Jesus Led to the Wilderness to be Tempted Matthew 4:1

Matthew shared how John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan river and telling them about the one who was coming. He then wrote, “Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of you, and do you come to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, and in chapter four and verse one of his book, Matthew shares about how , “Jesus” was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” where we read:

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

The verse reads, “ Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness ...” Matthew began with the word, “then” which means “at that time and moment” “was Jesus” or “Jesus whose name means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “led up” which means “brought toward a higher place, set forth or departed” “of the Spirit” or “by the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is coequal, co-eternal with the Father and the Son” “into the wilderness” which refers to “into the solitary, lonely, desolate and uninhabited place”. Matthew shared how Jesus was “led” by the Holy Spirit into a “lonely and desolate” place.

The verse goes on to say, “... to be tempted of the devil.” Matthew continued with the words, “to be tempted” which means “for the purpose of trial, test and enticement” “of the devil” which refers to “by the one prone to slander, false accusation, a traducer and Satan”. Matthew shared how the purpose of Jesus being “led” to the “wilderness” was so that He could be “tested and tried” by Satan.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we may wonder why Jesus was “led” in such a fashion as this. Why did He have to go to a “wilderness” alone to be “tested” by Satan? God desires to “save” every person, and when He sent His Son Jesus to be the Messiah of mankind, Jesus had to pass every temptation that people endure. Jesus was “led” to the “wilderness” so every person reading these words could have the opportunity to have “faith and trust” in the only One who has been “faithful” to follow God completely. May all who consider these things yield their lives to Him.

Next time Matthew shares how, Jesus “fasted forty days and forty nights” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.