Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. (Matthew 4:1-11, NRSV)
Jesus is tempted. But before He is tempted He is driven out into the wilderness, the desert space, by…
The Holy Spirit! God took Him there!
And when Satan comes to Him after He has been there in the desert, we assume with nothing for 40 days and tempts Him…
And Satan asks Him a question, “If you are the Son of God…”
Does Satan not know who He is? Or is he trying to confuse Jesus? You know if you are really hungry, sometimes you don’t think straight.
Satan is wondering if Jesus is the Son of God, or is Jesus actually knows who He is. Or maybe there is something else here.
The Greek word Εἰ means if, and it also means since. So is Satan saying, “If you are the Son of God…” or “Since you are the Son of God…”
You see I think Satan knows who He is, and is trying to get Him to question the plan. It is not that He is not able to do everything Satan is asking Him to do, He can, but to do that would question the plan and not allow God to be in control.
So do you know who Jesus is, and do you trust Him?
It is as simple as, “God if I only knew for sure your plan…” Or “God, since I know who you are, you have the plan…”
aSacredRebel 