God Cares For Us, Even After Temptation - Matthew 3-4

 Matthew 4:11 (ESV)

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

In Matthew 4 we read that Jesus was fasting for 40 days and then Satan came to tempt Him.   Before we look at the above text there are a few lessons to learn just from the overview of the temptation:

1. Even in the act of worship we are not exempt from Satan’s temptation.   Jesus was fasting and worshiping and immediately after He completes the acts of worship, Satan is standing by to temp Him.  We might think leaving Church we are now okay, but it is often Satan and his team that are right there to resume the battle. 

2. Satan loves to attack us in our most vulnerable state.  Jesus was fasting for 40 days and was famished (that is the meaning of the Greek word).   Be assured that when we are at our lowest physically, mentally, psychology and/or materially, Satan will take advantage of that state. 

3. Jesus was “in” the Spirit at the time of the temptation.  Even though the Holy Spirit was there, present and empowering, Satan did not back down.  Granted, after Jesus’ death Satan and his foes were disarmed (Colossians 2:13-15).  But, he still does not stop looking for our weakest moments to tempt us.  

With those points in our minds, what a wonderful thought that Jesus was ministered to by God’s holy angels after His temptation.   We might assume that is because he “passed the test,” but I think that would be a narrow view of the text.  Remember, later in Hebrews we are told that Jesus was tempted in all points, like us, but without sin (Hebrew 4:15).  That shows that the author of the Hebrews (the Holy Spirit) is using the temptation of Christ to reflect our experiences, as well.  We should fully expect that the “aftermath” of the temptation is to be something we experience as well.   Certainly Jesus being ministered to by the angels because He defeated sin, would be available to us, even in our failures of sin.   The point here is that in our temptation, before, during and after God is trying to equip us and care for us.  When we fail in defeating sin in our temptation moments, our spirit is downcast and downtrodden.   The Holy Spirt certainly, for those sealed by Him, is available to care for us and bring us back into fellowship with God.  Jesus didn’t need to be back into fellowship, but it is apparent that the temptation did something to Him that angels were sent to care for Him.  He suffered during that temptation and was cared for by the Father.  Again, Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 2:10 (ESV)

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

The word “perfect” in that verse is our word, “complete.”   So, in Christ’s suffering in temptation He completed His representation for us and with us.   He was then ministered to by angels.   We can be assured that God wants to care for us during and after our times of temptation, as well.