Get Ready

Questions for Reflection

Read Matthew 4:1-4

• In verse 1 we read that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In this, He seems to be tempted by the devil and tested by God in the same experience. How do we make sense of that reality, of being tempted and tested in the same moment?
• Take a moment to read Matthew 3:13-4:4. How is Jesus’ baptism related to the story of the temptations? How does Jesus’ baptism set Him up to face the devil’s ploys?
• What exactly is happening in this first temptation? What is the devil tempting Jesus to do or to think? How do we face this same temptation in our own lives today?
• Jesus responds to the devil’s schemes by quoting Deuteronomy. Take a moment to read Deut 8:1-5. How does Jesus connect His temptation to the people of Israel’s temptation in the wilderness? In what ways do you relate to their predicament?
• What can we learn from this passage about how to face our own temptations in life?