Full Transcript

Welcome to Share the Word, a Great Commission project. As of this podcast, we have recorded 207 episodes. Today, Pastor Paul Nitz gives us the insight as to how we can respond to temptation in the same manner that Christ did. The scene takes us into the desert following Jesus’ baptism during his 40 days of fasting. Matthew chapter 4, strike three, you’re out. Never mind the fact my favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, are in last place in their division, as usual.

We do have the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Paul Skeens is his name, and everyone expects him to win the Cy Young Award this year. I just read about their unlikely three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers this week. In the final game, Skeens pitched six scoreless innings and struck out eight batters, including Shohei Ohtani, one of baseball’s best hitters, twice. I watched the replays of their confrontations in game three. It was like two heavyweight fighters facing off, what every fan wants to see.

And on that night, Skeens made Ohtani look bad. Let’s go Bucs. After Jesus’ public baptism by John the Baptist, as we open chapter 4 now, Matthew says he was immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This confrontation was going to be a major showdown between the god of this world and the Son of God who had invaded his domain like light into darkness. Satan, the prince of darkness, is really a usurper in our world. So if Jesus is who Matthew is claiming he is, the rightful King, the promised one who will one day sit on David’s throne and rule the nations, then this was an inevitable confrontation.

It’s significant that the scripture says here the Spirit led Jesus into this. So in God’s mind, it was necessary. Jesus needed this test. He needed to prove himself to be God’s anointed, holy, righteous, undefiled. And he also needed to show himself stronger than the devil because the prophecy was that when he came, it would be to save his people from Satan’s domain, to free us from the enemy’s dominion. If Jesus was who Matthew claims, then this is a necessary confrontation, and Jesus must win it.

He was driven into the wilderness, the Gospel of Mark puts it, and he was in a desolate place near the Dead Sea, fasting, praying, spiritually preparing himself for the arduous marathon ahead we call his public ministry. The Bible does not say this, but I believe these were the weeks at the outset of his public ministry where he and the Father talked through the specifics of his mission, the traps to avoid, and the victories he must achieve. Remember, Jesus was a real man. He grew in wisdom and understanding like any other person, the Gospel of Luke says. How and when things fully developed in his consciousness, who he really was, what he had come into our world to accomplish, we aren’t given the details of that. But my guess is that this was one big reason he was there alone in the wilderness with his Father, fasting and praying before his public ministry began.

You may wonder what the deal is with fasting, as it’s mentioned many times in the Bible. It’s not about health benefits, although it has those, science has learned. At least not as it’s practiced by people on pages of Scripture. In the Bible, we see it practiced to deepen someone’s connection with God as a way of seeking spiritual clarity or seeking divine guidance, and also as a way of developing more self-control and self-discipline over your body, and at times as a means of showing genuine repentance, although Jesus did not need to do that. But it was then, I think, an exercise for him in extreme self-discipline to prepare for spiritual battles ahead, as well as a time for gaining clarity on his mission, as I said. Not surprisingly, this is when the devil chose to come at him, when he was alone there in a weakened physical state because of his prolonged fast.

He must have looked to Satan to be as vulnerable as he would ever be. The chapter begins like this. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and after he had fasted for forty days and nights, he was very hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. The big idea from this chapter is what we can learn about temptation, how the enemy and his demons come at their targets, and from Jesus, how we can best resist and overcome them. If you are the Son of God.

The devil likes to produce doubts if he can. I’m sure Satan knew who Jesus was. That’s why he was there. Jesus was now in a form far different than how he had appeared in heaven, when Satan was there, before his fall, I mean. But he was still the same person. Satan knew him.

Yet he began, If you are the Son of God. Then we see this tactic in situations describing his temptations to others too, in several places in the Bible. Remember how he came at Eve at the very beginning, creating doubts about God’s goodness and God’s motives. Did God really say you cannot eat from the trees in the garden? No, just this one, Eve answered the serpent. He said, Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else we would die.

Ha! You will not die. God knows that if you eat from that tree, your eyes will be open and you will be just like Him. And he succeeded with Eve and what trouble that’s produced. How do you think he came at Judas Iscariot? Jesus can’t be the Messiah as he’s led you to believe, or why wouldn’t he be trying to capitalize on his popularity with the multitudes?

Why does he not care about overthrowing your nation’s oppressors? Why does he keep talking about his death and all the time this gloomy, gloomy talk? And Judas’ doubts grew, and eventually he succumbed to the tempter. Or how do you imagine he attacked Simon Peter? Remember, Jesus even warned Peter that Satan had, in his words, demanded to sift him as wheat, to shake at his foundations, to test his faith. Yet when the time of testing came, Peter had been so sure of himself, became afraid and vulnerable, and then Satan pounced.

Everyone else has run away from him, Peter. Are you sure you want to risk the consequences of standing by him now? For what? And the enemy successfully shook Peter’s faith, and he was seriously damaged for a time. The devil is a master of creating and playing on his targets’ doubts, even to Jesus himself. He struck there where he thought he might be vulnerable.

So he’s certainly smart enough to know our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities. I’ve marveled at situations when I’ve seen the enemy do great spiritual damage, at how he has been both able to create and exploit doubts, and also zero in on the weakest link, on the person most vulnerable. Here Jesus had not eaten in weeks, because he had committed himself to this extended fast for spiritual purposes. And that’s when and where the devil attacked him. If you’re really the Son of God, you could command these stones to become bread. You could do as you please.

You can satisfy your own hunger right now, can’t you, if you’re really the Son of God? Temptation was for Jesus to use his divine power selfishly, to serve his own immediate needs, to put aside the value, the spiritual discipline he was engaged in brought throughout Jesus’ public ministry years. He will have to choose over and over whether to react to situations in his own immediate interests, what his human instincts tell him to do, or whether to resist and respond in only ways that will please his Father and further their objectives. That’s why he answered the devil the way he did, with a quotation from Deuteronomy chapter 8. It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God. That’s a quotation from a time Moses was reminding the people of Israel in the wilderness that God had kept them alive by sending manna from heaven.

That manna came from God’s command. When Jesus came into our world, remember, we discussed this at length when we were studying Philippians 2, he willingly laid aside many of his divine prerogatives to become fully like us, fully human. And during the time he was here, he relied on the provision of God and followed the will of God and acted only in the power of God. He lived under God’s authority. He did nothing selfishly, nothing just in his own interests. That’s why he turned decisively away from this first of the devil’s temptations.

He was determined to rely on the Father’s provisions, carefully following His will, His word. That was the highest objective. So that didn’t work. Strike one. Then Satan changed his approach. Verses 5 and 6 say, Then the devil took him along to the holy city, this is Jerusalem, and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down now, for it’s written, He will give His angels charge concerning you, and on their hands they will lift you up so that you do not even strike your foot against a stone.

Herod’s temple was built on a large elevated plateau in Jerusalem, partially man-made, with retaining walls all around it. Especially on the south side, it rises precipitously from the Kidron Valley. Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, wrote that at the highest point, that retaining wall at the southwest corner of the temple precinct was about 450 feet above the valley floor, a dizzying height. This is where Satan no doubt took Jesus and challenged him, Throw yourself off if you’re really the Son of God, because remember the Scripture says it is God’s angels that will protect the Messiah. So if you are really God’s Son, throw yourself off and let’s see if the angels catch you. Again, the audacity of the devil.

He’s quoting and twisting Bible verses to Jesus. The Lord responded, On the other hand, since you’re into the Bible now, you’ve no doubt read this: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, quoting Deuteronomy 6, verse 16. Interestingly, the context of that verse, too, is from the book of Exodus, actually, and it’s describing a time, again in the wilderness wanderings, when the people of Israel were lashing out at Moses and, in effect, saying, If God is really with us, he should know we need water now. Show us a miracle. Produce water for us here in the desert. This after God had done miracle after miracle to deliver them from Egypt.

He had parted the Red Sea and provided for them in multiple ways already on their journey. Jesus didn’t do miracles when challenged like this. He did miracles out of compassion, or to meet pressing needs, and to increase his disciples’ faith. But when his opponents said, Prove to us you are who you say you are. Show us a miraculous sign, he would not do that. He was not into sensationalism, and he would not do that here in this situation either.

Could have. And if it was daytime and worshipers at the temple may well have witnessed it too, wouldn’t that be a spectacular proof you are the Son of God? Jump off the temple and let God’s angels catch you. Putting God to the test means challenging God to prove himself. For Jesus to have taken the devil’s challenge and dove off the temple, challenging God to prove himself, it would only have been out of pride, out of a so-you-think-I-can attitude. No.

Jesus had no reason to prove anything to Satan, and he would not put God to the test out of pride. That’s called presumptuous sin. This part makes me think of how the devil tempted Jesus later at the end, at another point of great weakness, when he was being crucified, through the mouths of his opponents who had come to Calvary just to watch him die. Some of them are calling out, If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we’ll believe in you. Matthew records this in chapter 27. Again, Jesus could have, as he had told Peter, who tried to prevent his arrest, Don’t you realize I could call on my Father and he would send right now twelve legions of angels?

But he didn’t. He would not fall into such a temptation out of pride, out of selfish desires to prove anything to his opponents, although his human nature may well have wanted to. But he would not succumb to that. Think of the consequences if he had. Jesus thought about that. He knew that would mean God’s plan for our salvation would be spoiled.

So he decisively turned away from that, as he also did here. Strike two on the devil. Finally, Satan makes his most audacious play of all. Verses 8 and 9 say, Then the devil took him along to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of this world and their glory. And he said to him, All these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me, literally prostrate yourself before me. Wow, this was definitely his boldest play.

They’re surveying the kingdoms of the world, supernaturally, obviously. These are supernatural beings, remember. I realized as I thought about this third temptation, what Satan was doing was offering Jesus glory without the suffering. He showed him the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Remember last time I was describing how in God’s plan, first the Messiah had to suffer to become the Savior we all need, and only in the future will he receive his glory when he comes again as King. But the devil was tempting him with a shortcut.

You can have it all without the suffering. Think about it. All the kingdoms of this world, yours now. And Jesus somehow accepted that offer to have what was rightfully his anyway without going through the ordeal of suffering ahead, which was necessary to become our Savior, he would essentially have accepted the role of Antichrist at the end of this age, having the authority over this world, but under Satan’s mastery. Imagine that. But this was strike three, because Jesus turned decisively away from such a blasphemous offer.

He knew God’s plan and why he was here, and he respected God and loved us far, far more than he wanted anything the devil could immediately offer him. No, he would stay with the plan, first the necessary suffering to rescue us from sin and the kingdom of darkness, and then trust God to exalt him at the right time. So be gone, Satan. You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone. And having utterly failed, the devil left him. Even catching Jesus at his weakest, at his most vulnerable, he had utterly failed.

He was no match. This was not an isolated incident Matthew tells us about. It’s part of his unfolding story showing Jesus is the rightful King. He was holy and righteous and willing to sacrifice himself for his people, even at great personal cost. His agenda and Satan’s could not have been any more opposite. Jesus came because God loved the people of the world, because God does not desire anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance and be saved.

The devil’s desires are an exact inversion of that. He hates people. He wants none of us to respond to the gospel and be saved. He feels victorious when he keeps any one of us from repentance toward God and faith in Christ, and wants to drag every one of us he can to hell one day, just out of spite. Be sure of this: if Satan had the audacity to tempt Jesus this way, we will certainly be tempted too, especially if we are making or even have the potential to make a difference for the kingdom of God. We’re warned in the New Testament by someone who knew from personal experience, Simon Peter, that he is like a lion on the prowl looking for someone to devour.

So what can we learn from all this? I have several notes here. First, expect that you will be tempted and realize the powers of darkness will come at you when you are weakest too and in the areas you are most vulnerable. The devil came at Jesus like that, so he’ll come at us like that. And he attacked him in familiar ways, appealing to the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the pride of life. Second, understand that temptation itself is not sin.

There’s nothing more human than to be tempted. Even Jesus here in his humanity was tempted repeatedly. It’s only sin if we give in to it. Jesus was tempted, the New Testament tells us, in every way the same as we are, but he was without sin, and he is in heaven now interceding for us. Third, don’t ever imagine you’re above falling, because you’re not. Just when you think you are standing, the New Testament tells us, take heed lest you fall.

I’m sure you noticed this. When Jesus was tempted, he responded with the Word of God each time, not just in his own power to resist, but with God’s truth, so in his power. What areas do you realize you are most vulnerable to temptation? Learn specific verses and passages of God’s Word that will remind you of the truth in those specific areas. As the Psalm says, Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Remember what we learned about the armor of God, the sword of the Spirit.

How we can strike back is with the Word of God, which is imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus not only modeled this for us, but he needed to do this. So how much more do we? And fourth, God has given us appetites, but those are often the avenues the devil will come at us. Jesus was hungry, and there’s nothing wrong with eating when you’re hungry. There’s nothing wrong with making bread, obviously.

But at that time, as he was in a special period of fasting, denying himself, focusing on communication with his Father, preparing for his ministry ahead, the temptation Satan posed to him was just wrong. So the appetite may be fine, but the situation may be completely wrong. We have the appetite for food too, but out from under God’s control, that can be used wrong, can become gluttony, for example. We have an appetite for intimacy, but in the wrong situations, outside of God’s boundaries, it will become the trap of sexual sins. We have a normal desire for achievement and purpose, but they can become, driven by pride, corrupted by greed. His temptations may appeal to something very normal and natural, but we cannot be ignorant of Satan’s schemes.

He’s a master deceiver, and he twists even good things into dangerous traps. And finally, number five, stop and think carefully about consequences when you feel tempted. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed with the appeal of immediate gratification, which can be very strong. Jesus was fasting to prepare himself for his upcoming ministry. The devil’s temptations were designed to get him off that track and ruin God’s plan, and he hoped he could overcome Jesus with temptation to satisfy his immediate desires. Same is true when we are tempted.

Satan wants nothing more than to spoil and derail the things that God has planned for us, he wants to do through us, and he will dangle things that can overwhelm our minds and our emotions if we let them. Don’t allow him to do that to you. Always stop and think carefully about the possible consequences of your choices and actions, because succumbing to temporary gratifications can be to unwittingly fall into his traps, traps he has laid that can ruin your life. As in everything, Jesus is our example. Meditate on how he responded to these temptations and struck out the devil. Learn how to resist him as Jesus did, and he will flee from you too.

This is Paul for Share the Word. Thanks, Paul. Satan’s schemes come with a great deal of history, and what I mean by that is that Satan and his minions have watched you and your family throughout history, and now they know your weaknesses and where you are most vulnerable. He knows what buttons to push that will cause you to derail. But everything Christ did, including his time in the desert, was a guide and a model for us so that we would know how to deal with temptations. And today, Pastor Paul has given us insight and great tools as to how to deal with temptation.

Incorporate them into your life and continue to study the Bible, because your greatest defense is, as Christ said, It is written.