In Luke 4, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and faced temptations there. Many years earlier, the nation of Israel had also been tempted after being led by God into the wilderness. While Israel failed in the wilderness, Jesus succeeded.

The First Temptation: Trust

Jesus’s first temptation was whether He would fully trust the Father. Israel failed this test when they crossed into the Promised Land and found themselves without food. Rather than trusting God, they complained and said they would have preferred to stay in Egypt.

Jesus faced the same temptation after not eating anything for forty days. Satan wanted Him to take a shortcut from the trajectory God had set for Him. But Jesus showed us what it’s like to fully trust God in moments of weakness. He remembered that there is something that can sustain far more completely than any earthly food. Where Israel failed, Jesus passed the test.

The Second Temptation: Glory

Jesus’s second temptation was whether He would care more for the Father’s glory or His own glory. Satan promised to give Jesus glory and authority, but Jesus is ultimately the One who has all of that already. Although Satan does have authority, it is only at the will of God, and one day, that authority will come to an end.

The glory of God is highlighted in the presence of God with His people. Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to the path of glory, promising that He could receive that glory at a lesser cost. But there was only one way for Jesus to display God’s glory, and it wasn’t by receiving a shortcut from Satan; it was by Jesus humbly following the Father’s will. Right glory only comes from faithfully following the Lord.

Third Temptation: Faithfulness

Jesus’s third temptation was whether He would fully trust God’s faithfulness. In the wilderness, Israel was not just concerned about food but also water. When they complained, Moses struck a rock, and water poured out. When this happened, Israel failed the test and demonstrated that they didn’t trust God’s faithfulness. Jesus provided a contrast by fully trusting God. He demonstrated this trust by going to the cross.

The temptation of Israel raises a question: Who will you be? Will you emulate Israel, who failed, or Jesus, who succeeded? As we face many temptations, may we be grounded in the Word and led by the Spirit. May we display the glory of Christ to a watching world by walking obediently and faithfully!