Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion covers Luke 4:1-4 which covers the first temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.  We will get back to covering Luke Chapter 3.

 

^“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.  And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.  And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'”  Luke 4:1-4.

 

 

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 which states:  “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”  (Emphasis added.)

 

I like to emphasize three points.

 

First, notice how Jesus used Scripture to resist temptation.  Ephesians 6:1-2 states:  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”  To resist temptation, Jesus used one of the pieces of armor:  “… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Ephesians 6:17. 

 

Second, notice how the word of God is our bread of life.  As Deuteronomy 8:3 states, “… man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” 

 

John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

                                  

John 6:63
“It is the Spirit who gives life;  the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

                                

John 6:68
“Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.”

                                           

 

1 John 1:1
“[Introduction, The Incarnate Word]  What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life–“

 

John 1:1-4

^“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

 

John 6:33
“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”

                                                  

John 6:35
“Jesus said to them, ” I am the bread of life;  he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

                                              

John 6:48
“I am the bread of life.”

 

In conclusion, Scripture, the word of God, points to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God and the bread of life.  We must heed the warning of John 5:39:  “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life;  it is these that testify about Me;  and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”  We should come to Christ and eat the bread of life who said:  “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”  John 6:51