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The text for this lesson is Luke 3:15–22

Key Point

  • The devil tempted Jesus to sin, but Jesus, true God and true man, did not sin. He kept God’s Law on our behalf and became the sinless sacrifice for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and new life.
  • Law: The devil tempts me, and I often give in.
  • Gospel: In Christ, God forgives my sin, provides all that I need for this life and the next, and gives me power to overcome temptation.

Discussion Points

  1. Luke 3:21–23 affirms that Jesus is the Son of God. Luke 3:38 also calls Him “the son of Adam.” Knowing that Jesus is both true God and true man, what are we tempted to conclude about His temptation by Satan?
  2. Jesus used no miracles, divine power, or deep theological insights to resist Satan. He relied on the Word of God alone, overcoming the devil by quoting the Book of Deuteronomy three times. What might this tempt us to identify as the main point of the story?
  3. According to Matthew 3:13–15, why did Jesus come to be baptized by John? What does Jesus’ obedience under temptation do for us? What does Jesus’ obedience even to death on the cross do for us?
  4. In Satan’s first temptation of Jesus, he tempts Him to despair of God’s mercy. What is despair? Why is despair dangerous? How can it be overcome?
  5. In the second temptation, Satan tempts Jesus toward an apparent good. Jesus came into the world to be a ruler, so why not just start now by worshiping the devil? What are some seemingly good things that tempt us? How does Jesus tell good from evil?
  6. In the third temptation, Satan tempts Jesus by misusing God’s Word, quoting it out of context. This happens today too. Provide examples of contemporary misuses of these scriptural paraphrases: “Forgive others.” “Do not judge.” “God is love.” How does Jesus resist this temptation?
  7. How does what happens to Jesus after His Baptism relate to our Christian life? According to 1 Peter 5:8–9, what expectation should a new Christian have after Baptism? Whom is Satan most interested in tempting and why? What is our best defense against Satan?

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