The Temptation of Jesus

Miracle, Mystery, Authority

The Devil tempts Jesus under the three categories below. The Devil never changes his ploy. These categories have been his ‘M.O.’ from the beginning of time.
This temptation occurred during a time when Jesus was physically weak after being 40 days in the desert without food.
I began also to think of the Israelites while they were in the desert, during those 40 years and the way they were kept from entering the promised land because of their unbelief and disobedience. They had been tempted by the Devil, who deceived them as a people into thinking that God had led them out in to the desert to die, that God was not really interested in them any longer.
During those years, something of the ‘M.O.’ of the Devil came through the accounts in Exodus.

Miracle

Jesus
Luke 4:3 “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread”

Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die!”

Israelites
Exodus 16 & 17
Manna, Quail and Water. The Israelites accused Moses of letting them starve. They were tempted to give up and turn back to Egypt.


Mystery

Jesus
Luke 4:9 “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’”

Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat of the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Israelites
Exodus 32. The golden Calf.
The Israelites whilst waiting for Moses to return from visting with the Lord on the top of Mt Sinai, became restless and were tempted into creating a golden calf in order to worship a tangible god, so they could focus on something as being representative of the Lord, rather than believing him without seeing him. The mystery of the Lord without a tangible presence other than the cloud and the pillar of fire, was what the devil played upon their minds to think that without an icon there would be no God.

Authority

Jesus
Luke 4:5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in a instant all the Kingdoms of the world. And he said to him “I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:1 “ Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

Israelites
Numbers 22- 24
Balak, King of Moab wanted Balaam, known as a sorceror, to place a curse on the Israelites. Balaam however, was open to the word of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord was upon him.
The Lord told him not to curse the Israelites because they are a blessed people.
Balaam was tempted in everyway to curse the people of Israel.
The Devil wanted his authority to be placed over the Israelites through the curses from Moab, but the Lord intervened. There was a spiritual battle.