Overcoming Temptation: The Temptation of Jesus

No one is so good that he is immune from temptation. We will never be entirely free from it.… There is no order so holy, no place so secret where there will be no temptation.

Thomas à Kempis (Ascetical Writer)

All of us are subject to be tempted.

Adam and Eve were tempted.

Cain was tempted.

Abraham was tempted to doubt the promise of God.

Lot was tempted with Sodom.

Job was tempted to curse God.

David was tempted with Bathsheba.

Joseph was tempted to put away Mary.

Paul was tempted with his thorn.

Timothy was tempted with cowardliness.

Peter was tempted with denial.

Now to Our greatest example, Jesus Christ our Saviour was tempted with every temptation. That’s what we find in the text for this morning.

THE CONTEXT:

John has just announced Jesus to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” Jn 1:29. Then John had the privilege to baptise our Lord and in a remarkable display of power and grace; In Ch. 3: 13-17 God opened up the heavens, His Spirit descends like a dove upon the Lord and God declares “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” But then we see in our text today that immediately after his baptism, came a confrontation with the devil. In this text of scripture you’ll find that the devil tempts our Lord in three distinct ways.

Temptation #1: Forsake The Will of God. V. 1-4

Temptation #2: Distort The Word of God. V. 5-7

Temptation #3: Abandon The Worship Of God. V. 8-10

What we need to see and take home with us this morning is that we too are tempted in the exact same way. But for our encouragement, I’m going to go ahead and tell you the end of the story; JESUS WINS!

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’”

Temptation #1: To Forsake The Will of God. V. 1-4

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

The Father’s Will.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness...”. V. 1a.

Notice that Jesus was not led into the wilderness by the devil.

In fact, the Spirit of God led him into the place where He was to be tempted.

Showing that it was The Fathers will for Him to be in the wilderness.

2. The Tempter’s Will.

“to be tempted by the devil.” V. 1b

Tempted- try, tempt a person, put him to the test

The Devil- the Hebrew word שָׂטָן (satan) means to oppose, obstruct, or accuse. The Greek term (σατάν, satan) literally means “adversary.” In the New Testament, it refers to a title or a name—(the) Satan. The term שָׂטָן (satan) is rendered as diabolos in the Septuagint.

“And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

“If you are the Son of God...”- Satan immediately attacks Jesus by attempting to cast doubt.

The Primary Temptation:

The Temptation here isn’t the bread. The temptation here is the word “If”. Satan is trying to get Jesus to doubt The will of the father in leading Him into the wilderness. Take Note, The wilderness was used by satan to cast doubt. But more importantly, The wilderness was used by God to bring Him the upmost Glory.

The Secondary Temptation:

The Temptation here is for Jesus to forsake the Will of The Father and to pursue His own self-interest. “command that these stones become bread.”

3. Jesus’ Response.

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

The greatest need that Jesus had wasn’t bread. It was the will and the word of God. Jesus refused to act in His own will and supersede the will of God.

Supporting Scripture:

Ps. 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

Biblical Examples and Application:

Adam and Eve were tempted to forsake the will of God.

Every Temptation in some way is a temptation for you to step away from the will of God and to serve your own self-interest.

Temptation #2: To Forsake The Word of God. V. 5-7

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, 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 shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

The Primary Temptation:

The temptation here is for Jesus to force God into submission.

Again Satan used a conditional statement, If you are the Son of God (see 4:3). Again, he was not challenging Jesus’ sonship, but he was using it as a basis to argue to a false conclusion—that it is appropriate to “force” God into supernatural demonstrations of his faithfulness to intervene for our good. In this temptation Jesus was tempted to exercise improper dependence to “force” divine intervention. That is sin.

The Secondary Temptation:

The Temptation here is for Jesus to distort the word of God and to draw attention to himself.

The highest point in Satan’s second temptation refers to the high southeast corner of the temple platform that overlooked the great depth of the Kidron Valley. This was a temptation to be “showy,” to do miraculous works to draw attention.

1. The Tempter’s Will:

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, 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 shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Satan, in quoting Psalm 91:11–12, misused Scripture in his attempt to deceive and mislead. It was a subtle challenge to Jesus to prove his deity.

2. Jesus Response:

In response to Satan’s second challenge, Jesus took the matter back to Scripture and quoted Moses from Deuteronomy 6:16, which prohibited testing God in this way. Jesus refused improper dependence

7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

Biblical Examples and Application:

Adam and Eve were tempted to forsake the Word of God and They put God to the test.

“Will God keep His word.”

“God get me out of this!” well what were you doing down there to begin with.

Temptation #3: Forsake The Worship Of God. V. 8-11

Matthew 4:8–11 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

The third temptation may have been the most appealing of the three to Jesus, not because of the anticipation of ruling the earth—that was already part of God’s plan—but because Satan’s offer would allow him to rule the earth without going through the sacrifice of the cross.

God the Father had a plan for the certainty of the restored kingdom and great glory for Jesus. Satan offered an “even better” plan (both deceptive and impossible)—a kingdom and all its glory, minus the suffering.

Satan tempted Jesus to believe that someone else could provide for him in a better way than God could. That is always the satanic appeal, whether it involves work, power, money, success, or some personal interest.

The Primary Temptation:

The Temptation is for Jesus to miss the suffering and still keep the kingdom. The easy way out.

Matthew 4:8–9 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.””

The Secondary Temptation:

The temptation is for Jesus to forsake the worship of God and bow to him.

Jesus Response:

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Again Jesus reached into Scripture, interpreted it accurately, and sent Satan on his way. We see a personal lesson here. The Bible is our only authority for right living. Old Testament Israel had bought the lie that God had competition. Jesus did not. He would be mastered by nothing and no one except the true God.

Biblical Examples and Application:

Adam and Eve were tempted to forsake the Worship of God.

“You will be like God...” Gen..

Conclusion:

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

God always comes to the rescue of His people!

Temptations, when we meet them at first, are as the lion that reared upon Samson; but if we overcome them, the next time we see them we shall find a nest of honey within them.

John Bunyan