12月11日

標　　題：三個試探

經　　節：那試探人的進前來，對祂說：「禰若是神的兒子，可以吩咐這些石頭變成食物。」（馬太福音四章3節）

耶穌曾凡事受試，就和我們一樣，只是祂沒有犯罪（希伯來書四章：15）。耶穌由受洗的那一刻起，展開祂的公眾事工當耶穌受了洗，從水裡出來，耶穌聽到天父的贊許，說：「這是我的愛子，我所喜悅的！」之後，耶穌很快地被引到曠野，禁食四十晝夜。在那裡，魔鬼以三個引誘試探祂。

首先，撒但引誘耶穌使用祂的神能，把石頭變成麵包。這似乎是一件合乎邏輯的事，耶穌當時餓了。然而，祂更需要跟隨神的引領。天父帶領祂禁食；撒但要說服祂開口吃東西。

接下來，撒但要說服耶穌使用撒但的方法，來完成天父的目標。「你若是神的兒子，可以跳下去。」（馬太福音四：6）耶穌瞭解，這是放肆地自以為是，不是真正的信心。這是以世界的方法試探主。世人尋求神跡奇事：神使用聖潔的生命。

撒但對耶穌的最後試探，是要耶穌敬拜撒但，來完成天父的旨意（馬太福音四：8-9）。撒但答應，世上萬國與萬國的榮華都給祂，如果耶穌妥協，祂可以得到一個有權勢的同盟，並且不需忍受十字架的苦痛，就可以完成任務。但耶穌知道，只有神是唯一敬拜的對象。敬拜撒但不會帶來撒但所承諾的快速成功，敬拜撒但只會帶來徹底的失敗。

當你決意跟隨神，試探是必然的。就在你剛經歷一場屬靈勝利之後，試探有時就立即臨到。耶穌依靠神的話語，帶領祂經過會摧毀祂，且阻撓神計劃的試探。祂是我們面對試探的榜樣。

Three Temptations

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (Matthew 4:3)

Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet He never sinned (Heb. 4:15). Jesus began His public ministry with His baptism. As John the Baptist raised Him from the water, Jesus heard His Father’s affirmation, “Well done!” Immediately afterward, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the wilderness. There, Satan met Him and presented three temptations.

First, Satan enticed Jesus to use His divine power to transform stones into bread. It seemed like a logical thing to do. Jesus was hungry, but He had a much greater need to follow His Father’s leading. The Father had led Him to fast; Satan sought to persuade Him to eat.

Next, Satan tried to convince Jesus to use Satan’s means to accomplish the Father’s ends. “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down” (Matt. 4:6). Jesus understood that this would be presumption, not faith. It would be attempting God’s work in the world’s way. The world looks for spectacular displays; God uses a holy life.

The final temptation Satan proposed for Jesus to achieve God’s will was by worshiping Satan (Matt. 4:8–9). In return, Satan offered to give Him all the kingdoms of the world. By compromising, Jesus could gain a powerful ally, and achieve His mission without suffering the cross. Jesus knew that only God was to be worshiped and to do this would not bring instant success, as Satan promised, but devastating failure.

As you seek to follow God, temptations will inevitably come. Sometimes they will come to you immediately after a spiritual victory. Jesus relied on God’s Word to see Him through the temptations that could have destroyed Him and thwarted God’s plan. He has modeled the way for you to meet every temptation.