The Three Tests: Christ, Adam, and the Law of Perfect Obedience
Introduction: The New Adam in the Wilderness
Immediately after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, where He was tempted by the Devil. This event was not merely a spiritual exercise; it was the definitive, perfect re-test of humanity’s obedience, a cosmic confrontation that secured the foundation for all future redemption. By resisting the Devil, Jesus succeeded where both Adam (in the garden) and Israel (in the wilderness) had failed, establishing the Law of Perfect Obedience necessary for the establishment of the Kingdom.
The Temptation is a crucial Prophetic Hotspot, demonstrating the absolute righteousness Christ attained through obedience, which qualifies Him to return as King and judge the earth at The Lord’s Return.
The Foundational Story: The Law of the Word
The Devil used three major temptations, all designed to make Jesus forsake His reliance on God, His Word, and His identity. Crucially, Jesus defeated every temptation by quoting Scripture exclusively from the Book of Deuteronomy—the book containing the final instructions for Israel before entering the Promised Land.
The Three Temptations and the Response
| Temptation (Challenge to… ) | The Devil’s Challenge | Christ’s Response (KJV) | The Law Established |
| Provision (Trust) | Turn stones into bread. | “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, from Deut. 8:3) | Obedience to the Word is superior to physical survival. |
| Protection (Identity) | Cast yourself down; God must save you. | “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4:7, from Deut. 6:16) | Faith is trusting God’s way, not demanding a demonstration. |
| Power (Worship) | Worship me, and I’ll give you the world’s kingdoms. | “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10, from Deut. 6:13) | Worship belongs to God alone; compromise is treason. |
- The Law of the Wilderness: Just as Israel was tempted to worship other gods, demand food, and lack faith during their forty years in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted for forty days. His perfect obedience proved that He was the faithful Son, the New Israel, who fulfilled all righteousness.
Prophetic Hotspot: The Ultimate Authority
By resisting the temptation for worldwide political authority (the kingdoms of the world), Christ rejected Satan’s current, usurped authority, choosing instead to secure His Kingship through the Cross.
- Christ’s Reign is Secured by Sacrifice: Unlike Adam, who lost dominion through disobedience, Christ secured eternal dominion through perfect obedience, culminating in His death and resurrection. His current authority is secured, but His visible reign is delayed.
- The Final Test Reversed: The final phase leading to The Lord’s Return will see the Devil’s last attempt to secure physical worship and power through the Antichrist. The “prince that shall come” will secure the world’s kingdoms by accepting the very bargain Christ rejected (Revelation 13). The Lord’s Return will violently and definitively overthrow this final, global system of false worship, vindicating Christ’s perfect obedience in the wilderness.
The Return Question: Where Is Your Word?
Christ’s defense was not raw divine power, but the simple declaration of the inspired Scripture (“It is written”). He used the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, as the sole defense against the enemy.
If the ultimate victory over the Devil, which secured the very possibility of the Kingdom and The Lord’s Return, was won through the perfect, obedient recitation of Scripture, are we, the believers who face the modern trials of provision, identity, and compromise, diligently studying and living by the Word of God as our absolute and sole defense against the spiritual wickedness that permeates the world?