The Angels Came

Matthew 4:1-11


The  Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. How else could he know our situation, if he had not walked the valley we walk? The Spirit led him into the wilderness. It is a very familiar  scene to us. Jesus had been fasting. He was hungry. The devil came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread."

Jesus proved he was the Son of God by resisting the devil, saying, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, "He will give his angels charge of you, and in their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." Again Jesus proved he was the Son of God by resisting the devil, saying, "Again it is written, "You shall shall not tempt the Lord your God."

Finally, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." And Jesus said, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve."

Now, notice how the story ends, "Then the devil left him, and behold the angels came and ministered to him" (RSV).

Waiting for the angels. That is our theme for this week

Questions to Ponder

• Who led Jesus into the wilderness?

• Which one of the temptations do you identify with most?

• Have angels ever ministered to you?

In His Service,
Terry Phillips