(continuation)
Perfection – consistent to the end
The devil had to change his behavior and his approach. Later, he would confront Christ with further temptations. But Christ did not have to change anything—and he did not. After the temptations, he continued to live just as dependently, devotedly, and trustingly as before. This is evident in the three places where he was tempted by the devil: in a desert, on a mountain, and in Jerusalem.
In the desert
But He withdrew and was in the wilderness, praying. (Luke 5:16)
In Luke 5, we see the Lord in His ministry: He met people with grace and connected with them. After cleansing a leper, large crowds flocked to Him (Luke 5:12-15). Only God could perform such a healing—and Christ did it in grace.
Christ then healed a paralyzed man and even forgave his sins. This would meet with resistance. And Christ knew it long ago (He who knows the thoughts of the heart also knows what will happen; Luke 5:22).
On the one hand, we find great encouragement, and on the other, strong rejection. But how did the perfect man behave in such a situation? Verse 16 gives us the answer: “But He withdrew and was in the wilderness, praying.” Christ went into the wilderness—to a place where the devil first tempted him. It was here that His dependence on God became clear once again. He did not allow himself to be influenced by the encouragement or rejection of people, but went into prayer as a dependent human being. Thus, after the temptation, He lived out what He had said in the temptation: the will of God was His food.
On the mountain
About eight days after these words, He took Peter, John, and James with Him and went up the mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28)
Some time later, we find the Lord again on a mountain (Luke 9:28-36). It is the mountain where Christ was to be transfigured. As in the second temptation, this is also about power and glory (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-17). This time, however, it is not about purely earthly glory but about the glory God would give the Lord Jesus in the kingdom of peace.
But even now, the question arises whether Christ would reach for this glory at this moment. Would He want to reign without suffering? Especially when He gets a foretaste of His future glory? Never! He discussed the outcome He was about to fulfill (see note on Luke 9:31). This refers to His suffering and death on Golgotha. Precisely where His future glory was before His eyes, He discussed with Moses and Elijah the outcome He would meet in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31).
There, where He had His future glory before His eyes, but at the same time thought of the cross, His complete devotion shines brightly. It was not what was most pleasant for Him that determined His thoughts and actions, but the thoughts of God.
In Jerusalem
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)
We have already seen his complete dependence in the desert and his complete devotion on the mountain. The last place where he was tempted at the beginning was Jerusalem. There, too, He would not tempt God, because He knew that He could trust Him completely. It is precisely in Jerusalem that we find Christ with perfect trust—in the most difficult hour, on the cross of Golgotha.
Outwardly, everything was against Him. Even God had not freed Him from His suffering, but had even forsaken Him during the three hours of darkness. Would this cause Christ to doubt? Was God not for Him, as He had made clear at the beginning on the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem? Oh yes! God was for Him, and Christ trusted Him completely. Therefore, He confidently surrendered His spirit into the hands of His Father.
He did not resist death, but in complete peace surrendered His spirit into the care and presence of His Father. That was perfect trust until His last breath!
Summary
Christ had demonstrated His perfection at the beginning of His ministry: His perfect dependence in the desert, His perfect devotion on the mountain, and His perfect trust in Jerusalem. At the end of these temptations, the devil had to retreat. He had failed. But Christ had not failed. He lived out this dependence, this devotion, and this trust until his last breath. And this is particularly evident in the three places where He was tempted at the beginning: in the desert, on a mountain, and in Jerusalem.
He was and is perfect—in life and in death!
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