Jesus' Temptation in the Desert (Luke 4:1-13) | First Sunday in Lent | Bible Verse Graphic
First Sunday in Lent (Series C)
Luke 4:1–13 (ESV)
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 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. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
9 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, 10 for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11 and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Commentary
Through Jesus temptation in the desert, he remained resolute on His mission to the cross. The devil cannot deter him from his singular focus on the cross where he defeated, sin, death, and the devil for us. Jesus has been through these temptations and conquered them. Because of this, we have confidence that He is with us through all temptations of this life and, above all, bringing His forgiveness that He alone can bring to us.
Image: This is a compilation of three royalty free photos with some editing bringing in the elements the rocks, the city, and the heights in the temptation. I placed the cross as the focal point of the image to emphasize Christ's focus on His mission. A sepia filter helped to tie the elements together.
