WEEK 4

Topic: The temptation of Jesus

The temptation of Jesus.
To tempt is to entice or persuade someone to do what he or she is not
supposed to do. Therefore temptation is the process whereby oneis
enticed or persuaded to do what he is not supposed to do. The devil
tempts us to do things against God’s will.
After Jesus had been baptized, he was led by the Holy Spirit to be
tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He fasted for forty days and
nights while he prayed, and meditated on his future work as the Messiah
and Saviour of mankind. At the end of the forty days, Jesus was hungry
and wanted food to eat. The devil then came to tempt him.
In the first temptation, the devil asked Jesus to turn stones into bread
if he was really the son of God. Jesus replied him that the scriptures
said that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that
came out from the mouth of God.
In the second temptation, the devil took Jesus to the holy city, Jerusalem,
sat on the highest pinnacle of the temple, and asked him to jump down
if he was really the son of God. The devil added that the scriptures
said, that God would tell his angels to bear him up, so that he would not
dash his feet against stones, Jesus replied that the scriptures also said
that thou shall not tempt the Lord your God.
In the third temptation, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The devil
told Jesus that if he could bow down and worship him, he would give
him all of them. Jesus replied that he should get away because the
scriptures said that thou shall worship the Lord God and serve him
only. After this, the devil left him alone, and angels came and worshiped
him.
The significance of temptation of Jesus.
1. The first temptation was to make him false to his perfect humanity,
i.e. to make him appear as Economic Messiah.
2. The second was to make him win men’s hearts not by love as
required of the Messiah but by startling signs. i.e. to appear as
Miracle Messiah
3. The third was to make him not to win his kingdom through
suffering as required of the Messiah i.e. to appear as Political
Messiah.
ASSESSMENT
1. After the baptism, Jesus was led by the power of the spirit into
the-------
2. How many days and nights did Jesus fast before his temptations
started?
3. What happened to Jesus after the temptation?
4. According to Matthew, where was Jesus taken to in the third
temptation?
5. What did the devil ask Jesus to do in the first temptation?