This is the third post in a series titled “Messiah” adapted from a sermon series on the Gospel of Matthew preached at First Baptist Sulphur Springs, TX. This series follows an Advent sermon series you can watch here (click link).
Our faith will be tested
In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus stepped into the wilderness with his hair still wet from his baptism The same Holy Spirit who descended up Jesus in his baptism, led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. In the gospels, these two events are intimately paired – baptism and temptation.
In Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit descended, and God, the Father proclaimed, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” In the wilderness, Jesus’ identity was questioned.
If it happened to Jesus, it will happen to us. The devil will always attempt to distort or destroy our identity as children of God. We must resist the temptation to believe the lie.
Jesus combated temptation with the word of God. In the passage, we see “If you are …” retorted with “It is written …” three times.
In the first temptation, the devil said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” After fasting for 40 days, this is a temptation of security. Do I have enough? Will I have enough? Can I make it? Ultimately, will God provide?
Jesus resisted the temptation with Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
In the second temptation, the devil said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” He then quoted Psalm 91 with improper application. According to the temptation, if Jesus jumped God’s angels would catch him. As if to say, “If God loved you and cared for you, he would keep you from harm.” This is a temptation of approval. We often ask approval questions. Does he like me? What does she think? On a higher and holier level: Does God love me? What does God think of me?
Jesus resisted the temptation with Deuteronomy 6:16, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
In the third temptation, the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and said, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” Any power the devil has is temporal. It will not last. He is ultimately defeated. Jesus, the son of God has eternal power. In time, he would assume his rightful place at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. It is a temptation of power: Get earthy and immediate power in exchange for bowing down to the devil.
Jesus resisted the temptation with “Away from me Satan!” and then quoted Deuteronomy 6:13, “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
With a proper understanding of the Father, his own identity, wand of God’s word, Jesus resisted temptation.
We triumph in Jesus
Like Jesus, we too have our identity questioned. Some times it come from others and sometimes it comes from a voice inside our own head.
If you are really a child of God …
If you are really loved by God …
You will be tempted and tested. But you’ve been fully equipped.
Hebrews 4:15 provides theological reflection on the temptation Jesus faced, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Due to this truth, Hebrews 4:16 goes on to say, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Please note that this passage, and those which surround it, clearly portray the Trinity. We see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In a proper understanding of the Trinity, we know that each member of the Trinity is fully God.
God the Son, in the incarnation, was fully God and fully man. This is really good news, but in this particular conversation, it is a particular good news.
If Jesus was only God, Matthew 4:1-11 might actually be a discouragement. You might say, “Well, good for Jesus. Sure, he can resist temptation, he’s God. Good for him. He resisted temptation but I’m full of sin and covered in sin.”
Yet, because Jesus was fully God and fully man, his victory has power for us. The Messiah experienced victory over temptation and sin and we share in his victory. As Jesus triumphed over temptation and sin, so do those who trust in his completed and sufficient work. He provided the victory we could not achieve without him.
In the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Conclusion
Should we fight temptation and sin?
Yes – we’ve been given the Scripture and prayer.
Yes – we’ve been called to holiness by God, the Father.
Yes – we’ve been given the example of God, the Son.
Yes – we’ve been indwelled with God, the Holy Spirit.
Yet, even in our failure, we triumph in Jesus. We can run to God’s throne and find mercy and grace.
Resist temptation.
Rest in Jesus.
In his sinlessness and perfect faithfulness, Jesus took all of our sin and shame to the cross. We bear it no more. He did not pay a down payment for sin. He paid it all.
Jeff Gravens 