SERMON LUKE 4 WHEN TEMPTATION CALLS June 6, 2021

Today we celebrate communion; communion is a time in which we come to the Lord’s Table and ask for forgiveness for our sins and strength for the demands of daily life. Romans 8:23 states that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Let’s face it, we’re all human and we will make mistakes no matter how hard we try to be good. Unfortunately, it’s in our nature. I once saw a church sign that said: “Dear God, I have a problem. It’s me!” But because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us we are forgiven and loved by God. This is what we celebrate this morning and each time we receive communion.

We also have the assurance that our Lord and Savior understands the demands and temptations of life that we face each and every day; for He Himself faced the same trials and temptations that we face. There were many major events in Jesus’ life here on earth, and this morning I want to discuss one of them. Jesus has just been baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan and heard His Father say: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Then Jesus is immediately led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where He is tempted for forty days by the devil.

This has to be one of the most sacred stories in the Bible, because our only source for this story had to be Jesus Himself. Think about it, Jesus was alone in the wilderness and there were no other eye witnesses, except the devil and he definitely wasn’t going to repeat the story since he was defeated. At some time, Jesus must have shared this experience with His disciples. Now this experience is recorded in three of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. This morning let’s look at Luke’s account which is found in the fourth chapter, the first thirteen verses.

Read Luke 4:1-13

Right after receiving the Holy Spirit, Jesus retires to a lonely place, the wilderness, and for forty days wrestles with His identity, His ministry, and what His Father was calling Him to do. We must not think that these three temptations came and went like the scenes in a play, but more like a continuous long battle which in reality never ceased until the cross. Of the three gospels, Luke is the only one to record that the devil left Jesus until a more opportune time, or as the Message puts it: “The devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.” Another opportunity, here Luke points out that the devil was always looking for opportunities to tempt Jesus and hinder His ministry here on earth. Jesus faced temptation throughout His ministry and life just as we do; it was not a one-time experience. So He can definitely relate to what we experience every day.

If you look closely at these three temptations, you will see many similarities to what we face each day and the decisions that we must make. In the first temptation, the devil appealed to Jesus’ human desires and needs. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and had not eaten anything; verse 2 tells us that He was starving.

The wilderness where Jesus was tempted is next to the Dead Sea and was called “The Devastation.” It was dusty with heaps of limestone rocks; many looking like small loaves of bread. If you have ever fasted or been really hungry, you know how your mind can play tricks on you. After forty days these rocks must have started looking like fresh cooked loaves of bread. The devil likes to play with our mind, and one of his chief weapons is our physical appetite; not just for food, but also for drinks, drugs, sex, and many more. The devil tempted Jesus and tempts us to take the short cut or the easy way out to satisfy our selfish desires; to go for instant gratification and not take the disciplined route of obedience to God.

In the second temptation the devil attacked Jesus’ soul, His loyalty to God. The devil takes Jesus to a high point and shows Him the whole world, and says worship me and all this will be yours. Because of the sins of humanity, the devil had become the unofficial ruler of the world. However, it is somewhat ironic that the devil is offering Jesus what will eventually become Jesus’ anyway through His obedience, His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. The devil is basically promising Jesus what is not his to give. This is the temptation of compromise. The devil is basically telling Jesus: “I have the world and its people in my grip. Don’t set your standards so high. Strike a bargain with me. You don’t have to suffer and die; take it easy. Just compromise a little with evil and people will follow You.”

Every day we are tempted to compromise our beliefs and to lower our Christian standards. And most of the time it is not some major decision, but small subtle actions that lead us away from God one step at a time. It’s like the old illustration of the frog in the kettle. If you throw a frog into a pot of hot boiling water, it will jump right out. However, if you put the frog in a pan of cool water and slowly turn up the heat, soon you have boiled frog legs for supper. The devil is like a fisherman, he throws something out to entice us, and once we start niggling, he slowly starts to reels us in until he has us hooked.

In the third temptation, the devil invites Jesus to jump off the tower of the Temple in Jerusalem which was 450 feet above the ground. He was appealing to Jesus’ emotions; to do something sensational. We are all tempted at times to do or to say things that will bring attention or glory to ourselves, instead of to God. Let’s face it, deep down inside we all want to be the center of attention at times.

Before we move on, let me make a key point. In the last temptation, did you notice that the devil quoted verses from Psalm 91 in the Bible as he tested Jesus? The devil knows the Bible and is not above using it to mislead and misguide us. That’s why it is so important that you read your Bible daily and get involved in a weekly Bible study. Because there will be people who will misquote and misuse the Bible to try and justify their opinions and actions. A working knowledge of the Bible helps us avoid being deceived.

Now in a sense these three temptations represent three of the strongest desires of human nature: physical appetite, desire for power and possessions, and desire for public recognition. I think that we can all relate to this somehow. Have we not all experienced some of these temptations over the past few days? How often are we tempted to compromise our Christian beliefs; to put our desires before God’s will; to choose comfort and ease instead of obedience; to take the easy way out instead of putting in the work required for a project; to seek positions of power and prestige instead of service to the Lord?

Temptation is a reality that we must face each day of our life. We all know the feeling. Some temptations are as innocent as desiring that extra piece of chocolate cake; while others are very serious and can cause great pain to ourselves and others. By yielding to temptation, you may lose in a moment what it took a lifetime to gain.

Now the question is – is temptation really a sin? No, it is not, but giving in, yielding to temptation is definitely a sin. Dwight L. Moody said: “To be tempted is not to sin. The strongest attacks are made on the strongest forts.” C. S. Lewis said it best: “It is a silly idea that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. A person who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. Temptation is not a measure of your weakness; temptation is a measure of your strength.”

Well, what can we learn from Jesus in this story about dealing with temptation? First, remember that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism; thus when He went into the wilderness, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. In some ways, our wilderness is the world around us, our everyday life. Like our Lord and Savior, we need to rely upon the Spirit for guidance and walk with the Lord each day. It is easier to overcome temptation when the Spirit and Jesus are our constant companions. Remember what we discussed on Pentecost Sunday; the Spirit gives us strength and reveals the truth to us.

We should also note that each time the devil tempted Jesus; Jesus quoted a scripture text from the Book of Deuteronomy as His defense. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:17 that the Word of God is our sword in fighting the battles against evil and the devil. Temptation is the stirring up a natural desire to go beyond the boundaries set by God in His Word. In order for believers in Christ to resist temptation we must have a working knowledge of the Word of God. Only in the Bible are we able to see clearly God’s perspective on life. Only with this perspective can we adequately deal with the pressures, testing and problems that we daily face. Take time to study your Bible and let it become part of your daily life. Lean on its words for guidance and strength when temptations gather around you. It’s been said that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who is not.

We can also take confidence in 1 Corinthians 10:13 where Paul writes: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to all people. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” The point is that the temptations we are dealing with are not unique; others have been tempted just as we have. God is faithful and He always provides a way out if we will only consult Him and listen to Him.

Finally, Hebrews 4:14-16 gives us the assurance that as we deal with the temptations of life, we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has personally experienced the same temptations as we have, and can give us power to win our spiritual battles. Jesus knows what we are going through and can help us through whatever we are facing since He Himself has been through it. Martin Luther, the Great Reformer, said that when temptation came knocking at his door, he let Jesus answer it; now that’s great advice.

No matter what wilderness you are going through this morning or what temptations are surrounding you, take time as you receive communion to seek God’s will and strength for your life. Let Him have whatever is tempting you. And also ask for His forgiveness when you have yielded to temptation. Then go in peace with the assurance that the One who overcame all the temptations of life goes with you. Amen