Scripture:
Matthew 4:2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Observation:
Jesus’ humanity is on full display in this passage. He is hungry, tired, weak. This is when the enemy comes to tempt Him. However we see in vs. 11 that at any moment the angels could have rescued Him, fed Him, attended to Him. However his “weakness” was a choice. This choice makes it clear that He felt what we feel in our moments of weakness.
Application:
Jesus could have done anything He wanted. He had commanding authority over angels who were aware of every tough moment he faced. However instead of exercising this authority throughout his time on earth, Jesus instead humbled Himself and submitted to the mission. The mission of embodying humanity fully for our sake and living victoriously in all moments, even if no one else was looking. In the synagogues, in the cities, villages and even in the wilderness, Jesus was fully obedient. Obedient even to death on a cross for our sake.
A few things…
-Full obedience is the most powerful way to exercise authority. I am walking in the most power when I am following Jesus fully.
-Just because we “can” doesn’t mean we “should.” Without a clear mission we fight to do everything we are able to do. When the mission is clear we instead do what we should do to align with the mission. I can’t afford to waste my life fighting to exercise all my freedoms and miss out on the things I need to do in order to fulfill my mission.
-In Christ I have the God of angel armies by my side. It doesn’t mean that I won’t ever face hard times. But when those times come, I know He is near and that whatever I face is part of the plan for my life. In my weakest moments I choose to be attended to by His word, His presence, His angels and not the stuff of this world.
Prayer:
Father thank you for the insight into a difficult moment in the life of Jesus. May I remember that when I face hard times, you know how I feel, and what I need most. Hard times don’t mean you have left me alone. Rather it means you are near and ready to provide care for me when I finish the moment of testing.