Today I met Andy J at the bank and we talked about Luke 4. The amazing thing about Jesus being tempted in the desert, I think, is that a lot of times we’ve been ripped off and analyze what the temptations represent or what they symbolize and the way He resisted w/ God’s Word or how Satan knows the scriptures blah blah blah.
It’s enough for me to realize that Jesus was tempted. And he wasn’t tempted like my co-worker that doesn’t want me to leave the box of donuts near his cube. This was God, in the flesh, so he was weakened and gave up some of His power, being tempted to cheat the plan.
In the Miracle Maker, a claymation Jesus movie, the do a really good job of showing Jesus being tempted. At the end He is hollering at the top of His lungs, ‚ÄúYou shall not…put…the Lord…your God…to the test.‚Äù and He says that twice, almost forcing it out. Every time I see it I get tears in my eyes, because you really don‚Äôt know if He‚Äôs saying it to the devil or if He‚Äôs saying it to Himself. It really is a struggle for Him to resist.
I don’t know how to explain how one part of the Trinity could rebel or turn against God, but it was possible. It was entirely possible for Jesus to bow down to Satan. If it wouldn’t have been possible, then it wouldn’t have been a temptation. God’s own right hand angel turned against Him, His own son had the opportunity to do it too, but He didn’t.
And that’s the amazing thing. Jesus was fully man and had all of the limitations that we have as men (and women.) As He was a man, He had a perfect relationship with God, and in that relationship GOD did a ton of things through Jesus.
He was tempted to do something, and I don’t think His resistance had anything to do with some rational reasoning as to why we should all resist Satan. He resisted because He knew that was what the Father would do. He resisted because the things Satan suggested weren’t right, and He was willing to die rather than do even one thing that was not in alignment with the Father.