The Inauguration
* Luke 3 presents the "inauguration" (official beginning) of Jesus' public ministry. Luke provides the historical setting - about AD 28-29 (3:1-2). The "inauguration ceremony" included Jesus' baptism by John and his confirmation by God the Father (3:21-22).

¶ "…heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' Now Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry" (3:21c-23a).

The Test
* After his "inauguration" Jesus was tested. Read Luke 4:1-13.

* Jesus went to the desert (wilderness, uninhabited place) where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. It was not wrong for him to go there. He was "led by the Spirit" (4:1). During his days in the wilderness, Jesus fasted (went without food). Three temptations are presented.

First Temptation
* After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was hungry! So the devil tempted Jesus by saying, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread" (4:3). The devil tempted Jesus to doubt God's care, and take care of himself.

¶ Jesus responded, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone." (4.4).

* Turning a stone into bread is not necessarily a bad thing. But the devil wanted Jesus to make satisfaction of his hunger more important than the will of God. Satan wanted Jesus to take a shortcut to satisfy his desire instead of trusting and obeying God.

* Our physical desires are not necessarily bad. They are part of God's design. If we did not desire food, we would starve! But our physical desires must not overrule trusting and obeying God.

* In general, the devil wants us to be controlled by our own self-centered desires, not God's will. And he wants us to "take care of ourselves," independent of God, instead of trusting in him.

Second Temptation
* The devil led Jesus up to a high place and offered to give him all the kingdoms of the world. Satan claimed, "if you worship me, it will all be yours." (4:5-7) He tempted Jesus to seize power by selling out and abandoning his allegiance (loyalty, devotion) to God the Father.

¶ Jesus responded, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only" (4:8).

? So far, what do you notice about the way Jesus responds to the devil's temptations?

Third Temptation
* The devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Then the devil quoted (and misused) Psalm 91:11-12, which speaks of God's care and protection. The devil tempted Jesus to put God to the test: "God will protect his own, so go ahead and jump!"

¶ Jesus responded, "It says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (4:12).

Test Results
* Whereas the first Adam failed the test and plunged the whole human race into sin (Genesis 3), Jesus remained faithful and demonstrated his qualification to be the Savior of humankind. Whereas the Israelites failed the test during their 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus showed himself to be the true Israelite who lives "on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

* The devil left Jesus, but he would try again to ruin Jesus and his disciples (e.g., Luke 22:3, 31).

Following Jesus' Example
* Though the temptation of Jesus was a unique event in the life of Jesus, we can learn from his example. Each time Jesus was tempted, he responded with "the word of God." The important thing is not just a knowledge of God's word, but the commitment to trust and obey His word.

* As an exercise, consider each of the following temptations. If you were tempted in these ways, what "words of God" (Bible verses) could you use to help you resist each temptation?

1. You are tempted to negatively criticize another person, or gossip about someone.
2. You are tempted to take all the credit for a success (to exalt yourself), though others helped.
3. You are tempted to react in anger because someone has done something you don't like.
4. You are tempted to cheat, plagiarize, or lie ("just a little") in order to achieve "success."
5. You are tempted to be selfish with your resources instead of giving to others and to God.
6. You are tempted to hide your faith around friends, and let them influence you to do wrong.
7. You are tempted to look at pornography, or watch a movie showing sexual immorality.

Reflection/Application
† Are you equipped to resist temptation? First, you need to trust in Christ and be enabled by the Holy Spirit. Identify specific temptations you struggle with, and arm yourself by memorizing helpful Bible verses. Trust, obey, and rely on God. Read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 10:13.