For the first 30 years of his life Jesus stayed close to home. He was a dutiful son who took care of his mother and worked in the carpentry shop of his father. But when the fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 9 drew near Jesus hung up his tools and set out from Nazareth to the River Jordan where his cousin, John was preaching. 

As Jesus made the 70 mile trek his mind would have contemplated the fact that he had now reached a defining moment in his life. Finding John and asking for baptism would signal the start of his ministry, a ministry which would inevitably end on a Roman cross. It’s easy enough to set off on a mission when you’re guaranteed success and accolades but it’s quite another to set out on a mission that will culminate in a painful and humiliating public death. But Jesus took up his mission with a single minded zeal and purpose that is both inspiring and humbling. 

When Jesus found John, preaching and baptizing on the banks of the Jordan he asked John to baptize him. Knowing who he was, John shrank back exclaiming “I need to be baptized by You and are you coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him “permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:14-15)

After his baptism, as Jesus came out of the water, John and a handful of others gathered at the riverbank witnessing the scene saw the skies open and the Holy Spirit in the physical form of a dove coming down and resting on Jesus. They also heard an accompanying voice that declared “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” 

What an amazing moment! The kind of moment that pebbles gooseflesh across your arms and neck. It was the first time that God had openly and vocally acknowledged that Jesus was His son. This was the anointing that Jesus needed to become the messiah and to begin his work. The endorsement of God Himself placing a seal of approval upon his mission. It encouraged Jesus for everything that lay ahead of him and it cemented in the minds of everyone present the reality of who Jesus was. 

Immediately after his baptism, Matthew tells us “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1). Sometimes we place ourselves in the way of temptation because of the poor choices we make, this is not what happened to Jesus. He was led by the spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil at the very beginning of his ministry. It was the first earthly face-off between Jesus and Satan, the first of many confrontations and one that Jesus would win spectacularly. 

There are times in our lives when following God places us in a position that tries our faith. When this is the case we can be sure that the same divine grace and power that was available to Jesus is available to us to overcome the trial before us. Paul assures us in Hebrews 2:18 “For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” 

The first temptation Satan hurled at Jesus struck directly at his faith in God’s word. Jesus was in the wilderness because that was where God had led him and in the forty days he spent there before his confrontation with Satan, he spent his time fasting. When Satan came to him he was emaciated and weak. Stealing up to him Satan, who appeared as an angel of light said “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3)

Six weeks prior to this, God himself had spoken from heaven declaring that Jesus was indeed his son. Now six weeks later, emaciated and weak, Satan challenged that declaration. If Jesus really was God’s son then why would He allow Him to go through such a difficult trial? Why lead Him into a barren wilderness? Why allow Him to suffer from hunger and thirst? Surely God would never treat His beloved Son in such a way? 

Jesus didn’t bother to argue the point. Instead he calmly quoted scripture declaring with certainty “it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)

Regardless of what it looked like, Jesus wasn’t going to lift a finger to try and prove to Satan, himself or anyone else that he was God’s son. Instead He simply pointed to the certainty of God’s word. He was God’s beloved son because the Father himself had declared it to be so. There was nothing more to say.

Changing tactics Satan took Jesus up to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. Quoting scripture on his second pass Satan declared “If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: He shall give His angels charge over you” and “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Matthew 4:5)

Subtly misquoting scripture to buttress his argument Satan challenged Jesus to engage in an act of presumption. Jesus countered this challenge with another scripture saying “it is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord Your God” (Matthew 4:7). 

Jesus understood the fine contextual line that Satan was bypassing and he used it to buttress his case. While Satan claimed that Jesus could do whatever he wanted and still claim God’s protection, Jesus pointed out the context of God’s promises for protection; God had expressly forbidden his people from tempting him, in other words, while God’s people stay within the boundaries of His word, He is willing and able to care for them, but when they step outside of those boundaries and go off on their own willful path, his protection will not stretch to cover their reckless presumption. 

In many  ways presumption is the counterfeit of faith. While faith relies completely on God’s word, believing that God is able to do what He says and, therefore acting in line with God’s commands, presumption claims the promises of God while rejecting the conditions that accompany it.

For the third and final temptation, Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. The opulence of the Roman empire spread before Jesus in all its varied splendor, but in presenting this panorama before Jesus, Satan lied, because he hid from Jesus’ view the suffering, oppression and tyranny that lurked beneath the surface. 

In smug self satisfaction Satan said “All these things I will give You if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:10) 

In saying this Satan made a number of bold assumptions. First he presumed to name himself as the sovereign of the world and second he intimated that because of that fact, the entire world was his to give to whomever he chose. 

Jesus understood the realities and nuances within the great struggle between good and evil, for although in a sense, Satan had wrested the dominion of the earth from Adam at the fall, the truth is that God is the ultimate sovereign of the Universe, and the earth is in His gift, and not Satan’s. 

Furthermore, part of Jesus' mission, of dying on the cross was to reclaim the dominion Adam had lost. What Satan was offering Him was the easy way out. Instead of treading the path to the cross in order to receive the crown, Satan was telling Jesus that all he needed to do was acknowledge his supremacy and he could bypass the pain of the cross. It was a tempting proposition but one that Jesus batted aside without blinking. 

“Then Jesus said to him, Away with you Satan! For it is written “You shall worship the Lord your God and HIm only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:10) 

Defeated Satan left him and angels came and ministered to Him. Perhaps Satan would have liked to have needled him longer but three strikes and he was out. He slunk back into the shadows to await his next opportunity.

In smug self satisfaction Satan said “All these things I will give You if you will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:10) 

In saying this Satan made a number of bold assumptions. First he presumed to name himself as the sovereign of the world and second he intimated that because of that fact, the entire world was his to give to whomever he chose. 

Jesus understood the realities and nuances within the great struggle between good and evil, for although in a sense, Satan had wrested the dominion of the earth from Adam at the fall, the truth is that God is the ultimate sovereign of the Universe, and the earth is in His gift, and not Satan’s. 

Furthermore, part of Jesus' mission, of dying on the cross was to reclaim the dominion Adam had lost. What Satan was offering Him was the easy way out. Instead of treading the path to the cross in order to receive the crown, Satan was telling Jesus that all he needed to do was acknowledge his supremacy and he could bypass the pain of the cross. It was a tempting proposition but one that Jesus batted aside without blinking.