The Temptations of Jesus

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. We invite your attention to a chapter in Matthew, or a passage in Matthew, chapter 3, and the first part of chapter 4. Matthew 3, and I begin reading at verse 13, and then go into chapter 4. [00:00:40] The subject matter has to do with the baptism of Jesus and also his temptation. All right, chapter 3, verse 13. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. [00:01:17] Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [00:01:48] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. [00:02:30] And Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [00:03:03] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Include our reading there at verse 11. The last five verses of chapter 3 speak here of Jesus' baptism. John the Baptist had been preaching and calling men to repentance, people to repentance, and baptizing them at the river of Jordan. [00:03:35] Great crowds came to hear him. John pulled no punches. He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb, so says the Holy Record. He called for and required evidence of amendment of life. Therefore, he said, bring forth therefore fruits, meat for repentance. Show some evidence that you have made some changes in your life for the good. [00:04:10] John was preparing a people for the Lord. He was preparing the way of the Lord. Getting a people ready for the coming Messiah. He was also, he was already among them. Jesus was. One day John pointed him out as he walked among the multitude. Behold and said, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away. The sin of the world. No such statement had ever been made. And under the old covenant, they were always remembering the sin, sin, year after year. [00:04:57] But here is one who had come to take away sin What a glorious transformation and message for the people The ministry of John was soon to cease The ministry of Jesus was soon to begin Jesus knew the value of doing things right He requested and desired baptism But wait, Jesus had no sin, therefore he had nothing to repent of. [00:05:35] Well, John sensed his own inferior qualifications as he stood in the presence of this sinless sovereign. John said, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? Jesus answered and said, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. [00:06:05] He said, It becometh us. Righteousness is becoming to the Christian. The word becoming means suitable, appropriate, fitting, and proper. I'll be the crowning experience of Jesus' baptism when he came up from the river and the heavens were open unto him and John saw the Spirit descend like a dove and lighting upon him. [00:06:40] Besides, a public testimony of confirmation came from his heavenly father. As these words from heaven were heard, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. I believe this was the initiation of Christ into the office of being prophet and priest and king. For it was later in his ministry that the Jews confronted him as they beheld his miracles. [00:07:16] And they said, By what authority doest thou these things? Who gave you this authority? Jesus said, I'll ask you a question first. You answer me, and then I'll tell you. The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men? Well, they got together in their little huddle and reasoned among themselves. [00:07:48] They said, well, if we say it was from heaven, then he'll say, why didn't you believe him then? If we'll say it was of men, then the people will stone us for they all regard John as a prophet. And they didn't want to be stoned, and they didn't want to be embarrassed. So they answered, well, we can't tell you, sorry. We can't tell. [00:08:20] Jesus answered, all right, neither will I tell you. By what authority? Where this authority stems from? Jesus referred them back to John and his own baptism and the Holy Spirit coming upon him. That's where his authority was coming from. But blind unbelief hinders men from comprehending spiritual things. Water baptism is a New Testament ordinance commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission [00:08:57] and practice by the early church and thereby gains the privilege according to his maturity to participate in the activities of the church. Peter had this to say regarding baptism. 1 Peter 3, that started 18, [00:09:45] The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Well, we think of the temptation going into chapter 4. Satan is the chief tempter. When God is pleased with our lives, then Satan gets on the offensive. [00:10:19] Jesus had just experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit upon him, and the Spirit leads and directs the believer. He led Jesus into the wilderness. Yes, the Bible says to be tempted of the devil. Now the Spirit already knew what would happen out there. The Spirit does not tempt, He leads. James said, Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, and neither tempted He any man. [00:10:53] Someone will protest and say, wait a minute, Genesis, the 22nd chapter, says that God did tempt Abraham. Now, folks, in order to interpret that particular scripture in Genesis, we have to turn to Hebrews 11, 17, where we read these words. By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. [00:11:26] Now, God does allow or permit us to be tempted. Satan began with our first parents in the Garden of Eden. There he questioned God. Yea, hath God said, and then slandering, yea, even contradicting God God said to Adam, in the day that you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely die [00:12:00] Satan said, ye shall not surely die Contradicting the Lord One of the most wide open areas of Satan's attacks on believers today is doubting God's word. Unbelief leads to bondage. Knowing and believing the truth sets men free. God's forever settled word is lightly esteemed today, even despised by so-called religious people. [00:12:43] A man by the name of Donald Miller. Now, if you happen to be related to him, I want to tell you something this morning. You have a relative that needs God. Yes, he professed to be a Christian, an important organ. He says that Christianity is a dangerous term, and he tries to avoid it. In 2003, he considered leaving his career as a writer and the church because he couldn't attend church without getting angry. [00:13:21] To quell his rage, he sat in his boxer shorts and banged out a memoir of his experiences with God stripped of the trappings of religion. His story was in our local paper. Maybe you read it. He wrote a book, and after five years, it is finally catching on and became a hit. especially to 20-something-year-olds, Christians. [00:13:58] I put a question mark there. Christians in their 20s. Now, his new audience revels in his ability to talk unashamedly about smoking pot, living in a hippie commune, and the notion that God isn't a Republican. In his book, he describes his disdain for the us versus them mentality between Christians and non-Christians. [00:14:34] Well, I'm here to tell you that you go through the Bible and it's always us and them. The world and the Christian, the world and the believer. The Bible is full of it. He felt, again, this from professing Christians, he felt this underlying hostility for homosexuals and Democrats and hippie types. He said, I cannot tell you how much I did not want liberal or gay people to be my enemies. I liked them. [00:15:13] I ask you this morning, do you feel inspired by his writings? What scriptures does he use to sustain his beliefs? Not a one. This is an age where people are a god to themselves. themselves. Even Robert Shuler, a TV evangelist, and no, we don't have one of those things, no. Someone gave me his book, and I read it. Even Robert Shuler says that people are putting too much emphasis on the word of God. After all, he said, we're saved by the blood, not by the book. [00:16:04] But let me ask you this morning, does the man even know what the Bible says? 1 Peter 1.23 says, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. If Satan can wean us away from this book, then he can steer us away from the narrow way and eternal life. Appearing as an angel of light becomes Satan's most subtle and dangerous form of deception. [00:16:44] Many years ago, Evan Roberts, a young man that God used mightily in the Welsh revival, was praying in a back room before a service one evening, and suddenly the whole room was filled with a brilliant light. Ah, he went to the pulpit that night and there was a glorious manifestation of God's power. The next night he again was praying in that room and somehow he was expecting and waiting for that light, but nothing happened. [00:17:26] And that night the service fell flat. Years later, that man concluded that that light was from Satan so that he, Roberts, would put his trust in that phenomena instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, we need to focus our faith on the never-failing promises of Almighty God. [00:17:58] Jesus was preparing himself for his earthly ministry. He was led to the desert where he could be alone. There he fasted 40 days and 40 nights. When you go on an extended fast, after a few days your hunger will leave you. But 40 days in the Bible is a limit number. And then his hunger returned. [00:18:29] It is said that when hunger returns after fasting, then it is wise to begin eating, or starvation will set in. Satan took advantage of this situation in verse 3. And he came to Jesus there in the desert. and said, If thou be the Son of God, then command these stones be made bread. [00:19:02] Was Jesus the Son of God? Indeed he was, is. Was he hungry? Yes, he was. Did he have the power to turn stones into bread? Certainly he did. How did he respond? He quoted scripture from Deuteronomy 8 verse 3 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God [00:19:33] Folks, there is something more important than bread for the body And that is heavenly manna for the soul Jesus could postpone eating a bit longer rather than yield to this subtle temptation. When a person draws near to God, such as in the experience of fasting, he will often become a target for the receptive tactics of Satan. He will do what he can to divert man's attention away from heavenly things and to focus on earthly things. [00:20:14] What shall we eat or drink or what are we going to wear? And all of these things. But these things are the concern of the unbelieving world. Paul said in Philippians 4, verse 6, Be careful for nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Don't worry about tomorrow. Someone as well said, worry is the dark room where negatives are developed. [00:20:47] We have a heavenly Father to call upon who knows our need. Further he said seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Food and clothing are high on the agenda especially of those who have no savior to look to or trust in. Jesus instructs his followers regarding priorities like I quoted from Matthew 6.33 Our first concerns are to be involved with the kingdom of God and his righteousness [00:21:22] and then he will see to it that we do not lack in the lesser things. Paul said in Philippians 4.19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. How vast are the riches in glory! None of us knows. Ephesians 3.20 says, Now unto him that is able, O the abilities of God, [00:21:56] He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. According to your faith be it unto you, said Jesus. If Jesus can feed a crowd of at least 5,000 men besides women and children, who knows, perhaps 10,000 people or more in that congregation that day. If he can feed all of those people with five small loaves and two small fishes [00:22:30] and have twelve baskets full of leftovers, don't you think that he would be able to provide you with at least a can of sardines and a few soda crackers? All right, the second temptation, well, Jesus was confronted with, verses 5 and 6. The devil taketh him up into a high holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, [00:23:01] If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down. For it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone Once again, Satan challenged the sonship of Jesus If thou be the Son of God And then he had the audacity to quote scripture To prove how God would protect him with angel intervention [00:23:34] Now the former temptation had to do with provision Turn these stones into bread This temptation had to do with prominence Just imagine the Jerusalem Daily News the next morning with the blazing headlines Jesus of Nazareth leaps from a 90-foot pinnacle of the temple And a band of angels swoops to intercept his fall just inches from the ground [00:24:08] from the street, and then they gently set him on the sidewalk. Is not this truly the Son of God? Ah, they would have taken him through the streets of Jerusalem on a bandwagon. The mayor, no doubt, would have had a banquet for him with all the prominent officials present. Think of the notes of congratulations coming in and the beautiful flower arrangements to garnish the civic auditorium where the banquet was held. [00:24:40] Jesus was close to worldwide acclaim and attention. Why did he shun it? He counted it a temptation, and he was not about to give the devil a foothold in his life. He was not seeking prominence, but the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19.10 How many times when healing the sick or performing some miracle did he ask people not to make him known? [00:25:16] Many times. It was the scribes and Pharisees who were seeking attention. Their praying and fasting and giving of alms were all done to be seen of men. They chose the highest seats in the synagogues and asked to come to feasts. They chose the most prominent places to sit. Jesus also quoted scripture to counteract scripture used in the temptation. He said, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [00:25:51] God did not say in 2 Chronicles 7.14, If my people which are called by my name shall seek to be popular and make a name for themselves, No, he didn't say that. But he said rather to humble ourselves before him. Paul said we are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly according as God had dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12.3 [00:26:22] That word soberly in the Greek means with sound mind, moderately, self-controlled, moderate as to opinion or passion. Psychology says many personal problems stem from low self-esteem. I mean to work on our self-esteem, our self-worth. Let me say something this morning. I believe that low self-esteem and personal problems come from an improper view of who God is and what he has done for you. [00:27:04] Satan is delighted if he can get men and women to place their confidence in some secular placebo instead of fully trusting in the divine abilities of the Savior. Here, a third temptation Satan tried on Jesus had to do with power. Verses 8 and 9. The devil, taking them up into exceeding high mountains, showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. [00:27:51] Imagine a worldwide ruler. He was offered this glorious position for only one little favor. Satan said if you will fall down and worship me I tell you folks that's not too difficult to see through If Jesus had complied he would have been second in command And Satan the chief Satan is out after the worship of all human and divine beings [00:28:26] Speaking of Lucifer in Isaiah 14, 14 It says, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. But God declares in verse 15, yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit. Jesus met this temptation once again with scripture. Get thee hence, Satan. For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Satan sought to derail the divine authority of the Savior, but he was unsuccessful. [00:29:02] John 14, 30, Jesus said, The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me. The devil had no foothold in the Son of God. Jesus was not carnal. Mary gave him a body, but the life cell was from God the Holy Ghost. If the carnal in us as humans is not crucified, Satan will have a foothold in our lives. [00:29:33] Further, Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. To submit to an inferior power would have canceled the all power. Praise God for a victorious Savior who said no to Satan and yes to the will of God. His Father. Then the devil leaveth him, and angels came and ministered unto him. You know, Satan tried three times and missed. [00:30:06] You boys know that. You know, three strikes and you're out. Since Jesus refused Satan's request to make bread from stone, angels came and ministered unto him. I can just picture them setting up a neat little deli out there in the desert and served him angels food. Well, I need to close. But I don't think I want to close this message [00:30:38] without a few thoughts on how can I be a victorious Christian. First let me say, I am not in agreement with the philosophy that Christians must struggle all their lifetime between victory and defeat, sometimes victorious and other times living in defeat. If God in His Word has indicated that there is overcoming grace for the believer, then why is it only for part-time? [00:31:12] What chapter and verse would you go to? And furthermore, if you're living in Romans 7, I think it might be high time you move on into Romans 8. I'm also here this morning to say, as long as we are here on earth, There is that possibility to sin, to stumble, to fall, to make mistakes, but making excuses for our weakness is not claiming the power of God. [00:31:49] Let's look at several points to help us to victorious living. You're going to eat here, so be patient. First of all, how can I be a victorious Christian? First point, look at our example. How did he overcome Jesus, the Son of God? First of all, he quoted scripture. In every case he said, it is written, it is written, it is written. [00:32:27] You know what the Bible says? He said, man shall not live by bread alone. The Bible says, for the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Hebrews 4.12. Psalm 119.11, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Memorize scripture. Hide it in your heart. Have it on the tip of your tongue. Truth will put the father of lies on the run. [00:33:11] I have found 2 Corinthians 10, 4 through 6, a tremendous blessing in my own experience. It says, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, Casting down imaginations of every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled [00:33:43] Folks, I've already faced the temptation But immediately, and those scriptures are on the tip of my tongue I began to quote those scriptures And before I was half through, the temptation was broken. Try it. The more fuel you have in your tank, the farther you will go. According to Hebrews 2.18, temptation, however, was not just a breeze for our Savior, [00:34:21] For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted, because he passed through those struggles of making a choice and keeping on the right track. He knows how to assist us when we are tempted. Again from Hebrews 4.15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [00:34:57] What are the all points? No doubt, hearing through the five senses he was tempted. Hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Look at our example. Second, lean on his promises. Lean on his promises. We already alluded to that. Feed on the bread of life. It will provide you with spiritual energy to meet every obstacle. [00:35:28] When the Spirit of God came on Samson, he was invincible. When he played with sin, he lost his power and suffered defeat. 1 Corinthians 10, 13 Possibly the very pinnacle of scriptures regarding temptation and how to overcome them. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. [00:36:00] But God is faithful who will not suffer you or allow you or permit you to be tempted above that you are able But will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it What does it say? To me, God is saying, before any temptation ever comes to my life Before I'm ever confronted with it, God sees it, and he looks at me, and he looks at the temptation, and he says, [00:36:38] Now, that's just a little bit too big for that brother. I'll squeeze it down to the right size that he can overcome it. Every temptation, he does that. Every temptation, he makes possible that you can overcome it. Hallelujah, what a Savior However, we have further obligations Note verse 15 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry [00:37:11] We must distance ourselves from temptations of luring magnetism The person who had a drinking problem should not park himself on a bench outside the saloon. No, put on running shoes and go the other direction. Woe to the man that goes down the road to meet the devil just to see how strong he is. That's defeat every time. [00:37:48] Third point, let faith work in your life. Romans 6, 1, Paul said, shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? All those verses 6 through 14, I won't take time to read them. But Paul says, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. [00:38:30] We must learn to reckon on what Christ did for us, what he has done. Paul said again in Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me The life that I now live in this mortal flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave himself for me [00:39:00] If Paul could say that and live that, then so can you Find the scriptures and the promises of God. Hide them in your heart and latch your faith onto them and then go on your way rejoicing with victory in your souls.