Read: Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (v. 1 NIV)
I came to Christ as a teenager out of a pretty ordinary background. I heard other kids tell their “testimonies” with more exciting stories of rescue from drugs, drink, and sex. I never heard someone share how their life became worse after they became a Christian. Yet in my adult life, I have heard such testimonies.
We may think that after Jesus was baptized and commissioned for ministry, everything would start well. Crowds would hang on every word, with miracles on every street corner. Not so; the Spirit first drove him into the Judean desert to be tempted by the devil (v. 1). God had to determine if the man Jesus, with full freedom of choice, would stay true to the mission charted for him. Would he create food in the midst of fasting (vv. 2-4), seek angelic rescue from freefall (vv. 5-7), or worship Satan for worldwide sovereignty (vv. 8-10)?
Fortunately, for our sakes, Christ remained faithful. But we should not be surprised if sometimes things get worse, humanly speaking, for people when they become believers. They may have to change course from previous behaviors, with detrimental consequences. Or God may simply bring apparent calamity to test their resolve. If Christ couldn’t escape it, we can’t count on escaping it either. If Christ, in the power of the Spirit, resisted these temptations to disobey or despair, so can we.
As you pray, ask God to help you resist the temptation to stray from God’s plans for your life.
Craig L. Blomberg is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary. He has written or edited more than 30 books, including a recently revised and expanded commentary on Matthew. He teaches regularly in churches, including his home church of Centennial Covenant in Littleton, CO. He and his wife Fran have two daughters and three grandchildren.
