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"Jesus Faces Temptation"
Thomas Costain's book The Three Edwards describes the
life of Raynald III, a 14th-century duke in what is now
Belgium. Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname,
Crassus, which simply means “fat”.
After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward
led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald,
but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald
in the castle and promised him he could regain his title and
property as soon as he was able to leave the room. This would
not have been difficult for most people, since the room had
several windows and a door of almost normal size—none of
which were locked or barred. The problem was Raynald's
size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight.
But Edward knew his older brother. Each day he sent a
variety of delicious foods into the room. Instead of
dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter. When
Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer:
“My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so
wills.” Raynald stayed in that room for 10 years and
wasn't released until after Edward died in battle. By
then his health was so ruined that he died within a
year — a prisoner of his own appetite.
[source: www.preachingtoday.com, modified]
Temptations are hard to overcome, aren’t they? We
face temptations all the time, every day – and even
though we’re sometimes successful at resisting them,
all too often we give in. It just seems easier, or
better, or more pleasurable. Some temptations can
seem pretty innocent, such as the desire to eat just
one more Girl Scout thin mint cookie. Others are
sinful, like the urge towards an extra-marital affair.
What are your temptations?
In the fourth chapter of Luke, we see what temptations
Satan used to try to get Christ to turn aside from His
path to the cross, to reject the Father’s will. Satan
knew that Christ, being fully human as well as fully
God, had to overcome human desires in order to carry
out the will of His Father. He had to succeed where
all others before Him had failed.
Satan starts out with what seems like an easy request.
Having fasted for 40 days, Jesus was very hungry. Satan
tempts Him, “If you are the Son of God, command these
stones to turn into bread.” For years I wondered why
there was anything wrong with this. What’s wrong with
Jesus using the power which was rightfully His to use,
creating food like He did when He fed the five thousand?
What’s the problem with this?
But on closer examination, there is a glaring fault with
this: Jesus is not here on earth to feed Himself. His
purpose is not to use His power to glorify Himself and
take care of His own needs. He refuses to put Himself
first, to cease trusting in His Father to richly and
daily provide all His needs. And He certainly will not
be drawn into Satan’s demand that Jesus show whether or
not He is really the Son of God. That proof will come
later, on the cross and at the empty tomb. Satan demands
that Jesus feed Himself now. Don’t wait for your Father.
Make these stones into bread now. Eat now.
Unlike Adam, who could not resist eating, Jesus stands firm
and refuses to succumb to temptation. Unlike Israel, who
while wandering in the wilderness complained that God would
not feed them, Jesus perfectly trusts in His Father to provide
the food He needs. Jesus responds to Satan, “Man does not
live by bread alone.” By doing so, He reminded Satan that
Israel had been deprived of normal food and fed by manna
provided by God Himself to show them that they do not live
on bread alone, but “by every word that comes from the mouth
of God.” [Deuteronomy 6:3]
Seeing that he’s getting nowhere with this temptation, Satan
changes the subject. He promises Jesus that he will give
Jesus all authority and glory, if only Jesus would simply
worship Satan. There is another way, Jesus, a way in which
You don’t have to suffer. A way that doesn’t lead to the
cross. A way to get everything You want now, without the
agony and humiliation You know is coming!
Jesus knew what Adam and Eve did not understand: Satan’s
promises are hollow. Satan’s authority, such as it is, is
only over a world estranged from God. To worship him and
be given his authority and glory means to give up the
authority and glory of being a child of God. It is an
empty promise, full of deceit. Jesus sees right through
it. “Worship the Lord your God,” He quotes, “and Him only
shall you serve.” Jesus does not seek to glorify Himself,
but His Father. He will one day be given all authority,
glory, and honor, but only after enduring the suffering of
the cross and releasing the world from its enslavement to
sin. True worship is not conditional. It is not, “Worship
me, then I will give,” as Satan said. It is, “Worship me,
because I gave.” That’s the worship God desires: worship
because of what He has already freely done for us.
The final temptation is perhaps the one of the scariest verses
in the Bible. Here, Satan uses Scripture itself to tempt the
Son of God. Yes, Satan will even use the holy and precious
Word of God to try to accomplish his evil purposes. Here,
Satan demands that Jesus prove that He is God’s Son. Remember
that Jesus has just come from His baptism, where God declares
that Jesus is His Son, in whom He is well pleased. “Now,”
Satan says, “prove it.” Go, jump off the temple. Then
everyone will see who you are. There will be no suffering,
no cross. The people will see you and will worship you
now. Test whether what God says is really true. Test and
see if He will keep His promise to protect you.
Once again, where Adam, Israel, and everyone else on earth
had failed, Jesus stands firm. “You shall not tempt the
Lord your God,” Jesus says. He refuses to test the
Father’s words. He will not doubt the promises of God.
He will not seek proof and He will not take action against
His Father’s will. His path leads to the cross, and this
path alone will He follow.
Thank God that Jesus did! For we have been unable to resist
the temptations with which Satan bombards us. Earlier I
asked you what your temptations are. Where have you been
tempted to go against the will of your Heavenly Father? And
have you fallen to the temptation? Have you followed your
own desires instead of His?
With what temptation does Satan tempt you? He knows your
weaknesses. Does he tempt you to lie to your spouse? To
cheat on a test? To spread gossip? To treasure money
instead of treasuring God? To crave pornography? To make
false claims on your taxes? To dishonor your father or
mother? To covet material possessions? How does Satan
tempt you? Have you stood firm like Jesus did or have
you bowed to the pressure, folding under the weight of
the temptation?
If I am honest with myself, there is only one answer. I
have bowed, folded, failed. What about you? Yes, unlike
Jesus, we have all failed to perfectly keep our Father’s
will. Our own actions condemn us! We deserve death and
hell.
But in the ultimate mystery, God doesn’t punish us for our
sin, for our failure to withstand temptation. God doesn’t
punish us. Instead, He punished His Son. Jesus,
who perfectly withstood all of Satan’s temptations, is
declared guilty of failure – our failure. To Him is
given our punishment, and as He hangs dying on the
cross, God the Father rejects Him and abandons Him.
Jesus Christ becomes a failure… for you.
But you know that is not the end of the story. For through
that failure came the ultimate triumph. Through that defeat
came eternal victory. Through that loss Jesus triumphs with
a victory so complete that even death itself cannot hold Him!
Jesus refused to succumb to temptation, and instead accomplished
the Father’s will. And His will was that all people should be
saved from their sins. His will was that nothing should ever
again separate us from His love. His will was that we should
be His beloved children. This is the Father’s will, which
Jesus accomplished through His suffering and death. And just
like He did at Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration, by raising
Jesus from the dead God declares in no uncertain terms, “This
is My Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
Heavenly Father, Thy will be done.
Amen.
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