Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

We discuss the tempting of Jesus in the wilderness. Unlike the first Adam who was tempted and failed the test, Jesus, the new Adam, shows us that God has empowered us with the ability to say “no;” to show us that we can resist and overcome the tempter. We also discussed the use of Scripture by the devil to ensnare Jesus. Fr Aaron explained that knowing Scriptural verses does not necessarily mean that Scripture is being accurately represented. We were reminded of the importance of understanding Scripture as a whole. Unlike the devil, Jesus responds with a correct understanding of Scripture in his rebuttal. Finally, we were given an understanding of the significance of the wilderness in this passage. While most people used the walls of the city for protection, in the wilderness they were not provided for naturally, but by God alone. And through a correct understanding of Scripture, we are to understand that we are eternally protected only by God’s Law and by His Providence.