In this passage, Christ is tempted by the devil after fasting forty days and forty nights. Here, I’d like to focus on the two natures of Christ.

Forty days and forty nights remind us of Moses and Elijah, symbolically they are the laws and prophecies of God. As I mentioned earlier, Christ came to fulfill the laws and the prophecies. This is not only the work of the Son of God but also the Son of Man with the Spirit. Christ’s two natures cannot be separated, the two natures do not contradict to each other. Christ often refers Himself as the Son of Man, the title that was used for Ezekiel.

He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)

If I remember it correctly, the Reformers including Calvin interpret this passage that Christ as a human overcame the temptation and thus, separating Christ’s two natures. In terms of suffering, I do not deny that Christ felt every bit of pain, powerlessness, and anguish that any men would feel after fasting for forty days and forty nights. But we must not separate Christ’s two natures because they are inseparable. There is no difference between the Son of God and the sinless man with the Spirit. Christ as the Son of Man is the final stage of the elect people. Christ Himself showed why God chose some to be His Kingdom. Saints are made and trained to become like Christ – king, priest, and prophet by becoming one with Christ (See John 17)

This good news was rejected by the Pharisees. Although they said God was their Father, Christ denied them because they rejected Christ.

They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. (John 8:41-42)

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? (John 10:34-36)

There are always evil people who think they can be above God and misuse this good news. God tells us that we are His children through Christ. We cannot bear fruit apart from God. As John 15 tells us, we are nothing if we do not remain in the Son. However, it is God’s good pleasure that we become like Him as His good children. This is the work of the Triune God.

A student is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40)

Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (John 13:16)

Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. (John 15:20)

There are many churches who misuse this good news and indulge themselves with delusions. Earlier I mentioned about the Protestant churches selling indulgence like the Roman Catholic church. They think they can rule the world and want to be praised by others. They think they are the elect people of God. They think their decisions are God’s decisions. They think they have God’s authority. They think their words are better than God’s words. They are no better than the Pharisees. They are white-washed walls. There are many evil people in churches who distort and misuse God’s words. The Apostles struggled with these people in churches as we read the NT.

The Kingdom is made of people who are made humble and serve one another by the power of the Spirit. Saints do not claim they are Christ. We are all servants and brothers of Christ.

I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:15)

Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. (1 John 2:6)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. (Philippians 2:4-8)

Paul emphasized on the Son of Man. But those without knowledge made Adam as equal to Christ using Paul’s letters. That is the error of the Covenant Theology and the active obedience of Christ. Paul was not talking about a great man. He was talking about the Son of God. He did not separate Christ’s two natures. But he understood that the Son of God is the Son of Man.

This does not mean that we need to decide to become like Christ today. This is not from a man’s will. Many false teachers give delusional ideas to their followers. They say we should go out and conquer the world. They say we should overthrow the civil governments and build God’s Kingdom on earth. We must discern that the Kingdom is far from the ideas of a kingdom in the world.

In Matthew 4:1-11, Christ also shows that He is different from Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve did not have any defense system. They were naked. They wanted to become like God by their own work – eating of the fruit. God showed them His way of making them one with Him – the Seed. Adam was from the dust and must be reborn from heaven through the Son. Adam and Eve could not overcome the temptation of the devil in the garden. Therefore, it is important to understand the true meaning of Total Depravity. It is not that people became unable to obtain eternal life by works because of their sin. The fundamental issue is their inability to overcome the temptation. The knowledge of God is the biggest difference between Christ and Adam. The Son knows the Father. Adam did not.

No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him (John 1:18)

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. (Hebrews 1:1-2)