Luke 4:1-13
Introduction: Trials and Temptations: Attempts to Lure Us Away from our God-given Identity
Last week, we talked about the love our Heavenly Father had for
Jesus, and - through Jesus - the love that God has for us. 1 Peter 1:3-5 paints a wonderful portrait of everything
God is willing to do for us through Jesus Christ:
"Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the
power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time."
By God's great mercy in Jesus Christ,
God looks upon each of us and declares that we are God's beloved. God looks upon us with favor and desires to
bless us with good things.
However, Peter goes on to say:
"In this [salvation] you rejoice,
even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that
the genuineness of your faith - being more precious than gold that, though
perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and
honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:6-7).
The assurance of God's love is always
there for us, but there is also the challenge. The challenge is that we can be tempted to
forget or deny our baptismal identity as a precious child of God. Instead, we can go in pursuit of another
identity, what we will call our "false self."
And in today's text (Jesus' temptation
in the desert), we will see three particular ways in which we are tempted to
forego our beloved state as God's child.
Echoes of Earlier Trials & Temptations - The Story of Exodus
"Jesus succeeds where Israel failed. What is more, the genealogy immediately preceding this account has named Jesus as Son of Adam and Son of God. The echo of Genesis 3 cannot be missed. What Adam failed to do as representative of all humanity, Jesus succeeds in doing." - Darrell L. Bock, Luke, pg. 82.
Before we jump into the three
temptations the Devil sets before Jesus, it's important we recall this isn't the first instance of God's chosen facing a time of testing and
trial. So much in this description of
Jesus' temptation should remind us of Israel's (God's other beloved child)
struggles and temptations as they moved from salvation into a life of
obedience. Just like God does for us in
and through Jesus Christ, God acted mightily to to save and rescue the
Israelites out of the clutches of sinful/prideful Pharaoh. Having secured their life and bestowed
blessings upon them, God then began to test and try them - essentially bringing
them through a school of faith for their adolescent spiritual years. The Lord was hoping to bring them into
maturity so that they could settle and live in the Promised Land as a covenant
people who have grown up with the knowledge and the responsibility
of being God's chosen ones.
Unfortunately, they frequently forsake their identity as God's beloved and chosen,
falling into fear and into idolatry. One
critical scene occurs in Exodus 17:1-7.
God has promised security and provisions for his people (just as we are
promised in Jesus Christ), but the people grow anxious over the visible signs
of drinkable water. In their fear and
possessiveness, they demand water from Moses.
To make things even worse, they will later turn completely away from God and
construct a golden calf (Exod. 32).
Israel is
unable to maintain trust and fellowship with God. In their wilderness time, Israel is not able
to resist the wiles and temptations of the evil one.
This all sets the stage and heightens
the drama for Jesus' own time of temptation.
We can envision God's heavenly hosts watching with baited breath to see
if he will be able to remain secure in his trust and confidence in the Father's
plans and protections for his life.
The Temptation of Jesus
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
Refined, Tried and Tested - Driven by the Spirit
Immediately, our attention is captured. This time of testing in the wilderness occurs in
direct response to a time of great spiritual consolation and by the Spirit's
leading. God's desire
is for us to grow up and mature in our faith, but such maturity requires
testing. We've spoken of how Luke's
Gospel is akin to us going to school. Where schools are trying to help our children grow up mentally and
emotionally so that they can have the skills and abilities to earn a living in
our modern world, the school of Jesus is all about us growing up into the full
maturity of our divine calling and identity as God's children.
In this life, we must be aware that the
Spirit's presence in our life will not only lead to moments of joy, peace, and
affirmation. The Spirit will also guide
us into situations that will challenge us and force us to rely upon God's help
and love.
We will see later in Luke's second
book, that as disciples, we too will be filled with the Holy Spirit. But, the Spirit is never given just for our
own empowerment. Stephen, like Jesus,
will be filled with the Spirit, but the Spirit's guidance in Stephen's life
will not lead to a "prosperity gospel"; it will lead to Stephen
having the courage to live his life for the glory of Jesus Christ and the sake
of others.
Who Is The Devil?
Matthew's Gospel also records this
temptation of Jesus in the desert, but Matthew refers to Jesus' adversary as
"the tempter." Here, Luke
refers to the adversary as "the devil" (o diabolos). We don't know many of the precise details
about the devil, but we know enough that the devil began as an angel who
spurned the Lord, and - subsequently - was the first to fall from grace. The Greek word diabolos refers to someone who
engages in slander, and this seems to be the devil's unfortunate, tragic
fate: to speak and act against God's
good and loving will. Other early
Christians like Peter and Paul speak a lot about how active and manipulative
the devil is trying to draw us into traps and snares (2 Tim. 2:26). And like a "roaring lion," the
devil is on the prowl looking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).
However, before we get too carried
away, we need to remember that the devil is never seen as anywhere near as
powerful or sovereign as the Lord God.
In his helpful book titled The Devil You Don't Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in EverydayLife, Louis J. Cameli says this when people ask him if he believes in the
devil:
"Absolutely not. I believe in Jesus Christ, who is the victor
over the devil ... The baptismal liturgy offers additional support for the
claim that we do not believe directly in the devil as such, but rather we
believe in Jesus Christ and, in that belief, know of the devil's existence,
work, and aims. The baptismal liturgy
asks the candidates for baptism: 'Do you
believe in God, the Father, ... in Jesus Christ, ... in the Holy Spirit?' The question concerning the devil is not
about belief but rather about rejection and renunciation: 'Do you reject Satan,' father of sin and
prince of darkness ... and all his works, and all his empty promises?'
Louis speaks from his own experience
both in researching the great horrors of Nazi Germany, but also as a pastor who
has walked with many Christians over time.
Both his reading of history and his personal work with individuals has
proven to him that there is some force(s) at work in this world that
seek to undermine what is good, holy, just and right. He's seen it time and time again, and all of
us have felt it in our own life or in our family. There often seems to be something at work in
the background of things seeking to cause what Louis calls the four
"D's" of the devil's active work:
deception, division, diversion, and discouragement.
It has helped me to always bring the
focus on the devil back into the context of my life as one of Jesus' beloved
disciples, as Louis does by talking about our baptism. There's a lot of fascination in our culture
with dark and demonic forces, the kind of stuff ripe for horror movies and
spooking children, but I think that the devil's really dangerous work isn't
really aimed at scaring us. I believe
the devil's number one goal is to wrestle us out of the assurance that our
Heavenly Father loves us and will be there for us. Incidentally, that is precisely what we see
the devil trying to do to Jesus in these three temptations.
The Temptations - Do You See the Pattern?
We will see that the temptations have a
common pattern and share common themes.
Each of them is aimed at getting Jesus' to deny his identity as
"Son of God" and to forego his holy calling and mission. They begin with the specific temptation, to
which Jesus replies each time by directly quoting Scripture. More specifically, each time Jesus quotes the
Book of Deuteronomy. Here we see that link
to the temptation/trial of God's child, Israel, in the desert. But, where they fell short, Jesus maintains
his focus and faith.
Finally, each temptation allows us to
see three particular places of vulnerability, places where we often succumb to
settling for something less than being God's beloved child.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
Temptation #1 - Turn Stones into Bread
After fasting for forty days, the devil
strikes Jesus in his truly weak spot, challenging him to turn the stones around
him into bread to satisfy his hunger.
Jesus replies by quoting Deut. 8:3 and
stands upon the assurance that his Heavenly Father knows and sees his
need. Of course, this is about much more
than mere physical hunger. This first
temptation attacks something we all feel from time to time: Is God really going to be there for me? Does God see my need?
The first temptation meets us in our
places of human vulnerability. We are
born into this world in
vulnerability. We are in desperate need of care. We require human
touch, love, care and concern, and without these things we can suffer not just
physical danger, but emotional and psychological difficulties. The devil prods these vulnerabilities and
tempts us to believe that we can't really trust God. Perhaps God will abandon us. Perhaps God won't really provide for our
needs.
All of this can lead to our first path
of destruction: the path of
self-sufficiency. Jesus no doubt felt
acutely his vulnerability. How great was
his temptation to want to work his way out of this dire situation! How great was his desire to take over and
look after his own welfare. If we are
not able to properly face our vulnerabilities (and find ways to experience
God's baptismal love for us through concrete and specific forms of care), we
often will find a strong desire to become self-sufficient. Jesus resists this urge, though. God is good.
God can be trusted. Our Heavenly
Parent will meet our needs.
5 Then the devil[a] led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil[b] said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
and serve only him.’”
Temptation #2 - The Whole World ... All Yours!
According to Luke, the devil's second
temptation strikes at the other side of Jesus' heart. Whereas the first attacked his weaker/vulnerable
side, this temptation plays upon Jesus' thirst for power and authority. The whole world will bow to Jesus if he but
denies his baptismal identity as God's Son.
In other words, the devil is inviting Jesus to fall into the same trap
the devil fell into himself: from
created by God to trying to be God.
Jesus firmly replies again by quoting
Deut. 6:13, and draws a clear line regarding worship. This life is one long test about whether or
not we are engaging in true worship (which focuses on glorifying God and loving
others) or getting caught up in false worship (which focuses on making
ourselves great or idolizing projects/plans that indirectly do so).
The Bible makes it clear that we have
incredible worth in God's eyes. We are
created just a little lower than angels (Ps. 8), and God clearly favors us as
his creation. But, if our first
temptation is to worry about our worth before God, our second great temptation
is the exact opposite: our pride. Essentially, it comes down to us thinking we're
too big for our britches.
This can lead to our second path of
self-destruction: the path of
self-glory. Life is a choice about
whether or not we are going to live for ourselves or live for others. Jesus perfectly and in a place of great trust
chooses to always love and worship God by loving and serving others. Not just here in this story, but in every
instance, Jesus refuses to practice false worship that puts himself at the
center of the universe.
9 Then the devil[c] took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,’
to protect you,’
11 and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Temptation #3 - Be Spectacular & Safe!
Having failed with the first two
temptations, the devil finally takes Jesus to the top of the temple in
Jerusalem. The setting here is packed full of meaning. Jerusalem will be the
place we see Jesus moving towards as the ultimate test of his willingness to
follow the Father's plan for his life.
Jerusalem will be where Jesus' undergoes his completed baptism and lays down
his life fully in love.
But, the devil suggests Jesus can take
a short-cut (all of the devil's ploys are shortcuts that end in
destruction!). He tells Jesus that Jesus
can do something spectacular and seek his own protection. We can almost hear the devil whispering in
Jesus' ear, "Surely, your Heavenly Father doesn't want you to die. Surely, God would never have you go through
such agony and suffering. Go ahead and
through yourself down and call upon the angels to come rescue you. It will make for a great show, and you won't
suffer a scratch."
The devil, in other words, is inviting
Jesus to bypass his life's calling: to
lay down his life for us.
Jesus once again quotes
Deuteronomy. This time it is Deut. 6:16,
the trump card of responses: Don't put
God to the test. But, deeper than just
rejecting the devil, Jesus is saying a strong and loving yes to something so
hard and challenging we can hardly imagine it.
He is saying "yes" to a life that will not bypass
suffering. Already here at the beginning
of his ministry, Jesus is saying "yes" to the cup of sacrificial love
- the love that pours itself out for the sake of others.
Can we say we are willing to drink this
cup? Can we look beyond a Christianity
that is only about making me feel better or a religion that is just about
getting "lifting me up" on Sunday mornings?
In refusing the devil's shortcut in the
third temptation, Jesus reminds us of the third potential path to
self-destruction: the path of
self-protection. So much in our culture
encourages us to think about and act upon our self-preservation. From endless commercials about setting up our
strong financial future to our cultural obsession with staying healthy, fit,
and looking fabulous, we are tempted in our culture to reject suffering as
evil. Our culture obsesses with us being
able to be "free" and "happy." True discipleship means moving beyond our
freedom into a place of radical, committed love that is ardently in pursuit of
propping up those around us - especially the weak. True discipleship means refusing to take
shortcuts that make us "healthy, happy, and wise" but that leads to
an economy and world where billions suffer for lack of love and resources. True discipleship means refusing to bow to
the industries of "what makes me happy" so that we can think honestly
and work diligently to do what will make the marginalized and forgotten feel
loved and safe.
Mission Accomplished ... for Now
The angels applaud. We should breathe a sigh of relief and
rejoice as well. Jesus has passed the
tests. He has remained true to his baptismal
identity, and he has refused the shortcuts we so often fall into. "The Devil has tried every kind of
temptation, but he will be back. Jesus'
whole ministry is marked by temptations (trials, Luke 22:28), but particularly
the passion period will be a time of special onslaught by Satan (22:3, 31, 53,
39-46) as Jesus' ultimate act of obedience (22:42) draws near" (Nolland,
John. Word Biblical Commentary, vol.
35a: Luke 1:1-9:20. Dallas, TX:
Word Books, Publisher, 1989).
Resources:
-Bock, Darrell L. Luke. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994).
-Cameli, Louis J. The Devil You Don't Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in EverydayLife. (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2011).
- Nolland, John. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 35a: Luke 1:1-9:20. Dallas, TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1989
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