After His baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days and forty nights and was tested. The lonely wilderness had only wind, rocks, and burning sun. Jesus was all alone, getting hungrier and hungrier, but His heart held tightly to the Father. The crafty Satan came with three temptations: first, to turn stones into bread, caring only for His stomach; second, to throw Himself from the temple top, testing God; third, to bow down to Satan to gain the kingdoms of the world. Each time, Jesus answered with God's Word: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God's mouth," "You shall not test the Lord your God," and "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him." Jesus obeyed the Father and held to Scripture. Satan finally left, and his shadow disappeared. Angels came from heaven, serving Jesus and bringing food and comfort. This story tells us: temptation will surely come, but a child who obeys God and holds tightly to Scripture can overcome, just like Jesus.
When tempted, Jesus did not rely on His own strength or magic — He used the Word of Scripture. First, when Satan urged Him to fill His stomach, Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God's mouth" — life is more than food. Second, when Satan urged Him to jump from the temple and test God, Jesus said, "You shall not test the Lord your God" — true faith is not risking to prove God, but obeying. Third, when Satan offered the world's glory, Jesus said, "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him" — nothing on earth is worth turning from God to bow to idols. Jesus' victory is also ours. We meet our own "temptations" too: stealing, not sharing, lying, eating too much candy, looking at what we should not. Remember how Jesus answered: "It is written…" When we obey God and answer temptation with Scripture, Satan must leave, and heaven's comfort, like those angels, will come to us.
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