December 13

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit... to be tempted. — Matt 4:1

This was just after Christ’s anointing for His ministry. He had received the Holy Spirit, and had heard the voice from heaven proclaiming His Messiahship. An old writer says, “All the while our Saviour stayed in His father’s shop and meddled only with carpenter’s chips, the devil troubled Him not; now that He was to enter more publicity upon His mentorship, the tempter pierceth His tender soul with many arrows by solicitation to sin.”

Temptation was part of Christ’s preparation for His ministry. He was not ready to enter upon His work as our Redeemer until He had met and overcome the tempter. We know that He is able to deliver us out of the hands of Satan, because He overcame in His own battles.

Another reason why Jesus was tempted at the beginning of His ministry was that He might understand from personal experience the power of temptation, and thus be prepared to sympathize with us in our temptations.