JESUS DEFEATS THE DEVIL’S TEMPTATIONS, Ron Ward
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Passage: Luke 4:1~13  
Key verse: 4
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,(B) left the Jordan(C) and was led by the Spirit(D) into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days(E) he was tempted[a] by the devil.(F) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,(G) tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b]”(H)
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.(I) 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,(J) and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”(K)
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]”(L)
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”(M)
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting,(N) he left him(O) until an opportune time.
Footnotes
Cross references
- Luke 4:1 : 4:1-13pp — Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12, 13
- Luke 4:1 : ver 14, 18; S Lk 1:15, 35; 3:16, 22; 10:21
- Luke 4:1 : Lk 3:3, 21
- Luke 4:1 : Eze 37:1; Lk 2:27
- Luke 4:2 : Ex 34:28; 1Ki 19:8
- Luke 4:2 : Heb 4:15
- Luke 4:3 : S Mt 4:3
- Luke 4:4 : Dt 8:3
- Luke 4:5 : S Mt 24:14
- Luke 4:6 : Jn 12:31; 14:30; 1Jn 5:19
- Luke 4:8 : Dt 6:13
- Luke 4:11 : Ps 91:11, 12
- Luke 4:12 : Dt 6:16
- Luke 4:13 : Heb 4:15
- Luke 4:13 : Jn 14:30
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Man does not live on bread alone (1-4)
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to a place of hard training to fight his first spiritual battle. Satan's first temptation was physical. Jesus was alone and hungry, for he had been fasting. The devil suggested that he make bread from the stones. He tempted him saying, 'You don't have to suffer. You're God's Son aren't you?' Jesus showed us that God's people don't live by reasonable thinking or by feelings, but by God's word.
2. Worship the Lord your God only (5-8)
The second temptation was an offer of power and glory. Why not? He came to be king. But Jesus said, 'No.' First he must walk the way of the cross. He rejected the easy way. He would wait on God to give him the kingdom.
Jesus did not listen to the devil.
3. Don't test God (9-13)
The devil tempted Jesus with scripture; he tempted him to test God's love and power. Young men are sometimes restless, but the way of faith is to trust God and wait on him.
Prayer: Lord, help me to hold your word in my heart and defeat Satan's temptations.
One Word: Don't talk to the devil