against a stone (Psa. 91:11-12). What a spectacular scene that would have been. All Israel would have instantly recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. However, showmanship was not part of the Master’s character, and it should not be ours, too. He had condescended to our human level to save us in humility and obedience (Phil. 2:6-8). Instant recognition was not His goal, but the Father’s glory.

“You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (12).

How frustrating Jesus became for the devil! Unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus did not succumb to Satan’s temptations. Having failed with Jesus, the devil departed from Him “until an opportune time” (13). He lives to fight another day, but Jesus still rules as sovereign King and Lord. His victory over Satan is a beacon of hope for us all. What a Savior!

So, thank God, Jesus did not fail as Adam and Eve did. Praise Him who has worked the victory for you in His flesh and has made you more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37). Satan can tempt you, but He cannot condemn you because of Christ’s victory (v.1). Hallelujah!

Pray with Me

Lord, thank you for your Sovereignty and power over your creation. I surrender to you in every area of my life, praying you will strengthen my faith to hold firm against the enemy in every temptation, so that I may glorify you. In you, Jesus, I have won the victory and will live to declare your victory till you come. Amen!

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