the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Luke 4:1-15
The temptation of the Lord takes place in the wilderness, the place where Israel had multiplied their murmurings and their lusts (Psalms 106:14). The first attack of the devil gives the Lord Jesus the opportunity to emphasize this fundamental truth: man has a soul which needs food – the Word of God enjoyed in obedience. Then Satan offers all the kingdoms of the world and their glory to this perfectly dependent Man. How many people have sold their soul for a great deal less than that! The world in fact forms part of the inheritance prepared for the Lord Jesus. But whether it was the whole earth or merely a piece of bread, Christ did not want to receive anything, except it came from His Father’s hand (Psalms 2:8)
So Satan insinuates for the second time: "If thou be the Son of God" (vv. 3, 9), as if this needed to be proved. He was spreading doubt over what the Father had just solemnly proclaimed (Luke 3:22), in other words he was tempting God.
The Lord Jesus could not have been an example for us if He had not overcome the devil by virtue of His divine power. But He triumphs by using weapons that are at our disposal: entire dependence on God, absolute obedience to His Word and unshakeable confidence in His promises.
