Week 20 - Read­ing 2 

“The Holy Spir­it led Jesus into the desert.”

The Holy Spir­it led Jesus into the desert, so that the dev­il could test him.  After Jesus had gone with­out eat­ing for forty days and nights, he was very hun­gry.  Then the dev­il came to him and said, “If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.”

Jesus answered, “The Scrip­tures say: ‘No one can live only on food.  Peo­ple need every word that God has spoken.’ ”

Next, the dev­il took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the high­est part of the tem­ple.  The dev­il said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off.  The Scrip­tures say: ‘God will give his angels orders about you.  They will catch you in their arms, and you won’t hurt your feet on the stones.’ ”

Jesus answered, “The Scrip­tures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’ ”

Final­ly, the dev­il took Jesus up on a very high moun­tain and showed him all the king­doms on earth and their pow­er.  The dev­il said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and wor­ship me.”

Jesus answered, “Go away Satan!  The Scrip­tures say: ‘Wor­ship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ”

Then the dev­il left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

 

Matthew 4:1-11
Con­tem­po­rary Eng­lish Ver­sion The Holy Bible (New York , NY: Amer­i­can Bible Soci­ety 1995)