Hi. Welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host of the daily challenges. Today is Tuesday, the day we study the Bible together. This week, as part of our series on the identity of Jesus, we’re going to study how Jesus is perfect. The story that will show us that is one where he was tempted to sin, to do wrong, but managed to overcome temptation.  Here’s what happened:

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:1-13 ESV)

Satan tempts Christ with three things:

• Wealth – Satan asks Jesus to create bread from a stone, right when he was hungry.
• Power – Satan offers Jesus power if he’ll just worship him, instead of his Father God.
• Freedom – Satan invites Jesus to test God’s gift of freedom, abusing it by jumping off the temple.

None of these things is wrong in itself. Resources, power and freedom are gifts from God for us to use.

But they were given to be used for a particular, and proper use. This was laid out in creation, when God created those things.

In Genesis 1:30 “I have given every green plant for you”. God has already given Jesus, and humanity, the resources we need. Satan has nothing left to offer.

In Genesis 1:26 God gave people dominion, saying, “Let them rule over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth.” God has already given humans power. Satan has no power to offer us.

Finally, Genesis says we were created in the Image of God, “In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Humans were given freedom as part of that image, and exercised it quite tragically. Satan had no freedom to offer us, God already gave it to us.

As you can see, Satan wasn’t offering anything to Jesus, or any human for that matter. But many of us humans fall for these very lies and empty offers.

Jesus resisted, he was perfect, holy and sinless. How? We’ll see tomorrow, but first:

Question: What common thread do you see in Jesus’ responses? From where does he get his conviction?

Meeting with a Group?  Your discussion questions are in this week’s Group Study Guide