Desert Temptations - Part 1

With friends this week, we had an excellent discussion on a story from the gospel according to Matthew that relates how Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). I hope to capture the highlights here. If I miss anything, please let me know, and feel free to contribute or discuss with comments.

The first question was asked by Michelle, "Does the tempter really have the authority to give away the kingdoms? Who gave it to him?" We noted that Jesus refers to the "prince of this world" but didn't go much further with this.

We spent most of the evening wrestling with the significance of the three temptations. The gospel according to Luke seems to stress that Jesus was tempted for forty days. Surely he was tempted more than three times, so why are these three mentioned?

We discussed the similarities with the beginning of Matthew and the Exodus of Israel as recorded in the books of Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy. We noted the following:

1. In Genesis, a man named Joseph (who was the son of Jacob, the great grandson of Abraham, and ruler of Egypt) took Israel to Egypt to escape hardship (famine). In Matthew, a father named Joseph (also the son of a Jacob according to Matthew), took Jesus and his mother to escape hardship (murder by Herod).
   
2. In Exodus, the Israelites were then immersed in the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) after they left Jesus. In Matthew, Jesus is immersed in the Jordan by John.
   
3. In Exodus, the Israelites were then led by the spirit of God into the desert (with a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoke, two pillars--like the strong legs of a shepherd). Likewise, in Matthew, Jesus is led by the spirit into the desert.
   
4. In Exodus, Israel spent about forty days getting to Sinai. In the Gospels, Jesus spent forty days in the desert. (We also wondered when Jesus entered the desert. Wouldn't it be something if he left right after Passover? Just like Israel?)
   

The rest of the evening was spent studying if particular events in the exodus of Israel out of Egypt to Sinai could be related specifically to the three temptations. Matthew seems to be explicitly drawing events from Jesus' life that tie back to a dominant theme to the people of Israel, the Exodus.

More to follow.