Untitled Sermon (6)

I’m grateful that in God’s providence we are talking about temptation today.

Here in our text it’s quite clear that one of the central themes we are supposed to see is the fact that the Lord Jesus, the anointed one of God, the one in whom the Father is well pleased, is allowed to go immediately into the wilderness after his baptism to be tempted by the Devil.

Mark records this and uses the word, driven…that is to say, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”

Now, as Isaac mentioned last week, there is an incredible parallel between Christ’s baptism and wilderness experience, and Israel’s crossing through the red sea and then going into their wilderness journey for 40 years.

This contrast is going to provide us with great hope today by the time the sermon is over.

But the first point I want to address in this story is...

The circumstance of the testing

He was being led by the Spirit into the wilderness

There was a discipline of dependence upon God - fasting in order to draw nearer

Jesus has just experienced something that was encouraging and strengthening - as He heard the voice of His Father’s approval and affirmation.

Now, we need to understand that temptation for someone who is not following Christ is different from the temptations that Christians walk through.

A man who is tempted to cheat on his wife as a non-believer, though unpleasing to God, is not an attempt of the Devil to draw that person away from Christ.

Based on passages like Ephesian 2, and what we know about the deceitfulness of the human heart, a non-Christian is already obeying the will of Satan and is a slave to their sinful desire.

But a Christian, on the other hand, is faced with tests and temptations for only two reasons that I can see...

Satan wants to destroy you and the work of God on your life.

(often simultaneously) God wants to establish something, prove genuineness, and refine us through the time of testing.

When we look at Matthew 4 we see some of this at work, minus the refinement.

Remember that Jesus was perfect, and had no need for perfecting or refining in righteousness.

Jesus comes out of the water and journeys to the wilderness, led by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil.

Similarly, Israel came through the red sea, enemies crushed behind them, rejoicing and singing, and then went into 40 years of wandering in the dessert.

We are most prone to be tested and tempted on the heels of, or in the midst of blessing, comfort, and victory.

2. The character of the tempter

In our text we see the enemy is called by three different names.

The Devil

The Tempter

Satan

That word, Devil, means false accuser.

The Devil is the accuser. That’s what he does night and day…according to Revelation 12:10.

What accusation does he make?

All of them

This is who he is…and his accusations are meant to discourage and tear down, to degrade and derail you.

He accused Job before God. He sifted Peter like wheat.