Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

 Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Deut. 8:3

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" Deut. 6:16

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Deut. 6:13

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In the severe testing - the temptations - that follows his 40-day fast. Jesus faces up to the things which will go on testing his intent to do God's work in God's way all through his ministry. He now has power - the power to feed the hungry, heal the sick, raise the dead. How will he use it? To satisfy his own needs? To test God out? To command a following? When it comes to it, will he use his power to save himself or, trusting God, tread the path to the cross in order to save others? Jesus answers Satan's test questions with words from scripture, quoting Deuteronomy passages from Israel's 40 years in the desert when God tested is people's obedience to him.

Why?

The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.

Israelite in the desert could not pass the test from the Lord, Jesus passed the test.

Even Jesus has the power to do what he wants, but the purpose of the test is Jesus does everything is not for himself but for the command of the Lord.

The temptation includes the food, power, and the honor and rich of the world.

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前面是耶穌受洗，完全順從神的旨意，宣告願意遵行上帝的旨意。不是委曲，反而是提昇，得著榮耀，但是我們要付代價，去對付人的私慾。

耶穌受試探是神的心意，撒旦要試探人也是神允許的。

先叫人懷疑神的話，證明給我看是撒旦的一貫手法，若耶穌在飢餓中，行了就照撒旦的話做。

拾瑪那，告訴我們按照神的心意去做就能得著。不按神的旨意就白忙。耶穌要行石頭變食物就是滿足自己的慾望，眾人 期待，撒旦的話，自己的需要、自己的能力。遵行父的旨意，要我們反省到底聽誰的，依靠誰?特別當我們有能力，有想法，有需要時。

聖殿高處跳下去： 最容易出名的方式。這是自己想做王，逼神行神蹟，顯出自己的經歷，看來似乎榮耀神，其實是榮耀自己。神的保護不在這裏。神不保守故意讓自己陷在危險中的人。

征服全世界：走捷徑的路。這是最難的，最有吸引力的，最簡單。不用行神蹟，不用冒險。要教會增長，卻要妥協一下，這不是神的路，而是自己的成就。服事的對象只有一個，就是神而已。世界與神當中沒有妥協的。只講耶穌的愛，不講十字架，只講人想聽的，教會會增長，但是離開神。我們的最高目標、價值是什麼?教會增長不是我們的目標，我們的目標是神自己。

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How?

Jesus knows his mission to this world is save all people from their sins.