Temptations of Jesus: Humanism and the Mark of the Beast

Luke 4:1-14

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

“Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are many who go in by it.”
Matthew 7:13

The broad gate is the one where the majority of people choose to pass through. That is mainstream society. It’s a place where people live for money, possessions, and physical comforts. It’s a place where the government of the mark of the beast is found. The narrow gate is where the few faithful followers of Jesus Christ are found. It’s a place of minimal possessions, money, and physical comforts. It’s a place where temptations arise to forsake the way of Christ in exchange for basic human needs. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived in destitution and faced the temptations of walking on the narrow path.

• Temptations come in the wilderness of life.
• The Word of God is more important than bodily provisions.
• Power and authority are offered in exchange for serving the mark of the beast.
• Temptations come from humanizing the Divine meaning of the Bible.
• The power of the Holy Spirit will be on us as we fend off worldly temptations.

Temptations come in the wilderness of our life. The name of the wilderness where the temptations of Jesus took place is “Jeshimmon,” which means “The Devastation,” “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness…” Luke 4:1 Nowadays, the wilderness includes living with a minimal amount of money, possessions, and physical comforts. Without worldly means, we could feel as if our life has been devastated. It’s a time of struggling to provide food and being unable to care for the health of the body. At the same time, society seems intimating, unsafe, cold, and filled with trouble. Employment is difficult, with jobs being well below qualifications, and not steady. Relationships are rocky, the social network is unwelcoming, and a person is shunned. There is a lack of respect along with being ridiculed, shamed, and belittled. It is a time of failing to be what we know we are capable of being. During this devastating experience, we are looking for relief and that is when Satan steps in.

Jesus Christ suffered in the wilderness for forty days, overcame temptations, and lived the rest of His life without the worldly comforts that are thought of as life’s necessities. “…being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” Luke 4:2 Jesus Christ was human like we are, He became hungry, but He chose devotion to God over serving by the dictates of Satan. In the wilderness is where Satan throws his temptations at a person. Today, Satan operates through the mark of the beast in the name of humanism, while using churchy sounding words. He promises to supply money, possessions, social approval, and physical comforts if the thing that has power over thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors is accepted. We must choose devotion to God through Jesus Christ by setting apart our body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is found among the destitute.

The Word of God is more important than bodily provisions. Humanism separates the needs of the human being from the need for Jesus Christ, as quoted here, humanism is “…an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.” The broad road that the majority of people follow is the mainstream of social networks. They adapt to the ways of the world to win social approval with the benefits of money, possessions, and physical comforts. They reject Jesus Christ to have their daily bread and basic human needs met. The narrow road includes those who live for God through Jesus Christ and are not part of the broader mainstream of society. Jesus is found among the destitute who lack money, possessions, physical comforts, and social approval. The faithful few know that life is more than having bread and basic needs, but life is about living by the Word of God, as described here, “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:3-4

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must never betray the testimony of Jesus Christ for the way of humanism, which is empowered by the mark of the beast, that was Esau’s enormous error, “So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Genesis 25:33-34

Power and authority are offered in exchange for serving the mark of the beast. The whole world is following the beast, as in the mark of the beast, for the empowerment that it gives. The masses of the broad road even boast of that authority by saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with it?” Revelation 13:4 That empowerment comes by rejecting God, discarding the need for Jesus Christ, and trampling on the Holy Spirit, “And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” Luke 4:6-7 Anyone can see that the power and authority of this world has been given into the hands of those who govern by the mark of the beast, “All who dwell on the earth will worship it, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb…” Revelation 13:8 That is the empowerment that is being offered to those who walk on the broad road, and is the power that Jesus was tempted by, “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” Luke 4:5

Authority also relates to when we are sitting around the house with others, and everyone else has more “say-so” than others. It’s like our opinion never matters. At best, we are offered two choices from which to choose, just to make us feel empowered, but the nothing would be better than the choices offered.

The followers of Jesus Christ are not following the masses on the broad road who have bowed down to the way of humanism empowered by the mark of the beast. We walk on the narrow path, being destitute of power or authority regarding to the direction of workplace practices, community input, or government influence. We have chosen to worship God through Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior. Our body is the home of the Holy Spirit and not the seat of government for the mark of the beast. It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me, “And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” Luke 4:8

Temptations come from humanizing the Divine meaning of the Bible. An effective way of humanizing the Divine meaning of the Bible is to take them out of context and only putting forth a half-truth. That tactic is constantly used to manipulate the behaviors of the followers of Jesus Christ and is common in the churches of today. It was even a tactic used against Jesus when a half-truth and humanized scripture was quoted to Him, “For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Luke 4:10 Satan gave a worldly meaning to the Word of God just to try to get Jesus to commit suicide by jumping from a very high point of the temple, “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.” Luke 4:9 The verse used against Jesus obviously didn’t mean to throw Himself off buildings so that people could see Angels lifting Him up off the ground. Imagine what that would mean for Christians today, followers would be jumping from high buildings every Sunday just to prove our faith in God.

The verses below are the full context of the verse used against Jesus,

“No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall lift you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Psalms 91:10-12

In context, and specifically talking about Jesus Christ, no evil will fall on Him because He is the sinless and spotless Lamb of God. Within the living place of Christ, which is in the presence of God, there would be no plague coming near to Him. This is about being pure in our relationship to God through Jesus Christ, not about being able to jump off buildings with no harm. Angels were put in charge to see to His welfare so that He would always be lifted up in the presence of God’s righteousness, and not being hindered by hardness against His Father. For us today, the Bible is interpreted through the Holy Spirit to keep us lifted up in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and Angels are here to help us along the narrow path, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

When this Christless system of humanism, which is empowered by the mark of the beast, tries to humanize the Bible and manipulate our behavior, we can mimic the response of Jesus, “And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” Luke 4:12

The power of the Holy Spirit will be on us as we fend off worldly temptations. The thing that has the power to form thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors will throw at us every temptation imaginable. It will evade the Divine meaning of the Scriptures, quote them out of context, and only tell half-truths to coerce us away from living for Jesus Christ. Every city around this nation and around the world embraces humanism empowered by the mark of the beast. They value the person over the deity of Jesus Christ, but they despise the person who devotes their body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of those who govern by the mark of the beast is to make the person the seat of government for the mark of the beast. By the Holy Spirit filled Word of God, through the Divine meaning of the Scriptures, we have discernment of the thoughts and feelings that come to our mind and heart, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13

We put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-20) to be victorious over the schemes of the world and our power is in the Spirit of God. Let’s glorify the name of Jesus and share the Gospel as we follow the way of Jesus Christ on the narrow path, ”Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.” Luke 4:13-15

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1