Jesus Was TemptedDear Parents,
Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project® for Kids. Today’s Bible story takes place immediately after Jesus’ baptism. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness. Jesus fasted for 40 days, and He was hungry. The Devil (the agent of temptation and the father of lies) said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” If You are the Son of God? The Devil knew who Jesus was. He challenged Jesus to prove it. The Devil wanted to ruin God’s plan of redemption which was set in motion in Genesis 3. In the garden of Eden, Satan used a seemingly innocent question to arouse doubt in Eve: “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). Adam and Eve ate the fruit God had forbidden them to eat, and sin entered the world. Jesus came to reverse the curse, to succeed where Adam failed. The Devil’s aim was to get Jesus to sin, to disqualify Him from the role of sinless Savior. Jesus did not give in to temptation. Each time Jesus was tempted, He remembered God’s Word. The Bible includes several verses about temptation. For example, God does not tempt anyone. (Jas. 1:13) We can pray to resist temptation. (Matt. 26:41) When we resist the Devil, he will flee from us. (Jas. 4:7) But what happens when we do give in to temptation? We can boldly approach God’s throne to receive grace to help us through temptation, and mercy and forgiveness when we sin. (See Heb. 4:14-16.) The writer of Hebrews said that our high priest—Jesus—can sympathize with our weaknesses because He was tested in every way we are, yet He never sinned. Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Jesus is perfect and righteous. A perfect sacrifice was required to take away sin. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice. He died on the cross to free us from sin and to give us the power to say no to temptation. |
Jesus Was Tempted
Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
After Jesus was baptized, He was led by God’s Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Jesus fasted for 40 days and
40 nights. He was in the wilderness with wild animals, and He prayed and thought about God’s plan for His life. Jesus did not eat anything during those days. When those days were over, Jesus was hungry.
Then the Devil, who tempts people to sin, came up to Jesus. He knew Jesus was hungry, so he said, “If You are really God’s Son, prove it. Tell these stones to become bread.”
If Jesus used His power to turn the stones into bread, He could eat them so He wouldn’t be hungry anymore. But Jesus refused. Instead of using His own power, Jesus chose to trust God to meet His needs. Jesus said, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
When Jesus did not give in to this temptation, the Devil tempted Jesus again. He took Jesus to Jerusalem, which was called the holy city. The Devil took Jesus up to the top of the temple. Jesus stood on the roof, and the Devil said, “If You are really God’s Son, prove it. Jump off this temple and trust God to protect You.”
Then the Devil said these words from the Bible: “It is written: God will order His angels to keep You safe, and they will protect You so that You will not even strike your foot against a stone.”
The Devil had used words from Scripture, but Jesus knew the Devil’s command was foolish. Jesus reminded him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
Finally, the Devil took Jesus to a high mountain. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and how great they were. The Devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all the riches and power of these kingdoms. They belong to me, and I can give them to anyone I want. If You want them, all You have to do is fall down and worship me.”
Jesus resisted temptation again. He replied, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” So Jesus wasn’t going to worship anyone but God.
The Devil left Jesus, and angels came right away and began to serve Jesus. Throughout all these temptations, Jesus never sinned.
Christ Connection: Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Jesus is perfect and righteous. A perfect sacri ce was required to take away sin. Jesus was that perfect sacri ce. He died on the cross to free us from sin and to give us the power to say no to temptation.
Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
After Jesus was baptized, He was led by God’s Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Jesus fasted for 40 days and
40 nights. He was in the wilderness with wild animals, and He prayed and thought about God’s plan for His life. Jesus did not eat anything during those days. When those days were over, Jesus was hungry.
Then the Devil, who tempts people to sin, came up to Jesus. He knew Jesus was hungry, so he said, “If You are really God’s Son, prove it. Tell these stones to become bread.”
If Jesus used His power to turn the stones into bread, He could eat them so He wouldn’t be hungry anymore. But Jesus refused. Instead of using His own power, Jesus chose to trust God to meet His needs. Jesus said, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
When Jesus did not give in to this temptation, the Devil tempted Jesus again. He took Jesus to Jerusalem, which was called the holy city. The Devil took Jesus up to the top of the temple. Jesus stood on the roof, and the Devil said, “If You are really God’s Son, prove it. Jump off this temple and trust God to protect You.”
Then the Devil said these words from the Bible: “It is written: God will order His angels to keep You safe, and they will protect You so that You will not even strike your foot against a stone.”
The Devil had used words from Scripture, but Jesus knew the Devil’s command was foolish. Jesus reminded him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”
Finally, the Devil took Jesus to a high mountain. He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and how great they were. The Devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all the riches and power of these kingdoms. They belong to me, and I can give them to anyone I want. If You want them, all You have to do is fall down and worship me.”
Jesus resisted temptation again. He replied, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” So Jesus wasn’t going to worship anyone but God.
The Devil left Jesus, and angels came right away and began to serve Jesus. Throughout all these temptations, Jesus never sinned.
Christ Connection: Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. Jesus is perfect and righteous. A perfect sacri ce was required to take away sin. Jesus was that perfect sacri ce. He died on the cross to free us from sin and to give us the power to say no to temptation.