And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
In this profound moment of baptism, God affirms Jesus’ identity and expresses His pleasure. Yet, immediately following this declaration, in (Matthew 4:1-10) we see Jesus facing temptation in the wilderness after enduring a forty-day fast. The enemy seeks to undermine this divine affirmation by challenging Jesus with the words, “If You are the Son of God.”
This first temptation is crucial; it invites us to question our own identity in Christ. When we accept God’s gracious, unmerited gift of salvation, our identity is firmly established in the blood of Christ, which triumphs over the enemy. Imagine a first grader coming home with an ‘F’ on their report card, only to be told by a parent, “You are no longer my child—change your name and leave!” It’s unthinkable! Similarly, God does not cast us aside in our failures, for His love is unwavering and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Consider a drooping plant in a garden. A skilled gardener wouldn’t uproot it and throw it away. Instead, they would place a wooden stake next to it, helping the plant stand tall while being supported. This is a picture of our lives in Christ—leaning not on our own efforts, but fully depending on the grace that God provided through Jesus on the cross, allowing us to grow in Him.
“The enemy aims to make you doubt who you are and whose you are, leading you to strive for what has already been graciously given.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for sacrificing Yourself so that I might find my identity in You as Your beloved child. Help me to continually remember the grace You have extended to me at the cross, that I may live for You in every season of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Rob Lavallee
Scriptural Seeds Ministries

