Sermon for Sunday, November 17, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Old Testament reading:
[Genesis 3:1-7 ESV] 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’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 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.” 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. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
New Testament reading:
[Hebrews 2:14-18 ESV] 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Gospel reading:
[Mark 1:9-15 ESV] 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Sermon Text:
[Matthew 4:1-11 ESV] 1 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. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 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.'” 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.'” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” 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.” 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.'” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Introduction
Jesus was just baptized and anointed, commissioning him to his work as the anointed one, the messiah.
And what happens next? IMMEDIATELY Satan is on the attack. IMMEDIATELY.
But, Christ has the victory over temptation.
That is our subject for today. The victory of Christ over temptation.
Later in chapter 4 of Matthew’s Gospel we find that Jesus begins in his ministry. That is what you would expect to occur just after he was commissioned to it. But there is first this great trial of temptation.
And it is a trial that Jesus passes with flying colors. He is victorious.
The first thing to note about this trial is that it was in the plan and direction of God. Look at verse 1: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Jesus wasn’t going to the wilderness to go hiking and camping. Nor was he expecting to have some peace and quiet which was interrupted by the devil. Rather, he went there specifically to be tempted by the devil. That was God’s plan, directing Jesus by the Holy Spirit. “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” So while Satan thinks he is in control, it is truly in the purpose of God for Christ “to be tempted.”
And it may be that Jesus was tempted by Satan for the whole of the forty days. In Luke’s account of the story he says:
[Luke 4:1-2 ESV] 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.
But Matthew focuses on three particular temptations.
Satan “attempts to tempt” Jesus 3 times. I mostly use that phrase because it rhymes. He “attempts to tempt.” That’s actually poor English though, because it is redundant. Each temptation is an attempt; and it is not an attempt to tempt, but an attempt to get Jesus to sin. The reality is that Jesus WAS TEMPTED, BUT DID NOT SIN. Still, for lack of a better phrase, I call these Satan’s three “attempts to tempt” Jesus.
I. Satan’s three “attempts to tempt” Jesus.
The temptations are (1) Hunger, (2) Doubt, and (3) Pride. Three things in which normal men would not likely succeed, but Jesus passes the test.
ATTEMPT 1: Hunger (vs. 1-4)
The first attempt of temptation is hunger.
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.” 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.'”
The hunger comes on because of fasting. Jesus is fasting forty days and forty nights.
Why does Jesus go on this long fast?
There are two precursors to this in the Old Testament. Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, and Elijah fasted for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness.
In each case they fast before God’s revelation comes about. Moses, after fasting, receives the 10 commandments. And after Elijah’s fast we read that “the word of the Lord came to him.” After the fasting and wilderness experience of Jesus, we find the beginning of his ministry, revealing the truths of God in his preaching. So the fasting is preparatory to revelation.
It is also preparatory in Jesus’s case to the temptation of Satan. He fasts so that he’ll be hungry so that Satan can tempt him with the promise of bread.
How can Jesus fast for 40 days!
I can hardly go 40 MINUTES without eating!
So the text says, simply, “he was hungry.” That’s an understatement! 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. He was hungry. I would be ravenously hAngry.
So this is the opportunity in which Satan thinks he can have his will done.
3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
If you are the Son of God, do what you want!
But Jesus does the will of His father, and trusts Him.
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.'”
You’ll notice that in each response of Jesus to the temptations of Satan, He responds with the Word of God! That is so wonderful.
You remember the show Reading Rainbow? LeVar Burton. And they’d have kids doing book reviews. But to encourage other kids to actually read the book they’d always conclude with the phrase “You don’t have to take my word for it.”
Now, of course, Jesus’s word is God’s word, but he is saying to Satan in a sense “the recorded, understood, revealed Word of God in the Old Testament says … Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. Here, “It is written!”
But this phrase needs to be understood. Man doesn’t live by bread alone, but man does live by some sustenance. Yet, Jesus is pointing out that God is primary. He provides food and everything else. Jesus trusts in God to provide, rather than grumbling like the Israelites in the wilderness. And even IF he made bread from stones, that’s not enough. Bread only sustains you for a day; God sustains you for eternity.
So Round 1 goes to Jesus.
Then Satan tries again. He comes out swinging in Round 2.
Now we go from “Hunger” in Round 1, to “Doubt” in Round 2.
ATTEMPT 2: Doubt (vs. 5-7)
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.'” 7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
Here, as Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12, we learn an important lesson: OPPONENTS OF GOD WILL QUOTE THE SCRIPTURES TOO. But they’ll quote them out of context and with evil purpose in mind.
It is almost snarky the way in which Satan now quotes Scripture. Jesus had just quoted Scripture, so Satan is saying “I can do that too.” But he does it with evil intent.
We need to be aware of the fact that enemies of God quote the Word.
I saw an example just this week. A friend of mine is a professor of Philosophy at Arizona State University. And he’s a Christian, which is a rarity in any public university these days. Well, he noted in a post online that there is a constant stream of anti-evangelical hatred at his university, and that the only time you’ll find a professor quoting the Bible is if they can use a verse out of context to support their Marxist/Communist agenda. He warns “in many cases, the godless professors are Marxists and are twisting the Bible to manipulate the captive Christian students in their classes through misplaced empathy. They’ll use select Bible verses (out of context) to say that Christian should be in favor of socialism, welfare, and certain modern (but perverted) ideas of “social justice.”
So we really need to look no further than the colleges for mimicry of Satan in using Bible verses out of context.
Those same professors that use the Bible to support their political agenda, have NO USE for the Bible in any other case. Do you think they are interested in repentance, justification by grace alone, evangelism, or Biblical sexual ethics? Of course not.
So we are called to embrace ALL of the Bible, and to do so rightly, understanding it properly, in context, and in the spirit of the whole Bible, recognizing it as God’s word.
What is Jesus’s response to Satan?
“Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”
I love that. “AGAIN.” Again it is written. He’s saying “I’m not going to cease quoting Scripture.” Scripture is the authority. And it says “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
What does that mean? You shall not put the Lord your God to the test?
Testing God is asking Him to prove Himself when he has already repeatedly done so. Testing the Lord is doubting Him.
So that is what Satan is going after here: doubt. First he went on hunger, now on doubt.
And I’ve always found it amazing that the people of the Old Testament — the very people who saw the miracles of God — could fall from God and doubt him. They say in Exodus 17:7 for example, “Is the Lord among us or not.” And that text says that they “tested the Lord.” Is the Lord among us? How can that be doubted? But they doubt. Sinful man continues to doubt, though they have heard the Word and seen God acting in the world. But Jesus does not doubt.
The problem of doubt isn’t just in the Old Testament.
Jesus address it in the New Testament when he says “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign?” Why do they seek a sign, because they have no faith. No matter what has already been proven, they look for a sign. And if the Lord gives a sign, they’ll want another. They’ll continue to doubt.
So we are called to faith; and Jesus truly trusts God the Father despite Satan’s attempts at getting Him to do otherwise.
ATTEMPT 3: Pride (vs. 8-11)
Then we have Satan’s third attempt. Pride.
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.” 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.'” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
“All these I will give you.”
You can see the absurdity of this. What do you get a man who has everything? Right, Jesus is God. Ultimately, everything is his. It is absurd for Satan to be offering the kingdoms of the world to Jesus. He is the King of Kings.
But, yes, the kingdoms are not godly kingdoms. So there is sense in which Satan is the ruler of THIS world. 2nd Corinthians 4:4 refers to him as “the god of this world.”
So he is tempting Jesus with giving Him the kingdoms of this world.
And Jesus responds, a third time with Scripture. “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” He’s quoting from Deuteronomy 6:13-14.
Jesus doesn’t just quote Scripture this time. He also says “Be gone, Satan.” And we see Jesus’s power because we next read “then the devil left him.”
So these attempts of Satan to tempt Jesus are just that; only attempts. It is not a balanced fight. Jesus wins every time. He is 3-0 here.
So we see that Jesus is victorious against Satan and against temptation.
But there is more to learn from this passage.
II. Spiritual warfare is real.
We learn also that spiritual warfare is real. We have an example it is this text.
So the fiction of C. S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters isn’t absurd. The devil and his minions, those fallen angels, hate God and want you to worship them.
We don’t speak about spiritual warfare much in Reformed churches. But let’s look at some verses on the subject:
[2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV] 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
So, there is warfare that is not physical. So it must be spiritual.
[Ephesians 6:11-12 ESV] 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For 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.
So the enemy is specified. It is the devil and his fallen angels.
[1 Peter 5:8 ESV] 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
And how does he attack us? Through lies. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).
So we must daily fight against the lies of Satan. And what is our weapon for this fight? Against lies, we use the truth of the God’s word.
Paul says:
[2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV] 5 We destroy arguments [lies] and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
And James says:
[James 4:7 ESV] 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
So the enemy is Satan. He works by lies. But we respond with the Truth, from the word of God.
Consider an example: the temptation to look down on yourself. “I’m not good enough, I’m not capable enough, etc.” Here the work of Satan is very evident. All the marketing in the world. Buy our product. Why do you need their product, because without it you aren’t good enough. But the truth of the Word of God we must respond with is “I am made in the image of God.” I sin, but I have a savior who has redeemed me and will provide for all my needs.
So we overcome temptation and fight spiritual warfare with the truth of God. We might also say “be gone, Satan.”
APPLICATION: Look to Christ who passed the test.
But “how to overcome temptation’ is not primarily what the chapter is about. It is about the fact that Jesus DID overcome temptation. And he did so FOR US.
You see, Adam and Eve failed. The fell to the temptation that came to them. Consider the parallels here. They were tempted with hunger (an apple), doubt (did God really say?), and pride (you will be like God, knowing good and evil). Their adversary also was Satan, the deciever. The same adversary came against Christ and brought the same temptations. But where Adam and Even fell, Jesus had victory.
That’s who you want as a teacher. You want a teacher who himself got 100% on the exam!
And even more than a teacher, he is our savior. Passing the test that man would never pass. Being out substitute, and calling us all to union with Him, blessed by Him and following his ways that we might also, as the prayer says, be delivered from evil.
Praise God for Jesus Christ and his victory over temptation and over the devil.
Amen.