Luke 4:1-13
1 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.

Before Jesus formally launched into ministry, He went out into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. This is intended to remind us of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. Just after they had been rescued from slavery in Egypt, Israel was led out into the desert. Ultimately, God wanted to take them to the promised land where He would not only bless them but also use them as a conduit to bless all nations of the earth. However, in the wilderness, Israel struggled to trust God and to trust His word. In fact, their disobedience and lack of faith caused them to wander in the desert even longer.

Disregarding God’s word always leads to wilderness wandering, one way or another. When Adam and Eve did not trust God’s word, they were exiled from the Garden of Eden and could no longer enjoy God’s presence and rich provision. In this sinful world, all of us are thrown into exile, separated from God as each of us struggle to trust God’s word. And our disobedience only adds to the brokenness of the world, whether for ourselves or for others or both.

Israel’s failure during their wilderness wandering only foreshadowed all the ways that Israel would continue to struggle to trust God. And this disregard for God’s word always led to further pain and turmoil, whether for Israel or others.

Jesus’ wilderness experience is a source of comfort. Jesus knows what it is like to live in a broken and fallen world, to experience exile. And our Savior knows what it is like to be tempted in harsh conditions. We have a Savior who identifies with the pain of this fallen world!

But Jesus’ wilderness experience is also a source of immense hope. While Adam and Eve failed to trust God’s word, and Israel followed suit in the desert, Jesus proved ever faithful in His wilderness journey. Each time Jesus was tempted, He insisted on trusting God’s word. And it’s His obedience to God’s word, His righteous perfection, that puts Him in a position to atone for the sins of the world.

1. Take comfort in Jesus today. He understands what it means to be tempted and to experience the hardship of a broken world.
2. Confess your sins today. We fail to always obey God’s word. Take time to reflect on the ways that you have fallen short and confess this to God.
3. Find hope in Jesus today. As you grieve over this broken world and also confess your sins, take joy in the fact that Jesus forgives and redeems you. Just as Moses delivered Israel out of bondage, Jesus delivers us from sin and into eternal life!