The Temptation of Christ

Matthew 4:1-11, Psalm 91:1-12

Imagine the Son of God, working alone in a carpenter's shop in Nazareth..Jesus worked in this shop until he was 30 and then there came a day when the Lord Jesus left the carpenter shop, when he told his mother it was time for him to leave. There came a day when the public ministry of Jesus Christ began. On that day Jesus set out on a path set by God, a path for his life and that path would lead him to a tortured crucifixion even though he would never commit a single sin. That path would take him on a destiny that was planned by him and for him before the world was even made. The mission upon which eternal life or everlasting torment for the human soul depends. 

Jesus would live 3 more short years and accomplish a goal that would make him the Saviour of a countless multitude who will gather around the throne of glory in heaven. But also a mission that would make him the object of scorn, derision and hatred from the world. Nothing is more important than the life and death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is his life, beginning at these 3 years and the things he did and how he suffered and died, and his present intercession that sorts out the sheep from the goats. That is what sorts out the children of God from the children of the Devil. This whole purpose of Christ from his baptism by John and when the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove, when God spoke audibly from the glory and said Matthew 3:17 ..."this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased". And then Jesus was led into the Judain wilderness to be tempted of the devil, the temptation of Christ. Let us consider the passages concerning the temptation: Matthew 4:1-2 "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 hungered."


What does it teach us about the devil?
The tempter is the name the devil is given in Matt 4:3 "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." The devil is a person. There are churches who don't believe that the devil is a person but the bible teaches that Satan is a person. He has names. He is called (among others) the accuser, the slanderer, the tempter, one that lures people. He is called the adversary. When the bible uses personal pronouns and gives names it means a person. If we don't believe that we don't believe the bible. But it also teaches that Satan uses the same tactics over and over when he tempts people. The tactics are that Satan is devious. He attacks when Jesus is at his weakest physically, after 40 days of fasting, at the end of the fasting. Satan is scheming. He does the same to us, he attacks us when we are weak. When he comes he misquotes the bible, that is another of his tactics which is popular in churches today. He takes Psalm 91:11-12 out of their context and presents a twisted meaning to that piece of scripture so that it is a wrong teaching. And then Satan questions God's words. Matt 4:5-6 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." But Psalm 91:11-12 actually says "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." The devil left out "to keep thee in all thy ways." He also added "at any time" the devil always questions what God says just like he did in the garden of Eden "hath God said?" Today there are people who question God's word. Matt.4:8-9 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and says that they are under his power. That is one of the few times that Satan is telling the truth. His power over men and women is taught in many places of scripture. John 12:31 "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." 2 Corin 4:4 "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" Acts 26:17-18 "Delivering thee from the people,and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins......" But its not the wicked one's world, he has authority delivered to him by God. Men and women chose to  believe Satan in the garden of Eden and disobey the command of God and the consequence is that God gave men and women to be under the power of Satan.

What does the passage teach us about the Lord Jesus Christ? 
It teaches us of his person emphasizing the humanity of the Lord: he is man, he is led, he is tried, he is hungry, these are human qualities. To answer the devil's temptation to V3 "..If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" Jesus answers V4 "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Note the method of defense that the Lord Jesus uses. "It is written" V4, V7, V10 Three times. When he speaks out loud a portion of scripture he uses the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, the spoken word. He uses God's word to overcome the temptations of Satan and we are to do likewise. Christ's authority over Satan's power is that Jesus is divine and has divine power over Satan but he does not use this power to defeat Satan in this passage, he defeats the devil by being led by the Spirit and by the word of God and these are resources that are available to you and me, to every Christian. If the Lord Jesus defeated Satan in that way, so we may defeat Satan in the same way. If the Lord Jesus had used miraculous power to defeat the devil that would not be helpful to you and me and that is why the Lord Jesus defeated Satan in the way that we can do also, to show us how we are to react when we are tempted. We are to let the word of God dwell in us richly.

The conflict and result:
The tests came in the form of three suggestions. Satan came to tempt the Lord and says V3"if thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread" Do something miraculous to prove that you are the Son of God, satisfy your hunger in a miraculous way. God the father led Jesus Christ into the wilderness. It was God who led him there and God the father knew there wasn't any food and therefore it was God's will for Jesus to fast in the wilderness. The devil tells Jesus to take matters into his own hands, it doesn't matter what God's plan or will is. Put your physical needs before God's plan. What Satan was really saying is to look after yourself physically. Jesus said V4 "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." Physical needs do not come first, God's word comes first, God's will comes first and it was God's will that he should fast in the wilderness. Spiritual needs come first. The majority of people put physical, material, outward things first in their lives today. But hardship may be part of God's plan for you. The most important thing is God's will for you because man shall not live by bread alone. 

V5-6 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." If you are God's son do something really impressive. The top of the temple was 450 feet above the Hedron valley. Jump off, the devil says. And then Satan cites Psalm 91:11-12 and Satan cites those verses that God will send his angels and keep the Lord Jesus safe. Satan twisted those verses and took them out of context. But Psalm 91 is teaching that God's people go about their lives doing their business trusting in God, and as dangers come, God will keep them safe according to his will. That is what the Psalm is teaching, but it does not mean to create your own danger and then expect God to save you.. it does not mean do suicidal things and God will keep you from dying. it doesn't mean to jump off high building and expect angels to catch you. It means as you live your life as a child of God, God will protect you. It doesn't mean to do dramatic things and test God. In the first temptation Satan tells Jesus to look after himself but in the second temptation he tells Jesus to be reckless physically. Satan is not consistent. He goes from one extreme to the other. Jesus answers V7 "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Don't test God, don't do something foolish and then tempt God. Don't presume on God's protection. Some people create their own danger and then expect God to protect them. The bible says we are to keep the law of the land and obey the powers that be, we are not to do stupid things and expect God to protect us. Do not deliberately put yourself into dangerous or foolish situations and expect God to protect you. Don't test God.

V8-9 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." This temptation is to be ambitious, the glory, the grandeur, the power of the world. If you want that, the price is you must bow down and worship the god of this world. Jesus answered V10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Only God is to be worshipped and that includes service, that is one of the meanings of the word "worship" it doesn't end when the sermon ends. Satan's last temptation is to worship the creature instead of the creator as in Romans 1:25 "who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."  V11 "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him" Jesus won the conflict, the devil left him, the angels came and ministered to him. But why was Jesus tempted?

What was the purpose of the temptation? 
The Lord Jesus didn't have to be tempted, he could have destroyed Satan with one word, but he didn't use his divine powers so that we, these years later would read and take comfort from these verses: Heb 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." When you are tempted you can say that you know that Jesus was tempted too, and he didn't use divine power, and he didn't sin so I don't have to sin. The Lord knows what it is like to be tempted, so therefore he can comfort you and me and also so you can know that when you are tempted it is not sin, Jesus was tempted and he never sinned, so when you are tempted, resist and go on. It is giving in to the temptation that is sin. 

If you are not a Christian, look around you. How many live for the physical, live recklessly? and then presume that they will just be OK. How many live for the power and glory of this world, there are many. The majority follow the temptations of Satan. If you are not a Christian the devil has power over you but Jesus Christ, the Son of God can set you free from slavery of Satan and that is the gospel. You can be free when you repent of your sin, believe God's word and trust in Jesus Christ..
______________________________________

The above notes were taken by myself from the sermon by Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational (Reformed) at Sermon Audio.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=68081628287