“The Temptations of Jesus”

Matthew 4:1-11

We live in a fallen world where temptations abound. Sometimes those in the news and public office fall into moral failure. We are disappointed that those we have looked up to have succumbed to temptation. Maybe a better response would be, "there but for the grace of God go I." We should be aware of our own vulnerability. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." (I Corinthians 10:12).

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit of God moved Him right into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1) Always remember that God never tempts anyone to sin. (James 1:13-15) As with Job, God sometimes permits temptation, He allows us to be tested to prove that He is able to keep us and enable us to overcome. The devil tempts us in order that we would fall into sin. The devil is the enemy of our soul.

Here is the God-man, Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry at 30 years of age. Can He do the job? As Vernon McGee wrote, "Other men had failed -- they couldn't stand up under temptation. Adam failed. Noah got through the flood, and then miserably fell on his face. We saw that Abraham failed. Moses failed -- he led the children of Israel out of Egypt, but he wasn't permitted to enter the Promised Land. And King David failed. So we see that the temptation initiates Jesus into His work." It is a test to prove that He would not fail.

I. The Desires of our Physical Nature. 4:2-4

Luke and Mark's account of the temptation of Jesus suggests that Jesus was
tested through all of the 40 days, but Matthew tells us only of the final three- fold assault of the devil at the end of the 40 days of fasting. As you can imagine, Jesus was physically weak from lack of food. The devil says, why don't you satisfy your hunger by turning the stones into bread. I'm afraid that food is a temptation to many of us. You'll remember that Esau traded his birthright for a mess of pottage. (Genesis 25:29-34).

The devil's one aim in all the temptations was to get Jesus to act independent of His Father. In Hebrews 10:5,6, and 7, "When Christ came into the world, He said...I have come to do Your will, O God." (And verse 9.)

Jesus quotes a Bible verse, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every
word that comes from the mouth of God." (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus defeated the devil by a means open to His humblest follower, i.e. the Word of God. No wonder the devil has tried to get rid of the Bible all these years. The Apostle Paul referred to the Bible as "the sword of the Spirit." Food is important, but it is not man's only requirement. (John 6:26-29).

II. The Desires of the Eyes. 4:5-7

These three temptations remind me of the warning of the Apostle John in his first letter, 2:15-17. (read) The devil quotes Psalm 91:11-12, but he misapplies it. The promise from God is only for the obedient. Some see in this temptation, the devil's suggestion that Jesus set Himself up as a wonder-worker, and win a large following by putting on a "show." Try it out, let the angels keep You from harm. The normal way to get down from the top of the Temple is to use the stairs. We should not be reckless. We are not to expect God to do for us, what He gives us the ability to do for ourselves.

III. The Desires for the World. 4:8-10

Somehow the devil was able to show Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. He says, "This is my world. If you want to go places, you'll have to come to terms with me -- you'll have to play according to my rules. Just compromise and you'll have the people of the world." We hear it said today, "The end justifies the means." No, a good thing can be done in a bad way.

Why did Jesus come into this world? (Quote John 3:16) God so loved the people in the world that Jesus came to pay the penalty of our sin. Then He can offer us forgiveness of our sins, if we ask Jesus to be our Savior from sin,
and we can be adopted into the family of God as His child. The devil doesn't want that to be possible for human beings. He tempts Jesus to avoid the awful suffering of death on the Cross.

Again Jesus gains the victory over temptation by quoting another Bible verse "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." That's the beginning of the Ten Commandments, too, which Jesus knew. Jesus won the victory over the baits of the evil one. Jesus was not only completely committed to do God's will, He was committed to do it in God's way.

Jesus showed that He could do the job as our Savior!

Application:

1. How important to have a working knowledge of the Scriptures. Jesus answered each temptation with Bible verse. That should be our lifelong aim.

2. We are reminded that the devil (or satan) is our spiritual enemy, and we are not ignorant of his devises. He is behind all the confusion, wars, and turmoil in our world. He want us to yield to temptation and sin, therefore ruining our testimony for Christ.

Don't trade your future for temporary desires, like Esau.

3. I Corinthians 10:13 is a great promise to claim: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Our fall into sin is not inevitable. If we look to Jesus, He will provide a way of victory!

God has not promised that you will escape temptation, but you can escape defeat! "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One Who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Heb.4:l5-16.

A. Theodore Ekholm