Message: Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be worked over by a tool called Satan. Christ is fulfilling the failures of the people of Israel and Adam. The Holy Spirit is pleased to affirm Christ's identity as the Son of God. Satan's deception worked with Adam and God allows him to approach Jesus to question the clarity of scripture again. Jesus wields the sword, described in Ephesians 6:17 as the Word of God, against Satan's perversions that involve recognizing his trust over trusting God. God is working in our lives to bring us to recognize dependence on Him and the gift of redemption from sin by Christ, so we may stand in His presence. If not, Satan can take the record of your debt, stand before God and accuse you. Trust in Jesus, rely on Him to be your payment for sin, His righteousness to count for yours and you will live.
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13 "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”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, for it is written,“‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time." - ESV
