The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 4:12,
"Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
Here is the last statement we are provided that is spoken by Jesus to Satan relative to his temptation. As you recall, this temptation took place during a forty day fast of Jesus in the wilderness following his baptism. The way Luke casts the account, it almost reads as though this statement is what brought Satan's attempts of tempting Jesus to an end. Although the reference by the devil to Psalm 91 is probably best understood as the action of God the Father in protection, at times I wonder if "the Lord your God" Jesus confronts the devil with here is a reference to himself.
The pericope displays a wonderful interaction of the Trinity, with Satan giving Jesus his best shot. Here we see the Son of God led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil to put God the Father to the test. The outcome, of course, is that because Jesus Christ is the Son of God, it is not in his nature to sin and the exercise becomes simply another means by which Jesus' divinity is authenticated, together with the accounts of his healings, miracles, fulfillment of Scripture and authority over the spiritual realm that populates Luke's accounts. The devil in all his deceitful scheming is reduced, yet again, by God as he becomes God's dupe to fulfill God's purposes.
I am reminded of the observation the writer of Hebrews provides us of Jesus Christ, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16.
It is wonderful to me to know that our sinless God can and does sympathize with our weaknesses. To think that God, through the Son placed himself in the unthinkable position of experiencing what we experience when we are tempted is astonishing. Although our sinless Savior was impervious to the draw of sin, he knows of the struggle we face first hand. And, unlike us, he demonstrated his divinity in the perfection of his character and nature: completely consistent with himself! Here is One we can approach! Here is where we can find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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