"The Scriptures Also Say..."

Scripture Passage

Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-15; John 1:19-2:25

Scripture Focus

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” (Luke 4:12 NLT)

Observation

The Biblical record of Christ’s temptation tells us a number of things. It tells us, for example, that not every season of testing means I’ve failed in some way. Rather, such may be God’s way of preparing to launch me into some new or more significant ministry opportunity. Jesus was “led by the Spirit” into the wilderness specifically so that, having been tested, the Father might release Him into public ministry.

The temptations that Jesus faced tell us something about all those temptations which are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Every temptation Jesus faces amounts to a “dethroning” of God and a coronation of self as king. Sometimes the goal even seems to be good and the means to be justifiable, but Jesus’ response to every temptation reminds us that even our best plans…our best solutions…our best ideas need to be brought into submission under God’s authority. There is but one God, and He alone is to be worshiped and served.

Most of all, today, I’m struck by Jesus’ use of Scripture to counter Satan’s use of Scripture as a tool in temptation. “Hey,” I’m reminded, “any ol’ devil can quote Scripture—doesn’t mean they’re quoting it aright! Doesn’t mean whatever application or challenge they’re spouting off is something I should uncritically embrace!” Not everything wrapped in the language of God’s Word really expresses the heart of God. Sometimes that seems obvious (a la a certain local family known nationally for protests *they* believe are based in Scripture). At other times—well, let's just say the Devil is the best at subtle deception.

The challenge, it seems to me, is not just to know the Scriptures, but to know the God of the Scriptures—to know Him better and better—and to thereby understand His Word better and better! I’m not writing about “better Bible study techniques” or even “the application of a consistent Biblical hermeneutic” (those two things are really the same thing—I just paid a lot of money to learn to say the second)—I’m really just talking about knowing Jesus better. I love the way Eugene Peterson translates Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in John 5:39…

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!” (John 5:39 MSG)

I understand that people study the Scriptures to know Jesus better.  Rightly so!  I also understand that the better I know Jesus, the better I understand His Word.  I’m longing for that today—to know and apply Scripture with wisdom, not because I could out-argue the Devil, but because I know the Author of Life—"the Way, the Truth, and the Life"—who fuels my soul.

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