Sermon Tone Analysis

Leading up to Easter weekend, I wanted to take a brief walk through the life of Christ leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Today, we look at the time just prior tot he start of Jesus’ ministry.

Christ has been baptised and is now been directed into the Wilderness.

There, He will face a scene similar to what Eve experienced in Eden - temptation by Satan.

Temptation gives Satan a direct way to challenge the worldliness of our mind.

It challenges the fleshly desires.

It challenges our reliance on God.

What does the world offer us?

Temptation of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life.

Satan tried the same tricks on Christ.

He challenges His physical hunger, he offered personal gain over God’s will, and he tempted him with power and authority.

Today we will look at Christ’s responses to temptation, giving us a glimpse into how we, too, should avoid temptation.

Physical Hunger

Holy Spirit is the one who led Jesus into Wilderness, knowing temptation would take place.

Why would the Holy Spirit intentionally lead Him into a place where temptation would occur?

Interestingly enough, if Christ was intentionally led into the Wilderness to be tempted, then it was God who was in control of this situation, not Satan (the tempter).

In all that we do, also, God is in control.

He allows us to be tempted, not to intentionally fail Him, but to show His dominion over Satan through our obedience to God.

He had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

The Baker encyclopedia of the Bible describes “Spiritual fasting entails setting aside activities as well as reducing the intake of food and replacing these activities with the exercise of prayer and preoccupation with spiritual concerns.

The NT word which is translated “fasting” literally means one who has not eaten, one who is empty.

Three types of fast are generally recognized: normal, in which there is no intake of food for a prescribed period of time, though there may be an intake of liquids; partial, in which the diet is limited, though some food is allowed; and absolute, in which there is a total abstinence from food and liquids in all forms.”

Normal fasts would last a day - morning and evening, with food that night.

There are indications of longer fasts, from a few days to a week, and special fasts that lasted longer.

The only other 40 day fast we see in scripture is Moses’ 40 days on Mt.

Sinai.

Don’t you find it interesting that Moses, the man who obtained the law from God directly, Moses was a man anointed by God to fulfill God’s heart for his children to be free from captivity and safe under his lordship.

Christ also was sent as a man anointed by God

to fulfil God’s heart for his children to be free from captivity and safe under his lordship.

No doubt, Christ was physically hungry and had spent time focusing on the spiritual hunger he had also.

He fed his spirit through prayer and fellowship with God.

As a result, he was ready for battle with Satan.

The first temptation Satan would use was physical hunger.

Notice the way he approaches Jesus “IF you are the Son of God”.

Does this not sound familiar to another account we find in scripture?

“Did God actually say”???

Satan knew Jesus had been without food, just the same as He knows what is going on with us and he will tempt us in the same way he tempted Eve and the way he attempted to tempt Christ.

Your own daddy wouldn’t feed you when He knew how hungry you were.

IF you are really His Son, turn these rocks into bread.

Eve caved.

Christ fought back with scripture.

Jesus knew what Satan’s plan was, to try to appeal to His physical hunger.

Christ knew hunger would come back again, but that true life comes by believing and obeying God.

Was Jesus hungry?

Absolutely.

But, He knew the will of His Father was greater than his physical hunger.

Personal Gain

Satan wasn’t deterred.

If he couldn’t get Him with bread, he would get Him with pride.

From the top of the temple, he again uses the phrase “IF you are the Son of God”.

IF…then jump off here, your daddy will save you!

Satan was arrogant enough to use scripture against Christ’s previous use of scripture.

Know that Satan knows scripture as well as anyone.

He will use it against believers to try to justify unGodly behaviors.

Did Satan ever say anything that was not accurate?

No.

But the problem with asking Jesus to jump and rely on the protection of the angels is, it wasn’t in God’s plan.

Satan was wanting Jesus to do something that would have ignored God’s plan, therefore sinning.

Satan will use scripture against us too.

If he cannot get us to blatantly sin, he will use religion and scripture to get us to second guess God’s will and direction.

Tony Evans made this comment “God doesn’t need Satan’s help to get you where He wants you to go”.

Christ counters with scripture again.

Don’t test the Lord.

Being disobedient to God is sin, even if we use scripture to back our argument IF it is not in the will of God.

Too often, we try to justify our actions with religion or scripture.

We may ignore the other 31,101 verses to use the one that supports our cause.

But if we do not use things in context or with the full counsel of scripture, we run the risk of convincing ourselves we are in God’s will…when we may be falling for Satan’s plan to test the Lord.

Power and Authority

When Satan couldn’t tempt Christ with physical hunger or with misuse of scripture, he turned to pride.

How is the quickest way to get pride in the way?

Give someone the promise of authority.

Satan took Jesus to a high mountain, allowed him to look out over all the kingdoms, and said “All these “I” will give you IF you fall down and worship me”.

First of all, it was not Satan’s to give!

But he will offer you anything, just to get you to worship him, and it’s never worth the price.

Even though Satan is the “ruler of this world” he is not the creator.

John 12:31 “31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”

John 14:30 “30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.

He has no claim on me,” John 16:11 “11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

Even though he is the “god of this age” his time is limited for a season.

2 Cor 4:4 “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Christ had enough.

He cites Deuteronomy 6:13-14

Christ would not bow to someone who had no position or power.

He would not accept a gift from someone who did not possess what he offered.

He would not allow someone to give authority that had no authority.

Christ would not be fooled.

He withstood every test placed before Him.

As a result, angels came and ministered to Him.

I find it ironic, that the verse Satan used, urging Him to call upon the angels - in God’s timing and will - were provided by God.

Everything God does is perfect in His will and in His time.

It doesn’t mean there will not be temptations, hard times, even false hope and/or false promises.

We have to be able to discern what is the will of God, and what is a trick from Satan.

How do we do that?

There is a conclusion that we, too, should fast.

Matthew 9:14–15 (ESV)

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Fast, pray, seek Him.

In all reality, isn’t this what Jesus was doing?