The Battle for Perfection

Luke Kirkendall

Preaching Lab • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Luke 4;1-13 records Jesus' three victories over temptation that give you hope over your failures.

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Critical Battles

There are some moments in history where everything stands on a precipice.

History hangs on a thread.

To go one way or the other has major consequences.

What would history be like had Churchill surrendered to the Germans after Dunkirk?

What would history be like had the Allies not been victorious on D-Day?

What would history be like without Alfred the Great?

Alfred the Great was one of the first kings of England.

At the time England was the southern half of the island.

It was composed of loosely scattered tribes.

The Danes were invading the Anglo-Saxon region in the north.

Taking land, food and whatever they could find.

Alfred was made king.

King is a questionable term.

England wasn’t an empire.

England wasn’t united.

It wasn’t even the whole island.

He was a leader of a group of English tribes.

The Danes continued to march south towards Wessex.

England grew smaller while the Danes grew larger.

England was reduced to a few square miles of swamp.

Then came the Battle of Edington in 878.

Somehow Alfred held back the Danes.

The battle was so decisive that the Danes surrendered.

The southern half of the island was formally recognized as England.

Alfred became known as Alfred the Great.

No other English monarch has had “the Great” connected to his name.

How important was that battle?

Had Alfred lost, England would probably be called Daneland.

Had Alfred lost … this sermon would be in Danish.

There are moments when history hangs on a precipice.

There was another battle with monumental consequences.

This was the Battle in the Desert.

Jesus’ temptation in the Wilderness.

Turn with me to Luke 4:1-13.

Read Luke 4:13.

Look at verse 1,

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness”

He had just been baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Not only was He filled with the Holy Spirit, but He was to lead to this location and to this event by the Holy Spirit.

What was going to happen was the will of God.

You could call this a divine appointment for the Divine.

Here Jesus would meet Satan and be tempted by Satan.

This battle would have repercussions extending beyond Alfred the Great.

They would have eternal consequences.

Luke 4:1-13 records Jesus' three victories over temptation that give you hope over your sins.

The first temptation is a Temptation for Independence (v. 2-4).

You see the temptation in verses 2 and 3.

Jesus had not eaten for 40 days.

The humanity of Jesus on display.

He had real hunger.

He had lost real weight.

He had real exhaustion.

In verse 3 Satan comes with the temptation, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

The temptation is for Jesus to doubt whether He is the Son of God.

The last words spoken in Luke 3 affirmed that very truth, and they came from God.

Luke 3:22, “and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.””

The last words spoken in Luke 3 were God declaring Jesus to be the beloved Son of God.

And now in Luke 4, Satan questions the validity of these words.

His words drip like venom, “If you are the Son of God ...”

The temptation is first to try and get Jesus to question His own relation to the Father and whether what God spoke was true.

Of course He is the Son of God.

That’s what the first 3 chapters of Luke are all about, the incarnation, the birth of God the Son.

It records:

The conception of Jesus.

The announcement of the birth of Jesus.

The first three chapters feature:

A miraculous birth

A virgin birth

Angels

Shepherds

Prophets

All affirming this Jesus is special.

And an announcement from God the Father.

The temptation was also a compromise Jesus’ mission.

Jesus was to live like a man.

He was to be dependent upon the providence of God the Father.

In this way He was also like Israel while in the wilderness.

Because Israel was in a special relationship with God as well.

God had called Israel His firstborn Son.

Exodus 4:22 God told Moses to approach Pharaoh and say, “Israel is My Son, My firstborn ...”

While in the Wilderness God provided everything Israel needed.

God rained down manna, and blew in quail for them to eat.

Yet they grumbled and complained.

They would frequently say things were better in Egypt.

Israel doubted whether God really cared for them.

They failed this test.

Jesus though was sent to depend upon God the Father to provide.

He had a mission, it was to make it to the Cross.

God would see Him through to that point.

God would provide the food He needed so that He could complete this mission.

Which is why Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3, and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Jesus was obedient.

He rebuked Satan with Scripture.

He endured suffering.

And He did the will of the Father.

We needed Jesus on that day.

We were created to be dependent on God.

To live as children at His mercy.

But we don’t.

Like stubborn children we reject a life of depending on God and go off script and do things our own way.

Instead we live more like children whose theme song is Frank Sinatra’s, “I did it my way.”

Think of the 10 commandments

God says this is what is good

Don’t lie

Don’t steal

Then we sin

What is that sin?

It’s a rejection of living as a child of God and His authority.

Like Israel who grumbled because God provided manna and quail.

They complained that God gave to them.

Our sin is a rejection of a life that is dependent on God and a desire to depend on ourselves.

Here’s the good news:

Jesus was obedient for you.

He lived by God.

He succeeded.

He lived on the word of God, trusting God’s Word to be true because you didn’t.

There is a second temptation, this is a Temptation for Supremacy. (v. 5-8)

Look at the next group of verses, Luke 4:5-7.

Read Luke 4:5-7.

Somehow, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.

Luke is careful with his word choice.

He doesn’t say that the Devil showed him all the kosmos of the world.

Kosmos is all of the created world..

Instead it said oikumenes.

This means inhabited world.

This has to do with people.

Nations.

Governments.

Kingdoms.

Somehow in a moment of time, the Devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in one flashing moment.

Satan said all of the oikumenes, all the inhabited could be given to Him.

This has to do with authority.

These are people.

This has to do with ruling over people.

It has to do with power ascribed to a king.

It has to do with worship and glory.

Satan says that this all his.

Which in a sense is true.

In John’s Gospel, Satan is repeatedly called “the ruler of this world”

In II Corinthians Paul calls him the “god of this world.”

For a time Satan has influence on this world.

Satan offers authority and glory to Jesus.

Why is this such a potent temptation?

Because power, authority, and glory are owed to Jesus.

Jesus is the rightful heir of these things.

He has always existed in glory.

Revelation 5 describes a time when every voice will say, “To Him who sits on the throne, and the Lamb, blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

Power and glory fit Christ like a glove.

Paul said that there is a coming day when every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

It’s a temptation because these are things Jesus should have.

And Satan is offering it only if Jesus would worship him.

If Jesus would worship Satan:

He’d be king.

He’d be recognized as Lord.

Here’s the truth, Jesus will receive power, authority and glory but how?

By becoming sin.

By facing the humiliation of the cross.

Satan’s temptation is the easy route.

He could have these things without pain, the cross or dying.

Of course Jesus said no and for 2 reasons.

One obvious.

One intentional.

The obvious reason is because God alone is to be worshipped.

He quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 and says, “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”

You can’t imagine Jesus worshipping Satan can you?

That’s the obvious reason.

The intentional reason is because while Jesus is a king and has all authority, this was not the purpose of the incarnation.

In John 18:36 He said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.””

Jesus did not come to establish a kingdom, that comes later.

The incarnation was a mission whose road led to the Cross not a throne.

Again, you need this as well.

I’ve spoken to many people who say that their favorite Bible verse is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.””

What is that?

It’s summary of the Law.

If one were to summarize all of the Law it’s to love your neighbor as yourself and to love the Lord your God with all of your hearth, strength, soul and mind.

Love God with all that you have.

That’s a beautiful passage.

But we must remember what it is … it’s Law.

That is the summary of the Law.

What is the purpose of the Law?

To expose your sin.

And guess what … you’ve broken the Law.

You have never successfully loved God with all your heart, strength, soul and mind.

I’m not doubting that you love God.

I’m doubting whether you’ve loved God with all your hearth, strength, soul and mind.

Your sin is the proof that you have not loved God with your whole being.

In the moment that you sin, you are saying, “I love me more. I put my desires above God’s.”

One moment you confess Jesus as Lord.

The next you obey your desires instead of Jesus.

We commit idolatry, worshipping our own wants above Christ.

And here’s Jesus.

The Lord.

The one who should receive worship and authority.

It’s owed to Him.

He did not sin.

Jesus stood where you have been and where you stand every time you face temptation.

And He refused to bend the knee to Satan.

His obedience, counts as your obedience.

You needed Jesus to succeed in this temptation.

The final temptation was a Temptation to Test God. (v. 9-12)

We find this in verses 9–12.

Read Luke 4:9-12.

In this final test, Satan lead Jesus to the top the Temple.

It was a high point.

Irenaeus, the ancient church historian said that James, the brother of Jesus, was taken to this same spot and thrown from, plummeting to his death.

Satan’s temptation is for Jesus to throw Himself off of the pinnacle of the temple.

This is an attempt to test God.

Like the first temptation, he questioned Jesus being the Son of God.

If Jesus is the Son of God, then God surely has a special love for Jesus.

He has a special plan for Jesus.

And this plan must be fulfilled.

So Satan comes up with his own plan to test God and show His love for the Son.

“If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.”

If you are the Son of God, make God prove it.

Satan acknowledges that God has a plan for Jesus.

He knows that if Jesus is going to fulfill what God has planned, God won’t let Him die.

He’ll have to rescue Jesus.

He even quotes Scripture to support His plan.

His words from from the Greek version of the Old Testament, “for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

In Jesus’ earlier quotes of Scripture, Jesus quoted the Septuagint verbatim.

This time, Satan uses it in his attack against Jesus.

In the previous temptations Jesus rebuked Satan by quoting Scripture and succeeding.

Satan ups his game this by quoting Scripture.

It’s as if he is mocking Jesus.

“You’re so good at obeying God’s Word, then obey this.”

As he quotes Scripture and twists it to support his wicked plans.

Why is this so wrong?

Because’s God’s Word is enough.

God’s Word should be sufficient.

In the previous chapter, God had declared Jesus to be His beloved Son.

The eternal plan was for Jesus to go to the Cross.

The members of the Trinity:

God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, had covenanted with themselves that the plan was for Jesus to be who redemption was accomplished through.

Ephesians 1:4–5 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”

And later that same chapter, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”

God’s Word is secure, and He is faithful to His promises.

Therefore, there is no reason to test God.

There’s no reason to doubt Him.

And to suggest that His word should be tested or tried is an insult.

Jesus answers Satan with another quotation from Scripture, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

This was a quotation from Deuteronomy 6, which was referring to an event that happened in Exodus 17.

In Exodus 17, the people had left Egypt, and were wandering in the Wilderness.

They began to look fondly on their time in Egypt.

They became angry at God, wishing He never rescued them.

They tested the Lord.

They tested His patience.

They tested the extent of His grace.

How much could they sin and how patient would God be with them.

And again, we’ve been in the same place before.

In fact this temptation is especially for Christians.

It’s for those who know the truth.

It’s for those who know the terrible nature of sin.

Who know that sin is hated by God.

Who know that the cost of sin is infinite.

This is for you in the church who know how that the payment and penalty was paid … through the precious blood of Christ.

How many times as a Christian has the opportunity to sin been right in front of you and you walked into it.

You know the commandments.

You know the Law.

And yet you sinned anyway.

This temptation is for you.

You sin, and the guilt of sin presses upon your conscience.

You call yourself a Christian and you profess Jesus as Lord … yet you still sin.

Then after sinning, you are overcome with guilt and you wonder if you are even a Christian since you still sin.

You look back on your profession of faith.

You called Jesus Lord.

Yet you still sin.

Let me warn you, it’s easy to fall into this trap.

It’s easy to think that your assurance is wrapped up in your obedience.

There is a constant danger to think that there is a limit to God’s patience.

That there is a sin limit, and that you better not break it, or God will cut you off.

Jesus paid for 500 of your sins, but no more.

Here’s a special truth.

You aren’t perfect.

And while in this body you never will be perfect.

You will continue to sin.

You’ll hate your sin.

You’ll feel like the hypocrite.

So what is your assurance?

It’s not in yourself or your success.

It must be in Jesus.

That Jesus was tempted.

And He did not fail.

The standard is not found in you.

It’s found in Jesus.

The battle was fought and Jesus won. (v. 13)

Verse 13, “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”

Satan tempted Jesus and Jesus withstood the assault.

So what do we do with this passage?

There’s something to point out, this is a narrative, filled with indicatives.

It’s not telling you to do anything.

It’s telling us what Jesus did.

This passage is not saying, “Be like Jesus.”

Because you’re not.

It’s about the perfection of Jesus, and you’re not perfect.

The point is Jesus came to do what you can’t.

Your confidence cannot be wrapped up in how well you can imitate Jesus

This passage is not about how to face temptation or beat temptation.

There may be good techniques in it.

It’s wise to memorize Scripture.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

But that’s not the point.

The point is that you have faced temptation and failed.

Jesus stood in your place and was obedient in your place.

This passage is the Gospel.

The Gospel is a proclamation of Good News about what has been done for the sinner.

The second London Baptist Confession of Faith says, that you are not made right with God because you have been infused with righteousness, but because of the active obedience of Jesus.

You are not made right with God because you have been given the ability to make yourself safe.

It says that you are covered in the Christ’s active obedience.

That is His obedience to obey the Law and never sin.

The result is that you are made righteous not because of anything within yourself, but because of the gift of God.

In this instance Jesus faced temptation and come out of it sinless and perfect.

His perfection is now given to the sinner.

Let me comfort you, especially you who sin and mourn over it.

You will continue to face temptation.

You will also face defeat.

That defeat has earned you Hell.

This passage records the day someone else withstood temptation and came through flawless.

And He did it on your behalf.

Going back to Alfred the Great.

Had he lost in Edington, we’d be speaking Danish.

Had Jesus lost in His temptation, you’d have no Savior, and you’d be without hope.

Since He did succeed:

His righteousness is your righteousness.

His perfection is your perfection.

Let this be your assurance.

Let this be your faith.

Next time you feel sin weighing you down and threatening condemnation, remember what Christ has done for you!

And trust in His obedience.

Get your faith off yourself and onto Jesus.

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