Luke 4:1-13
Notes
Transcript
Today we are going to look at the temptation of Jesus.
It is more accurate to say one of the temptations of Jesus, because we will read that after Jesus successfully rebuffed Satan’s attempts, Satan departed until an opportune time.
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You will sometimes hear Jesus referred to as the second Adam.
The reason for this is the fact that both of these men were representatives for all of mankind.
We will all ultimately be judged either as sinners and rebels in Adam, or as righteous in Christ.
Don’t be too quick to say that it isn’t fair for you to be judged because of Adam’s sin, because every time you sin you ratify the decision to rebel made by your forefather.
It is true to say that we are sinners because we sin,
but
it is also true to say that we sin because we are sinners by our fallen nature that we inherited from Adam.
Let me give you a Scriptural example of this thinking.
Romans 5 talks about “death in Adam” and “life in Christ”
Specifically let’s look at...
19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
((explain))
We will see the similarities in the method of Satan’s attacks, and the differences in the ways Adam and Eve on the one hand, and Jesus on the other, responded to Satan’s temptations.
If you have your Bible and notebook I urge you to get them out.
We will read Luke 4.1-13 together.
1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ”
5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,
6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”
9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
10 for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
11 and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Differences in the temptations
Differences in the temptations
Garden of Eden vs. the Judean wilderness ((elaborate))
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Helpmate vs. Alone (perfect, literally made for each other helpmate vs. scorpions, snakes, and some birds)
((Stay in the church!))
Don’t be the dumb gazelle that separates from the herd!
The lions always eat that one!
Likewise, you will be much easier prey if you separate yourself from the body of Christ!
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Feast vs. Fast
((Garden of Eden where God provided for their every need vs. 40 day fast))
The enemy will come after you when your guard is down.
1. Sometimes our guard is down because we are tired, sick, lonely, etc.
2. Sometimes our guard is down because we neglect the spiritual disciplines that keep us strong.
We can do a lot to avoid that second situation.
Feast on the Word of God regularly!
Feast on the company and encouragement of the saints regularly!
Similarities in the temptations
Similarities in the temptations
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ”
Food - an obvious comparison, but...
More importantly Satan questioned what God said.
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
“did God actually say” ((compare to)) “IF you are the Son of God”
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
(elaborate… subtlety of suggestion over outright accusation)
((( Dolled up for work illustration)))
Satan started by implying in both the garden of Eden and in the Judean wilderness, that there was reason to doubt the word of God if they would just stop being so naive.
Jesus was not to be fooled though.
What had Jesus just heard? -
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
I think Satan wanted Jesus, in his hunger and isolation, to start wondering if he was hearing things back at his baptism.
Satan was saying to Jesus “did God actually say?”
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We find Jesus’ next temptation in v. 5-7
5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,
6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Satan is too smart to go fishing without bait.
The temptation is to promote yourself.
He told Jesus, “I will give all this authority and glory...”
That sounds rather familiar.
Look with me back at Gen. 3
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan knows well that we like to exalt ourselves.
He will tempt us to exalt ourselves rather than wait on God.
You see, all this stuff that Satan promised and much more was coming to Jesus...
But
In Satan’s plan there would be no waiting, no Gethsemane, no via Dolorosa, and no Calvary.
But God says...
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Jesus would later teach this parable.
8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him,
9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.
Now notice this very poignant punch line...
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus knew that God’s exaltation, in God’s time, was worth waiting for.
When we are tempted to exalt ourselves we must remember that too.
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Difference in the responses to the temptations
Difference in the responses to the temptations
We know what Adam and Eve did.
They trusted in the word of the Serpent rather than the Word of God.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Why did they do that?
Satan told Eve that she did not know good and evil the way God did.
When compared to God, she was lacking...
As surely as pride comes before a fall, comparison comes before discontentment.
These days, some see it as politically advantageous to purposely sow comparison and discontentment.
The reigning ideology on the left these days is that there are two classes of people - the oppressors and the oppressed.
We who have a biblical worldview can avoid some of this.
Paul preaches that we are to find contentment in whatever situation our sovereign Lord has placed us.
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We should fight for equality of opportunity.
What they fight for is equality of outcome.
Why?
Because they compare, and if anyone has more of anything good, it is because they are evil, opportunistic, and oppressive.
We can avoid this trap by avoiding unreasonable comparisons.
I am okay with all of you women being superior to me at being a woman.
I am not going to compare my ability with yours in this area and become discontented.
I would guess that all of you women are okay with my being superior at being a man.
Adam and Eve thought that it was unacceptable for God to have superior wisdom.
That is why they ate the fruit - Gen. 3.6 said the tree was to be desired to make one wise.
They weren’t satisfied with being human, they wanted more.
Comparison always leads either to pride and feelings of superiority, or to discontentment.
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We don’t have to fall into that trap.
Our sovereign God made you who you are, placed you where you are, and called you to serve him in your unique situation.
Be content with that - He knows what He is doing.
Also, there is no end to being dissatisfied if you constantly compare...
(( church of 200 - then church of 400 - then etc.))
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How did Jesus resist these temptations?
He had no itch Satan could scratch.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
((( temptation to cheat on my wife with most handsome man alive - NOPE)))
If that happened Satan would be using the entirely wrong type of bait for me. (see v. 14)
How was Jesus so secure in who he was and what his relationship to the Father was?
HE KNEW THE WORD OF GOD!
***ADD SOME STUFF ABOUT HOW SATAN EVEN TRIED TO USE MISAPPLIED SCRIPTURE IN THE TEMPTATION***
How did he know it?
He read it, studied it, and memorized it.
We should do the same!
Do you have an itch that Satan can scratch?
He will present you with legitimate desires, but offer you the wrong way to satisfy those desires.
Do you desire
Financial stability? - be jealous and demand that those who do have resources give them to you (by the way, you can apparently get a lot of votes if you go that route) OR work hard and trust the Lord to provide for your needs
Intimate companionship? - Chase inappropriate relationships OR work hard at your marriage or your friendships and relationships at church and with the Lord
The point is that there are good and godly ways to satisfy your legitimate desires.
You can have victory over Satan by being in Christ who was victorious over Satan.
You can have victory over Satan by being in Christ who was victorious over Satan.
Ultimately Jesus did what you cannot do.
He lived a perfect life.
None of Satan’s attempts ever worked on him.
You and I cannot say the same.
So, your ultimate victory over sin and Satan can only be gained by joining with Christ in his victory.
That is what salvation is.
As we saw earlier in our baptism, we are buried with Christ in death and raised to new life in Christ.
GOSPEL