The Temptations of Christ
-
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone..’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
-
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Introduction
There are some parts of the Bible that are so familiar and visual that it seems unnecessary to expound them. We know the scene, we know what happened, we know the message. Jesus in the wilderness tempted by the devil is one of those. But we need to think again and learn again. This is the living word and we ask afresh of our heavenly father what are you saying to us today?
Set the scene
The scene is well known, Matt 4:1 He was led by HS into the wilderness where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days.
We revisit this story and these temptations every year at this time of Lent.
NB., these are the Temptations of Christ Jesus. This lent message is not just to help me & you deal with our temptations (& it will). This is about how Jesus dealt with these very specific temptations, this attack of the devil, because He was our Lord, Saviour and King. This is all about Jesus, not me. It’s about what He has done for us at the start of his ministry in that wilderness (possibly near the lowest point on earth – the Dead Sea).
In Mark, it’s “the Spirit immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness” to be tempted (1:12). And in Luke, it’s “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil” (4:1).
Matthew (4:1) says, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit . . . to be tempted by the devil.” Let us remember it is a battle – there is military strategy happening here. John 12:31 says Satan ‘is the ruler of the world.’ The dominion that God gave the 1st Adam was usurped by the tempter in the fall of Gen.3:6 in the Garden of Eden.
And now, like a military operation, the Holy Spirit is leading General Jesus Christ into a wasteland, a theatre of combat. Think of the Battle of Britain and the nimble Spitfire against the might of the Luftwaffe a strategic victory such that our shores could never be invaded by Hitler’s army.
From that visual aid, think of Jesus, the 2nd Adam, 40 days in a garden turned wasteland by the enemy. He’s going toe to toe, and wins despite the tempter's best shots. There is Victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever, He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood, He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
We read in Gen. 3:15 That, the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. Here in this Lenten desert, our Lord Jesus began his war against the enemy of our souls. Let the battle commence. There would be warfare throughout the life of Jesus, but this early encounter is ViP. Three years later at the last supper he would say, ‘You will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn 16.33
So having set the battle scene let us look at the 3 temptations - 1st Temptation.
1 Turn Stones into Bread
2 Jump
3 Worship Me
Stones to Bread
Matthew 4:3, ‘If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’
Now watch the devil's approach. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were tempted to doubt - ‘has God really said? ’The devil often tempts by introducing doubt.
Matthew 4:1 to the Second Adam, ‘if you are the Son of God.’ That little word of doubt, ‘if’ - tell those stones to become bread. The devil makes it seem reasonable. You've endured 40 days you're hungry week tired. It is not a bad idea of the tempter - make some bread. NB the tempter knows there is power in God’s word. Tell these stones’ is diff to ‘turn these stones’. The Lord who spoke and creation happened can tell stones to become bread. The devil knew that. Jesus could speak bread into being.
The first temptation is subtle. ‘Jesus, doubt the father's love for you.’ Forty 40 days ago Jesus heard ‘This is my son whom I love.’ Now he's hungry and weak and the question is could General Jesus trust the father completely or would it be OK to take matters into his own hands, fix it himself. After all he is able to make bread. He would later cater for 5000. But Jesus is one with the Father, he doesn't even respond to the ‘if you are the son,’ he knows who he is, instead he quotes scripture Deut 8 ‘Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Israel in desert for 40 years and weakened by hunger and moaning against God. God provided manna.
What this means is this: if there is ever a tension b/n what God's word says and our physical and personal demands then God's word trump's our demands. Yes it will cost - that is how our faith is tested. The tempter tempts us to go for self and the comfortable solution but the spirit says resist the tempter. We are not really tested until we have to say no to something you would really like to do a moral choice, self first, or God first. The hard choice is God first. The old nature is drawn to the rock-cakes which looks so appealing. Christ in you says resist, ‘man does not live by bread alone.’ When you are tempted to question God's love for you, God's faithfulness, Gods-with-you-always-ness remember Jesus could have told stones to become a dozen loaves of bread but he trusted the word of God. Matt 26:53, He could have told 12 legions of angels to rescue him from the cross but he died alone for you&me .
Second Temptation.
In the 2nd temptation the tempter uses Scriptures to tempt JC. As if to say “I can quote the Bible, too,” Matt 4:5, “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.” Probably at S.E of temple court above 450 ft drop to base of Kidron valley (24 story high rise).. Some believe this is a visionary experience. ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written …’ Satan quotes the Bible Ps 91:12 “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” “Put on a show: Jesus Knievel jumps off the temple. God’s not going to let you down, is he? After all, the bibles says God cares for you.”
1st tempt was that God was not going to take care of you. Now, 2nd Tempt, show us that God will take care of you by jumping off.’ Devil can use God’s word; he is master of combat & compromise & counterfeit. JC replies Deut 6:16 ‘It is also written’ – ‘Do not put God to the test’ also can be translated, ‘do not Tempt God.’ NB Jesus isn't saying, “Don’t tempt me.” He is saying ‘even though I am the Son of God, I must not put my heavenly Father to the test.’ Jesus knew that he had no word from his father that the prophet Van Halen was to be trusted - ‘Go Ahead and jump.’ This temptation was to test Jesus to see if he would prove the faithfulness of God. Tempting God.
How do we tempt God? Bible has lot about tempting God. Eg Matthew 16:1 Jesus says asking for signs is tempting God. “Jesus make bread, jump off temple” Tempting him to do a miracle - that is tempting God.
Ex 17, Israel camped at Massah, questioned God’s faithfulness in desert of Meribah, demanding water, grumbling about food = tempting God. Deut 6:16 ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.’
If you think God will pardon me because he pardoned David (with Bathsheba) – that’s tempting God. If I drink & drive, do drugs or porn, or take revenge. You’re saying, God will pardon = tempting God.
Suggestion from Devil ‘Thro yourself down’ is madness. We can be tempted to do things that are self-destructive, marriage-destroying, financial destructive madness. Satan’s tempting, seducing, evil suggestions. You may think, surely JC would not think of jumping from the temple into the valley, yes he did think of it, he was tempted. JC stood toe to toe with the Devil. Tempted in all ways as we are (Heb 4:15). Think of Braveheart (Mel Gibson), Robert the Bruce going in to battle at Bannockburn. Another Battle for Britain 1314. Bruce went into the battle with his troops, leading, them, fighting with them. It forged loyalty in the army. How is your loyalty to JC who went before you in conflict in these temptations. Christians we need to remember he has overcome the evil one in the face of temptation. Learn from LJC to be discerning, don’t be naive when people quote bible out of context. Let us follow our LJC who resisted the evil one and did not fall. Pray that the Lord will keep scriptures in our minds so that we will resist the evil one.
Third Temptation.
“The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ ” Matt 4:8,9
It’s almost as if at this point, Satan realises the subtle approach isn’t working. [1] “Turn these stones into bread.” Nothing wrong with that. Just do it for yourself [2] “Do something miraculous to display your greatness.” Jesus Knievel does a jump from the Temple. Miracles are great and later Jesus does miracles show his greatness. Jesus Knevil jumps, God will catch you. Do not tempt God. Do not test God’s faithfulness
In Temptation 3, the devil throws caution to the wind. Jesus one day will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so the enemy says, “Here’s a shortcut.” “Here’s a cross-free way. Bow to me, and it’s all yours.”
Jesus, let’s go into partnership, you bring your Kingdom of love and peace in and avoid the cross and suffering? Satan says v9 I will give you all this. John 5:19 says, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” Devil is father of lies, can offer partial truth to deceive (Jn 8:44). ‘Bow and worship me. I can give you whatever I want.’ No you can't -never! God is sovereign, God permits. “The Earth is the Lord's and the Fullness Thereof.” (Ps 24:1) Gen 3, Ps 2, Rev 20 and Matt 28:18, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth," “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’
So often we are tempted to take the easy way, the end seems to justify the means. Jesus would not. He endured sacrificial death, self-denying love, the narrow Rd that leads to life.
Temptation for us maybe to think you don't need the narrow Rd or to take up your cross daily to follow Christ. There is an easier way. There is a broader way than this narrow path. It is tempting to think God doesn’t really care for me, I’m on my own. Tempting to tempt God, my indiscretions don’t matter. JC Endured this so that you and I could ‘yield not’ to our temptations. Let us worship and adore our LJC, General Jesus who won this victory over the enemy for you & I.
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold, Through life's fearful path
For my love is often cold, He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast
For my Saviour loves me so, He will hold me fast
