The True Israel

Call to Worship: Nehemiah 9:5b-6 // Prayer

Adoration: God, you, and you alone, have all life in yourself. You have made the highest heaven, with all its host, the earth and all that is on it, the oceans and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them by the word of your power; and the host of heaven worships you

Confession: Yet, we have lived as though you were not our sovereign God. When you’ve called us to pass through humiliation, we have clung to pride and self-interest. When you’ve called us to empty ourselves for the sake of others, we’ve grumbled. Though you’ve shown us your love—eternal and divine—we’ve acted as if it hardly matters. Father, forgive us, for we have sinned against you.

Thanksgiving: But you really have shown us your love in the humiliation of your Beloved Son for our salvation—and your love belongs to us forever. So we confess our sins to your mercy with boldness, and rejoice in your grace, by which all condemnation has been removed forever.

Supplication: and we ask that in imitation of your grace, you might teach us to forgive and love one another, and that our hearts might be bound together in the hope of the gospel, so that in the One Spirit we may have unity // SGC: that the light of the gospel would shine out from them; and especially for the young new believers who have just joined their congregation: wisdom for discipleship // Governor Kotek: blessing and protection; that she would surrender to your gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and become our sister in Christ; that by your sovereign hand you would steer hear heart to approve no law which is unjust, or which would oppose the spread of your gospel // Burma: as fighting continues there, we ask for protection for your people, and that they would show a witness of love, forgiveness, and hope which shines the very bright light of your gospel into that darkness // to the word

Family Matters

Congregational meeting + thanksgiving potluck next week!

Benediction

Philippians 4:23 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Sermon

Intro: The Son Prepared to Test

Have you ever failed a test?

I’ve failed a few big ones. But one that sticks out to me was a ship flooding simulator. It was a room set up to feel like the inside of a steel ship, with pipes running through in various places, ladders, massive valves… and of course, it was all rigged. There were holes in different places in the walls and in the pipes. And so, the instructors sealed us in, and then began to turn on the water to various holes—one at a time, at first. And as soon as we saw a spray of water, we grabbed our patching gear and did our best to stop the flow. But as more and more holes began to spew water at us, we fell behind, and the water level in the room began to rise. Finally, they turned on the water to a giant open flange way up in the top of the space. A couple of us made valiant efforts to stop the flow, but it was all in vain. The room was flooding. We failed the test. If we’d been on a real ship at sea, we’d be dead.

It makes a difference, when the outcome of the test means life or death.

Israel—God’s Son—encountered a test kind of like this, but with much higher stakes.

They were led by God into the wilderness. They became hungry. The test was this: would they trust God’s promise to bring them safely to Canaan, or would they be ruled by their stomachs? Well, they were never going to pass this test in the first place: their hearts were twisted up in idolatry and selfishness, and so they chose bread instead of God. And the great tragedy was this: if God’s chosen people—who were supposed to be a light to the nations—failed this test so quickly, what hope of salvation could there be for the rest of the world? How could sin and death ever by overturned?

Well, many centuries later, another Son of God—Jesus—was led into the wilderness. Look at verses 1-2:

Matthew 4:1–2 ESV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Notice: as Israel lived in the wilderness 40 years, so Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days.

And as Israel became hungry, so Jesus went without food the whole time of his test.

Matthew is calling our attention to these details for a reason: Israel failed this test centuries earlier, but now, the True Son of God is going to face it again. Will he pass the test? Will he qualify to be a light to the nations? Our own spiritual life or death hung in the balance on that question! But what we’re going to see this morning is that, exactly where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded. Jesus passed the test. And we’re going to see this in three steps:

First, Satan tempts Jesus to give in to hunger, but Jesus responds that God’s Word is better than bread.

Second, Satan goes up a notch, urging Jesus to test the Father’s love; Jesus refuses, and maintains faith in the Father.

Third, Satan goes all out by tempting Jesus to take the easy road of idolatry as a way to establish the Kingdom; Jesus refuses, rebukes Satan, and passes the test.

1. Bread vs. The Word

[The Temptation] So, these three temptations get more extreme with each step.

But that doesn’t mean that the first temptation is easy: in our Wednesday evening study, Darren pointed out that when it says, “he was hungry,” it’s kind of an understatement. It had been 40 days since he’d had bread! So he had an extreme physical desire. But mixed with this was the question of life or death: after 40 days without food, the thought of death by starvation becomes personal. Notice: the Scripture Jesus quotes in verse 4 is not about whether you have bread to satisfy your hunger, but whether you have bread to keep you alive.

But notice how Satan delivers the temptation (vs. 3): “If you are the Son of God…” turn the stones into bread. “IF”

What’s Satan trying to do with this “IF”? He’s trying to play off of Jesus’ identity as the Beloved Son, to twist it “Come on man, this isn’t right. You’re the Son loved by the Father. You shouldn’t be suffering in this way. You shouldn’t be facing death by hunger! And I know you can change it. Just make a few of these rocks into bread.”

[Israel’s/Our Failure] This is much like the temptation of Israel.

They were traveling through the wilderness and ran out of food, right after being rescued from Egypt. And God had rescued them with great signs and wonders, proving they were his Beloved Son. But now, they were hungry—facing death by hunger in the wilderness. And how did they react? Rather than trust the Lord, they grumbled.

Isn’t that a lot like us? Here’s what Romans 8:32 says about the Father:

Romans 8:32 ESV

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Do yo see it? The Father has given up the Son to death for us, and so has given him to us as King and husband. How can we doubt the Father’s love after that?

But how does Satan speak to us? “If you are a beloved child, then you shouldn’t be suffering like this. You should be able to satisfy yourself and enjoy life.”

E.g. to a young believer who really wants to be married, Satan might say, “Why are you waiting to satisfy this desire? (Implication: God’s holding out on you!) Satisfy it now—you know that person who might go to bed with you; you know that website you could click on. You have the power. Turn these stones to bread.”

And what do we do? Well, so often, we at least grumble. Then, sometimes, we also take sinful action to get what we want.

[Jesus’ Success]

But what was Jesus’ response? Verse 4—he quoted Scripture to defeat the temptation. Specifically, he quoted Deuteronomy 8:3—a verse that talks about God leading Israel through the wilderness:

Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV

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.

Moses was telling Israel, “God led you through the wilderness like this to help you learn that God’s promises and laws are more important for life than even bread itself.”

You may remember that Israel learned this only after a lot of grumbling and idolatry… and then quickly forgot it once they’d settled in the promise land

But the True Son of God, Jesus, was different: from the very first moment of the test, he delighted in the Father’s Word— “My Father’s Word is like bread for me. So I delight in him, even in my suffering.”

In this way, as the true and better Israel, Jesus Passed the Test.

And BTW: as we go through this passage, you’ll see that Jesus’ consistent response to temptation was to delight in Scripture that he had memorized. Brothers and Sisters: Scripture hidden in your heart is a blessing and a great way to point your heart back to God during temptation. And if you find the idea of Scripture memory daunting, let me encourage you: most of you probably already have a whole chapter of Scripture memorized: Psalm 23. And if you don’t let me plead with you: set aside time this week to memorize Psalm 23, and then say it to yourself when you’re washing dishes, or driving, or… being tempted.

2. Feeling God’s Love vs. Faith in God

[The Temptation] But what was Satan’s response to Jesus’ success?

He upped his game. “Oh, you delight in God’s Word, do you? I’ll give you God’s Word.” So he took Jesus to the high point of the temple, and (vs. 6)

Matthew 4:6 ESV

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.’ ”

What was Satan trying to do? Notice, he starts off the same way he did with the first temptation: “If you are the Son of God...” It’s like he’s saying, “OK Jesus. Are you really the Beloved Son? If the Father really loves you, then why are you here, suffering in the wilderness? Why don’t you make the Father prove his love? Look: it says it right here, in the Bible: his angels will stop you from hurting yourself. So… jump, and he’ll send them. And then, you’ll know he loves you”

Do you see it? Satan is telling Jesus to reject faith, and rely on sight. “It doesn’t matter that the Father said he loves you. Don’t trust that. Make him prove his love on your terms. Make him show you a miracle where he rescues you.” That’s the essence of the temptation.

[Israel’s/Our Failure]

And Israel experienced a similar temptation: at Massah, in the wilderness, they ran out of water… and grumbled. It didn’t matter that God had already proven his love to them, already promised to bring them safely to Canaan, already called them, “my firstborn Son.” They asked, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” And so they failed the test. [And you can read about it in Exod. 17.]

What was their problem? They measured God’s love as if he was a heavenly butler. If he did not bring what they felt they needed, when they wanted it, he must not love them. It was a complete failure to understand who God is—his measureless worth, his perfect wisdom and faithfulness.

And isn’t this exactly what we do? God leads us into tests where his love is not apparent in our physical circumstances. And we quickly begin to live as though we are not his beloved children—a difficult relationship, a chronic illness, and we start grumbling because God is not showing himself on our terms in our timing. We wouldn’t say it that way. But if you grumble in the universe governed by our Sovereign God... that’s what you are saying.

[Jesus’ Success]

But what was Jesus’ response? Again, he quoted Scripture to defeat the temptation—this time from Deuteronomy 6:16. The full verse reads:

Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

Originally, this was Moses was reminding Israel: “God tested you at Massah, and you failed. You turned around and put God to the test instead of trusting him. When you’re settled in the promise land—don’t test God like that.”

This was a warning that Israel ultimately failed to obey.

But again, where Israel failed, the True Son of God succeeded. Jesus, the True and Better Israel, did not test the Father, but trusted him through the suffering, and so, passed the test.

3. Glory vs. Worshiping God

[The Temptation] So how did Satan respond?

He went for the jugular!

He took Jesus up on a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “Just worship me, and I’ll give all this to you.”

What’s Satan up to, here? Is he just tempting Jesus with the allure of power and authority?

To get the full picture, we need a flash forward. What did Jesus explain to the disciples after he rose from the dead?

Matthew 28:18 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

So, in the end, Jesus DID received authority over all the kingdoms of the earth

But he received it from the Father, as a result of passing through the humiliation of the cross!

So, back to the temptation. What was Satan offering Jesus when he offered him all the kingdoms of the world? A way out of the cross—of the terrifying humiliation which the Father had appointed for him. Satan was offering Jesus a crown without a cross, with the small price of simply bowing down to the evil one.

Israel’s/Our Failure

This is not unlike the temptation faced by Israel in the land of Canaan. It went like this: If you’re an Israelite farming village, how can you ensure that the rain you need for your crops will come? You can trust God, and live for him. Whatever the case, he will provide for your needs. Or, instead, you can follow the local Canaanite gods, and worship them to try to get rain, or whatever else. Moses warned about this in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 6:13–14 ESV

It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—

BTW: that’s the verse that Jesus quoted to refute this temptation...

Now, God actually caused some of the Canaanites to remain in the land with their idols, living alongside Israel, in order to test Israel’s loyalty. What was the result? Who did Israel worship and who did they trust to provide for them? Soon after settling in the land, they turned to the Canaanite gods and worshiped them as a way to obtain blessing.

And this is alot like us: God appoints suffering or difficulty in our lives, and we quickly turn away from worshiping him. And we bow down to whatever we think will make our road easier.

Think of our position in our own culture: as biblical Christians, we hold some viewpoints which many of our neighbors see as hateful and stupid. And so, we face a road of humiliation, of being scorned. Brothers and sisters, it is God in his sovereignty who has appointed this road for us; when we are scorned for the truth, we are only walking in Jesus’ footsteps!

But the temptation for us is to avoid this humiliation. And comes in two forms. Either, we may be tempted to put our hope in the power of politics to change our country, rather than in the power of the gospel save us. Or, we may be tempted to compromise our ethics until we don’t even offend the culture anymore. But either choice is bowing the knee to a different god.

[Jesus’ Success]: But what was Jesus’ response to this temptation?

Matthew 4:10 ESV

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.’ ”

Really, this describes the most fundamental human issue of all—we were created to know and worship God, to gaze upon his beauty and worship him with fear and joy. There is nothing more beautiful, more transcendent, more filled with goodness and blessing than this.

And Jesus was passionate in defense of true worship, and against idolatry—you can see that his how his response to Satan is more severe here than in the previous two temptations: “Be gone, Satan!”

But he was not just passionate about the concept of true worship. He was passionate to maintain his own total devotion to the Father, even in the suffering of his wilderness humiliation.

And so, for the final time, Jesus passed the test.

But why does this matter? Why should it affect us?

In all of this, we see the beauty of Jesus:

Wholehearted devotion to the Father, not like our wavering devotion.

Spotless righteousness, not like the ugliness of our records.

And the strange wisdom that the Divine Son would actively choose the path of suffering, so that when he is crowned king, he might bring many sinners to glory with him.

And not only this, but the fact that Jesus passed this test means that Jesus is our righteousness—that we are counted righteous based on his righteousness. How so? Last Sunday, we saw that Jesus has united himself with his sinful people—the very people who have failed the test. This is why it’s such a big deal that Jesus is the True and Better Israel! He passed exactly the test that they failed—that we’ve all failed. But united to the Son by faith, all true believers are judged by the Father to have the Son’s own righteousness.

And then, in awe of such a gift, we are to look to Jesus as our example for fighting sin: clinging to God by reciting his Word in the face of temptation.

Conclusion: The Father’s Love Affirmed

As believers, our lives are shaped like Jesus’ life. Like him, in this world, we will have trouble and be tested.

But notice verse 11. What happened after the trial was complete? The Father did exactly what Satan tried to bate Jesus about in verse 6! He commanded his angels to minister to the Son.

This foreshadowed the glory of Jesus’ enthronement in heaven after the agony of his cross. But it also says to us: the tests which the Father has ordained in your life are real and painful. But soon they will give way to the day when we will be glorified with the Son, for we shall see him as he is.

Lord’s Table: Bread in the Wilderness

[invite volunteers to come forward]

By refusing bread during his fast in the wilderness, Jesus prepared himself to become bread for us. And then, on the cross, he gave himself to be broken as our bread of life, and his blood to be shed to signal the new covenant of our salvation. And so now, in the wilderness of this world, as we partake of this bread and this cup this morning, the Spirit himself ministers the presence of Christ to us, and we commune with him.

‌“And so, this ordnance of the Lord’s Table is a place for weary sinners to find comfort. And so, if you are a believer who has already symbolized the beginning of your union with Christ through baptism, and are in good standing with your local congregation, we welcome you to participate in this Table with us. But if you are not yet a believer, or don’t know what that means, we ask that you don’t participate, but instead watch as we partake of the bread and the cup and think about what this means: that Jesus gave himself up to death, so that if you come to him, you also will find life..”

‌[invite congregation to come forward]

‌‌‌1 Corinthians 11:23-24 “…the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””

‌1 Corinthians 11:25 “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.””

‌1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”