The First Sunday in Lent (CL)

Luke 4:1-13

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ² for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ⁴ And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” ⁵ And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, ⁶ and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

       “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

and him only shall you serve.’ ”

⁹ And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written,

       “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,

to guard you,’

¹¹ and

       “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

¹² And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” ¹³ And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Is this text just about Jesus being tempted as we are tempted? Is this text about three specific temptations of Christ? Where these the best ways for Jesus to prove that he is the Son of God? I don’t really know the answers to these questions. I could probably make up a pretty good and probably correct answer to these questions. But I really think there is a bigger question: Does Satan think Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God?

It is easy for us to assume the answer to this question, when we know that “even Satan believes and trembles.” But temporally placing ourselves in the beginning of Jesus Ministry, the Devil knows that Heaven opened at this individuals Baptism. The Devil, probably being an Angel, actual heard the voice of God thunder, “This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” Maybe the Devil even realized Luke’s genealogy, which he concludes Chapter 3 with going back to Adam and stating “Son of God.”

The Text sounds to me like the Devil is really questioning, whether or not Jesus is actually the Son of the Most High. Now again after these three temptations Demons will come forth and confess boldly that they know who he actually is. But think about the Devil’s questions and temptations and the reality that we are left with: Only a sinless human being knowing he is the only begotten Son of the Father would be able to withstand these temptations.

Don’t be arrogant! These temptations are not to prove that we are tempted like Jesus. These could prove that each one of these temptations is very specific. But quite possibly the ability to withstand these temptations prove to Satan that this is the Word made flesh. This is the Lord coming to save his people, the sinless sacrifice that Satan himself does not have control over.