WHY DIDN'T JESUS TURN THE STONES INTO BREAD?

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What the Devil asked of Jesus in Matthew 4:3 was something moral and there is nothing in God's law that says it would be wrong to create a meal from stones. So why didn't he turn the stone into bread?

(Matthew 4:3 KJV) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Several reasons have been given for not turning the stones into bread by many writers and teachers but not all are accurate.

Here are the reasons presented by some writers and teachers:

"It was God’s will for Christ to overcome the sin of appetite that He may be an example for us."

"The problem wasn't that God forbade turning stones into bread. The problem was that God hadn't authorized it."

"If Jesus had turned the stones into bread, not only would He have been acting without authority, He also would have been demonstrating a lack of trust in God."

"Turning stones into bread would have been disobedient to God the Father, and it would have been a frivolous use of his abilities."

Let us now look at the account of Matthew leading to this event in order to know the reason:

(Matthew 3:16 - 4:3 KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

God the Father had earlier stated that Jesus is His beloved son. Satan was thereafter seen to challenge that declaration of God saying, "If you are the Son of God".

If Jesus had turned the stones into bread He would have demonstrated lack of faith in God's Word which would have accounted as sin. It would have been an act of self-assertion and distrust, and therefore would have involved not the affirmation, but the denial of the Sonship which had so recently been attested.

To show that this temptation is associated with God's Word in Matthew 3:17 and the need for its reliance alone, notice His answer to the Devil:

(Matthew 4:4 KJV) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Comments

  1. Nze12/12/17 8:54 am

    Does this mean that every miracle should be approved by God and how do we know miracles that is approved by God. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chuks Destiny12/12/17 11:54 am

    The bible says in John 3:27 that a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. All real miracles are sanctioned/ approved by God. However there are signs and wonders that are performed by the Devil and his cohort.

    1 John 4:1 says "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone into the world". You try/test the spirits or know miracles that are approved by God by using the Word of God. That is why it is so important you study your bible for yourself.

    ReplyDelete

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