Sinless Matthew 4:1-11

-The Son of God lived in sinless submission to the Father.

I can’t help but recall here a scene from The West Wing. White House chief of staff Leo McGarry reaches out to his deputy, Josh Lyman, who is struggling with PTSD. Leo tells him a parable:

This guy’s walking down the street when he falls down a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey, you! Can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription and throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts, “Father, I’m down in this hole. Can you help me out?”

The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a friend walks by. “Hey, Joe, it’s me! Can you help me out?” And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”

The Sinless Son:

I. Faces Temptation vv. 1-2

As we continue forward in our series, we pick up at a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus: His temptation

On the one hand, this feels impossible. How can God, who is sinless, be tempted to sin?

We find the answer in Christ’s incarnation. He takes on all of the attributes of humanity and endures the total experience of humanity.

In this experience, we see Jesus’s humanity on full display. He is:

Under the Holy Spirit’s direction. He does not go out of His own desire.

Isolated- He will experience loneliness as he goes into a deserted place.

Exposed- He is out in the elements in a wilderness.

Hungry- He participates in a 40 day fast. He is going to the extremes of human limitation and weakness in His pursuit of God

Tempted- While in His weakest physical and emotional state, He will be confronted by the Enemy, who is identified as both the tempter and the devil

He makes sin look enticing and wise

He uses accusation as a tool, calling into question the character and purpose of God and looks for opportunities to bring accusation against God’s people

We must understand that temptation is not a silly game, but carries cosmic consequences, because our participation in sin separates from God.

In light of this, Jesus is clearly just like us and completely unlike us:

He fully experienced the temptation that we are facing

Yet, He endured it without sin

Knowing this ought to color our perception of who He is!

George Truett was a tremendously effective pastor for decades in Texas. His heart was broken when he accidentally killed his best friend while they were on a hunting trip. His daughter said that she never heard him laugh after that day. Truett had a radio program, and each day when it came to a close he would say, “Be good to everybody, because everybody is having a tough time.” Because he knew personally what a heavy burden people could be carrying, he encouraged compassion toward them.

Hebrews 4:15

[15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (ESV)

II. Chooses Submission vv. 3-10

Spiritual over Material vv. 3-4

The temptations begin with one that strikes at the need of the moment

Since Jesus is the Son of God, why should He go hungry? He clearly has the power to turn stones to bread

However, Jesus has placed greater focus on the spiritual need than the material one

He will not subvert His powers to a purpose beyond the one given Him by the Spirit

We face this kind of temptation all the time; we must choose what is spiritually true over what is materially expedient!

Do not miss this: Jesus willingly accepts the limitations of humanity; He has become our brother in the flesh

Faith over Sight vv. 5-6

In the second temptation, Jesus is tempted to cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple

In so doing, Satan is tempting Jesus to force God’s hand, providing affirmation: It is as though Jesus is saying, “if you really love me, you won’t let me fall”

This is the sight-dependent life, seeking a sign and constant confirmation

Instead, Jesus chooses the life of faith; He recognizes the seriousness of putting God to the test.

He moves forward, trusting that when the need arises, the Lord will be ready to care for Him.

There are many of us that are living with this temptation: we are waiting to serve God until we have received a sign

The Cross over the Shortcut vv. 7-10

In the final temptation, Jesus receives an offer: He can have all of the kingdoms of the world!

All that it will take is a singular act of worship, bowing to the whim of Satan

Interestingly, all of the Kingdoms of the world are already His inheritance; they are what He will receive on the other side of the Cross

Satan isn’t offering Jesus something new; He’s offering a shortcut around suffering

Instead, Jesus accepts the way of the Cross, the way of suffering, and the way that will bring us into His righteousness

We must understand that the suffering that Jesus endured was for us! We are the joy that was set before Him!

Hebrews 12:1–2

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (ESV)

III. Defeats Sin v. 11

The moment comes and goes, and Satan finally leaves Jesus alone

He has been victorious over the temptation and the tempter

His victory here is important because it sets the pattern for what He will be: the Sinless Son God intended as the Supreme Sacrifice

When we look at Jesus here we see:

The pattern for overcoming temptation- He sets an example of resistance and wise obedience

The power for overcoming temptation- He has made a way for us to live in righteousness

The picture of overcoming temptation- He is sinlessly perfect. In a world filled with wickedness, there is one place to look for real beauty, in Christ

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge, the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the bridge, where it stayed an entire day. One worker asked, "Are you trying to break this bridge?" "No," the builder replied, "I'm trying to prove that the bridge won't break." In the same way, the temptations Jesus faced weren't designed to see if He would sin, but to prove that He couldn't.

Isaiah 45:22

[22] “Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no other. (ESV)