Matthew 4:1 – 11
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights,
afterward He was hungry.
Now when the tempter came to Him,
he said, “If You are the Son of God,
command that these stones become bread.””
(Matthew 4:1 – 3)
Then Jesus…
And when…
Now when…
Our language is not always straight forward
Anyone who has ever had experience
With a lawyer or solicitor can testify to that
I remember thinking as a young man
That it was a funny statement to make
About Jesus in the wilderness
That after 40 (forty) days of fasting
“He was hungry”
Who wouldn’t be!?
Some people might be hungry after
Missing the first meal
Then we get all spiritual and say
“Ah well that was Jesus
He could do that easily
After all He is the Son of God”
And our “wrong thinking”
Comes into play
And we don’t stop to think…
So STOP
AND think
While Jesus was living on the earth
He WAS just like us
In every way
And yet, without sin
Which then begs a question:
If Jesus could do it
(Fast for forty days and nights)
Then so can I
Now some of you reading this
Are hoping that I am going to
Move on – and NOT make a point here
BUT…
Have you ever thought of fasting
For forty days and forty nights?
Or am I the only one?
NOT… that I have done it
Though I know of people who have
And in my life time
People who have given up all food
And drank only water for forty days
As a fast onto the Lord
But again…
This is where we can get side tracked
I had started by talking about the use
Of the English language
And how we read what is written down
I’m not sure that the devil
Only came to Jesus at the END
Of the forty days to tempt Him
And Matthew only records three
Incidents or stories of what
His temptation was about
Or have you ever asked yourself
“What was Jesus DOING?
During the 39 days
Leading up to day 40
When He was tempted?”
Matthew doesn’t tell us
And we are left to surmise and assume
Now obviously the Holy Spirit
Was with Him
As the Spirit had led Him there
In the first place
But as to what exactly took place
We are left in the dark
We do not know
What we do know
Is that the devil tempted Jesus
By attacking His identity
“IF you are…”
So in a similar vein
“WHO are YOU?”
Do you know who you are?
How do you see yourself?
If you claim to be and believe
Yourself to be a Christian
What difference does that make to you?
Because, in a very real way,
If Jesus can do it
Then you can do it too
“Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who believes in Me,
the works that I do he will do also;
and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father.”
(John 14:12)
Now I know I have digressed here slightly
Quoting from John
When you read the Bible
Don’t just do it to gain knowledge
But examine yourself as you read it