Lessons learned from Luke’s Account of the Temptation of Jesus Christ
A mother told her son not to go swimming. However, when he came into the house his mother noticed that his hair and bathing suit were wet. "Johnnie," his mother scolded, "I told you not to go swimming." "I couldn’t help it mom," he defended himself. "The water looked so good." "But why did you take your bathing suit with you?"
"In case I was tempted."
A 4 year old was caught by her mom standing in a chair eating cookies, after she had been told not to, here is how she explained the situation, "Mom it’s not my fault, I just climbed up to smell them, and my tooth got caught."
Read text – Luke 4:1-13
I. Characteristics of temptation – If we know what temptation is and how it works, we will be better equipped to handle temptation as Jesus Christ did – as a victorious overcomer!
1. Temptation is universal.
It can happen even when we are totally in the will of God living life led by the Spirit.
Luke 4:1 – “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert…”
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Temptation happens to all of us! It happened to He who was perfection! Don’t mistake temptation for a spiritual weakness or deficiency of some sort.
I had an old pastor who used to say “when the caravan’s a’movin, the dogs are a’barkin.”
Instead of our tendency as Christians to beat our chest and cry out when temptation presents itself to us, let us be the writer of James 1:2-3 when he wrote:
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
2. Temptation is strategic. It is employed strategically against Christians.
Luke 4:2-3 -
“…being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
Temptation will hit us where it hurts the most. Our temptations therefore may be unique among each other, but we must remember that verse we have already referred to –
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
God will not allow us to be overwhelmed in our temptation if we but lean on Him. If we rely on ourselves to get ourselves out of the “jam” of temptation, then we will fall every time.
3. Temptation is seductive.
A man and his wife were shopping at a mall and a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. The man’s eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, his wife asked, "Was it worth the trouble you’re in?"
Temptation will present stuff that we want with our flesh. We must be constant and vigilant not only against temptation, but also against our flesh and our human nature. Consider the words of Jesus Christ on the matter as found in Mark 14:38 – “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Romans 8:5 – “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
4. Temptation seems like a great bargain. But if we are not walking in the Spirit, we may not see the price it carries. There are always hidden implications to succumbing to temptation, and these implications may not be evident with eyes of the flesh. We must therefore use eyes of the Spirit – just as Jesus did. Jesus recognized the hidden implications and consequences of temptations – he recognized the deep trouble lying in wait, ready to ambush.
Sometimes the implications are obvious –
Luke 4:5-7 - Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."
In this scripture, the main catch is quite obvious – the tempter desired Jesus Christ to worship him.
Now, let us examine the first temptation to see if we can see the implications hidden –
Luke 4:3 - And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
Several times in the bible Jesus transformed objects into other objects – most notably the water into wine (John 2:1-11), and later on he multiplied the fishes and the loaves (Mark 6:41 – 44).
The question I pose to you is: how is this any different? What is the harm?
Now think about that temptation which presents itself to you occasionally in your life. You know the one I’m talking about. The one that strikes strong when you feel you are at your weakest.
What’s the harm?
You see, temptation is not a sin. Jesus was without sin, and yet he was tempted. So it can’t be sin.
Sometimes the act of temptation contains a sin – such as when Satan desired Jesus Christ to worship him.
But, what sin is there in turning a rock into bread for Jesus Christ, who had been without food for 40 days and nights?
Sometimes sin lies in the motive. It lies in the desire and the priority. It doesn’t lie in the “what,” of temptation, it lies in the “why.”
Ladies and gentleman, do not think to give into temptation is harmless just because you cannot see the ill effects. They are there. Use your spiritual eyes.
What are spiritual eyes? Here are two biblical accounts of spiritual eyes for your consideration:
2 Kings 6:15-17 - And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Psalms 119:18 - Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
If we walk in the Spirit, He will help us to see things from a spiritual perspective, and we will never go wrong.
Jesus Christ was able to use a supernatural sense of spiritual discernment which revealed to him the intent of the tempter and the temptation.
We have that same power today!
5. Temptation is a part of life. It isn’t going away. Luke’s account says this in verse 13: Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
Until an opportune time! That means that temptation is ready to strike again – and if I may infer, strike hard, when we are seemingly at our weakest.
Instead of being disheartened by our next eventual temptation, let us look toward to it as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 12:10 - Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
He took pleasure in it! Because he knew that at that moment that he was weakest, he was strong, because he could rely upon the everlasting arms of God to hold him up, and he could rely on God’s promises to be true.
II. There are two ways that I can think of to react to temptation.
1. We can give in.
Matthew 13:20-21 - But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
This describes a person who lives a cyclical life – a life full of ups and downs – an emotional and a spiritual roller coaster. This person may want to do the right things, but lacks the spiritual foundation in their life to be resilient against the attacks of the tempter.
Perhaps some of you fit into this category today. You want to do right, but you are discouraged because it seems like every time you try to do right, a storm comes along and capsizes your boat. You give in to temptation. You feel terrible about it, but you have found yourself inside of a vicious cycle that gets worse every time you try to do something about it.
There’s hope! Listen to the other way that we can combat temptation!
2. We can be victorious. Jesus Christ set the example for us, and God has provided the way for us by giving us His Word which contains wonderful directions to break free of the cycle.
There are those here today who know this and follow these directions. None of us are perfect, but I know there isn’t a Christian here who wouldn’t want to make the words of 1 Corinthians 12:10 belong to them – smiling and laughing at tribulations because they know that they can be victorious and they can be a better person and a better Christians because of temptations.
How did Christ set the example?
1. He knew the Word. What better weapon could there be against temptation?
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word is a weapon we can use against the tempter to overcome temptation.
Just a little question to ask yourself – how “into the word” are you? How many scriptures could you quote if asked?
By the way, did you notice that the tempter used the Word as a part of his reasoning in the temptations? That brings us to number 2 –
2. He was walking in the Spirit. The tempter used the Word to try to make his temptations justifiable and convincing, but by walking in the Spirit, Jesus discerned the true intent of the tempter and the temptation, and did not fall for it.
If we can walk in the Spirit, we won’t fall for it either.
Which category are you today? Have you learned how to withstand the attacks of temptation? Or do you fall for it every time?
Are you tired of living your life bound in chains because you are defeated every time temptation rears its’ head, like we read in Matthew 13?
Jesus has shown us how to be victorious, and He wants you to live in that victory, beginning today!
Transition into invitation.
