The Temptations of Jesus

GS077 – Temptation of Jesus

I don't know about you, but I find todays gospel reading to be one of those passages that I often come back to, ...and each time I do, I find something new to think about.

But before we look at it, let me first mind you of the background.

Jesus is about 30 years old. The Bible tells us very little about his life up to this point. But in the previous chapter, Jesus began what we call his 'public ministry' when he was baptized by John the Baptist.

As Jesus came out of the water, there is a voice from heaven: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Now remember those words, they're important for what happens next. And try to imagine how Jesus must have felt, when he heard this voice from heaven: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Think back to the last time you started something new. It might be starting a new job, ...or moving to a new area, ...or joining something.

How did you feel?

(pause)

Whenever there are big changes in our lives, it is inevitable that we will feel a bit apprehensive. We wouldn't be human if we didn't.

We may also be really looking forward to it, but unsettling questions still come to mind...

- Will I like it?

- Will people like me?

- Am I up to it?

Well, I guess it must have been the same for Jesus.

Yes, he was the Son of God, but that didn't over-ride his human feelings. Jesus experienced everything that we experience. And at the beginning of his public ministry those words form his father are just what he needed to hear:

"Go on Son... you can do it, because I'll be with you, ...I love you, and very pleased with you."

I can imagine Jesus being really encouraged by those words, ...and then the Spirit of God takes him by the hand, so to speak, and leads him off...

Where?

...into the desert to be tempted by the devil!

Have you ever had that sort of experience?

Perhaps times of great excitement, immediately followed by a period of real testing?

Or perhaps times of real closeness to God, followed by a period of spiritual dryness, ...and you wonder what God is doing.

I know, from time to time I have.

I remember when I was 18, leaving my home up in Newcastle and moving to the Midlands.

Up until then I had been part of a very supporting and loving Christian fellowship. My faith had grown enormously during the preceding 4 years.

And then I moved to the Midlands where I knew no-one.

I was staying in some digs with 6 other lads, none of whom were Christians, ...and after a few weeks, my Christian faith was under serious attack, ...I even wondered if there really was a God.

Periods of spiritual growth are often followed by times of testing.

And incidentally, notice the similarity with the story of Adam and Eve. They too were on a 'high', they were living in the garden of Eden, a place of perfection where God would walk in the cool of the day.

And then they too met with 'the tempter'.

Now Genesis tells us that 'the tempter' was very crafty, ...and when he meets with Jesus in the desert we see how cunning he is.

So let's pick up the story as recorded in Matthew chapter 4.

"After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry."

Notice how Satan picks his moment. Sometimes he tempts us when we're on a real high, ...here he waits forty days, ...when the memory of Jesus' baptism is beginning to fade, ...and he is feeling weak through hunger.

And Satan's first strategy is to sow seeds of doubt.

It was a strategy that was tried and tested. Remember how in the God of Eden, the serpent had said,

"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'".

And although Eve remembered very well what God had said, as she got into conversation with the serpent she began to doubt if what God had said was true.

So, Satan tried to sow seeds of doubt in Jesus' mind:

"If you really are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread".

It was a crafty thing to say, because it worked at different levels. Jesus was very hungry, and at one level he was being tempted to use his miraculous powers for his own personal benefit.

But more subtly than that, Satan was trying to make Jesus doubt who he was.

At his baptism, the voice from heaven had said: "This is my Son..."

But now Satan was questioning that. "So, you think your God's Son do you? ...Well prove it!"

(Pause)

Jesus fought off that temptation by quoting some words from the Old Testament (Dt. 8.3)

But Satan came back at him with another temptation. He takes him to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem, and dares him to jump:

"If you really are the Son of God, then you've got nothing to worry about, for God will save you".

Again its working at different levels, ...and again Satan is trying to make Jesus doubt that he's God's Son".

(pause)

Satan uses a similar strategy with people today.

You see, the heart of the Christian Gospel is all about relationships. It's about our relationship with each other, and more importantly, about the relationship with the God who made us.

The Bible tells us that when we become a Christian, God adopts us into his family, (that's why we call him our heavenly Father), ...and in God's family, that makes us all brothers and sisters.

Now anyone can join God's family, ...so the first thing that Satan does is to blind people as to put people off joining.

But if we do join, then, just like with Jesus, he sows seeds of doubt about our relationship with our heavenly Father.

(personal illustration)

Unlike Jesus, none of us are perfect. We've all done things that we're ashamed of. We all let him down by the things we thing, the things we say, and the things we do.

But if we are Christians, then no matter what we do, God is still our heavenly father, and we are his children.

As you know, I've got three children:

Christopher who's 12;

Emily who's 10; and,

Jennie who's 7.

Like all children they can be naughty at times, and I have to punish them.

But we've always stressed to them, that no matter how naughty they've been, they're still our children, and we still love them".

And it's the same with God.

We sometimes don't act like God's children, we're still sinners, ...and we certainly don't deserve to be his children.

But that doesn't alter the fact that if we are Christians, then we are his children, ...and no matter what we do he still loves us.

(pause)

Then having failed with the subtle approach, Satan resort with a direct attack. He offers him a bribe.

What would tempt you to renounce your faith?

From time to time I meet people who once had a very strong faith, but who gave it all up.

Sometimes it was as a result of great hardship, perhaps some tragedy had hit them or their family, ...well Jesus had that temptation still to come, ...he would face that in the Garden of Gethsemane.

On other occasions it was as a result of a bribe.

What would tempt you to give up your faith?

Fame?

Money?

Love?

Power?

Well Jesus was offered the lot.

Satan showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their splendour. "All this I will give to you", he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

(pause)

Somehow he resisted.

But what would have happened if he had accepted this bribe?

Would he still have been the Son of God?

Yes.

Would God still have loved him?

Yes.

Would God still have been able to use him in his plan to save the world?

No.

And that's why Satan tries to tempt us today.

He knows that when we give in to temptation we still remain to be God's children. (Although he wants us to think otherwise).

He knows that when we give in to temptation, God still keeps on loving us. (Although he wants us to think otherwise).

But he also knows that when we give in to temptation, God is less able to use us.

(Pause)

God has a plan for this church.

To fulfil his plan he needs people who will be obedient to his call.

And Satan will do his best to distract us from that call.

So let us ask God for the help we need.