I published a book this year titled, “A Life Well Lived: Following the Triune God.” I have received questions about using the words “Triune” and “Trinity.” Neither of these terms are directly found in the Bible, so what does it mean, and why is it considered such an important descriptor of God? Triune is an adjective describing God, while the companion word, Trinity, is a noun. They both represent the one and only God made up of three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. In my book, I put a lot of emphasis on the biblical descriptions and explanations of the beautiful Triune God.
One of the first examples of the Triune God's involvement in Jesus’s mission on earth is noted in Luke 3:21-22. I was recently reminded of this while studying the book of Luke with some men from my church. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were preparing for Jesus’s ministry and mission on earth.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. In Luke 3:21-22, God speaks to a praying Jesus after His baptism, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” We don’t know what Jesus was thinking when He heard “beloved” and “I am well pleased,” but what a beautiful blessing to be honored by God. However, the Father didn’t stop at encouraging words. The Father sent the Holy Spirit as a dove to anoint Jesus and to show the importance of God the Holy Spirit as Jesus was about to begin the greatest mission and ministry of all time.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Luke 4:1-2
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness for 40 days of temptation. Why would God, through the Holy Spirit, lead Him to the wilderness? If God leads us to a “wilderness,” He always has a purpose. Jesus’s wilderness was an opportunity for Jesus to entirely focus on His Father in prayer, to be encouraged by God’s word, and to be comforted by the Holy Spirit. But there was more. This wilderness time was preparation for His ministry ahead. Not the least was preparation for the temptations from Satan.
The very hungry Jesus was tempted by Satan, who is the greatest liar and tempter. He does not come across as a little red guy with horns and a pitchfork. Instead, he is very cunning, and in this Luke passage, Satan is trying to trick Jesus. Satan wanted to sabotage Jesus and ensure that our opportunity to have salvation would be lost. That’s pretty high stakes.
The Temptation of Jesus
It is important to study the three temptations from Satan and how Jesus handled them. The whole interaction can be read in Luke 4:1-13 (also discussed in Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus knew scripture, and His answers were direct quotations from Deuteronomy, as noted below.
First Temptation - The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
Second Temptation - The devil goes to another temptation promising authority and glory if Jesus worshipped him (the devil). And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’” (Luke 4:8; Deuteronomy 6:13)
Third Temptation - Then the devil tries a third time by misusing scripture and daring Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple so that God will save Him. And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12; Deuteronomy 6:16)
The Result: And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13)
There is much to learn from these passages in Luke. The Triune God worked perfectly together to prepare Jesus for his ministry and for the temptations to come.
First, God audibly let Jesus (and us) know how Jesus is beloved and how God is well pleased with Him during His 30 years of obscurity and for his upcoming 3 years of ministry. Then, the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, was fully provided to Jesus as His helper from God. The Holy Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness for forty days. He didn’t eat, but He must have spent His time in prayer, going over God’s revealed word, and relying on God the Father through the Holy Spirit. If we are believers and followers of Christ, we also permanently have the Holy Spirit within us, and we are capable of being led by God. Even as believers, we go through many wildernesses during our life. How do we handle the wilderness? Do we cry, “Lord, get me out of this mess,” or do we go to the Lord in prayer and scripture, asking Him to strengthen us and guide us by the Holy Spirit?
Secondly, how do we handle temptation? Do we prepare for temptations by knowing scripture, seeking an intimate relationship with Christ, and guidance from the Holy Spirit? As noted in Luke 4:1-12, Jesus did not entertain the lies of the devil; He went straight to the scripture. If you look at the companion verses in Deuteronomy, Jesus's answers were the same as those from the Deuteronomy verses. Jesus was prepared for any temptation. He not only knew the right words to say through God’s word but He was fully committed and Spirit-led to the point that Satan went immediately to another temptation. After the third temptation, Satan leaves “until an opportune time.” If, through God’s grace, we are able to deny temptation, don’t stop preparing through prayer, scripture, and following the Holy Spirit. Don’t think you’ve won the victory. If the devil will look for an opportune time to come back to tempt Jesus, you can rest assured that he will be coming back to tempt you.
Even though we might feel alone in our wilderness time, as believers, we are not alone. Call on our loving Triune God. Go to God the Father, put your faith in the great work of Jesus our Savior, and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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