基督受試探
馬太福音四章1至11節
1當時，耶穌被聖靈引到曠野，受魔鬼的試探。
2他禁食四十晝夜，後來就餓了。
3那試探人的進前來，對他說：你若是神的兒子，可以吩咐這些石頭變成食物。
4耶穌卻回答說：經上記著說：人活著，不是單靠食物，乃是靠神口裡所出的一切話。
5魔鬼就帶他進了聖城，叫他站在殿頂（頂：原文是翅）上，
6對他說：你若是神的兒子，可以跳下去，因為經上記著說：主要為你吩咐他的使者用手托著你，免得你的腳碰在石頭上。
7耶穌對他說：經上又記著說：不可試探主─你的神。
8魔鬼又帶他上了一座最高的山，將世上的萬國與萬國的榮華都指給他看，
9對他說：你若俯伏拜我，我就把這一切都賜給你。
10耶穌說：撒但（撒但就是抵擋的意思，乃魔鬼的別名），退去罷！因為經上記著說：當拜主你的神，單要事奉他。
11於是，魔鬼離了耶穌，有天使來伺候他。
信息分享
耶穌面對三個試探，每次祂都引用申命記的一節經文來勝過它。神的話語乃聖靈的寶劍，是我們抵擋撒但的最重要武器之一。
時移世易，但人類所面對的試探卻始終不變。撒但首先想引導基督質疑父神的愛，以致做出違背神心意的事情。耶穌在受洗之後，父神豈不是對祂說：「你是我的愛子」嗎？撒但此刻對祂所說的話，無疑是想促使祂質疑父神的愛：「神如果愛我，為何要我在曠野捱餓呢？為何不把石頭變成餅讓我充飢呢？」
接著，撒但又說：「你快要開展你的事奉，你一定希望有一大班人來跟隨你的。只要你做出一些驚人之舉，就會吸引很多人來聽你了。」然而，神是按照祂的時間來施行計劃，祂會用祂的方式來吸引萬人來歸向基督；神不需要我們用自己的方法來成就祂的計劃。
最後，撒但帶耶穌來到一座最高的山上，對祂說：「只要你俯伏拜我，我就會把這世界的一切給你。」撒但為祂提供了一條贏取世界的捷徑，但祂卻知道只能走十字架的道路。祂是神的兒子，又豈能向撒但下拜？
撒但最終敗退；但他顯然會回來，伺機再試探主，雖然他最後都不成功。
希伯來書的作者告訴我們，基督凡事受過試探，因此，祂知道我們落入試探的感受。這豈不是很難能可貴！我們這位在天上的大祭司清楚知道我們受試探的感受！當我們遇見試探時，只要祈求祂的幫助，祂必使我們得勝。
反思：
基督藉著神的話語來擊退撒但，我能夠像祂一樣嗎？我熟悉神的話語嗎？
CHRIST'S TEMPTATION
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’and,‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Message
There were three temptations and each time Christ used a part of a verse from the book of Deuteronomy. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is still one of our great weapons to defeat Satan.
Temptation hasn't changed through the years. Satan tried to make Christ think harshly of his Father and to act out of God's will. The Father's words were 'This is my beloved Son'. Satan's suggestion was 'If you are God's Son why are you starving in a wilderness? Why not make bread out of these stones?'
Then Satan said 'You are beginning your ministry. You want to get a crowd to follow you. Do something spectacular and people will come to hear you.' But God never wants us to go ahead of his plan. In God's own time, and in his own way Christ would draw all men to himself.
Finally Satan came out in the open and said 'I want you to worship me'. He offered Christ an easy way to win the world, but Christ knew that the only way was by his death on the cross. As God's Son, he could never allow himself to bow to Satan.
Satan left the scene defeated. No doubt he tried again and again to tempt Christ but always without success.
The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Christ was tempted in every possible way. Therefore he knows how we feel when we are tempted. Isn't it wonderful? Our heavenly High Priest knows what it is like to be tempted! He can give us victory over any temptation if we ask him.
A THOUGHT:
Christ defeated Satan by using God's Word.
How much of God's Word do we know?