My Daily Journal:
Satan has no new tricks. There is no new temptation, just the same old same old that mankind has faced forever.
The first temptation Satan attempts with Jesus is for a prophet. We often think about the “turn these rocks to bread” as a temptation of hunger, but it is deeper. It is a temptation of self reliance, to take matters into your own hands. This was the temptation that snared Moses. Number 20:8-12 tells the tale of the prophet and his yielding to temptation to put reliance on the staff in his hand instead of solely on the glory of God.
The second temptation Satan attempts is one for a king. This is the temptation that snared David. David knew he was chosen by God. He knew he lived in His favor and that he could trust perfectly in God’s love and strength and backing. And, as a result, he ventured into sin. From his high place in the palace he looked down and saw the wife of Uriah. He didn’t deny God or hide from God, he took God for granted.
The third temptation Satan attempts is one for spiritual being, for an angel. This is the temptation that snared Lucifer himself and, to a certain degree, Adam and Eve. This is the temptation to be “like God.” To be the object of worship. In Satan’s case his fall came when he worshiped himself above God. He couldn’t challenge Jesus to worship Himself above God, since Jesus was God, so Satan suggested Jesus worship him.
The beauty of Jesus’ response to each of these temptations is not just that he replied solely with scripture, although that is critically important. He looked past the challenge and looked at what the outcome of the challenge would yield – something we often forget. For example, if Jesus had yielded to the first temptation, when all would be said and done, he would have had a loaf of bread. We forget this. We get so wrapped up in the challenge, the temptation itself, that we fail to look past it to the actual outcome. Jesus did not.
The potential of the first temptation was a loaf of bread. The potential of the second was to return to exactly where He already was at the highest point of the temple. The potential of the third was ridiculous, to sacrifice kingship over all creation for rule over earthly kingdoms (something He already had anyway).
If we had the same eyes in our view of temptations – to look past them – what simple strength we will have to stand up under them through the Word of God.
My Answers:
6.
a.
1. Tell these stones to become bread 2. throw yourself down for scripture says angels will lift you up and not strike your foot 3. Offered all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship Satan. Deut 8:3, Psalm 91:11-12, Deut 6:16, 13
b.
Jesus is not Moses, tempted to take matters into his own hand. Jesus is not David in mortal battle against man and pestilence. He did not come to earth to rule over mortal nations but to save them and in such to be their immortal king
c.
We are self reliant. We trust in ourselves more than God. We are in fear and call on God for protection even while we put ourselves in harms way not for His glory but for ours. We seek power and to rule
d.
The temptations I face are nothing but garden variety temptations, faced by men over and over throughout time. Nothing new, nothing that can’t be handled through the strength of the word.
7.
a.
The angels came and attended to him
b.
He sends someone with a kind word of encouragement that tells me it was noticed.
The Notes are Good 
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