The Temptation of Yeshua - An Insight from the Midrash


The Temptation of Yeshua
By
James Scott Trimm


In the Goodnews according to Mattityahu, we read of HaSatan’s effort to tempt Yeshua:

1 Then Yeshua was led up by the Ruach HaKodesh into the wilderness, in order
that He might be tempted by HaSatan.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry.
3 And the tempter came; he said to Him, If you are the Son of Elohim, say that these stones be made bread.
4 And Yeshua answered and said: It is written, For not by bread alone will man live, but by everything that proceeds from the mouth of YHWH, will man live. (Deut. 8:3)
5 Then HaSatan took Him up to the Set-Apart city, and set Him on a turret of the
Temple,
6 And said to Him, If you are the Son of Elohim, drop yourself down. For surely it is written, For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to keep you in all your ways; upon the palms of their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. (Ps. 91:11-12)
7 And Yeshua answered him and said: It is also written, You shall not tempt YHWH your  Elohim. (Deut. 6:16)
8 And again HaSatan took Him up into an exceedingly high mountain, and showed
Him all: from the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
9 And said to Him, All these will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me.
10 Then said Yeshua to him: Get yourself gone, adversary, for it is written,
YHWH your Elohim you shall worship, and Him alone you shall serve. (Deut. 6:13)
11 Then HaSatan left Him: and behold, angels drew near and attended Him.
(Matthew 4:1-11 HRV)

Note that in each and every case Yeshua responds to the Tempter by quoting Torah.  Yeshua is our example.  The best way to combat the Tempter is with the Torah!

The Midrash Pesikta Rabbati gives us information that gives us a remarkable insight on this event.  The Midrash says:

Our masters taught:  When the king Messiah appears  he will come and stand on the roof of the Temple and will make a proclamation to Israel, saying; “Meek ones, the day of our redemption is come.  And if you do not believe Me, behold, My light which rises upon you, as it is said. “Arise, shine, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. (Is. 60:1)”
(Pesiqta Rabbati 36)

From the Midrash we can see more clearly that HaSatan had hoped to tempt Messiah to skip his suffering and death as Messiah ben Yosef and instead immediately claim his Kingship as Messiah ben David.  This is a temptation that followed Yeshua every day of his life.

20 Then commanded He, His talmidim, that they should tell no man, that He, Yeshua,
was the Messiah.
21 And then began Yeshua to make known to His talmidim, that He must go to
Yerushalayim, and to suffer there: many scourgings, and many mockings, of the elders
and scribes, and of the Chief Cohenim, and to be killed, and to rise again the third day.
22 Then Kefa took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Far be it from You, My
Master: all this will not be unto You.
23 But He turned, and said to Kefa: Follow Me. Satan, you are an offense to Me, for
you savour not the things that are of Elohim, but those that are of men.
(Matthew 16:20-23 HRV)

And later He prayed in the Garden as his death approached:

39 And He passed on a little, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying: O Father, if it is
possible that this cup pass away from Me, let it be done. But let it not be done as I will,
but as You will.
40 And He came to His talmidim, and found them sleeping, and said to Kefa: Could you
not watch with Me a single hour?
41 Awake and pray, that you enter not [into temptation.] The spirit indeed is watchful,
but the flesh is frail.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying: O Father, if this cup cannot
pass away from Me, but I must drink it: be it as You will.
(Matthew 26:39-42 HRV)

This temptation must have been tremendous.  Yet Messiah overcame this temptation and faced suffering and death as Messiah ben Yosef and instead of immediately claiming his Kingship as Messiah ben David, and in doing so he made way for our redemption. 

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