The Temptation of Jesus
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1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.
10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’
11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Last week we discussed the baptism of Jesus and we saw that in His baptism (as it was the baptism of John which is the baptism of repentance) He identified Himself with humanity and demonstrated that he was here to have the sins of the world laid on Him. He was numbered with the transgressors. But we also see the Holy Spirit descending as a dove and the voice of the Father declaring That Christ is His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased, which demonstrates His deity and Holiness.
So we see the unique person of Jesus as both completely man and completely God.
In the person of Jesus God has made Himself vulnerable as He has never done before. If God is man then God can sin. Or at least that’s what Satan thought.
It is at this point that Luke records Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew began his gospel the the genealogy of Jesus which may seen a more logical approach. However, Luke’s placement of Jesus’ genealogy here is strategic in what Luke is communicating.
I just want to note a couple of things about Luke’s genealogy without putting you through the pain of me reading it. First, some of you may have a heading in your Bible that says The Genealogy of Christ through Mary. And then as you begin to read the genealogy you may notice that it starts with Joseph. You also may notice if you have every compared this genealogy with Matt. version that they don’t line up until you get to King David. The widely accepted view is that this is Mary’s line back to David and Matt is presenting Joseph line. It is believed that although this line starts with Joseph that Heli was Mary’s father and Joseph’s father in law.
There are other theories but this is probably the most widely accepted view. Another thing you will notice is that Matt traces the line of Christ back to Abraham whereasLuke traces the line back to Adam. This has to do with what the two authors are trying to communicate. Matt is demonstrating that Jesus is the King of the Jews a son of Abraham and descendant of David to fulfil the prophecy that David’s throne is establish for all generations.
So what is Luke showing us?
By tracing Jesus back to Adam the first man Luke is certainly demonstrating the humanity of Jesus. But if we look at Luke 3:38
38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
We see that Luke is showing the connection between Christ and Adam. This is right after the Father declared that Jesus is His beloved Son and now Luke shows Adam as the son of God. The connection is that Adam was the first representative of humanity but Christ is the second and better representative. So it is also no accident that Luke places this genealogy directly before Jesus has His time of trial in the wilderness. We will see that where the first Adam failed his testing in the garden the second Adam will triumphantly overcome His temptation in the wilderness. Satan may have defeated the first Adam but he is no match for the second Adam.
Being Filled With the Holy Spirit He Was Led by the Holy Spirit
Being Filled With the Holy Spirit He Was Led by the Holy Spirit
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Let me ask you? When was the last time that you where aware that the Holy Spirit led you somewhere? Well, if you are a child of God then you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you so whether you are aware of it or not the Spirit is leading you. Sometimes you may resist His leading but much of the time you go where He leads you we just often don’t realise it.
The word that is used in Mark’s gospel is the Spirit drove Him. See the Spirit takes us places all the time, sometimes He drives us places.
In Luke it says first being filled with the Spirit. Now I can’t begin to explain the mystery of the unique dynamic of the interacting of the Trinity here in how Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit. But i believe that it is recorded here as an example to us that we should be filled with the Spirit. I do notice that is says Being filled with the Spirit which implies this was not something that had just happened but the Jesus was already filled with the Spirit. I believe that the oneness of the Father Son and Spirit would mean that Jesus was in a constant state of being filled with the Holy Spirit in the same way that He was in a constant state of unity with the Father.
The example for us is powerful that we need to be filled by the Spirit in order to be fully aware of the leading of the Spirit in order to live in the power of the Spirit. I believe that Christ example here show us that this kind of life is not only possible for the believer but should be the goal of every believer. When we are filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit so that where ever we find our selves we know that we are there because God put us there and we speak and act by the leading of the Spirit then we can say as Paul says
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
That is the normal Christian life not the extraordinary life.
But too often we go where we want to go and say what we want to say and do what we want to do. Sure we have the Holy Spirit in us and He leads us but we are out of touch with that reality. But it doesn’t have to be that way, it shouldn’t be that way and if we ever hope to overcome the temptations of Satan it must’t be that way. We need to take the example of Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit be led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Overcame the Appetites of His Flesh
Jesus Overcame the Appetites of His Flesh
2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
Jesus was tempted by Satan for the whole 40 days not just at the end. The last three temptations are all that we have recorded. And that because that is all Christ thought we needed to know.
However, in preparation for these last three we see that Jesus was in solitude and He fasted.
Why fast? Surely as the Son of God He should have everything He wants and needs. Why would Jesus go without food for forty days. He did it to demonstrate that He was not a slave to His flesh He only serves the Father. If we are slaves to our fleshly appetites we will not have the spiritual strength to resist the temptations of Satan. Fasting is an important part of the Christian life. Paul said
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
To fast as Christ did here we need to be filled with the Spirit as He was. Christ was, so filled with the Spirit and the purpose of God that even after 40 days of fasting food didn’t control Him. Being filled with the Spirit and purpose of God is how we overcome fleshly addictions.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
That is the only way to overcome addiction in the long term successfully. If you drive out one demon seven more will come back in unless you fill the house with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Overcame Every Temptation
Jesus Overcame Every Temptation
First temptation
3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
You’re the son of God, why should you suffer hunger? You can command these stones to become bread and they will obey you. Why limit yourself?
The second temptation
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
You don’t need to suffer on the cross to become the King of kings. It’s in my power, I’ll give it to you right now, just worship me and it’s all yours.
third temptation
9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.
10 For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’
11 and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
Now Satan ups his game. Jesus has been answering with Scripture so Satan uses Scripture. Be sure Satan knows the Scriptures better than you do and he will use them to tempt you.
If you are the Son of God, He will keep you and protect you. You only have to say the word and all the suffering will cease.
Jesus said to Peter when He tried to defend Him
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”
All of Satan’s temptations were the way that Satan has always tempted man
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
Satan uses the same old tactics today because they work. Satan seems to be trying to give Jesus a way out of suffering or going to the cross. Satan will always offer you shortcuts, the easy way out. beware of the easy way it is also the broad way that leads to destruction.
(Until an opportune time)
13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Child of God you have be promised that you will rule with Christ, that you will have no more suffering no more sorrow and pain. But Satan will try and tempt you to take the shortcut. Look at all this world has to offer you. materialism, comfort, sex. Fulfil all your appetites now. You can have it all now. Eat and drink what your heart desires, take what ever you see that you want, rule your own kingdom now. If you are a child of God He will protect you and bless you with prosperity anf health. You’re the child of the king you don’t have to suffer. You deserve every pleasure your heart desires. It’s ok God wants you to prosper.
The prosperity Gospel stinks of Satan It’s his temptation that you can have all you are promised without the suffering.
All of Jesus answers to Satan’s temptation he quotes the Word of God. Showing us how to do battle with Satan with the same weapon available to us.
4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
So let me give you one more for when Satan temps you to take the easy way.
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Thats the narrow way.
