Dear Friends,

When they are hunting for your reputation, your livelihood, or your soul, Jesus whispers,

“I know, my child. They hunted me too.”

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Temptation as a form of suffering

Today, God willing, I’ll present yet another category of the sufferings of Christ. I hope with every post, we spend less and less time shaking our fists at God and asking “Why?”, and more and more time lifting up our hands and saying “Thank you, Father!”.

This verse lays it out clearly…another way Christ suffered, beyond all the direct verbal and physical assaults, was the temptations that He went through:

[Heb 2:18 KJV] 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Now hiring: Triple-hat teacher, health care worker and food distributor willing to be constantly, unfairly scrutinized and interrogated.

Any takers?

Temptation via word traps

The Pharisees asked Him many questions…not to learn anything, but to gather evidence that could be parlayed into physical violence.

[Luk 11:54 KJV] 54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Think that might get under your skin a little?

Now, I discussed all the verbal broadsides he endured in a previous post, but today we’re talking about the traps. The more subtle attacks. The scheming, conniving, unctuous questions they asked Him, such as:

[Mat 22:15-22 KJV] 15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in [his] talk. 16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any [man]: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, WHY TEMPT YE ME me, [ye] HYPOCRITES? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 22 When they had heard [these words], they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

I know that was a long passage, but it was too epic to slice and dice. You get to see the Master at work, but you also can see his open annoyance with them (Mark 3:5 also recounts how they angered and grieved Him).

Yes, even God can be antagonized!

Temptation via requests for signs

Here’s a shorter passage that again illustrates the spiritual torment they subjected Him to:

[Mar 8:11-12 KJV] 11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, TEMPTING him. 12 And he SIGHED DEEPLY IN HIS SPIRIT, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

Why was their request for a sign so annoying? Why is it referred to as “tempting”? Well if you back up just a few verses, you will find that Jesus had just fed four thousand people with 7 loaves and a few fishes. So, His aggravation is easy to understand, especially when you consider that the Pharisees repeatedly made this request (Matthew 12:38 and 16:1).

I think it’s clear where the deep sighing comes from!

Temptation from the heart of hell

Jesus identified the spiritual parentage of the Pharisees without any mincing of words:

[Jhn 8:44 KJV] 44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

But it wasn’t enough for Satan’s minions to incessantly tempt Jesus; the Serpent himself decided to launch his own assault. He was correct in thinking his minions weren’t up to the task. He was incorrect in thinking that he was.

[Mat 4:1 KJV] 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be TEMPTED of the devil.

Satan antagonizing Jesus? When has such Holy, Awesome Power encountered a being more deserving of an overwhelming blast of face-melting, white-hot Light? And yet, all Jesus did was quote Scripture, because that way we can come to Him knowing that He knows. He intimately knows how it feels to be baited and tormented and pursued by the lion.

If that isn’t love, it’ll….no, wait. That was definitely love. No ifs, ands or buts!

It was for you

Think back to the last time you thought someone was intentionally trying to trap you in your words, or get you in trouble, or slander you. Think about how angry you felt…then look at how many times, and how many ways, and for how many years they tried to trap Jesus, and be amazed that He didn’t just consume them all in one giant fireball…and that He came down here in the first place.

After all that He went through for you, dear child of God, Jesus has every right to ask us for a little credit.

After the vicious slandering, the physical torture, the ostracism, the isolation, the betrayal, and the extensive campaign of false flattery and mind games that He endured, we owe Him the benefit of the doubt!

I will not focus on my questions He hasn’t answered yet, my disappointments He hasn’t redeemed yet, or on my hurts that He hasn’t healed yet.

I will instead focus on this: He loves me! And as that sweet song says:

“In my Father’s house, there’s a place for me” (1)

Much love and blessings,

TFOTF

1. Who you say I am