Jesus on the Scene: He Sympathizes with Us

Jesus on the Scene: He Sympathizes with Us

Matthew 4:1-11

Introduction

Prayer

Greeting—thankfulness—Turn to Matthew 4:1-11—Last week just before this passage, Jesus relates to us through his baptism | Now we see that Jesus was tempted like us.

Opening Illustration

KEY POINT **Because Jesus was tempted like us, but without sin, we have an example of how to overcome temptations in our own lives.**

Read (Matthew 4:1-11)

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

1 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. Six realities we learn from Jesus’ temptation.

Jesus just had a moment that would have ministered to him. He had the Holy Spirit publicly anointing him, his father declaring publicly his pleasure in his son. Then the text tells us that the Spirit led him into the wilderness” not just to be in the wilderness though, it says the reason the Spirit led him into the wilderness was “to be tempted by the devil.”

1. There is a Spiritual world around us.

Scripture is clear: we live in a world that is both physical. Yet, it is also spiritual. The reality is that we see the physical world around us. We can touch it, smell it, hear it, see it, we can even taste it. We experience the physical world through our senses, and it is tangible. Yet, equally real and valid is the spiritual realm that exists all around us now. It is a world that is unseen to our eyes. Yet, angels and demons roam and exist within the spaces we occupy. Their influence exists, and temptation from demonic influences abounds around us. Yet, we also have angels fighting battles against the demonic foes. One of the most insightful passages on this reality is from Daniel 10. Daniel had sought the Lord, and the angel was fighting the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” for 21 days only once Michael came to help him was he able to come and minister to Daniel.

There is a very real spiritual world around us, but not only does it exist around us. The other reality we see is that,

2. We face a spiritual battle.

The Bible does not sugarcoat it. Jesus is being taken into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Think back to the life of Job. What we see in that account is that Satan tells God that he had been roaming the earth, only for God to say have you considered Job a holy man? Satan tells God that is because he has everything he could ever wish for, so God permits Satan to do to him as he pleases, except he cannot take his life. Job then goes through trial after trial. Job’s faith in God is tested to an extreme degree. Job’s life is an example of the spiritual warfare we face. It should be also noted that in our passage that the only one doing the tempting is Satan. It is not God or the Spirit that is doing the temptation. Our spiritual battle is not one where God tempts us. Only Satan and his forces do the tempting. God permits us to be tempted, and those temptations allow us to be tested for faithfulness. However, God never tempts us.

Also, this spiritual battle is ever-present. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12,

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We are in a spiritual war that rages every day. Our battles are not against people, it is against sin and the spiritual forces influencing wickedness to abound in the world. The influences that empower evil to grow for wickedness to persist against that which wishes to have the light snuffed out.

Satan’s top two tools are either to (1) make us fearful of him and give him far more credit than he deserves or (2) try to make us laugh off the significance of the dangers that lurk around every corner. We cannot find ourselves in either of these ditches.

3. Our enemy is formidable.

Too often, we diminish the devil and his minion’s abilities to deceive and destroy. The fact is that he is lurking in the dark, waiting to steal, kill, and destroy all that he and his demonic army touches. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8,

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan devours souls with what appears to be sweet nectar that turns out to be a dangerous hook of evil.

ILLUSTRATION—Fishermen fish with lures. To the fish, it looks like a good meal, but lurking in the lure are hooks that will impale the fish and allow the fishermen to reel in the fish to be captured and cooked for dinner. What appeared to be a harmless and tasty meal was a deadly hook.

Satan knows the game, and he is a dangerous and skilled killer. However, he is powerless in the presence of God. He is only as capable as God permits, and his authority is limited. While we must have proper respect for his abilities and schemes and be on guard, we do not have to live in fear because, as children of God, we have victory in Jesus.

4. Spiritual battles have eternal consequences.

Every person’s soul hangs in the balance of the raging spiritual warfare. Satan, with all his ploys, deceives and blinds people from the truth, while Christians are entrusted with sharing the truth of the Gospel message with the world around us. There is nothing more terrifying to satan than a church that is totally surrendered to God in their love, devotion, and obedience. With that said, when we say yes to being sold out for Jesus, satan’s gaze fixates on the people, and his attacks and temptation will rage because he does not want that church to glorify God or to be sold out for him. He wants to be comfortable and content with how things are, with the way things are, and lose sight of their mission and purpose. A comfortable church is no danger to satan’s kingdom but a truly surrendered church living sold out for Jesus, threatens satan’s power. We are living in a war that has eternal consequences and must be ready to fight the battle of temptation well.

5. Everyone faces spiritual battles.

This warfare is not limited to just us or just to our persecuted brothers and sisters in other lands. It is universally true we all face temptations and face this spiritual warfare. It only takes different forms with different lures designed for us in our context and our weaknesses.

6. Everyone’s spiritual battle is personal.

Satan and his demons are great scouts, and they know every weak point in our lives. They will exploit them and do whatever it takes to take us down. Satan knows exactly what we want and he tries to exploit our desires.

Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and nights. Jesus was hungry. His body would have been craving nourishment. It is then that Satan comes to him, and tempts him to make bread and nourish his body. All three temptations that Jesus faced in these verses were personal to Jesus. They were directed at him and his life.

My life is no different; I face uniquely personal spiritual warfare attacks, just as you face personalized attacks on your life. However, we do not face them alone. We have an advocate in Jesus, who can sympathize with us because he was tempted like us. The amazing difference is that Jesus never sinned while being tempted.

2. Three lessons we learn from Jesus’ temptation.

1. When we live in the Word, we can overcome temptation.

Matthew 4:3–4 ESV

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.’ ”

Keep in mind, that Jesus had been without food for forty days and that he was hungry. It’s in this moment of physical weakness that Satan appears. It is no mistake. It isn’t a happenstance. Satan is being intentional. In the grand scheme of deceiving and tempting, Satan has waited for this moment and, with his craftiness, presents Jesus with an opportunity to fill his hunger. Satan’s statement is laced with poison. Remember, God the Father, at Jesus’ baptism, had declared Jesus as His beloved Son. Here, Satan begins his accusation with a questioning statement “if you are the Son of God.” Satan is essentially saying, prove it! He might as well have said Jesus, why don’t you prove you are the Son of God by turning these rocks into bread. If we want to look at it a little differently, essentially, Satan is appealing to a sense of Pride.

There is an old saying from where I grew up maybe you are familiar with it. It goes like this, “The famous last words of every redneck is, watch this.” Another one that comes to mind is “Pride comes before the fall.” Pride gets in the way far too often and leads us to sin.

Here is the thing: Jesus could have easily turned the stones into bread; the fact is Jesus later on would provide a miracle in providing food for the 5000. He was very capable. Also, Jesus was undoubtedly the son of God. But Jesus, as the humble servant, did not turn stones into bread. Instead, he quoted scripture. He defeated the temptation through God’s word while answering satan that we are not to “live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

His victory over the temptation of Satan came from knowing and living in the Word of God. Our victory in overcoming temptation comes from knowing God’s word.

With currency, the best way to spot a counterfeit bill is to know the genuine bill, which is like the back of your hand. Through careful study of the texture of the money, the colors of the ink, the watermarks and their locations, and the time of security threads for each kind of bill, all come into play. If you know the real deal, then you can spot the fake.

When it comes to temptation, sometimes it comes through deceitful tactics that Satan lays and tries to lead people astray. It can sound good, even look good. As we see in verse six, Satan will even quote Scripture out of context or misuse the Scripture to deceive people into being sinful and out of sync with God’s desire for their life, which is why it is imperative to know the word of God and the context of God’s word. That is why it is so important to live in and live out God’s Word.

Not only can we have victory over temptation when we walk and live in the Word of God. Also,

2. When we trust in the Lord, we can overcome temptation.

Matthew 4:5–7 ESV

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.’ ”

In the next instance of temptation, Satan has taken Jesus to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. Picture it, Jesus is standing at the top of the temple, on the edge of the temple.

> Portico refers to the flat-topped corner of Solomon’s porch on the southeast corner of the temple complex overlooking the Kidron Valley. This time the devil asks Jesus to demonstrate miraculously God’s ability to preserve his life. The devil again knows that Jesus has the power to do this, and he cites Ps 91:11–12 to justify it.[^1]

Nothing in this request is outside Jesus’ ability. The fact of the matter is that Jesus could have done it. However, Jesus knows the Scriptures and when they are being twisted and distorted. Satan is attempting to manipulate the situation. We can so often try to manufacture blessings with God. Keep in mind Satan quotes a passage of Scripture to justify his request. Psalm 91:11-12,

Psalm 91:11–12 ESV

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

The point is that “We must not test God’s faithfulness to his word by manufacturing situations in which we try to force him to act in certain ways.”[^2] Satan’s plea seems extreme, “he tells Jesus to essentially jump off this high point of the temple and let the angels catch you.” Ours might look a little different. It might be driving recklessly and saying, well, if I die, then it was my time. We are not to test God but to trust God.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16,

Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV

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

In other words, Jesus tells Satan. I will not throw myself off to test God and his faithfulness. I don’t believe it is by chance that this quote alludes to the Israelites lack of trusting God in the wilderness. The testing at Massah was where Israel is pestering Moses with their desire for drinking water. Yet, there is none. So, God instructs Moses to strike a rock and bring water. The people tested God and did not have faith that God was really there. They gave into the temptation to doubt God and his faithfulness.

Jesus does not doubt God’s ability to rescue him from the fall. He also isn’t going to manufacture a situation where God the Father would need to rescue him. If we are going to have victory over temptation, we must trust God in all situations to be faithful even when it is hard to trust him.

3. When we glory in the Lord, we overcome temptation.

Matthew 4:8–10 ESV

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.’ ”

Satan has already tempted Jesus by trying to get Jesus to satisfy his hunger, demonstrate his Sonship, and test God. Satan now turns to offer something out of the ordinary. Satan takes him high up on a mountain and shows him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” Satan’s offer, worship me, and this world’s kingdoms, and glory will be yours.

Satan’s ploys are so similar to the Christian’s life. We live in a society that glorifies wealth, success, and popularity. In my years of student ministry, I’ve watched as students and parents choose travel sports over their spiritual well-being, I’ve watched good Christian men fall prey to the pursuit of wealth and success as they exchange their Christian convictions on the altar of greed. The world’s standards do not define our success; it is how God defines it. At the end of the day, if Jesus walked with you in your business, how you deal with other people, and the choices you make, would he give approval, or would he extend his forgiveness as he admonished us of our sinful behavior?

Here is the real danger, the most dangerous danger in this form of temptation; it can come from good motives, but the worship and praise go to the wrong place. As a pastor, making ministry about myself is a real danger. There is a real danger to say look at what I built, look at what I have accomplished, look at the path I have paved. What could have started as a godly desire to win people to Jesus can become about the success and church empire we have built. We take for ourselves the glory of God. Yet, it is not just pastors who struggle with this temptation; we can make it our traditions, music styles, carpet color, the ministry we lead, or the position we hold. We can so easily find ourselves lost in seeking glory and praise instead of giving God glory and praise.

When we turn our focus to glorifying, that is, worshipping God, praising him, and serving him with our entire being, we can experience victory over our temptations. Our pride will fall as we humbly pursue the Lord and keep him front and center.

Conclusion

Our three primary tools for fighting the spiritual battle of temptation are knowing Scripture so we can defeat the lies with truth, trusting in God and not putting him to the test with reckless living, and keeping God first in our lives in who we worship and serve.

With every head bowed and eye closed

Yet, none of this is possible without a deep and personal relationship with Jesus. Apart from knowing Jesus, the fight is already lost. We are already in the grasp of hell. We are dead in the clutches of satan’s hooks. Yet, Jesus came, taking death and our shame upon himself to provide us with life! Will you give him life?

For others, you have experienced the freeing power of Jesus. But you’ve been failing at resisting temptation here lately. You can’t seem to shake it. There is a stronghold in your life, and you need Jesus to tear it down to give you victory this morning. Will you lay that stronghold at Jesus’ feet and declare Christ has won today? Maybe it is the stronghold of pride, greed, lust, gossip, selfishness. You know it, name it, and lay it at the feet of Jesus this morning.

Yet, a few others. This morning has been a message encouraging you to know that Jesus sympathizes with you. He understands your suffering and that is a source of comfort for you. Will you allow him to comfort you this morning?

This altar is open. Pastors are available. Whatever your needs are, we are here to embrace you and pray with you, to pray for victory, to celebrate your new life. You come, just as you are.

Pray.