March 9, 2014 · Matthew 4:1–11

Giving It Up

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

“(Matthew 3:16–17) So he hears this voice, and then the Spirit descends upon him as a dove. He has got this power. He could probably just feel it coursing through his veins. He had the Spirit, but now he is officially launching his messianic tour. And so he has this power, and he is ready. And what does he do? He flees to the desert, and won't eat for forty days. What is that? Why is he doing that? He is trying to hurt himself? Why would Jesus, the Son of God — divine, come into humanity — not eat for forty days and forty nights? … And we have to recognize that there is a reason for this. We start to learn it as we pull the passage apart. Let's get into it a little deeper. I would say what we are hearing is that he receives power; he receives honour; and his reaction to it is to give it up. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and after fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." The most obvious statement in all of Scripture. … I don't know how many people have fasted. I am not trying to make you Pharisees or anything.”