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Luke 4:1-13
"You Are There" - how many of you are old enough to remember that TV show? It ran in the 1950's. Walter Cronkite the famous evening news TV Anchorman was the host. They would present an historical event like the Boston Tea Party and Walter Cronkite would report on it as a reporter on the scene. He would interview Lewis and Clark and other historical figures and the history was being made. And the tag line was always "and you are there!"
What if we could be there when Jesus was being tempted by the Devil? The Bible tells us that after Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit led him out to the desert to be tempted by the Devil. And Jesus fasted for 40 days. At the end of 40 days when he was physically at his weakest the Devil let him have it with three temptations.
What if you or I or any of us had been there? Could we have stood up to the Devil? Could we have resisted the best that the Devil could throw at us? Jesus did, but what if you were there?
Let's take the temptations one by one. The first temptation was to turn stones to bread. Now Jesus had been fasting for 40 days. I don't know about you but I haven't eaten in four hours and I am already hungry. I have fasted for 24 hours but I can't imagine doing that 40 times in a row! Yet Jesus did not let his physical weakness and hunger get the better of him.
But this temptation is about more than Jesus being hungry. The real temptation here is that he would use his power as the Son of God to serve himself instead of sacrificing for others. Jesus had been there at creation and knew the chemical makeup of rocks and bread. For the Son of God it would have been a simple thing to rearrange the atoms and molecules in the rocks to make them the most delicious and nutritious bread ever baked. But Jesus didn't give in.
Could even the best of us have stood up to that? I would argue, "No!" You have heard the saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's true. Even people with the best of intentions can become corrupted by power. The pages of history are littered with people who gained power and then used it to serve themselves. I can't imagine another human being, other than Jesus, who could have the kind of absolute power that Jesus had and not use is self servingly. Yet Jesus used his absolute power self sacrificially.
What about the second temptation. The Devil showed Jesus all the glory of the Kingdoms of the world in an instant and said "I will give you all this if you will but worship me. Earthly glory has certainly led many astray. More than a few religious or political leaders have been led off the right course by the lure of earthly power. But of course Jesus already had power. What the Devil was offering was an easy way out. But it was an easy way that led to a lower end.
You see Jesus was sent to be a Messiah: the King of kings. But his kingdom was not of this world. God had planned for Jesus to suffer and die to achieve the goal of a heavenly throne. Here the Devil was enticing Jesus to lower his sites. It's like when you respond to an advertisement for the deluxe model at a ridiculously low price and when you get there the sales person is so sorry but that was a limited time offer while supplies last. So the sales person just happens to have in stock the base model regularly priced at less than the sale price for the deluxe. The Devil was offering Jesus a base earthly throne at a lower price than for the Heavenly throne God had on lay away for him.
Could you or I have resisted the temptation? We often settle for less than what God has in store for us. God has unlimited supplies of grace and joy and peace and love but we may have to follow a difficult trail to get them. Too often we set our devotional sights lower and settle for less of the blessings than God has in store for us.
What about the third temptation. The Devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and said, "Jump, for it says that his angels will catch you lest you injure your little toe." Well, I could have resisted that temptation! But I have to admit I could have resisted it only because I lack the faith it would have taken to trust that his angels would have caught me. For Jesus the temptation was more than that.
For Jesus this was really the temptation to showboat or put on a publicity stunt to gain followers. If Jesus had thrown himself off the pinnacle of the temple and all the Chief priests and scribes and other religious leaders had seen the angels swoop down, then they would have known that he was the messiah. He would gain many followers right away. But that wasn't God's plan. God's plan was for Jesus to suffer and die. Sure he performed miracles but many of the real biggies like the Transfiguration and calming of the sea were for those who already believed in him. The Devil was offering Jesus fame and glory from the rich and famous instead of being rejected and beaten according to God's will.
Could we have resisted the temptation for fame and glory? In our day people will do just about anything, even publically humiliate themselves for 15 minutes of fame. Most people would rather have fame and recognition and the accolades of the rich and famous than take a chance on self sacrifice. When was the last time you bit your tongue instead of taking an unpopular stand on as controversial topic?
You are there. You're there in the desert and the Devil is tempting you. Could you stand up to it like Jesus did quoting scripture and telling the Devil where to go. No, you couldn't. The Devil didn't need to meet us in the desert when we were at our weakest and offer us kingdoms and fame and comfort. When was the last time one of you was offered Emperorship of the world.
All the Devil needed to do was meet us in our everyday lives and we gave in. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The devil leads us into sin with even breaking a sweat. We couldn't have handled the kind of showdown Jesus had with the Devil because we can't handle the kinds of showdowns' we have with sin and temptation every day.
After Jesus had got baptize the Holy Spirit got holt of him, and it led him out into the wilderness for a showdown with the Devil. Jesus trained for 40 days by fasting and then when he was physically at his weakest the Devil showed up. "Tonight the Main Event: In this corner is Jesus the Son of God, infinite in wisdom, power and love having taken on human form and weighing considerably less than he did 40 days ago. And in this corner Satan the Prince of Darkness, fat with the appetites of the world."
In the first round the Devil came out with his best left hook: "If you really are the Son of God, which I seriously doubt - you look pathetic in that weak and hungry human form - if you are the creator in the flesh then just create some bread from these stones and feed that hungry stomach you now have." But Jesus countered with his best right jab: "Life doesn't come from bread. It comes from God's Word." The Devil stumbled but then the bell sounded.
In the next round the Devil went on the attack again. Coming out of his corner he showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a second and said, "I will give you all of this if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus countered, "Why would I want your fleeting temporal kingdoms. Only God has eternal power, so get out of my way for it says you shall only worship the Lord your God." The Devil fell against the ropes and the bell sounded. End of round 2.
As round three began the Devil when on the attack with a right jab: He took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and said "If you are the Son of God the Bible says his angels will protect you so jump from here and everyone will see the angels swoop down to catch you and they will all know who you are." But Jesus countered with a right cross. Did you here me church? Jesus responded to the Devil with a cross. And he said, "The Bible says you shall not temp the Lord your God." The Devil was down for the count. Jesus beat the Devil but everyone knew the Devil would be spoiling for a rematch even though he was out of his league.
The Devil lost that day in the wilderness. But you know the Devil is a poor loser. Instead of taking it gracefully the Devil decided to take out his defeat on Jesus' followers. Down through the ages Christians have suffered because of the Devil's bad sportsmanship. Through the Roman Empire, the Devil persecuted the church and tried to stamp it out. But in the end the Romans became Christians!
Through the centuries the Devil has tried the same tactics he used against Jesus against the church. Sometimes he has been successful. There are times that Christians have given in to the temptations to fill their own bellies, or to seek worldly power and fame instead of setting their hearts on eternal things. And there have also been times that people have stood up and told the Devil where to go.
And the Devil is still at it today. From time to time we see prominent Christians give in to the temptations and others prevail over the Devil. The Devil is still a poor loser. He knows Jesus will come again and he will get his final rematch which he has already lost. So he continues to tempt Christians today. Trying to lure us with promises of power and riches and fame and such.
How can we beat the devil?
It must have been easy for Jesus. I mean he was the Son of God after all. He was infinite in wisdom, power, and love. He could see straight through he Devil's lies. He could quote the Word of God because he was the Word of God made flesh. He could see beyond the fleeting reality of this world to the eternal reality of God because he was God in the flesh.
But at the same time he was a flesh and blood human being. He had been fasting for 40 days and nights and he was truly famished. I'm sure the idea of turning rocks into bread was a real temptation. I mean for the Son of God it would mean just rearranging a few atoms and molecules. He had lived for 30 years under corrupt Roman rule so the idea of being the one in charge for a change must have appealed to him. He also knew that the Father had chosen a hard way for him to go to get worshippers. Dying on the cross would not be easy, so a publicity stunt like jumping from the temple's highest point would be a shortcut to get followers.
These were very real temptations for Jesus. And he was able to stand up to them. He was able to resists and tell the Devil where to go! Jesus beat the Devil at that showdown in the Desert.
How can we beat the Devil? Maybe we can take our cues from Jesus. Maybe we should memorize scripture so that we can quote it in the Devil's face like Jesus did. Maybe we should fast and pray so that we can discern the fleeting nature of the temporal and we can discern the eternal nature of God's will. Maybe we should deny and humble ourselves like Jesus did. Maybe then we can beat the Devil!
All those are good things. Memorizing the Bible, or at least reading it; fasting and praying; even humbling ourselves in service, but none of that will beat the Devil. I am sorry we are just out of our league. The Devil is a heavyweight and we are all less that light weights.
We can't beat the Devil!
We can't beat the Devil on our own, but Jesus already did! We don't need to beat the Devil because Jesus has already done it for us. All we have to do is turn to Jesus. The Devil wants to take us on because he knows that if we face him alone we will lose. But if we have a champion to fight for us, Jesus the Son of God, he has lost already.
That is what Paul is talking about in Romans. He said, "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:8-9) That word of faith is "grace." By grace you are saved through faith. "For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved." (Romans 10:10)
Don't try to beat the Devil on your own! You can't do it. What's more you don't have to. Call on Jesus; he has already beat the Devil. Remember, "every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13) You can take that to the bank!
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, the Son of God the descendant of Adam and Eve, was led by the Spirit into the desert. At his baptism the voice of his Father spoke from heaven. And in that moment Jesus was called into the ministry that he came into this world to fulfill. He would begin healing and teaching and raising the dead and casting out demons.
But the Spirit did not drive him at first to the cities where the people were, but away form the cities. The Spirit drove Jesus to the emptiness of the wilderness. It led him there and for 40 days and nights Jesus ate nothing. And after forty days Jesus was famished.
Now I have fasted for 1 meal or for a day. Usually I start the fast after an early supper one day and then 24 hours later I eat a late supper. That way I only really skip two meals. And frankly that by itself is difficult. But Jesus had fasted for 40 days. That is 40 breakfasts, lunches dinners, mid morning snacks, etc.
It was in the midst of this weakened state that the Devil came to Jesus. He was seeking to take advantage of Jesus� weakened state. His first temptation to Jesus was to turn stone into bread. Well, here was the Son of God and he was there at creation. He had created stone and all the ingredients of bread. Just a word or a wish and all the stones of the desert would become fresh baked loavs of home made rye and wheat and pumpernickel.
But Jesus replied, "Humans do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Now this is significant. Most people think that Jesus, being the Son of God, wasn�t really tempted by this obvious ploy to use his physical appetites. But don�t forget that Jesus was also a son of Adam and Eve and the children of Adam and Eve have a bad record with appetites of the flesh.
Just consider the parents of our race. Adam and Eve were hardly hungry in the Garden of Eden. They had all that they could want to eat. Every kind of plant and fruit fresh from the vine. But there was that one forbidden fruit. And what did they do? Did they say "we have all that we can eat," or "God has given us all we need." No! They gave into the temptation because the forbidden fruit looked good.
This is what is so significant. The parents of the human race could not withstand even a small temptation. And you know how it is. You can�t stop at just one. The end result is sin, sickness, death, and destruction. But Jesus, also a child of Adam and Eve, could resist the temptation. And he fulfilled the righteousness that we could not.
But the Devil didn't stop. He then showed Jesus all the Kingdoms of this world and said, "I have control of all the kingdoms of this world and I will give them to you if you will just bow down and worship me." But Jesus responded, "Worship the Lord your God and serve only him." This may have seemed a rather transparent ploy on the part of the Devil. After all he was dealing with the Son of God. Certainly Jesus would see right through this and he did.
But you can't blame the Devil for trying what had worked in the past. The temptation to seize power and wealth has led many to a fall. Many have been willing to bow down to the gods or devils of greed and wealth and prejudice and so on to have power over the kingdoms of this world. When we are tempted to worship the dollar or our things how often do we say, "It is written worship only the Lord your God." Most children of Adam and Eve say, "Okay Devil, looks good. Where do I sign?"
But not one child of Adam and Eve. Jesus saw right through this ruse. He saw that, as golden as the kingdoms of this world are, they are fleeting. And while the Devil has power and authority over them it is only temporary and limited. So Jesus the Son of God the Son of humanity prevailed where all of us fail.
But the Devil went on. He took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. And said, "Throw yourself down for the Bible says that God's angles will catch you." This was a little more sophisticated. What would happen if Jesus did jump and all the religious leaders and people saw angels come down from heaven to catch Jesus? They would recognize him as the Messiah and declare that fact.
This "temptation" seemed to end with the result that God wanted. The Father wanted people to acknowledge the Son and worship him. But Jesus knew that it was not the way the Father had planned for it to happen. That was the easy way out. God wanted people to respond in faith but the Father had planned for the Son to suffer and die and rise again.
In contrast how many of us are willing to suffer for the kingdom. We see a need and know that God wants us to do something about it. Often times we know what we need to do to address it. But we are unwilling to sacrifice. We look for the easy way to put a band aid on the problems of the world instead of sacrificing the time and money and personal effort that it takes to do it God's way.
If there is one thing that the temptations teach us it is that Jesus prevails where humanity fails. Each of the temptations represents an area where we fail regularly but Jesus didn't. From the beginning we have been constantly giving in to worldly appetites. Throughout history we have succumb to the call to power and wealth. We are constantly looking for the easy way out instead of following the way of sacrifice that God calls for.
So what are we to do. We seem genetically predetermined to give into temptation. It is as if it is in our blood to fail. And in a sense it is! To err is truly human.
But Jesus didn't fail. He was a descendant of the same sinful race as we are. The difference is that he was full of the Spirit of his Father. Triumph over temptation was in his veins just as much as failure is in ours.
What we need to do is trust in him. Let that same Holy Spirit that lived in him live in us. We will fail if we trust in our own abilities. So we need to trust in his strength in times of trial and temptation. For where humanity fails, Jesus prevails. Let him prevail in you!