Our daily Bible time in the living room has moved to our dining table for a couple days. Now we read the Bible while enjoying dessert, and it has been better for the boys to concentrate since they have something to do with their bodies. Also, it silences Owen who is our biggest distraction.
So we review our passage from yesterday and the boys remember what comes next.
“An angel leads Jesus to the desert where he fasts for 40 days. Then he gets tempted by the snake.” Very close!
We read the passage, and note that it is actually the Holy Spirit who came down like dove when Jesus was baptized that leads him to the desert. And it’s not the snake that tempts, but the devil.
We talk about fasting and even though Jesus was God, he was fully human so he felt staaaaarving. (After school, Evan complains that he is staaaaarving and that he could die from this hunger.) When Jesus is physically at his weakest, the devil tempts with the most basic need – food. Jesus quotes the verse from Deuteronomy, and I ask the boys what the “every word that comes from the mouth of God” is. They surprising don’t know. (They were probably thinking literally – words coming out of God’s mouth) It is the Bible! I go to Deuteronomy 8:3 where Jesus is quoting from, and read the whole verse. Moses is talking to the Israelites about eating manna for 40 years (another 40!) and learning to trust God.
In the other two temptations, Jesus again quotes Deuteronomy, and it points to the important lesson that Moses preached to the Israelites. Jesus, as he is starting his ministry, is showing that he is fully prepared to trust God and only follow his directions in this hard ministry and path to the cross.
We also remember that Jesus is fully human, and he was tempted just like us. He understands what it is like to be so hungry and be tempted to do things his way. (i.e. make bread out of stone) But Jesus did not fail like Adam and Eve, and has proven that he is the true righteousness, and can represent us at the cross.
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