Jesus and Temptation

May 17, 1992

Luke 4:1-13 (8) And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.'"

Introduction

Ever since the Garden of Eden we human beings, young and old, have been plagued with TEMPTATION! The LURE OF FORBIDDEN FRUIT!

I must have been about 12 or 13. My cousin and I— you remember him?— were on a Saturday hike through Potter Park, the metropolitan Zoo and park system along the Cedar River in Lansing. Boys that age are usually hungry, and I remember very well coming to a pavilion area and just like Yogi Bear discovering a big picnic basket.

We looked all around, and there was not a person in sight. We took the lid off the picnic basket and looked in. I can still remember what was on top— the biggest, fattest, most scrumptious sugar cookies I think I ever saw!

THAT was temptation!

We knew that they didn't belong to us. But we reasoned, we rationalized, — even though we had never heard the word— that probably the people had forgotten all about them. And before you know it we had overcome the temptation! WE STUFFED OUR MOUTHS AND BEGAN TO EAT!

Just about that time a very upset young man appeared from nowhere and collared the both of us! As I recall, he had me by my left arm, and he had Dick by his right.

I prepared to meet my Maker right there! I had led a pretty full life for a 13-year-old, but still I could have wished to live a little longer. But all hope seemed gone.

Just then Dick had another temptation, which he coupled with opportunity. It was the strong temptation to LIE! Two or three kids about our age were walking past the pavilion. "Those kids right there told us we could have all we want!," he said, and I almost believed Dick myself.

Wonder of wonders, the young man let go of us and over my shoulder as I disappeared into the bush I could see him collaring the unsuspecting young people. After that I never looked back.

As I recall I didn't see Dick again that day, either. I think I'll send him a tape of this sermon! It's a true story! It was a losing bout with temptation!

But there are other, even more serious ways we face TEMPTATION in hard, cold, real-life situations:

YOU'RE A PRETTY GOOD STUDENT, and you've done all your assignments, and you're even in an honor track because you've done so well. You know the competition is keen for honors and scholarship; and you know you are just about as good as anyone else in the class.

But you also know that some of the other bright kids are cheating on tests, and helping each other with the answers. You know that you could cheat and get a better grade more easily, too. It isn't fair!

That's temptation!

Or, consider this:

YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN HUSBAND (OR WIFE) and you love your spouse. But frankly there are times when the marriage is sort of "blah." The schedule is so hectic that there isn't too much time for real romance— just dirty laundry and TV dinners and maybe a Little League game squeezed in here or there.

But there is that nice person at work that is genuinely friendly, and always ready to smile and listen, and occasionally there is lunch, and... when the mind begins to wander, and the will begins to toy with the "What if?" and the "If only!" and "I am never really understood at home... " then, recognize it,

THAT IS TEMPTATION!

We can analyze it— we can talk about it— but in the end we will have to deal with it; and temptation is always the first step to disaster; it is an invitation to sin and separation and to death itself!

I. THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS, OUR WORD ON HOW TO OVERCOME:

The Temptation of Jesus is recorded in all three of the synoptic Gospels. Immediately following the triumph of His Baptism, when the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the Voice of God the Father was heard from heaven saying, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED!" Jesus was led (driven) into the wilderness where He faced the worst that Satan could bring against Him.
1. This Temptation reveals Jesus as our Champion, defeating temptation both for Himself AND for us,
2. AND as our Example, giving us practical help so WE can defeat temptation when it comes to us! And it DOES come!
HOW IS JESUS OUR CHAMPION?
1. He removed the "defeatist" spirit! We do not have to be defeated!
  Jesus is called the Second Adam (a whole new Life!) The First Adam, in his failure to overcome temptation, gave a defeatist message to the entire human race. "We are trapped by sin!
  What can we do?!" cry the sons and daughters of the First Adam. St. Paul puts it this way: "In Adam (we) all die!" (I Corinthians 15:) Jesus, the Second Adam, changed all that! Jesus says, "You CAN overcome sin and temptation BY MY GRACE and POWER!"
2. Jesus faced the identical temptations of our first parents; under different conditions: Both Adam and Jesus were innocent; but holiness is more than innocence; the holiness God intends for you and me comes from deliberately choosing right over wrong. Jesus showed us that in the Spirit's power it is possible!
3. Temptation to sin is summarized in I John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the LUST OF THE FLESH, and the LUST OF THE EYES, and the PRIDE OF LIFE is not of the Father, but of the world."
  Think about this summary of temptation for just a moment:
  1. THE LUST OF THE FLESH (which we associate mostly with sex) has to do with satisfying legitimate needs or drives in illegitimate ways. Adam and Eve, as recorded in Genesis 3, were tempted by "forbidden fruit." According to the account,
    "Eve saw that the tree (which God had told Adam and Eve not to eat from) was good for food."
    SATAN SAID TO JESUS: You are hungry! Use your miracle-working power to work magic! Do as I say! If you don't take things into your own will and way you will perish!
    SATAN SAID TO THE GOOD SCHOLAR: "GRADES ARE BREAD AND BUTTER ON YOUR TABLE! IF YOU DON'T CHEAT YOU WON'T EAT AS GOOD!"
    Certainly it was not and is not wrong to eat, or to legitimately fulfill any of the God-instilled desires of the flesh. But (1) it is wrong to obey Satan, and (2) it is wrong to disobey God where there are clear guide-lines laid down; and (3) it is wrong to let the flesh dictate and command us in what we do.
    God does not want His children to be under the control of anyone or anything except Himself and His love for us.
  2. THE LUST OF THE EYE (which we might see as one of the great sins of our age: the I WANT WHAT I SEE!)
    Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was "pleasant to the eyes."
    SATAN SHOWED JESUS all the kingdoms of the earth in a moment of time and said, "Aren't they beautiful? Wouldn't you like to have them all at your feet? If you will give me a moment of worship, I will cease to oppose you and you will..."
    SATAN IS A GREAT PROMISER, but he is also a liar!
    This is the wish-book syndrome. We don't even know what it is we want until we are told; then we want what we see. For years Sears-Roebuck gave away their great BIG BOOK catalogs free— knowing that GREED— artificial needs— would pay for them over and over— we seem to think we cannot get along with what we SEE!
    But Jesus said I will not seek what I may legitimately want on Satan's terms.
  3. PRIDE! John "The pride of life!" Putting SELF at the center in place of God.
    Eve saw that the forbidden fruit "was to be desired to make one wise!" The promise of the Tempter had been: "You will be as gods!"
    SATAN SAID TO JESUS: "Jump down! Make a spectacular scene! Get the adulation of the crowd on your PERSONALITY, instead of your holiness and your obedience to the Father and Your calling into being the Church.
    WE ARE ALWAYS TEMPTED TO MAKE AN EGO TRIP OF OUR RELIGION:
    There is pride of FACE. There is pride of RACE. There is pride of PLACE. But perhaps the most insidious of all is PRIDE OF GRACE!
    "I (we) have a lock on genuine religion!"
    In all these temptations Jesus broke the power of the Siren song of Satan. His death on the Cross enables us to follow Him in recognizing when temptation comes, and in saying "No!" to temptation when it does come. And it surely does!

[But Jesus has not only provided the power in His own defeat of temptation, and on the Cross; Jesus shows us HOW to resist. Let me summarize:]

II. JESUS, OUR EXAMPLE OF OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

DON'T QUIT! TEMPTATION IS NOT SIN.
Don't quit because you are sorely tempted! The Son of God was not exempt. We should not take temptation to indicate God's disapproval.
Following God's will does not exempt us from temptation. Being filled with the Spirit does not exclude us from temptation.
RECOGNIZE THE EVIL ONE! TEMPTATION IS THE SOLICITATION OF SATAN.
Recognize the HELLISH source of the twisting of your desires!
Jesus will enable us to RECOGNIZE the Source of temptation: the Deceiver. The twister; the distorter; the accuser of the fellowship... there is a power that will oppose all that is good and right and holy. [There is a clear difference between the accusation of Satan and the conviction of God the Holy Spirit.] To recognize that is to be half-way to victory!
RESIST, DON'T REASON WITH THE ENEMY!
DON'T TRY TO "REASON" WITH SATAN.
Jesus did NOT reason with Satan. He resisted him. As soon as we recognize: this is temptation! we must refuse to negotiate, and simply ask God for grace! "Lead us NOT into temptation!" Jesus didn't "toy" with temptation!
USE THE WORD OF GOD! DO USE GOD'S PROMISES IN WORD AND SONG.
Jesus used the written Word as THE INSTRUMENT for defeating temptation: In every case Jesus could say from His heart and memory:
"IT IS WRITTEN!" I'll go by the Book!
PERSIST! DO HOLD ON, IT WON'T LAST FOREVER!
Jesus resisted with His might! "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Jesus turned His back on further discussion. After holding steady, Jesus was ministered to by angels (both Mark 1 and Matthew 3) There came a divine, supernatural strengthening. And then Jesus found respite for a season. (Thank God, we do not have to face continual, unending temptation!)
BELIEVE IT! JESUS IS WITH YOU! REMEMBER, JESUS IS WITH YOU!
WE have something which Jesus Himself did not have in the wilderness. Jesus faced temptation alone. But Jesus has promised that He will ALWAYS be with us. Jesus Himself is THE PRESENCE that overcomes temptation.

Conclusion:

We are not just children of Adam and Eve! We do NOT inevitably need to be defeated by temptation!

PRAYER:

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil!"

#60 (EH) Give Me a Holy Life