Devotion for February 16, 2016

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’” (Luke 4:3-4; NIV).

            Two stories sit behind this first temptation. First is the story of Adam and Eve, in which Eve was tempted by the desirability of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6, “The fruit was good for eating, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom.”) Similarly, Jesus is tempted to use His power to accomplish His own ends in His own ways. Part of Jesus’ answer is that He will not go the way of Adam; He will follow the path set out by the Father. Second is the story (stories!) of Israel in the wilderness, griping about the food. That repeated complaint reflected a deep loss of trust in the God who had redeemed them. Again, Jesus response is that He will not go the way of Israel, losing faith in the Father.

            Obedient and faithful, Jesus will follow the Father. Obedient and faithful, He will endure the cross. Obedient and faithful, He will die there (Luke 23:46). Obedient and faithful, He will be everything that Israel should have been, that Adam should have been, that you and I should have been. Obedient and faithful, He will pay the price of our failure and open up the way for our restoration to be what God always desired.