Matthew 4:1-4. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 27, 2016.
The commercialization of all things good usually brings out the worst in humanity. Thus, after a day that is focused on being thankful, many go out and shout, fight, and wrestle over the best deals of the year, Black Friday. As Christians we must not lose sight of the reality behind Thanksgiving, or its reason for being. In fact we dare not lose sight of the reason for our lives themselves. Thanksgiving has nothing to do with getting the best deals on the latest electronic gadget. But, rather, it is about stopping in the midst of our often busy lives and showing appreciation for what we already have, despite what we may not have.
Today we are going to look at Jesus during a time in his life where we are allowed to see Satan trying to tempt Him. I believe these temptations are instructive and valuable to us so that we can know that we do not live by bread alone.
In Matthew 4 we are told that Jesus is “led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” It is clear that the Spirit had a purpose that involved this word “tempted.” In the passage the devil is also called the “Tempter,” (same word but as a noun). Now we know that the Spirit is not in league with the devil so what is going on here?
Part of the mystery lies in the word that is translated “tempted.” When this word is used in a situation that is for something good, say refining metal, it means something more like “to prove or test.” When the word is used in a bad situation, say blowing all your money on gambling and drinking, it means “to tempt.” We would never say that a teacher is tempting a child when they give them a test because our focus is on the intent. The Greek’s chose to use the same word because in both cases you are being tested. Here we know that it is the Spirit’s purpose to test Jesus in order to prove who He is. But it is Satan’s purpose to tempt Jesus, disqualify Him, and bring Him under control.
Perhaps you have struggled with understanding why God lets temptation or challenges exist in your life. It is because He knows that they can strengthen and prove our faith in Him. Even our past failures are used by God to make our faith stronger. Times of temptation can help us grow by revealing areas of weakness that we need to surrender to God. God can and will give you the victory over your spiritual enemy if you will trust Him. On the other hand, Satan actively tempts us in order to pull us away from God and bring into bondage under his dominion. He uses our past failures as chains to keep us from turning to God and believing Him.
One of the main things that Satan tempts us with is material things. This is on display in the first temptation. But let’s further explore the setting. We are told that Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days in the wilderness. You see, the Spirit was leading Jesus towards spiritual purposes. Jesus was spiritually preparing to go to war against the evil spirits that had taken control of Israel, and then the whole world. Satan may have showed up throughout the 40 days and Matthew may only be recording three of many temptations. Regardless, the first we are told about involves breaking his fast by creating bread from the stones around him. It is here that we should recognize that we often lose the spiritual by pursuing the material. Even deeper, often letting go of the material is necessary to receive spiritual gain. Another thing to recognize is that most of what we have spiritually has come through combat with the Tempter.
Most translations quote the devil as saying to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God.” It sounds like Satan is questioning this fact. However, this Greek conditional does not necessarily bring the first part in question. It has the sense of this, “If you are the Son of God [and we both know you are, why don’t you] command that these stones become bread.” The temptation is to prove what you know to be true for fleshly reasons, rather than trusting God to demonstrate the truth at the proper time. If we boil it further down, the temptation is to follow your flesh rather than the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God had led Jesus to a hungry, weakened condition, where there was no food around. Why not use your power to get off such a loathsome path?
This doesn’t always have to be about something material like bread. The Corinthian Church members even used the spiritual gifts that God had given them of speaking in unknown languages to please their fleshly desire for pride and high standing with the other Church members. Thus the material is not so much the problem as the desires of our flesh. When we let our fleshly desires lead it always takes us away from what God wants to do in our life.
So God is not against the material things in your life. However, He knows that they cannot save you. Jesus responds to the Devil by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” The passage Jesus quotes is not about forbidding bread to people. In fact God had supernaturally provided bread (manna) for Israel while they were in the wilderness. The passage is pointing out that God had revealed to Israel that their life was not about the things we see around us, but about what God says. Thus a person can be surrounded by food and yet lack life, especially eternal life. Yet, a person can be in a wilderness where there is nothing and they will live because of what God commands. Up to 6 million Israelites survived in a barren wilderness because God commanded it. Can he not take care of you? God knows that you have physical needs, but He also knows that the desires of your flesh generally pull you away from Him and His ways. This temptation that the Devil brings to Jesus, he also brings to us. He wants to rob you of the greater treasure that God has for you, and trap you in a materialistic prison. If you have failed this test then quit trying to “make bread out of stones,” (a.k.a. trying to make it happen by your power). Yes, we don’t have the same power that Jesus had, but we are tempted in the same kind of way. Let it go!
Throughout history Christians have pointed to the tactic that Jesus employs here as the key for our own victory. Jesus used God’s Word (or The Truth) to counteract the twisted, false logic of the Devil. This doesn’t make it easy. Often the “lie” that Satan is offering us is something that our flesh wants to believe. Now Jesus had the power to attack Satan head on. Through His divine power He could have commanded Satan to be locked up in the Abyss, or Bottomless Pit (a spiritual prison for evil Spirits, 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6; Revelation 9). But Jesus did not stand against Satan in this way. Instead, Jesus resisted Satan as a human can, or as you and I can. If we take time to familiarize ourselves with the Truth of God’s Word, then we are equipped to neutralize the lies of the enemy of our soul. Each of Satan’s lies and temptations are like a small chain that is used to tie us up into spiritual knots. Though you may be tied up in a pretzel and powerless, the Word of God through Jesus Christ is not. No matter how bound up a person is they can be set free through this same tactic: stop trusting the lies of Satan and start trusting Jesus, the Son of God. Don’t settle for others in your life to know the Bible. You need to know it for yourself. Your spiritual life depends upon it.
The Word of God not only counteracts the deceptions of Satan, but it also keeps us in connection with the Source of Life. Satan ultimately wants to sever any connection you have to the Spirit of God by getting to your trust. In Romans 8:14 Paul says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” One of God’s amazing truths is that He adopts into His family everyone who dares to believe Jesus and follow Him. As a believer in Jesus and a disciple of Jesus, the Spirit of God leads us to put to death the deeds that are inspired by our fleshly desires. However, Satan tempts us to give into satisfying those same fleshly desires. In fact Scriptures tells us that our flesh is hostile to the things of God even as a Christian (Romans 8:7). Rebellion against God’s revealed will, or ignoring His Spirit because we are so inebriated with our fleshly desires and materialism, both become a barrier between us and the Source of Eternal Life. Even though the world around you may say that you cannot live without such and such, it does so because it has given into the temptations of Satan. When we are trapped in materialistic lies, we become a part of a system that helps the Tempter by being a temptation ourselves. Why would you want to be like the devil and take on his image, when the Spirit of God is offering to make you into the image of Jesus? May we shine out as bright lights in this world of darkness. May we be the children of God who are being led by the Spirit of God to inherit all things along with the One and Only Unique Son of God, Jesus.