Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle. Well here we are just a couple of days from the new year. I don't know about you, but 2020 has been some kind of year here. I must confess that I'm hoping 2021 will be a better year. Although 2021 will see our oldest leave the nest to go to collage down state.
Have you ever been tempted? I think everyone can answer yes to this question. Well Satan thought He would attack Christ Jesus in person by tempting Him. Today we will see how Christ Jesus handle these temptations.
How should we live our lives? In a world gone crazy many are asking that question. But because the world tends to discount the Bible as a book of fables or an antiquated book with no relevance to today's society they miss out on God's instructions and advice on either the major or minor problems of life. If and when the Bible is consulted, many astonishing answers are found, but they go directly against what the world teaches. Because of this people quickly shut the book and say, “Fanciful! Idealistic! Impractical!” - T.T. Crabtree (The Zondervan Pastor's Annual; 2011; pg. 238)
Matthew 4:1-11 describe the moral tempting of Christ Jesus. As a society we here in the U.S. use to consider high moral character essential in business, leadership, and everyday life. Unfortunately, our culture for the most part has lost its bearings and it morality. Make no mistake this is a foreshadowing of our ultimate judgment and fall as a nation if we don't repent and turn back to God.
These verses show more than just ordinary temptation. This was Satan's, prince of the earth; direct attempt to turn God the Son – Christ Jesus. It was most surely Satan's attempt to make Christ Jesus sin and doing so thwart God's plan for the redemption of mankind. Was Christ Jesus really tempted by Satan, personally I don't think so; but Satan did actually try to tempt Christ Jesus. Maybe Satan thought the human part of Christ Jesus could be tempted just as he had tempted humans all the way back to Adam and Eve. But he was in for a surprise.
Today let's look at the circumstances of the temptations of Christ Jesus, at Satan's first attempt to tempt Him, and His response.
Matthew 4:1-4
4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
1. Under The Spirit's Guidance (vs. 1-2)
The beginning of Christ Jesus' ministry is marked by two major events. The first was His baptism by His cousin John. And as we saw last week the other two parts of the Holy Trinity showed up to show their love and approval as Christ Jesus was about to embark upon His earthly ministry.
Now here in Chapter 4 and verse 1 we see the second major event in the inauguration of Christ Jesus' ministry. Here we see that the Holy Spirit led Christ Jesus out into the wilderness “to be tempted by the devil.” Did you catch that? Christ Jesus didn't say to Himself, “Now that I've been baptized I think I'll mosey on out to the wilderness and see what's happening.” No, He was led out to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for a specific purpose. Christ Jesus was led to the wilderness to be tested by Satan.
So for 40 day and nights Christ Jesus prepared Himself for Satan, and when Satan showed up on day 41 Christ Jesus was not surprised. Christ Jesus is fully God with all the attributes of God, He knew what was coming.
I can guarantee that Christ Jesus knows what is going on in your life. Nothing, no problems or temptations, no questions you may have, no objection you may throw at Him, nothing about you is going to catch Christ Jesus by surprise. He knows everything about you and He loves you so much that He willingly died for you. He also said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). I don't know about you, but this sound's better than anything the world has to offer.
When I volunteered at the Baptist Mission Center one of my duties was to fill food sacks and pass them out. As I handed people their food sacks I would tell them, “This food will feed you for awhile, but there is a Bread that will feed you for eternity; Christ Jesus is that Bread of Life. With Him in your life you will never go hungry (John 6:35).” I'd like to be able say that everyone that I told that to excepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour right then and there, sadly I can't. But praise God there were some who excepted the gift of Christ Jesus, the Bread of Life.
2. The First Temptation (vs. 3-4)
Satan's words in Christ Jesus' first temptation indicates that Christ Jesus is the Son of God and Satan seems to acknowledge that fact. The Greek word used for if used here is ei (i); a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc. :- forasmuch as, if, that, ([al-]) though, whether. Often used in connection or composition with other particles...So really Satan's statement here might be better translated as, “Since you are the Son of God.”
Satan's words here were mixed with a bit of sarcasm just as the words of those who witnessed the crucifixion ~ and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:40). Satan was not questioning Christ Jesus' Son-ship, instead he was trying to tempt Christ Jesus to misuse that Son-ship.
In this first temptation Satan was tempting Christ Jesus to rely on His own self-provision, rather than on the provision of God. Christ Jesus often insisted that He had come to do the Father's will. To give in to Satan's temptation would have been a departure from the mission that the Father sent Him to complete. This should be an all to familiar scenario. How often are we tempted to try and solve a problem on our own. Or especially here in the U.S. we admire the “self made person?” You know the one who, with no help from anyone has worked their way to the top. Now I have to admit that sounds admirable, but then... I have to ask where was God in all this? Did they really succeed all by themselves?
Are you counting on yourself to get through this life? Or are you counting on the Triune God? What about when you step into eternity? Have you placed your faith in yourself or in Christ Jesus?
3. Satan's Temptation (vs. 3)
“Turn these stones into bread and end your hunger.” Now as we look at the words of Satan we see him speaking words of insincere benevolence and kindness with just a hint of sarcasm. The suggestion Satan made on the surface seemed perfectly natural, simple, and harmless. After all Christ Jesus had not eaten for 40 days and nights, He had to be pretty hungry.
So what would be wrong with turning a few stones into some bread to satisfy His hunger?What was wrong is this? Satan was asking Christ Jesus to use His divine power to meet a personal need. As I said earlier Satan was trying to get Christ Jesus to use His divine power outside the Father's will. And to be outside the Father's will would have been a sin. A sin that would have nullified Christ Jesus' mission before it even got started.
Christ Jesus being God saw through Satan's false sincerity and refused to use His divine power selfishly. Think about this, if Christ Jesus had yielded, He would have been saying, “Your right bread is indispensable to the support of life. I can live only as I have bread. If God the Father will not meet my need then I will take care of it myself.” And then Christ Jesus would have been guilty of sin. And our hope of reconciliation would be crushed. Satan's suggestions are never good, just look at how it turned out for Adam and Eve.
4. Christ Jesus's Response (vs. 4)
There are really only two options open to people. First is Satan's, as the prince of this world, he announced his philosophy of life and sought to win Christ Jesus' agreement to it. Satan says mankind lives by bread alone. “Bread” here is refers to basic physical needs of life. He is saying, “This is your only go around so do all you can to live a good life.”
Douglas MacArthur II, nephew of the famous WWII General, served in the state department when John Foster Dulles was Secretary of State. One evening Mr. Dulles called MacArthur at his home. His wife answered the phone and explained that her husband was not there. Not recognizing who the caller was, she angrily complained, "MacArthur is where MacArthur always is, weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and nights--in that office!" Within minutes Dulles had MacArthur on the phone. He gave him this terse order: "Go home at once, Boy. Your home front is crumbling!" How often do you see or hear of people working day and night, day in and day out under the guise of making a good living for their families? Yet their families suffer because of it.
Christ Jesus, as the Son of God; seeks to set us on the right path. Man shall not, cannot, must not live by bread alone. While bread is good, it is just a part of life, not the whole. It must never become the end for which we live our lives. Bread is not to be the main thing in our thoughts and dictate our activities ~ 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34).
I know we are constantly tempted to accept Satan's bread theory of life. After all this is what the world bombards us with. Now don't get me wrong I am not preaching bout some Utopian society here on earth where all physical needs are met. I realize that we have some legitimate physical needs that we have to work for. Just as Adam was instructed to tend the Garden, we are instructed to provide for our families by “the sweat of our brow.”
But you must beware of Satan lurking nearby telling you that gain of material things should be your life long goal. The bread theory of life leads you on a downward path. The bread theory of life clouds your soul. The bread theory life robs your relationship with God. Instead you should “LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” (Matthew 22:37). We don't live by bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.
(Stuart K. Weber; Holman New Testament Commentary – Matthew)
T.T. Crabtree (The Zondervan Pastor's Annual)
Happy New Year and thanks for dropping by this last year. I pray you will continue to drop by this next year and I pray that 2021 is an awesome year.
See ya next year, Biblesurfer
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