COPC Matt 4:1-11 Jesus's Battle in the Wilderness.

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Sermon Text Matt 4:1-11

4 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.

1. vs. 1-4 Satan’s First Temptation of Jesus

Our narrative begins Just after Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in chapter 3.
and the Holy Spirit decended on him like a dove.
and God the Father said this is my beloved Son Hear Him.
And immediately after this High point of the Trinity all pointing to Christ as the Messiah,
The long awaited Savior of all Gods Elect.
Jesus is attacked here in chapter 4.
vs 1 says Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil
The Holy Spirit is leading Christ into the wilderness.
Some things that might come to mind is this a testing.
A testing of what Christ must demonstrate.
Christ must demonstrate perfect obedience.
And why is this?
Becasue another man that was in a wilderness or a garden was tempted by Satan and succumb to his temptations to be like God.
Adam and Eve wanted to be like God.
They wanted to have it all.
And that is what Satan tempted them with.
You can know what is Good and Evil
you can be like God.
But even though God made them upright as Eccleciaties says Eccles 7:29
Ecclesiastes 7:29 ESV
See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.
They sought out and schemed against God.
They wanted to usurp his authority for themselves.
But what did they get instead
Romans 5:12 gives us some direction In this.
Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”
They thought they would be like God.
But now through Adam all mankind can not come into Gods presence.
And this is the thing that Christ is here to fix
that event in time when man commited cosmic treason.
So Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to correct what once went wrong.
Not for himself.
But for all of Gods Elect that are descended from Adam and who have been poisoned so to say with the guilt of the sin.
The wanting to be righteous
the corruption of our nature
the curse of sinning in thought word and deed daily.
And Jesus is tempted as Adam was tempted
vs 2-3 say 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
Its interesting that the first temptation of Christ is concerning food and Adams first sin was the forbidden fruit.
And Christ does something miraculous to begin with he fasts for 40 days and 40 nights.
He does something ordinary men can’t do.
Unless through a miracle of God
Only one other man in Scripture fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and did Moses in
Exodus 34:27-28 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”
Moses was with the Lord when he completed this task of giving men the law that would be the ever reminder of their need for a savior.
And here in Matthew our Lord Jesus is not eating or Drinking for 40 days to do what.
to do what Adam couldn't do.
To do what Moses couldn't do
To put his body in such a condition that any man including Moses including Adam including me and you would have taken Satan up on his offer to eat the Bread.
But not Christ
Not our Messiah
Even though he was in a state of extreme hunger he rebukes the devil.
But what did Satan say in vs 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.
He says prove yourself that you are the Son of God
Make these stones into bread.
You know your hungry.
But again Satan is casting his worldview of Satan being in charge.
Satan wants God doing the will of Satan.
But Christ combats this by quoting the Scriptures
speaking the truth of Gods Word
The very word who stands before satan now
the God Man the Word that became flesh for all those that believe on his name.

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.’ ”

Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Jesus is referencing when God fed the people of Israel in the wilderness with the Mana the “Bread from God” and what was the people of Israels reaction?
They grumbled that they only had this bread from God that they could eat freely every Day that God supplied.
It was supposed to show them they were to have a daily dependence on God.
As Jesus instructs his disciples later to say “Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
So Christ tells Satan we are not to live by bread Alone.
But by the what”EVERY WORD THST COMES FROM THE MOUNTH OF GOD.
We cannot ignore his Word
We cannot ignore any of theses 66 books that make up something better than bread.
But the will of Christ for us.
We are to live by his Word.
Cling to his Word
Cling to the promises declared to us in his word like the very bread we eat in this life to live.
Only His word is better than bread
His word is Sweet
His word is refreshing
His Word which says Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
This is the very word Christ is referring to
We are to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Not just the ones we agree with.
We are given further revelation about how we are to know and apply the Word of God against the onslaught of the devil in the book of Ephesians.
Eph 6:16-17 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
So we are to not only to know the Word of God but to apply the word of God to the temptations that may befall us in this life.
Through the Word of God and the Grace of God with the help of the Spirit of God, is how the Christian is to walk through the trials of this life.
As Christ said we are not to live by bread alone but by every Word breathed out by God.
This declaration of Christ and Moses condemns those,
who think life is to consist in luxury and abundance;
it reproves the distrust which drives us to seek unlawful means of obtaining things.
We are rather to trust in God for food,
and for the other necessities of this present life,
Its interesting that Christ did not consider himself to be at liberty to change stones into bread.
unless the word of God commanded it,
We should not in this life procure food by fraud, or robbery, or violence, or murder.
Rather we are to obtain all the things of this life without violating the Word of God.
Its Christ who will provide for us all our needs in this life.
But we must obtain things both physical and spiritual only in accordance with his Word.
​
Next in vs 5-7 we see

2. Vs. 5-7 Satan’s Second Temptation of Jesus

The devil then comes at Jesus with another attack in verse 5-11
Matthew 4:5-6 “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 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.’ ””
So Satan takes Jesus advice but try's to use it against him.
Gods Word does say throw yourself down
Gods Word does say that Christ will be upheld by the angels.
And that Christ’s foot won’t even hit one of the stones below.
What is Satan trying to do?
He’s twisting the Word of God to serve his purpose.
This is part of Psalm 91:11-12 that Satan in twisting
Psalm 91:11-12 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
Yes what Satan said was true.
Satan is not wrong in proving from this passage,
that angels have been given to Christ,
to wait on him,
to guard him,
and to bear him on their hands.
But is the Word of God being applied for the Glory of God.
Or for the Glory of his creature Satan.
Satan is saying“If you expose yourself to death, contrary to the will of God,
angels will protect your life.”
Jesus points out satans sin and withstands the temptation yet again in verse 7

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Again Christ quotes the Old Testament
Deuteronomy 6:16 ““You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.”
You see Christ was not a New Testament Christian
Christ was not a dispensational in his theology.
Christ saw the word of God as a whole and the Old testament was the Bible that he and the apostles quoted constantly and expounded on the scriptures as Jesus is expounding on it and applying them now to Satans sin.
It is evident, that the strategy of the enemy was intended to get Christ to exalt himself,
and to rise, in a daring manner, against God.
But Christ is not compromised and continues to walk a perfect life.
A sinless life
For the glory of God
And for the sake of all his Elect.
So are we to Tempt God as Satan did?
God’s word commands Satan and me and you not to tempt God.
Not to continue in sin presuming upon the grace of God.
Thats what tempting God is.
When you know something is wrong.
You know Gods Word calls it sin.
And you step over that line anyway.
And you say Jesus will forgive me I’m his child.
That sounds like the speech of Satan in our text.
That sounds like the speech of the Pharisees who said we have Abraham as our Father.
Brothers and Sisters let us not put God to the test as they did in Massah.
Will we always obey the Lord perfectly?
Of Course not.
But lets not sin just to test the Lord
Rather flee from sin and cling to Christ your mediator.
Your Redeemer.
Your King.
The one who in this text resisted Satan.
resisted Sin.
And continued to always obey the Father.
Next in Verse 8-11 we see

3. Vs. 8-11 Satan’s Final Temptation of Jesus

Lets read verses 8-11 again

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.

Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms
All the things of this world that would one day bow the knee to Christ.
And Satan says I can give them to you.
They all serve me currently.
Satan is saying I am the prince of this world.
I can give these nation to you Jesus.
But what is Christs response.
Even though Christ’s senses were moved and powerfully affected by the glory of the kingdoms which was presented to him,
Christ had no inward desire in his mind;
Christ did not have the lusts of the flesh trouble him, like men or animals, are drawn,
to the objects which please us:
Christ had the same feelings as we do ourselves, but he had no irregular appetites or desires.
The kind of temptation here described was,
that Christ should seek,
in another manner than from the one prescribed by God,
The inheritance which he has promised to his children.
So what was Christs response to this temptation.
The same as before but now he commands him to be gone
He says it is Written

You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Deut 6:13 “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”
Joshua 22:5 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.””
We are not only to worship the true and living God.
The God of the Scriptures.
The God who spoke to Moses
The God who called you out of this sin darkened world by the Word of His Power.
The God who saves dead men who once did not have his spirit
But now by his grace are no longer a brood of Vipers
but call on the Name of the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I don’t want you to miss this if you haven’t seen it already.
But these interactions with Satan and the interaction where he battles him in the flesh throughout his life.
These three instances are examples of Christs active obedience.
This is Christ doing the work Adam could not do.
This is Christ doing the work that you and I can’t do.
The Spirit of God leads Christ into the wilderness to demonstrate to the world and to his elect that Jesus the Messiah has come and his work will succeed where all others will fail.
Jesus has the power to conquer the devil.
Jesus has the power to call you out from the service of Satan.
Becasue of this active obedience against sin, the devil, and the flesh.
Christ didn’t live by bread alone.
Christ didn't seek his own will but the Fathers will.
Christ didn’t fall down and worship Satan for the kingdoms of the World.
Christ served the Father, and it was only the Fathers will that he served.
And what a glorious God to serve.
the one who sent his Son not only to live this life of perfect obediance.
Not only fulfilling these prophecies that spoke of and pointed to Christ.
But would one day lead to the Cross where Christ would say if this cup could pass father let it pass but not my will but your will Father.
It was always in service to the true and living God.
And the end of our Narrative is in verse 11

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Was Christ never tempted again in his life after this temptation?
Not yet because there truce or this relaxation granted to Christ after this temptation was only for a short time.
Until Jesus had been fully tried by every contest prescribed by God the Father and prophesied what Christ would do in his life for the redemption of His elect Christ could not rest.
Christ was left for only a season.
This informs us, that the rest of his life was not entirely free from temptations, but that God restrained the power of Satan,
so that Christ was not completely disturbed by him.
Just like Christ was tempted
God usually acts towards his elect in the same way.
God some times permits us to be tried,
But then he sends relief for season in our life from the violence of the temptation,
So that we might be built up by His Word.
God gives us the Lords Day as a grace to fend off the temptations of the flesh during the week.
To be refreshed by the Word of God preached to us.
To rejoice in the Prayers and Songs we offer up to God.
To take part in the Lords Supper
and to feed on the bread and wine which point us to the finished work of Christ
And so we can gather and gain courage for the battles that may arise the next week.
So what immediately follows for Christs Temptation
The angels waited on him, the angels comforted him, so that Christ might feel, that God the Father took care of him, and fortified him, by his powerful assistance, against Satan.
So we should feel that God comforts us by the means of Grace each Lords Day.
And taking our eyes off of our problems.
And looking to Christ Active and Passive obediance which has secured our standing before the Father now and when we pass on to the next life.
So Christ overcomes the devil in his work.
The Devil Flees
just as Christ would accomplish this work in his death when he cries out those words from the cross in Matt 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised

This is when Christ finished his work.
And Satan was not just fleeing from him like in our text this morning.
Rather Christ crushed the head of the serpent.
And when he said it was finished.
Not only was Christ victorious over Satan.
But he accomplished the work needed to redeem a people to himself
redeem a people given to him before the foundation of the World.
He Redeemed all those who now know Christ as Savior.
Who knew him in the passed as the promised Messiah who would one day come.
And those who will one day come to know of Christ and will be blessed by the Savior in the future.
Before Christ Returns in the Final Judgment.
What a Savior
What aGod.
The Lord Jesus who calls all sinners everywhere to repent and turn to him.
Who calls all his elect to have Faith in him and bask in his marvelous life described here in the Scriptures.
To live on more than bread
and to only Worship him the true and living God.
And it is to Him we look to and know one else.
And it is to him we pray.
Let us Pray.

Let us pray.

​
Father we thank you for this time to study and meditate on your Word
We ask that you would make this sermon meaningful in the minds of us your children.
Father we ask that we would be so on fire for you Lord that your Word and our time in it would be on our lips today
with our children and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We ask for all this in Christs name Amen.
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