5/2/24

Matt 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Jesus is again quoting scripture to Satan in response to this third and final temptation. Please allow me to share again that quoting from and/or recalling scripture is a great way to respond to temptation when it comes our way. The writer of the book of Psalms declared in Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” A quote from D.L. Moody many of us heard growing up fits here as well, “The Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.” The more we read the God’s Word…the more we memorize it…the more we meditate on it…the more we let it become a treasure hidden in our hearts…the more we will successfully deal with temptation. Christ gave us this pattern. Let’s use it to His glory!

Satan’s final temptation of Jesus is found in Matt 4:8-9 “Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’” I am so thankful Jesus did not accept this offer from the devil and chose instead to stay with God’s plan to go to the Cross and die a substitutionary death for our sins. Praise His holy name!

One of my favorite passages about Jesus is found in Phil 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus is being worshiped all day every day and will be worshiped forever and ever and ever! Long after Satan, who wanted Jesus to worship him, has been cast into the lake of fire. Not only should we worship and serve the Lord our God. We are blessed to get to worship and serve the Lord our God!

Pastor Tim