Temptation – Part 3

March 12, 2025

Broadcast

                          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.