In just a few short weeks, Christians all over the world will celebrate Easter Sunday. On this day, Christians commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, voluntarily laid down His life, and suffered death on the cross, to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. His resurrection from the dead proved He was the sinless Son of God, and it opened the gates of heaven, which were closed after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Traditionally, men and women of the Christian faith have spent the weeks prior to Easter, in prayer and fasting, to prepare themselves to observe this most holy and solemn occasion. This period of time, called the Easter Season or Lent, lasts forty days; it recalls the time Christ spent in the desert, praying and fasting, prior to the beginning of His public ministry. While all may not observe this season in the same manner, it is nevertheless the perfect time of year for people of faith to contemplate Christ's sacrifice.

At the conclusion of Christ's forty days in the wilderness, He was immediately tempted to sin. We may learn from His example that spending time alone with God, immersing ourselves in His word, listening to Him as He speaks to us spiritually, and praying and fasting, will better enable us to deal with life's complexities and trials. We may become better disciplined people, while strengthening and building our faith.

Every person will face, at one time or another, some temptation. John the Apostle wrote in his first epistle that temptation often falls into one of three categories:

1 John 2:16
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. KJV

Christ was tempted by the devil in all three areas:

1. The devil tempted Him to eat to satisfy His hunger: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matthew 4:3).

2. The devil tempted Him to achieve personal gain: "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." (Matthew 4:6).

3. The devil tempted Him to receive power and glory: "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4:8-9).

THE RESULT OF CHRIST'S TEMPTATIONS: HE SUBMITTED TO GOD.

Matthew 4:4
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. KJV

Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus said unto him, It is writtenagain, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. KJV

Matthew 4:10-11
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. KJV

Jesus was able to defeat the devil by employing the Word God, which is the sword of the Spirit in a Christian's arsenal (see Ephesians 6:17).

The temptations Christ faced were parallel to those faced by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

1. "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1 KJV).

2. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die" (Genesis 3:4 KJV).

3. "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:5 KJV)

THE RESULT OF EVE'S TEMPTATION: DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:6 KJV

Adam and Eve disobeyed the direct command of God and ate the forbidden fruit; and as warned by God, their disobedience brought the sentence of death.

Genesis 2:15-17
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. KJV

Their disobedience was judged and death entered the world. Their descendants have all been likewise cursed. Christ took on flesh and became a man specifically to die to redeem us from this curse. And He accomplished this on a rugged cross at Calvary.

What better way to learn from the Master than to follow in His footsteps; spending time in the wilderness, away from loved ones and companions, praying and fasting from the appetites we face daily, may provide us with the spiritual strength or power we will need to face the trials and temptations life is sure to bring.

Those who decide to spend time in prayer or fasting will find a number of beneficial websites on these topics listed on my links page to assist them. Click here.

God bless!

Scripture references:

Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. KJV_

Genesis 3:1-8
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. KJV