Journey to the Cross: Lenten Reflections ~Christ as our Model for Fighting Temptation

During Lent, the season for self-denial, we often reflect of Christ’s sacrifice for us.  The story of Christ’s temptation in the desert is an excellent example of how Christ forego the use of his Godly attributes in order to complete his journey to the Cross.  In Luke 4 we read the narrative.

[After his baptism] Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.  The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."  Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"  Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."  Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"  Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

            First, it is interesting to realize that Christ was my age when he began his earthly ministry.  He was baptized by his cousin, John, and before he began calling his disciples, healing the sick, and proclaiming that the kingdom of the LORD was as hand, he went into the desert where he fasted for 40 days before Satan came to tempt him..  The text says that he was led by the Holy Spirit to this temptation.  There are so many questions I have about this passage:

• What would have happened if Christ would have given in? 

I understand that he would have been committing a sin, and therefore tarnishing the whole plan for the covenant of redemption dating back before the creation of the world.  Demetrios Bathellos, in his essay “The Sinlessness of Christ” (Metzger, Paul Louis. Trinitarian Soundings in Systematic Theology. T & T Clark International, 2005) makes a pretty convincing argument that Christ was not capable of sinning while on earth.  “His unwavering stability in the good is an indispensable characteristic of his moral perfection – the possibility of opting for evil is a sign of moral weakness, to say the least.  However, in Christ there is no moral weakness whatsoever. Christ is free from both actual and potential sin."

I do not hold to this, primarily because of Hebrews 4:15 “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.”  If it were impossible for Christ to sin, his temptation would have been meaningless and he could not have known what it is like to be tempted when the possibility of sinning is off the table. 

I feel that Christ models the way we should face temptation.  From him we see two key actions.

1.      Christ resists.  Having gone for 40 day without food must have been excruciating.  I personally have fasted for one week, and while after a couple of days you get really hungry, by day 5 or 6 you stop having stomach aches and hunger pains.  The real danger is that all you can think about it food.  Christ even at his weakest resisted the devil. 

2.      Christ combats the temptation by claiming the promises of scripture.  We to when faced with trials need to hold fast to the promises of the word of God.  That is why I think it is very important to teach our children the scripture, and have them memorize as much as they can.  Even King David knew the importance of biblical memorization.  Psalm 119:11 says Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

We will all face trials and temptations, probably nothing as difficult as Christ did, but in a digital age of excess and availability, there is a whole different amount of sin traps waiting to ensnare us.  My prayer for you is that you will stand firm, resist the devil, and be prepared to answer the false claims of evil with the promises found in scripture.