e filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Introduction
Jesus has been empowered by the Holy Spirit for the ministry he is about to begin. The baptism was followed by a genealogy that concludes significantly (3:38). He wasn’t an alien (part God, part man). His temptation confirms his humanity.
Great Privilege > Great Trial.
Read Luke 4:1-13
Docestism = Jesus merely seemed human.
If Jesus was going to suffer and obey in our place, his temptation had to be as real as ours. He couldn’t divinely dismiss each threat, or he certainly would have.
Jesus Christ overcame temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit and application of God’s word.
Tempted to Relieve His Hunger (1-4)
Filled > Led by Holy Spirit (purpose), tempted by devil (blame). “Wilderness”/“Forty” = Identifies with God’s people (2nd Adam).
Jesus, unlike Adam, was in the wilderness, alone, and hungry. Tempted to use divine privilege. Would physical needs trump spiritual obedience? Jesus cites Deut. 8:3.
Satan’s temptations come when we’re least ready, when we’re exhausted and hungry.
Rom. 5:3 How do you relieve your own suffering? Do you fall for the enemies deceptive tricks? He always offers shortcuts = empty promises that have no lasting or transformation power.
Will you respond like the 1st/2nd Adam?
Do physical needs trump spiritual obedience? Not an easy question to answer. How often have you neglected the ordinary means of grace in order to “recover” from a long and difficult day? Instead of prayer, we often choose ice cream. Instead of worship, we choose entertainment.
From relieving suffering to…
Tempted to Receive His Authority (5-8)
Could the devil offer this to Jesus? The devil = “the ruler of this world” (3x in John; similar in Paul 2x), but he never had ultimate authority. Another matter of trust. Jesus cites Deut. again.
Jesus’ future reign depended on him defeating his enemies.
God had already promised all authority to be given to His Son (Psalm 2:8-11). Satan was offering him a shortcut to that reward. Cruel cross or idolatry? The dragon in Rev. 13:2 gives authority and power to the antichrist. Satan was essentially tempting Christ to become the Antichrist.
This was no easy temptation to resist.
Hughes If we embrace the logic of Jesus’ refusal to take the easy way, we will see that taking the path of least resistance, to follow comfortable expediency, is idolatry – it is worshiping a false God.
James 4:7 Resisting requires energy.
Hunger > Authority > …
Tempted to Reveal His Power (9-13)
The devil mimics Jesus’ high regard of scripture, quoting from Psalm 91:11-12. Essentially, the devil questions whether God will keep his promise to protect his Son.
NBC It would in fact have been an act of unbelief; people don’t test somebody in whom they have complete trust, especially when that person is God (Dt. 6:16). To have yielded to the suggestion would have been in effect to doubt that he was really God’s Son and that his Father was trustworthy.
The devil temporarily departs, but the “opportune time” never came!
Jesus Christ overcame temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit and application of God’s word.
Because Jesus Christ had victory over every temptation, he can sympathize with us in our weakness (Heb. 4:15).
Our cry for deliverance from temptation, is accompanied by Christ’s sympathetic intercession.
All glory to Christ!
Conclusion
- Tempted to Relieve His Hunger (1-4)
- Tempted to Receive His Authority (5-8)
- Tempted to Reveal His Power (9-13)
Do you notice the parallels to the temptations of Adam and the wilderness generation?
NBC Where Israel in the desert distrusted and disobeyed God (Dt. 6–8), its Messiah was trusting and obedient.
Jesus believed the promises of God. He quotes from Moses’ recapitulation of the law to the wilderness generation. Jesus succeeded where they failed, just as he succeeded where Adam failed.
Do you know God’s word when facing temptation? Do you trust God’s word when facing temptation?