The book of James tells us that God does not tempt. The passage today would agree with that. However, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness. The Holy Spirit, who works the will of God, takes Jesus to a place where he will eat no food and will meet Satan himself. God sometimes leads us into situations where he knows that there is deprivation and evil. He wants to use those situations for his own purposes.
How does the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil challenge Western Christianity? Why would God take us into places of potential harm and difficulty?
Luke 4: 1-13
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’[a]“
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[b]“
9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:
” ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]“
12Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]“
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Questions
- What was Jesus full of when he returned from the Jordan?
- Who tempted Jesus?
- Until when did the devil finally leave Jesus?
- What difficult times has God led you into?
- How has your reaction to difficult times compared with Jesus?
Going Deeper
Observation
- What did the devil tell Jesus to do with stones?
- What did the devil offer to give Jesus?
- On what condition would Satan give Jesus authority?
- On which point did Satan have Jesus stand?
- What is Jesus’ reply to Satan’s third temptation?
Interpretation
- How is Jesus tempted to respond to his physical needs?
- What is more important than satisfying physical needs?
- If Jesus took a shortcut to power, what could he avoid?
- Why is it wrong to act in such a way that God must show us how he loves us?
- How can scripture, although it is God’s word, be used for evil?
Application
- What are your material needs? How is it tempting to make them your first thought?
- Do you have a desire for control and order? How can shortcuts to authority and order lead to rebellion?
- How do houses, cars, finances, shopping and relationships become preoccupations that lead to no room for God?
- How have you tried to force God’s hand in showing that he loves you in ways that you dictate? Have you seen this as a control issue?
- When are opportune times that keep recurring in your life for the devil to step in and lead you astray?
Plymothian 
I think it’s interesting that this temptation occurred soon after Jesus’ baptism. I think sometimes when we have had a spiritual victory or a significant experience with God or God is about to use us–Satan likes to step in and try to take us down a notch or two.
I also think it’s interesting that it takes place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. I have so many friends and former students whose first ministry experience was particularly grueling and disillusioning. I’m sure God allows us to be tested by fire in the beginning to strengthen us for what he wants to do through us later.
Great insight Kelli, I would agree!