Scripture reading: Genesis 3:1-7.

Sermon text: Matthew 4:1-11.

The Church began the season of Lent this past Wednesday night. In this season leading to Easter,
Christians shift our focus from the proclamation of Jesus’ ministry to the reason for Jesus’ death:
Humanity’s slavery to sin and death. While we continue to celebrate Jesus’ victory for us, as
Christians do on a daily basis, it’s fitting in Lent to renew our commitment to live as those redeemed
from sin and adopted into God’s family through our confession of Jesus as Lord of our lives.

We have Jesus’ example to follow in our daily living. The Scripture reading today reminds us of
humanity’s fall into sin and the suffering it continues to wreak on us. The sermon text today reminds
us that Jesus, too, experienced human living, including temptation.

At this point, we need to consider one of the greatest mysteries in the universe and history. How
could
Jesus, the divine Son of God, truly experience temptation? While we cannot fully understand how it
works, the Church has steadfastly defended Jesus’ full humanity while He lived among us before His
crucifixion while also defending His full divinity as the Son of God in human flesh. This “two natures”
doctrine found its fullest explanation in the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451, where
the council explained it thus: “We teach . . . one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten,
known in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation”
(“Council of Chalcedon,” New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia).

The Scriptures tell us clearly that Jesus lived as both fully human and fully divine (John 1:1, 8:58, 10:30; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:15-20, 2:8-9; 1 John 1:1-3, 2:22-23, 4:2-3, 4:15). The Scriptures also tell us that Jesus’ temptations truly tested Him (Hebrews 4:15). St. Matthew’s account reminds us of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness and also tells us of how Jesus’ victory encourages us today.

We should notice a key fact in the sermon text: “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Jesus didn’t go to the wilderness and stumble into temptation; the Holy Spirit led Jesus there for the temptation. This occurred immediately after Jesus’ baptism, one of the highlights of His life to that point. (I don’t know about you, but it seems temptation hits me the worst when I feel spiritually stronger than normal.) The Holy Spirit had a reason for Jesus’ temptation at this moment in His life.

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness of Judea in prayer and fasting. After the 40-day period, “He was hungry.” At this moment of physical weakness, Satan himself appeared on the scene to tempt the Son of God. Pastors and theologians for centuries have noticed that the temptations posed to Jesus fall roughly into 3 categories that still apply to us today.

First, Satan tempted Jesus physically. “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” This may not seem like a major temptation; after all, Jesus had just spent 40 days without food. Could we see anything wrong with His changing stones to bread?

Perhaps not. However, consider the consequences of this seemingly simple act. At the creation of all that exists, God established certain laws that govern the universe. Those laws include certain processes by which minerals in rocks can become food for living creatures. You’ll never see a rock magically transform itself into something edible. Instead, the rocks wear down into their component minerals through exposure to weather, and the minerals then mix with organic matter to form soil that nurtures the plants we use as food. Satan presented Jesus with a shortcut to the process, a shortcut that would have circumvented the laws Jesus Himself, as God Himself, established at the Creation (John 1:3).

[Note: I’m not discounting miracles here. I believe in miracles, and I believe in every miracle you’ll read in Scripture. I’ll also point out that a miracle, by its very definition, represents an activity that doesn’t fit into the observable laws of Creation according to our experiences or understanding of those laws. God, of course, knows the laws and how miracles fit into the scheme of things. Read C.S. Lewis’ Miracles for a better explanation than I can give in the scope of this sermon. One last thing: A miracle doesn’t happen repeatedly. If something consistently happens, it’s probably not a miracle. Don’t confuse the unexplainable answer to a prayer with a miracle.]

Jesus refused to fall for the temptation. Citing Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus replied, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” While bread may sustain our temporal bodies, only the words of God can sustain and nurture our immortal souls. Something about every human craves more than mere physical pleasure or sustenance. We need more. Only God’s words can spiritually feed us, mold us, and prepare us for the eternity to come.

Satan then turned to the next category, that of fame and glory. “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 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.’”

The “pinnacle of the temple” in Jerusalem referred to the highest point of Herod’s Temple on the Temple Mount. The pinnacle towered over 300 feet above the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem. Jewish Midrash (Pesiqta Rabbati, 162a) recorded a Jewish prophecy that the coming Messiah would present himself to the Jews by standing on the pinnacle of the Temple. Anyone who stood on the pinnacle and survived a fall to the Kidron Valley would certainly qualify as a supernatural being!

Again, Jesus refused to take the shortcut. Jesus knew His identity; He knew He would ultimately fulfill the true prophecies of the Messiah. Satan couldn’t have known that Jesus would first fulfill the prophecies that predicted the Messiah would deliver humanity from sin and death. Jesus would fulfill the prophecies in God’s time and not follow the timeline of anyone else. Jesus again quoted from Deuteronomy: “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (6:3). Notice that Jesus consistently used Scripture to undermine Satan’s temptations.

Lastly, Satan tempted Jesus in the third category, that of riches and wealth. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Imagine the temptation to receive all the wealth of every kingdom on the planet!

Some people have wondered how Satan could offer all this to Jesus. The prophet Daniel had written about “princes” that correlated to the kingdoms of the earth. St. Paul told the Ephesians, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In some way, evil seems to rule over the nations of the earth for now. If it means anything, Jesus didn’t dispute Satan’s possession of the kingdoms.

Jesus instead refused to fall for another of Satan’s shortcuts. “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.”’” Jesus knew that He would one day rule over more than the kingdoms of this world; Jesus will one day rule over all Creation. St. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). St. John the Evangelist referred to Jesus as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). In His wisdom, Jesus trusted in His Father to fulfill His plan in His time.

Following this last temptation, “the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.” Jesus had passed the test; His ministry to His people would now begin in the strength of the Holy Spirit and the protection of the angels until the time He Himself would release them from this duty (Matthew 26:53).

Jesus’ victory gives us hope today and also helps us see how we can defeat temptation in our lives. In fact, I see that Jesus has shown us a lesson that evil really hopes we’ll ignore or forget: We don’t have to fall for temptation. Jesus conquered the temptations thrown at Him, and we can, too. I don’t know what temptations seem to trouble you or seem to defeat you at every turn, but I assure you that the Holy Spirit can help you overcome the temptations. You can successfully defeat temptation in a number of ways, but I’ll recommend at least  ways you’ll find in Scripture:

1. 1.Run. St. Paul told the Corinthians, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God will provide a way of escape for temptation; take it.
   

2. 2.Every account of Jesus’ temptation tells us that Satan attacked Jesus while He was alone. I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that I face far fewer temptations in the presence of other believers. We need each other to help us live the salvation lifestyle. When temptations seem strong, surround yourself with godly believers who can help support you and bring you through the trials.
   

3. 3.Jesus answered Satan with Scripture. As a child, I memorized a great deal of Scripture; I’ve learned more over the years. We must devote time to learning the Word of God so we can rely on it to combat temptation.  The Psalmist wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). Scripture — the very words of God — can provide the answers to our temptations if we’ll learn it and apply it to our lives.
   

I’d also recommend that you see something else when you face temptation. Satan has always opposed God’s plans. If you’re facing temptation, then rest assured God has a plan in place that Satan hopes to thwart with your failure to defeat the temptation.

What if you fall to the temptation? Confess it and receive forgiveness from Jesus Himself. St. John the Evangelist wrote, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Scripture clearly teaches that God forgives the penitent and restores us when we fall.

Lastly, remember that Jesus has conquered more than temptation. At His crucifixion, Jesus atoned for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). At His resurrection, Jesus defeated death itself (1 Corinthians 15). Christian, Jesus accepted your confession of faith in Him and adopted you into the family of God at that confession (Romans 10:9-10, 8:10-17). You have received the life of the Holy Spirit within you. You will one day receive an eternal body in a creation never touched by sin, death, or temptation (Revelation 21). Christian, live in victory!