Jesus became fully man and is the perfect example to follow in all things. We learned he was baptized as an example for us. In this passage, His example continues as He is tempted in the wilderness. We must pay attention because everyone faces temptation. Temptation is unavoidable and if it cannot be avoided then we must defeat it. If you claim to not struggle with temptation, then you are most likely not a Christian. Sinners do not struggle against temptation but the Christian does (Ephesians 6:12; Acts 14:22). Satan and the world are enemies to the saints and the believer must always be fighting temptation (1 Peter 5:8; 2 Timothy 3:12; John 16:33)
What is temptation?
Jesus was filled the Holy Spirit and then was tempted in wilderness. Now Jesus was perfect, sinless man, so His temptation did not come from within. So what is temptation? Temptation has to do with the struggle between internal and external. The word is related to the word ‘enduring’. It can mean ‘trial’, ‘desire’, or ‘lust’. While most of the time temptation has a bad connotation, it can be a word that can be good or bad. God tests but Satan tempts (James 1:3). We must be careful here because Jesus does say that lust in your mind is already committing adultery. So that desire itself is sinful. In general, temptation or the desire is not necessarily sinful. This is clear because Jesus was tempted but without sin. There are many desires in God’s word that are not judged sinfully (Acts 16:6-7).
However, temptation can be dangerous because it leads to sin (James 1:14-16). Again, to look at a women with lust, Jesus calls adultery, but that same look at your own wife is not sinful (Matthew 5:27-28). Temptations can be strong and they happen to everyone, but it is how you deal with your temptation that matters (1 Peter 4:15-16).
The wilderness
Christians are like the Israelites traveling through the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. The wilderness is a harsh and dangerous land full of temptations. Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days. This period signifies probation, a period of restricted freedom. Like Noah waited in the Ark 40 days, or the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness, or the 40 days of uncleanness after a women gives birth, our lives are a period of probation, of living in a wilderness.
People try to escape temptation by physically isolating themselves, like the monks in the monasteries. This doesn’t work, as Spurgeon points out, Jesus went out to be alone in the wilderness and then He was tempted aggressively.
The example of Jesus’ temptation
Jesus was tempted as the last Adam, not the first Adam. Adam was tempted in the Garden of Eden, where everything was provided and his circumstances were good. In contrast, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. As the last Adam, as the Messiah, He conquered Satan mightily and repelled all of Satan’s attacks. To overcome temptation ourselves, we simply put ourselves under Jesus and His mighty power (2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 6:10; Psalms 18:2). While the first Adam failed miserably, Jesus the Messiah never fails, and He is ours!
Jesus sympathizes with us because He fully experienced temptation as a man. We cannot dismiss the temptations Jesus went through just because He was God. This leads to blasphemy against Jesus and an excusing of our own sin. Instead Jesus sympathizes with us, even more so then fellow man, because He has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Even though Peter had denied Jesus three times, yet Jesus looked at Peter with such concern and compassion. Instead of rebuking, Jesus sympathized with Peter (Luke 22:60-61). Jesus knows the struggle against sin as He was fully man and had to resist temptation with all His strength throughout His life and ministry (Luke 22:43:-44). Because Jesus suffered completely and overcame, there are believers who are able to go through unspeakable suffering as well, through the power of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’s example also reveals true sanctification. When Jesus was tempted, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is those who are faithful and strong spiritually who are tempted. Satan doesn’t desire to target those who are weak, they are not worth the effort, instead it is those like Job who are righteous and blameless (Job 1:1,8). To not be tempted is a sign you might not be Christian. Being tempted means you are on the right track of sanctification. There is no need to regret or feel guilty about temptation itself. We must realize it is inevitable and useful for our sanctification
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
The Bible emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit. We are born again in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit wrote God’s word, teaches God’s word and builds the Church (Ephesians 2:19-21). Yet, modern day Christians give little concern when they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. We may have the Bible, sound doctrine and the true gospel but we still lack the most essential, the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:19, 5:18). This is very disturbing and we must repent.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a choice, a matter of obedience. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a feeling or a moment of spirituality, it is a lifestyle (1 Corinthians 3:16; Psalms 42:1). Without the Holy Spirit, sanctification cannot happen. So we must constantly seek and desire for the Holy Spirit through God’s word (Colossians 3:16). Stop being fearful of the world and what’s going on. Remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is in you and be led by Him. As a Christian it is blasphemous to ignore the Holy Spirit.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit and speaking and singing of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23;Ephesians 5:19). As Christians, we face temptations and our desire is to overcome them like Jesus, to be sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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