Tempted In The Garden

Tempted in the Garden

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he said, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die” (Genesis 2:16-17). But soon the serpent came along and questioned what God had said: “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? . . . You won’t die!” (3:1, 4).

Adam and Eve were put to the test in the Garden by the temptation of Satan. He took God’s words and twisted them, causing Adam and Eve to doubt God’s goodness and provision. Satan suggested that God was withholding something good from them and tempted them to reach out and grab what would make them like God himself. Sadly, Adam and Eve failed the test.

There was only one way to turn the tide of death brought about by the first Adam’s failure when tempted, and that was through the second Adam’s faithfulness when tempted. But while Adam faced temptation in the bountiful Garden, where his every need was met, Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted” (Matthew 4:1). While Adam and Eve lacked nothing when approached by Satan, Jesus was in the last stages of starvation.

Whereas Adam and Eve started questioning God’s words when they were tempted, Jesus met temptation at every turn by quoting God’s sure and certain Word. Whereas Adam and Eve questioned God’s provision, Jesus celebrated it. And whereas Adam inherited shame and alienation from life with God in the Garden, Jesus inherited a dominion and Kingdom that is God’s own Kingdom.

Later Jesus did, however, also face temptation in a garden. It was not the Garden of Eden, but the garden of Gethsemane. He was tempted to avoid the Cross, tempted to turn away from God’s plan and provision for him. But once again Jesus passed the test. Once again he submitted himself to God and entrusted himself to God, saying, “I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).

Tested and proven One, because you have gone through suffering and testing, you are able to help me when I am being tested. And I know that you will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can stand, but you will show me a way out so I can endure faithfully.