From Cana to the Cross - Temptation Attacks at Our Core - Jan 8 2012
Matthew 4:1-11 shows us that temptation attacked the core of Jesus’ nature. In the first temptation, Satan asked Jesus to ‘over-ride’ his humanity, but we know that while on earth, Jesus lived a fully human life, and chose to submit to His Father. The second temptation was meant to cause Jesus to question His divinity—Satan’s goal was to make unclear what once was clear. In the third temptation Satan tried to get Jesus to derail his mission, but Jesus remains a servant to God alone. From this passage, we learn that all temptation addresses one key issue: will we serve God or ourselves? How did Jesus successfully face temptation? He knew who He was, he knew the Word, and He knew His choice—to serve God. His response to temptation was that He humbled Himself, chose to ‘trust’ instead of ‘test’, and stuck to basic theology—worship God. This can help us as we face temptation—through Christ, we too can face it successfully.
January 8, 2012: From Cana to the Cross—Temptation Attacks at Our Core from Okotoks E Free on Vimeo.