Have you ever been offered a shortcut that would have made something so much easier, but you knew deep down it would not have been fair? Today Jesus faces the ultimate test: forty days alone in the desert with no food, tempted three different times by the devil himself. What Jesus does in those forty days shows kids exactly how to stand strong when they are tested too.
What happened to Jesus in the wilderness?
Right after His baptism, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and was led into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days, eating nothing. By the end, He was very hungry, and that is when the devil showed up with three separate tests.
What were the three temptations, and how did Jesus respond?
The first test was about provision. The devil told Jesus, if You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Jesus had the power to do it and was starving, but He answered with Scripture: man shall not live on bread alone. The second test was about power. The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered them all to Him if He would only bow down and worship him. Jesus answered again with Scripture: worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. The third test was about proof. The devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and told Him to throw Himself down, since Scripture promised angels would catch Him. Jesus answered, do not put the Lord your God to the test.
Why did Jesus answer with Scripture every time?
Every time Jesus was tempted, He answered with something He already knew in His heart from God's word. When you are in the middle of a test, that is not the time to go learn something new. It is the time to use what is already inside you, the same way you cannot stop in the middle of losing your balance on a bike to go read the instructions. Jesus had spent His whole life reading, learning, and understanding Scripture, so when the moment came, those words were already in His heart and mind.
What does this mean for kids facing their own temptations?
Getting tempted is not a sign that something is wrong with you. Even Jesus was tempted. What matters is what you do with it, and Jesus shows us the answer is almost always to go back to what God actually says. You do not have to fight temptation alone. You have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to help you, and you can pray and ask Jesus for help, because He knows exactly what it feels like to be tempted.
Talk about it as a family.
Why do you think it mattered that Jesus already knew Scripture in His heart before the tests came? What is one Bible verse you could learn this week to have ready for the next time you are tempted? Is there something you are tempted by right now where you could ask Jesus for help?
A prayer to pray together.
Jesus, thank You for showing us that the Word of God is a real weapon against the real enemy. Help us to know Your word so that when we need it, it comes up in our heart and mind. When we are tested, remind us that You have already faced this and made a way through, and that we can ask You for help. Thank You for sending us the Helper. Amen.
Coming up next.
Next time on Hearing Jesus for Kids, Jesus goes home to Nazareth and stands up in the synagogue to read from the prophet Isaiah, and what He says changes everything.
