Text: Matthew 4:1-11
(North Toronto, January 6th, 1991 AM)
(South Shore, June 4th, 1995 AM)
(Glen Vowell BC, November 24th, 1996 AM)
(Chatham Citadel, January 9th, 2000 AM)
Can I ask you to be honest with yourself for a moment?
Have you ever been tempted? Of course, you have.
Do you remember the last time? Was it to gossip about someone you know? Was it to over indulge in candy, food, drink, or maybe some drug? Was it to covet something that you just should not have? Was it very long ago? How long ago was it?
If it seems like it has been a really long time since you were last tempted, then I have to wonder why Satan seems to have forgotten about you. Hmm… There is really only one reason I can think of that Satan would leave you alone... he would only forget about you if he figured he already has you and has no need to worry. Otherwise, I’m sure you are tempted daily!
Anyway, when you were last tempted, did you give in to that temptation? Did you do what it was you were being tempted to do? If no, then praise God because you won another victory over Satan. If yes, then think about how hard it was to resist. Was it impossible to resist? Not likely. Did you just give in because you wanted to? Perhaps. But either way, the scoreboard was increased in Satan’s favour. He won that victory. The good news is; he never has to again!
The story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness holds all kinds of theological truth. We could discourse on it for a very long time - but this morning I want us to take it simply at face value: Jesus was tempted, and he did not sin. This morning, let us consider that for a few minutes and learn from Jesus, and realize for ourselves that we do not have to sin.
THE CONDITIONS
Before we can look at anything objectively, we have to understand where it is placed; the context of the situation.
When someone writes a book, they have to take time to set the scene so that we can understand where the characters are coming from, and why they interact the way they do. Movie makers do the same. They literally spend millions to build sets that develop a particular mood. They spend hours setting up just the right lighting, and days clipping pieces of film together to get just a few seconds worth of a sequence that will help you understand what is happening in a scene.
I can't spend millions of dollars this morning (sorry), but it is important that we understand some of the background to Jesus being tempted, so that we can better understand what happened in those moments.
Just before he entered the wilderness, Jesus was baptized by John. The Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven said “This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.” In a sense, Jesus was coming from a “Mountain top experience” into the "wilderness." It would have been easy at that time to be filled with pride. He was happy and content. It would have been easy to relax and enjoy the feeling. But Jesus knew temptation would come.
In the first part of Chapter four we read how the spirit led Him out. Jesus knew he would be tempted, and he knew he needed to humble himself after his experience in the Jordan. So, He fasted and prayed.
Fasting is not something we practice a great deal these days. It was an act of devotion meant to purify a person in body and soul. It was more than just the act of physically allowing the body to purge itself, there was a self-sacrifice involved. When offered to God as a sacrifice, it was usually done as an act of repentance for sin. Jesus had not committed any sin, nor would he ever. He had no need to fast to cleanse himself. Instead, he fasted as an act of devotion to God. He believed God would provide all he needed, and relied completely on Him.
Luke tells us that all through the forty days, Jesus was being tempted constantly, but of all the temptations that came upon him, Matthew and Luke only record the last three. These were the climax; the worst Satan could throw at Him. These were the temptations that were tailor made and most crucial to Jesus.
THE QUESTIONS
Did you know that when we are tempted, it is not really the act of sin that Satan is looking for. It does not matter to him what we do. In fact, he doesn’t really care. What he is really after is the state of our heart. That’s what concerns him. He wants to bend your will. He wants you to reject God, to turn to your own selfishness.
Take a closer look. When Satan tempted Jesus, he did not really need Jesus to do anything. What he wanted was for Jesus to turn from God and place all of his trust in Himself, or worse yet place his faith in Satan.
Satan had no need for bread, and although Jesus was hungry, He would survive without it. Satan had no need to see Jesus jump from the temple, and Jesus was not seeking the thrill either. Perhaps Satan would have enjoyed the King of Kings bowing down and worshipping him, but all he really required was for Jesus to turn away from God. Satan knew very well that Jesus could do any of the things he asked him to do, but what he really wanted was for Jesus to turn from God and follow himself.
Satan’s goal is not to destroy our bodies. When he uses drugs, alcohol, abuse, harassment, or any of a thousand weapons, it is not the physical effects he is concerned with. He is looking for companionship in rejecting God.
My Mom used to say, "Misery loves company." Sin thinks it justifies itself when friends agree with it. Satan is out to destroy our souls. He is the enemy of our faith. Physical calamities are only a side effect. His real purpose is to have you reject God and turn somewhere else.
Every temptation Satan presents Jesus with used that one little word that creates doubt everywhere it is heard: “if.” And each time the “if” is used, it is followed closely by the word “you.” In two words, we see the pattern of temptation – “if” creates doubt and “you” promotes selfishness.
In the first two temptations, Satan tried to create doubt that Jesus was really the “Son of God.” The truth about Satan revealed here is one he would rather you not think about. He is a deceiver and a liar. Of all creatures, he and his demons knew more than anyone that Jesus was the Christ; the Son of God. Luke four records an incident not long after Jesus was tempted, when a demon cried out in front of Jesus “Ha, what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”
The devil uses the same tactic when he tempts us today. He may not ask us to turn stones into bread, but his goal is the same. He wants us to doubt God and place our faith in our government, or ourselves or worse yet, in Satan himself. Anywhere except the one place our trust should be - in God.
Satan’s method of choice for delivering the temptation might be different. The words might change, but the motive and goal is exactly the same. He wants you to turn from God. He does not care which way you turn, so long as it is away from the Almighty God.
If the question is always, ultimately, the same, then we might assume the answer is also be pretty much the same. That means it may be possible to find a ready-made formula to answer the temptations Satan throws at us. So let’s see…
THE ANSWERS
1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
That scripture holds a lot of important things for us to remember, and in the answers Christ gave the devil, every defensive weapon in the arsenal of that verse was used against Satan.
None of the temptations presented to Jesus were beyond his ability to resist. and the same is true for us: No temptation ever comes upon you that you cannot resist. That does not mean you cannot fall, only that you do not have to. If your will is set on God, and you want to resist, the devil has no power over you, and he will flee from you. The temptation will have no effect.
It is extremely important, however, to note that it is impossible to resist temptation on our own. The passage we just read says that God provides the way of escape from temptation. Without God on our side, we would fall to temptation in an instant, so although you do not have to fall, you do have to keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus to resist. Don’t expect to toss him aside and do it on your own.
It is also important to realize that we are talking about temptation itself here, because we who have fallen to sin also face the results – the consequences - of falling to past temptations: An addiction to alcohol, for instance, is the result of falling to an original temptation to drink, and is not completely a new temptation every time. It has created a physical addiction because the will was weak in the beginning. If the original temptation had been resisted, there would never be an addiction, and the resistance to temptation would now be easier.
Once an addiction has taken hold, the temptation becomes whether to accept your fate and let the booze control you, or to take action to combat the problem. Now you are faced with the addiction, and the fresh temptation of every drink to go even deeper. The problem seems compounded, but God’s promise still holds true! With God’s strength, and his assurance that you can beat it, it is possible.
Remember, in the end, it is not the physical condition Satan is seeking in you. It is not that he wants to see you become a drunk. It is what becoming a drunk means to your relationship with God that he is concerned about.
In each of Jesus’ temptations, He used scripture to help him resist. Ephesians six tells us the word of God is a sword. Jesus wielded it in battle with Satan during his time of temptation. The devil even tried his own hand at using the weapon of the word to support his arguments, but he did not use it properly. Instead, he misquoted, and Jesus easily refuted what he said from another part of scripture.
Scripture can help us to know what is right in times of temptation, but it is important that we understand the whole Bible, not just a few key verses. Knowing only a few verses makes it easy to be swayed by those who misquote it. And knowing the direction given by the whole bible helps us not be lead astray by misquoting it ourselves. We must have an understanding of what the Word of God says so that we can know the Words of God. It is not enough to be able to recite it from memory either, because one who recites it may not really understand it. We need to know it, to understand it.
Psalm 119:11 says “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul instructs Timothy to work hard at correctly handling the word of truth.
By reading, studying and meditating on God’s word, we learn His will, not by rote, but by message. Without knowing God’s word, the best we can hope for is to avoid temptation all together, and we all know that is impossible because we all are tempted.
The answer to the temptations is simple though. Scripture helps us do it. Remembering that it is possible to resist helps us do it. But the one thing that keeps us from falling to temptation is keeping our focus on God. To the people of Zion in Isaiah 30:19-21, Isaiah said that when their focus is on God, a voice will be in their ears saying "This is the way, walk in it." Like a guide leading us along a hazardous path.
THE HOW TO
Jesus was victorious over every temptation. He was able to escape even the more deceptive of Satan’s ploys. He did it by maintaining his trust in God, and using the word provided in scripture. We too, in God’s power and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can resist the Devil’s temptations. Remember what Satan wants when he tempts us. If you do not, you might find yourself giving in to him without even having to be deceived. The solution is only this: Follow Christ, look to God and worship no other; Obey his commands, and listen to no one else, including yourself. Focus on Jesus.
Now, do you still remember your most recent temptation? Think about it honestly; with God’s help, could you resist? Was there a way of escape from the temptation that you fell under? Was your focus on Jesus, or was there doubt created by an “if” and a selfish desire? God has promised us that you can resist, and I believe it is true. Next temptation… what will you do?
