The First Temptation of Christ

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, if thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:1-4)

The three temptations of Christ, as recorded in Luke, include the three major ways in which each son of God is tested. These three trials correspond to the three deaths and resurrections that are the topic of this book.

Each son of God is tested concerning the issue of physical comfort and survival on the earth.

Each son of God is tested concerning the issue of serving sin or serving righteousness.

Each son of God is tested concerning the issue of personal achievement and steadfast obedience to the Father's will.

These three tests become progressively more difficult and pursue us throughout our lifetime just as they pursued Christ throughout His lifetime. Christ was tested in all the areas in which we are tested.

We are applying the meaning of the three testings of Christ only to those sincere Christians who are doing their best to serve the Lord each day. Jesus was walking in the Spirit, not in the appetites of the flesh, when He was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness of temptation. If you are walking in disobedience your troubles are resulting from your sinning and are a judgment from the Lord (I Corinthians 11:32).

As soon as we are set apart by the Holy Spirit as Christians we are led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness of testing and instruction, not into the fullness of fruitfulness and rulership promised us in the Scriptures.

When the Holy Spirit, the Anointing of the Servant of the Lord, came upon the Lord Jesus, He returned from the place of the anointing and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Notice that it was the Holy Spirit who led Christ into the wilderness. It is not the devil who leads us into fiery trials it is the Spirit of the Lord.

Do not make the mistake of blaming people or circumstances for your problems. You have been directed into your present distresses by the Lord provided you are following Him in daily discipleship. Do not become angry or discouraged because of what people do or what happens to you. These problems are necessary for your growth in Christ.

If you lash back at people and fight against your circumstances you only will cause harm to yourself and those around you, just as Peter caused harm when he cut off the ear of Malchus at the time of Jesus' capture. Peter accomplished nothing by so doing, and you will accomplish nothing if you lift the hand of the flesh against your enemies except to "cut off their ear so they cannot hear").

Look to God and learn the lessons that accompany each trial and are the reason for the trial. Then you will blame neither people nor circumstances and your heart will remain free of bitterness and discouragement.

The wilderness: a place of struggle. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness of testing. Christ was tested by the devil, not by the Holy Spirit. Although it is the Spirit who leads us into the problem area, the testings are caused by the devil.

The wilderness of temptation is a struggle for our inheritance in the Lord. It is not a place to be foolish or careless. We are sifted by the devil and much comes out of our nature for examination. Our eternal destiny is determined by our responses in the wilderness of testing.

Christ ate nothing in those days, indicating that the wilderness is not a place of comfort and ease. No chastening for the present seems joyous but grievous. We must arm ourselves with a mind to suffer. It is good to be very cautious, not indulging ourselves, when we are under pressure.

If we cannot accept the thought of suffering and are unwilling to suffer for the sake of the Kingdom of God, it is impossible for us to reign with Christ. If we are to know the power of His resurrection we also must experience the fellowship of His sufferings.

Afterward Christ was hungry.

Our struggle in the wilderness leaves us famished for the good things of life—and for life itself. It is a period of deprivation. Sometimes our friends cannot share the burden of our situation. We are the only ones who feel the thorns. The lack of sympathy and understanding from other people makes the experience even more painful.

During the time of hunger the devil came to Jesus. Satan began to speak after the forty days of fasting had been completed. The devil speaks to us when we are weak. He waits until we have been weakened by circumstances. Then he moves in with his counsel.

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, . . . . (Luke 4:3)

Satan did not say, Since you are the Son of God, but If you are the Son of God.

He approaches you and me in the same manner. He always raises the question of our position in God, hoping to deceive us into reacting in some unholy way, either in doubt, discouragement, fear, anger, or presumption. Our trial begins with the raising of the question of our calling and our relationship to our Father in the heaven. But the Word of God remains true: "As many as received him, to them gave he power (authority) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

The "bread" temptation.

. . . command this stone that it be made bread. (Luke 4:3)

The "bread" temptation is the first problem many people encounter when the call of God comes to them: If I serve God, how will I eat? How will my children eat? Where will my clothes and my house come from? How will other people treat me? Who will take care of me if I do not use all my time and ability to take care of myself?

It is not a question of sin but survival that causes concern to many would-be disciples of the Lord Jesus. People often have refused to serve God because they have placed the acquiring of material goods, and their own safety and comfort, ahead of the seeking of the Kingdom of God. "After I figure out how all the expenses will be met I will serve the Lord."

We are not advocating that people should quit their tasks in the world and trust God for food. The issue here is that of placing our lives and safety in the hands of God, making the serving of Him the first and most important consideration of our thoughts and actions, or else making our own survival and comfort the most important consideration of our thoughts and actions. Who is our God, money or the Lord?

Everyone has to eat, has to be clothed, has to support his family. God understands this better than we do. God has promised that He is to be depended on to provide our needs.

"Consider the lilies."

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."

We need to meditate on what Jesus has stated concerning the responsibility God has assumed concerning the material provisions for our survival and comfort, and then decide whether or not the Lord can be trusted (Matthew 6:24-34).

The first temptation is the issue of bread. Mankind seems determined to prove that people are animals whose business in life is that of working, eating, playing, sleeping, and reproducing. If these areas are taken care of man is complete and satisfied.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the life of the animal. An animal eats, plays, sleeps, reproduces, and—in some instances—works. If it works, the dog does so in order that it may be able to eat, play, sleep, and reproduce. Man can reduce himself to the animal level if he chooses to do so. He can abide as a creature of the dirt and dwell in filth and degradation—far worse off than a well kept animal.

However, people are the offspring of God, not of apes. The Spirit of God calls men up from the dirt of the ground so they may ascend to their lawful place among the stars. God calls us up and up while the world and our flesh drag us down until we are living as hogs in a pen.

We make the choice. Can man live by bread alone? That is the issue. Can people have a significant life on the earth apart from the Life of God, apart from the fellowship and blessing of God their Father? Or is it necessary that people partake continually of the Substance of God so they may truly live in this age and possess eternal life in the ages to come?

"Command this stone that it be made bread," says the tempter. "Turn all your God-given resources to the task of human survival. The most important aspect of life is the food you put into your mouth."

Notice that Jesus demonstrated His faith in the Father by not commanding the stone to be made bread. This is somewhat different from the current "faith" teaching.

"Eat, drink, and play. This is the whole meaning and purpose of existence. Do not pay attention to God's Word because He is not trustworthy and His desire for you is that you may be deprived of what is necessary and desirable for your stay on the earth." Such is the counsel of the devil to us in the first temptation. How will we answer?

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4)

There is more to life than food. A human being possesses a body, a soul, and a spirit. Vegetables and meat nourish the human flesh; but in addition to these calories and nutrients people must receive the nourishment that comes from the Divine Life of God. When people do not receive on a consistent basis the nourishment that comes from God's Presence, the soul and spirit wither and die, and the body itself suffers from lack of the healing, invigorating touch of the Lord.

Christ Himself is the Tree of Life. The fruit of the tree of life gives us eternal life and the leaves of the tree are for our healing.

As Christ is created in the Church, the members of the Body of Christ become part of the Tree of Life. They become life-giving spirits (I Corinthians 15:45). The fruit of the righteous person is a tree of life bringing forth fruit in season (Psalms One).

No person can live by natural food alone. If we do not partake of the Life of God there is no real life in us. We are as an animal that comes forth from the dust and returns to the dust—although our soul must give an account of itself to God.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)

God the Father has authorized His Son, Jesus, as the only One who can provide the true bread by which people gain eternal life.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)

Many of the Jews began to follow the Lord Jesus when they realized He had the power to multiply loaves and fish. It was not the fact of the miracle that attracted them but the desire to have a ready supply of food. Jesus reproved them for their shortsightedness and presented Himself as the food and drink that a person must receive if he is to live in the Kingdom of God.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53,54)

Christ Himself is the Word of God made flesh. He is the Substance of God Almighty. When we by faith partake of the body and blood of Christ we are partaking of the Life of God.

The Life Substance of God nourishes our being. The Life of God creates eternal life in our spirit and soul and will extend to our mortal body in the Day of Christ. The revealing of the eternal Divine Life that is in us will take place with the appearing of our Lord and Savior, Christ.

There is no true life apart from Christ. Whoever has not received the body and blood of the Lord Jesus is dead. He may possess a beating heart and walk in conscious existence on the earth. He may be highly educated, talented, wealthy, handsome, personable, and athletic.

But he is dead! His "life" proceeds from vegetables, grains, animal flesh, and dairy products. He is as the grass of the field—a fine show for a brief period but destined soon to wither and pass away. All flesh is as grass. It flourishes for a short time and then perishes (Isaiah, Chapter 40).

The combined efforts of the nations of the earth to improve the human condition are useless. People apart from Christ are little more than highly intelligent animals. Civilization is a pitiful spectacle of the helpless groping of mankind for light and peace.

God loves His offspring even though He always punishes them for their sins. Man was created in the image of God. He is destined to sit on the highest throne of the universe. However, this ascent is possible only through the Lord Jesus Christ. People remain in darkness and death until they eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood.

Christ is eternal Life. When we eat Him and drink His blood we receive into ourselves the Divine Substance of God. Just as natural food builds muscle and bone, so the Word of God in Christ builds spiritual substance in the human personality. We cannot live by natural food alone. We are so constituted that we must partake of the Substance of the Lord God or we soon dissolve back into the dust of the ground.

Christ is that Bread from the heaven.

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (John 6:57)

Christ lives by the Father.

When we humans go several days without food we become listless. The vital force leaves us and we drag about in misery. We, in this sense, live by food. Without food we pass away.

So it is in the spirit realm. We must keep on partaking of Christ. We are to eat Him and live by Him. As we keep ourselves in the place where Christ can come to us and nourish us, our spiritual life grows healthy and strong. We receive the body and blood of Christ by prayer, by meditation in the Scriptures, by the ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit, by fellowship with other Christians.

As believers we are to make a conscious effort to seek Christ and to receive His Life on a continuing basis or we will turn away and devote our energy and attention to pursuing the things of the flesh.

The most important task of the Christian discipleship is to abide in the Vine, in Christ. Abiding in the Vine requires ceaseless diligence and giving ourselves to the mind of the Spirit of God. Being a saint is a full-time business.

When we are faithful in seeking the Lord, He keeps on nourishing our personality with His body and blood. This is the true food and drink of mankind. The body and blood of Christ are eternal Life.

People are concerned about their survival, particularly in the area of food and drink. Satan attempts to occupy us solely with the pursuit of the survival and comfort of our flesh. Soon we may find ourselves working at two or three jobs, leaving no time for Christ.

We may justify our excessive concern with material provisions by claiming that our family needs the money for this thing or that situation. The fact is, we have deprived ourselves and our loved ones of the one requirement of life—the Presence of Christ, the living Word of God.

It is better for us to possess little of the substance of the world if poverty will help us to be rich in the blessings of God.

The Lord Jesus has stated that God will insure we are provided with food, clothes, and shelter. It is our responsibility to spend part of each day in the diligent seeking of the Lord. If we do not spend time seeking the Lord we truly have robbed ourselves and those who depend on us of the elements of spiritual survival. We shall be seen in the end to have wasted our lives, having turned aside from the glorious inheritance the Lord has offered to us.

How foolish and tragic! Such a needless impoverishment of a human being when the Lord Jesus stands ready to supply the spiritual food by which we obtain eternal life!

Let us make sure we are not among those who are throwing away their lives by ignoring the Bread whom God has given. Let us rather seek first the Kingdom of God, being aware that He who cannot lie has advised us that all the necessities of life will be added to us if we put Christ in first place in all that we think and do.

Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Can you notice the immediacy here? God speaks and we live, moment by moment, moment by moment. We live because of Christ as Christ lives because of the Father. How does that sound to you? Is that kind of living something you desire?

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