.png)
Today, we're taking a deeper look at a story you probably think you know inside and out. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. But here's the thing. We need to flip this story on its head because it’s way more than just a simple tale of good versus evil or a “how to text” on dealing with temptation. It’s an absolutely foundational event packed with layers of meaning and cosmic significance. It’s a window into the heart of God’s upside-down kingdom revealing what kind of upside-down king Jesus will be and what kind of upside-down people we are called to be. Now, to really get this, we can't start in the wilderness. We have to . . .
1. Upside-Down the context
We have to rewind a little bit to the moment right before the temptations- Jesus' baptism. Matthew signals this intentional link with the word “then” – “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness . . .” You see, the temptations aren't some random crisis that pop up out of nowhere. No, they’re a direct follow-up to this incredible moment of divine glory. Just look at the connection here. At the baptism, God declares, “This is my son., whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” It's an amazing public declaration of identity and belovedness before Jesus has performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or done anything of note. But “then” the spirit immediately leads him into the wilderness because that public declaration now had to be privately tested. The glory had to be followed by the grind. See, at the end of the day, “Son of God” wasn't just some nice title Jesus was given. It was an identity he had to actually live out under pressure. It’s the same for us. “Child of God” isn’t just some title that you are given but an identity that we are also asked to live out. It's kind of like a marriage vow. The “I do” is declared publicly at the ceremony, in front of family and friends. But the vow is really proven in the tough, private moments through sickness, disagreements, and hard times. In the same way, the wilderness becomes the proving ground for Jesus’ identity. But here's where it gets even deeper. You need to . . .
2. Upside-Down your Story
This story isn't just a personal test for Jesus. It's a symbolic reenactment of two much older stories: Israel’s and Adam’s. It's Jesus stepping onto the stage of history to get it right this time. And the parallels here are hard to miss. Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days, which of course is meant to remind us of Israel's 40 years of wandering in that same wilderness. And when Jesus answers Satan's temptations, every single one of his replies is a direct quote from the book of Deuteronomy, chapters 6 & 8, which describe all the ways that Israel failed God during their time in the desert. So Jesus is reenacting Israel’s story, using those same scriptures to rewrite their history with his own perfect obedience. Jesus is Israel’s do-over. Where they failed, Jesus triumphs; where they strayed, Jesus stands firm; where they sinned, he chooses obedience and picks up their failed calling, which was to be God’s blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:2). But it's even bigger than that. It's not just about Israel. See, in Luke's gospel, it's no accident that he places Jesus' genealogy right before this story, and he traces that family tree all the way back to the very beginning “the son of Adam, the son of God.” The setup is intentional. Luke reframes Jesus as the representative of the human race, the new Adam, ready to face down and defeat our ancient enemy that deceived the first human being. And the Apostle Paul really hammers this point home. 18 just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” Friends, here’s the upside-down point: The upside-down kingdom decenters you. It invites you, wants you, hopefully excites you, but it doesn’t depend on you. This is good news. The kingdom has everything to do with you but it ain’t YOUR kingdom. It’s the kingdom of God and Jesus’ faithfulness, as the second Adam, tells our story and not simply his own.
Okay, so let's get into the temptations themselves. These weren't just random, disconnected challenges. They were actually three very specific and very tempting shortcuts to establishing the kingdom - three wrong ways to be king that Jesus had to reject. Each temptation was basically an offer to get the prize without paying the price. It was an invitation to get the crown without the cost by choosing power over obedience, demanding proof instead of having trust, and grabbing for glory while dodging suffering.
3. Upside-Down Problem One: Choosing Power over Obedience
On the surface, the first challenge seems pretty straightforward. “Hey, if you're the son of God,” the Accuser says, “use your power to feed yourself.” But the real hook was the temptation for Jesus to act on his own, to use his divine power for his personal needs instead of for the father's mission. It’s the same mistake that Israel made, complaining about manna, demanding God to give them more. And Jesus’ response is incredible. True life comes from obeying God's word, not from bread. Choosing spiritual sustenance, he says, is more vital than satisfying even legitimate hunger. Does this really need an illustration? How many of us know of people in power who use that power for their own self interests? It always starts small, maybe even legitimately – “Hey,” we say, “I deserve this. No one will notice. I’m not hurting anyone.” - but then it spirals into real corruption or abuse.
4. Upside-Down Problem Two: Demanding Proof instead of Having Trust
So, next, Satan gets clever and starts using scripture, daring Jesus to jump off the temple to force God's hand to make the angels catch him. This is the temptation to trade trust for proof, to basically say, "God, prove you love me. Show me a sign. Do something spectacular!" But Jesus refuses. He shows us that real faith doesn't put God to the test. It trusts him even when we can't see the safety net. Father Greg Boyle, who works with gang members in Los Angeles, says that people always want him to prove the efficacy of his work by sharing success stories and miraculous anecdotes and that financial grants generally demand evidence-based outcomes and only fund what works. In response, he quotes Mother Theresa, “We are not called to be successful but faithful.” Boyle argues: “Success and failure ultimately have little to do with living Jesus’ kingdom way. We are called to trust God regardless of the consequences – even when things seem not to succeed.”
5. Upside-Down Problem Three: Grabbing Glory without Suffering
Finally, we get to the grand finale. The ultimate shortcut. Satan offers Jesus the very thing he came to earth to win – to rule over all the kingdoms of the world but without pain. “Just bow down and worship me,” Satan says, “and it's all yours.” It was the offer of the crown without the cross. This is maybe the most direct assault on his actual mission. It's offering him the kingship, the kingdom, but by the world's methods – power, prestige, and control. This possible betrayal brings us back to Jesus’ identity revealed at his baptism which linked two powerful but seemingly incongruent texts: his role as the king from David’s line, Psalm 2:7, “This is my beloved son” with the suffering servant from Isaiah 42:1 “with him I am well pleased.” He was meant to be both. But Satan offers the kingship without the suffering servant part, the glory without the sacrifice. The ultimate shortcut.
And Jesus rejects it firmly. “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only, no matter where it leads.” He knows the true kingdom, God's kingdom, doesn't come through political power grabs or violence. It comes through suffering-love of neighbor and enemy alike. In the movie The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo offers the One Ring to Gandalf, believing the wizard’s wisdom could wield it for good. Gandalf refuses, warning, “I would use this ring from a desire to do good, but through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.” This is the seductive danger of power without obedience, testing without trusting, and glory without sacrifice—all the temptations seek to achieve a noble end through corrupt means, which Jesus rejects. The “means” of the kingdom matter not merely the “ends.”
6. But the War is not over & Where Did Satan Go?
The story ends with the devil leaving Jesus alone. But there's this really ominous little detail in Luke’s telling. It says the devil left him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13). This wasn't the end of the war. Not by a long shot. This was just the opening battle. And you can see how the Devil and these same core temptations just kept popping up again and again throughout Jesus's life. Remember when Peter told him he shouldn't have to suffer and die (Matt. 16:22-23)? That's the temptation of glory without the cross. Or how about the crowds wanting him to be king and defeat their enemies and prove God’s love. Or on the cross when the crowd is yelling, "If you are the son of God, save yourself” (Matt. 27:40). They’re saying, “If you are king, use your power to save yourself!” And that's really the heart of it all. The victory in the wilderness set the pattern for every single victory that came after. It was in that moment that Jesus decided how he was going to fight and win this war through radical moment-by-moment obedience to the father's will, no matter what it cost and no matter what shortcut was offered.
Which upside-down do you do need? Where does Jesus need to come and overturn something in your life?
Perhaps you need to overturn your discipleship and remember all vows must be tested – that having struggles isn’t a lack of faith, or necessarily due to sin, but actually because God says of you, “You are my beloved and I am well pleased.”
Maybe you need to upside-down your story and let go of your failures, remembering that Jesus, the second Adam, handled your temptations with his own perfect obedience. His story is now yours.
Maybe you’ve fallen prey to one of these shortcuts and you need to repent, widen your gaze, and renew your commitment to Jesus’ upside-down way.
Take a moment – listen to the Spirit – go wherever God leads – and find Jesus at the center of your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment