Temptation
Matthew 4:1-11
Preacher: David Williams
Sermon Mt 4:1-11. Theme: Temptation. Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ. 23 Oct 2022.
Temptation
1. Why temptation?
2. Why Jesus?
3. 3 temptations
4. Should I feel guilty?
5. How to resist?
Why does God allow temptation?
To tempt also means to test. It is the same word in Greek. And it has these two sides. Satan tempts us to do evil, but God can use temptation to test us – our faithfulness, our maturity.
Jesus had just been baptised – the heavens opened, the Spirit descended as a dove, and he heard his father’s voice, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased”, Mt 3:13-17. This would have a been a very special and thrilling moment. But then,
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Immediately after the Spirit descended on Jesus, the same Spirit sent Jesus to be tempted.
Temptation will often – and helpfully – come after a high (1 Kgs 19:1-18 & Rom 7:14-25). God brings us back to reality. A time of testing will sort out the emotional highs from deep faith. A faith that can ride out the emotional highs and lows. “Temptation builds spiritual muscle” is how one writer put it.
Why was Jesus tempted?
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
The main point of this passage is not to help us resist temptation – although it helpfully does that. Rather it shows us how Jesus was prepared for the mission God had given him. Israel was tested in the Wilderness. But Israel failed the test. Israel was chosen as God’s son but failed. Now Jesus, just declared to be God’s son, was tested in the Wilderness. Israel was tested for 40 years, Jesus for 40 days. Jesus proved to be the faithful son of God, Israel the unfaithful son.
This was no token struggle but a real one. We can speculate on what the devil looked like, but he certainly didn’t come to Jesus in red tights and horns. Maybe he appeared as some pious priest? He is called a deceiver and can appear as an angel of light, 2 Cor 11:14. It was not until the final temptation that Jesus named him and said, Begone Satan. Maybe Jesus didn’t realise who he was until that point? After all, the first two temptations, while misguided, are the sort of thing a well-meaning priest might say.
The struggle was a real one because these temptations tried to divert Jesus from the mission God had given him. The voice from heaven had just quoted passages about both the Royal Messiah and the Suffering servant (Ps 2:7; Isa 42:1). Would Jesus take his place as King by the narrow way of the cross. Or would he take the easy road that promised glory without pain?
Three temptations
1. DIY religion
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
At first glance, the suggestion looks fair enough. John had just said that God can make sons out of stones Mt 3:9; Moses got water from a stone, Ex 17:6 – so surely stones can be used to satisfy hunger? But Jesus had laid aside his divine powers. He would not use them to satisfy his hunger pains, nor did he use them to dull the agony of the cross.
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus responded to each temptation with “It is written” and each time quoted Deuteronomy – a book that dealt with Israel’s testing in the wilderness.
Israel had been given manna from heaven yet grabbed at it in disobedience to God’s word. Rather than trust in God’s word of promise, they relied on their own resources to get food.
We live in a DIY culture. Aussies are known for their self-reliance. But there is a limit to what we can achieve. We can trust our private health cover, our super fund, the home we have built, the skills we have, and foolishly think that we have little need of God.
We also live in a pain & pleasure culture – we avoid pain at all costs and instead seek pleasure. We have been called The Land of the Long Weekend.[1] As a culture, we focus on stuff, on security – at the cost of our relationship with God and other people. We serve the desires of our bodies.
Israel grabbed at bread and ignored the bread of life. Manna can give life for a few days. But the Word brings life, and life eternal, Jn 6:68. Even Jesus said my food is to do the will of the one who sent me, Jn 4:34 – a will that is found primarily in God’s word. There is nothing more important in life than God’s word. Your health cover will not stop you falling ill, your superfund may go bust, your home may get eaten by termites but if God’s word lives in us then we can even face death itself.
We can live for a day without food. Even seven days. 40 days is getting to the limit. When was the last time you fed on God’s word? I don’t mean a passing glance – but taking it in as if your life depended on it? When did you last feed on his word – a day ago? A week ago? 40 days ago? Friends, our churches are full of starving Christians – starving for we do not feed on his word.
You might say – I’m not a reader. Many of the early Christians were illiterate but still took in God’s word. Some find reading very difficult. Some have dyslexia or sight issues – but there are hundreds of audio versions out there. Whatever it takes, don’t miss your daily diet of God’s word.
2. Bribing God
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Again, the devil’s question might seem reasonable. Jesus had just said that God’s word is vital. So, the devil in a spirit of cooperation, quoted the word, not once, but twice. Now some Jews thought the Messiah would appear on the pinnacle of the temple. So what better way to announce yourself as Messiah than perform a spectacular miracle – at God’s temple no less.
But what a desperately wicked thing the devil proposes. It is all dressed up in the most religious terms. The location: God’s holy city. The temple -where God dwells. The quotes from God’s word. The pretended appeal to help Jesus advance his mission. So often pastors, popes and bishops can dress things up to sound very pious. They quote God’s word. But their intentions are rotten to the core. Yes, the devil quotes the Psalms accurately – but the Psalms speak of stumbling. God will protect his faithful ones who stumble. This is not an invitation to deliberately trip up so as to make God prove himself.
Some have demanded spectacular things of God – to heal, to answer prayer. There is an ending to Mark’s gospel that is faulty. The earliest copies all end at chapter 16, verse 8. But some later verses – the questionable ones - talk about handling snakes and not getting hurt. Some cults have tried it and people have died. This is testing God, demanding miracles as though God was some magician paid to perform tricks.
Israel put God to the test by demanding water (Ex 17:2-7). But God warned Israel not to seek magic tricks and Jesus quoted God’s warning, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, Dt 6:6.
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Some have tried bargaining with God – I will give money, I will make sacrifices, if you do this for me. And when they don’t get the answers they want, they give up on God. It is not that God has failed. Rather, we fail to understand him. God is sovereign. He will choose whether to answer prayers. He will choose whether to heal, to save one’s business, or marriage. Some faithful Christians will suffer – it is not their lack of faith. Our job is not to manipulate God to perform the tricks that we require, but to trust him in every situation.
3. Avoiding the cross
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
In the last temptation, the devil showed his true colours and made a blatant appeal:
… if you fall down and worship me.
What is at the heart of this? Jesus had to endure the agony of the cross before he could be crowned as King of heaven. Satan offered an easy alternative: glory now without the cross.
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
This is not the only time that Satan tried this: his loyal disciple Peter tried to turn him from the cross and was rebuked by Jesus in the same terms, Get behind me Satan, Mt 16:23. Later, the Pharisees used the words of Satan, If you are the Son of God … They called out, If you are the Son of God come down from the cross, Mt 27:40. But Jesus knew from the start of his mission that the cross was unavoidable.
Many promote the health and wealth gospel – the prosperity gospel. It is a false gospel. It claims that God will give us health and wealth now as well as in heaven. All gain, no pain. TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland - their lives are spent in grand mansions and private jets – how can they possibly square this with the gospel of the cross? With Paul who spent years in prison, with Jesus who had no place to lay his head? Jesus did not say, Follow me and all your troubles will be over. Rather,
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, Mt 16:24.
Our temptations
1. Should I feel guilty about temptation?
Do not think that because you are tempted, you are wicked and unspiritual. Jesus was tempted. We are all tempted. Yet some experience huge guilt over particular temptations. Sam Allberry is a Christian who is attracted to other men.[2] He is also an evangelical pastor and is celibate. He does not act out his feelings and temptations but has chosen to remain single so that he can live faithfully as a Christian. The fact that he experiences strong same-sex temptations is no sin – the same applies to Christians who are tempted to adultery but resist the temptation. The devil can put the blackest, most evil thoughts into our heads – we have almost no control over our imaginations. But we can stop dwelling on them. We can refuse to act them out.
Some think - my thoughts are so bad – I could not possibly mention them to Jesus. Jesus, so pure and perfect, could not possibly sympathise with my struggles. And when I fail - Jesus could not possibly forgive such terrible sins, especially when I do the same thing again and again. Can I say to you - Jesus was tempted to lust. He knows exactly what lust is like because he experienced the temptation himself. So, he can identify with you. Does that horrify you? Well, Jesus was a man. He was tempted as we are in every way yet without sin (Heb 4:15-16). There is nothing you need fear when coming to Jesus. He understands.
2. How to resist temptation?
a. Spiritual war
Recognise that we are in a warzone. Don’t be like the Russians who believe their propaganda and think they are not in a war at all. Don’t believe our society that thinks Satan is a childish myth. No, we are in a warzone. Usually, we don’t see it at all. Especially in the west. But spiritual forces are real – good and evil. Many in non-western cultures have had experiences of demons and of angels too. But you don’t need to see them to believe in the reality – you just need to believe God’s word.
Christians fall into two errors – some may ignore or even deny the existence of angels, demons and Satan. Others give them far too much attention – even walking around streets trying to claim territory from demonic powers. We need a right and balanced view of spiritual powers – of both angels and demons. Our focus should not be on seeking help from angels, or in trying to defeat demons and Satan. No, our focus should always be on the Lord Jesus.
Jesus’ victory is clear. Satan’s time is limited – the time between the first and second comings of Jesus is known in scripture as the end times. We are in the end times. For this period, Satan still has power even though he has been defeated. The devil is a powerful adversary, but our Lord and the Spirit within us can stop him in his tracks. We are commanded, Resist the devil – as Jesus did – and he will flee. Jas 4:7. What a powerful promise this is. What a powerful Lord we have.
b. Get help.
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.
Jesus had angels. So do we, but we cannot see them. But we can see one another. The body of Christ works when we work together, helping one another. Can I encourage you all to connect in with Judi’s prayer partners. Praying together is a great way to resist temptation.
c. God’s promise
We have God promise to help us:
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Cor 10:13.
d. Sword of the Spirit
As Jesus did, let us use the sword of the Spirit. Paul told the Ephesians how they were to stand against the schemes of the devil. They were to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Eph 6:11, 17.
Jesus was able to immediately deal with each temptation by quoting scripture. That means he knew his Bible well and had memorised chunks of it. If Jesus needed to do this, how much more do we need to. Memorising scripture is an excellent practice. You are never too old to take it up.
e. Stay fit!
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him …
Jesus had been fasting for 40 days (this was no Clayton’s fast, as in Ramadan, where you don’t eat during the day but feast up every evening. No, this was 40 days without a meal).
Did you notice when the tempter came to Jesus? When he was hungry and weak. That is when the tempter struck. Temptation often comes – with disastrous results – when we are weak. It is when we are tired, or depressed, or emotionally in turmoil, that we will often give in to temptations. This is why it is good to look after our bodies – to get rest, exercise, to eat well. Paul said, I discipline my body and keep it under control. 1 Cor 9:27. So often it is through our body’s desires – sex, food, drink, laziness, comfort – that we are tempted and give in. But when we are physically alert and fit, we are less likely to succumb.
Lord Jesus, thank you that you defeated Satan. Give us such a love for your Word and a firm faith in you that we can say no to the devil’s schemes. In your name we pray, Amen.
Sources:
- Green M. (2020). The message of Matthew : the kingdom of heaven (Revised). InterVarsity Press USA.
- Carson, D.A. (1984). “Matthew”. In Gaebelein, F.E. (ed.). Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Zondervan.
- Blomberg C. L. (1992). Matthew. Broadman Press.
[1] Conway, Ronald. (1978). Land of the long weekend. South Melbourne, Vic : Sun Books
Series: Matthew
Topics: #Matthew , #Temptation , #False guilt , #Word