Calendar

OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST (II)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5
Mark 1:12,13

Romans 5:12-21

 

“…the Spirit driveth him

into the wilderness.”

 

OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST (II)
 
Why must Jesus be tempted by the devil? Again, it was part of His active obedience to gain the righteousness we need to be accepted by God. Adam—the first man—was tempted and he failed. Having failed to obey God, he fell into sin and all mankind fell in him. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19a).
 
On the other hand, Jesus—the greater Adam—was tempted likewise, and he passed the test with a perfect score. “[S]o by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom 5:19b). In the Lord Jesus Christ, believers have a perfect High Priest: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:14,15).
 
Note that the temptation of Christ was more severe than that of Adam, for (1) Adam was in the garden but Jesus was in the desert, (2) Adam was tempted for a day but Jesus was tempted for 40 days and nights, (3) Adam was tempted once but Jesus was tempted repeatedly by the devil with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Luke 4:1-13).
 
Jesus defeated the devil with Scripture. When tempted with the lust of the flesh—turn stone into bread, he quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” When tempted with the lust of the eyes— the glitters of this world, he quoted Deuteronomy 6:13, “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” When tempted with the pride of life—if you are God’s Son, then throw yourself down for God will bear you up, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, “Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God.”
 
Do you face temptations? Read James 4:7.
 
THOUGHT: “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin.”

PRAYER: (Use Matthew 6:13.)

Search