March 12, 2025
Temptation - Part 3
Matthew 4:5-7
03/12/2025
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set
him on the pinnacle of the temple
6 and said to him, ``If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down, for it is written, `He will
command his angels concerning you,' and `On their
hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your
foot against a stone.'''
7 Jesus said to him, ``Again it is written, `You
shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'''
(ESV)
After Jesus was baptized, He was led by the Holy Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Here Jesus, weakened
by hunger, confronted the father of lies. The next temptation
was one which is familiar to all Christians, the misquoting and
misapplication of the Bible, twisting God's Word to say things
which our Lord never promised.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on
the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ``If you
are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is
written, `He will command his angels concerning you,'
and `On their hands they will bear you up, lest you
strike your foot against a stone.''' Jesus said to
him, ``Again it is written, `You shall not put the Lord
your God to the test.'''
The devil conveniently misquoted Psalm 91 to sound like God
promises to save us from physical harm when we do something we
know is stupid, such as expecting the angels to become a
parachute when we jump from a building. Satan left out the
phrase, ``to keep you in all your ways,'' that the angels point
us to the promises of God.
If we have faith in God, if we fear, love, and trust in Him
above all things, we know that He will give us that which He has
promised. For the sake of Jesus, our heavenly Father gives us
the forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting. We have no
need to test God's character, for we see His love in the cross of
Jesus Christ.
May our Lord grant us faith in His Word, that we may have
life everlasting. Amen.