A Battle for the Ages – Family Devotion – March 11, 2022

Read: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil… Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” …Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” …Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished all this tempting he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:1,2,4,8,12,13

A Battle for the Ages

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There was a time in the United States where boxing was one of the most famous sports. Your grandparents and parents could probably tell you about some of the greatest boxing matches: Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta in 1951, Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier in 1974, and Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson in in 1997. These were epic battles that were all over the news.

In our reading for today we see Jesus, our perfect champion, in a battle for the ages against the devil. Knowing that Jesus is weak from 40 days in the wilderness without food, the devil strikes first. He tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus sidesteps the attack with the Word. Next, Satan tempts Jesus to worship him. Jesus counterpunches with the Word. Finally, the devil foolishly tempts Jesus to jump off the temple and trust that angels will save him. Jesus knocks down the devil and defeats him with the Word.

This wouldn’t be the last time that Jesus and the devil would battle. An epic battle would take place on the cross. Jesus would deliver a knockout blow that the devil still hasn’t recovered from to this day!

The 40-day season of Lent provides Christians an opportunity to reflect on our battles and the crushing consequences of sin. Lent calls out the importance of repentance—to turn away from sin. This section of Scripture lays out the weapons given us to fight temptation: Jesus Christ and his Word.

When we are tempted to disobey our parents and teachers, the Bible guides us to respect those in authority. The Bible directs us to love our neighbor even when we find that to be difficult with certain people. Acts of obedience when we are tempted are not done so that we can earn special favor with God. They are ways of showing our thanks to Jesus, our champion. He fought for us. He lived a perfect life for us. He won for us!

Lent may feel a little dark and gloomy, but it is also a season of great hope. These 40 days give us time at church and at home to double-down on hearing God’s Word, to fight against temptations from the devil. Then, at the completion of our 40-day journey, we will celebrate the sweet victory of our true champion as redeemed and forgiven children of God!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Savior, you have set the example for us as we face temptations. Help us to be regular students of your Word and lead us to live our lives in a way that brings you glory. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Who tempted Jesus to sin in the wilderness?
• Did Jesus listen to the devil? Did Jesus ever sin?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• In what three ways did the devil tempt Jesus to sin in our reading?
• What can we learn from Jesus’ response to each of these temptations?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Why did the devil work so hard to get Jesus to sin?
• Think of one specific way during Lent that you and your family can show thanks and gratitude to Jesus for doing everything needed for us to be saved.