Tempted, Yet Triumphant
Mark 1:12-15, Matthew 4:1-11
This morning we are going to look at one of the most monumental and mysterious spiritual battles of all time - the personal confrontation between Jesus Christ and Satan. Temptation is something we all deal with, it is part and parcel of the spiritual battle raging in the Universe between good and evil, between the forces of God and of Satan. The specific temptations that Satan brought against Jesus are different in character than the ones he will bring against us, but this passage shows us how Satan will seek to deceive and trip us up in sin. We all have areas of weakness and Satan always looks and tries to take advance of weak-ness. This passage shows us from Jesus’ on example how Satan works and even more importantly that victory over temptation is possible.
In Mark chapter one, verse twelve we read, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. (13) And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. (14) Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (15) and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
By way of introduction I want you to notice a couple of things with me.
First notice, When Jesus was tempted, - it was immediately after His Baptism. Mark’s gospel tells us that immediately after the Baptism, Jesus was driven by the spirit into the wilderness. When we last saw Jesus he had launched His ministry by being baptized, not for repentance but to identify with the people. You might have thought that He would have immediately started preached, teaching and healing. But instead we read that the Holy Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted.
The baptism of Jesus was a high moment in the life of Jesus up to that point. It was the beginning of His ministry and there He was anointed by the Spirit and declared by the Father “You are My son … well pleased.”
Now this is good for us to note that the high times in our lives are often followed by hard times - triumphant times can and often are followed by troubling times. There are plenty of examples in the Bible to prove this principle. Just one such example is that of Elijah, immediately after defeating the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), he was so low that he was asking God to end his life. So be prepared, because sometimes immediately after we enjoy great blessings we will encounter great challenges.
Secondly, notice Where this temptation took place - In the wilderness, now the Judean wilderness extends west from the Dead Sea almost to Jerusalem, and is some thirty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide. It is a very barren desolate area, and temperatures often times reach 120-125 degrees. In the Old Testa-ment we find this area referred to as “The Devast-ation.” Nowhere in Palestine could Jesus have been more isolated or in less comfort - than there .
I find this incredibly comforting that our Lord Jesus knows what it is like to be in the wilderness. He knows what it is like to experience desert times, wilderness times, barren and dry times!
So that is the when and the where, but what we really want to focus on today.
•Why was Jesus tempted?
Mark in his typical concise fashion covers the temptation of Jesus in just two verses (1:12-13) but Matthew gives a more detailed description in Matthew 4:1-11. Using these two sources this morning I want to share three reasons Jesus was tempted with you. In Matthew four verse one we read, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (2) And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. (3) Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (4) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”(5) Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (7) Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” (8) Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (10) Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (11) Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
Notice with three things this passage reveals about the Purpose of Jesus’ Temptation.
First, Jesus Was Tempted To Reveal To Us Who He Was !
Each of the three temptations Satan leveled at Jesus was related to what Jesus had heard from Heaven at his baptism, namely that He was God’s “Son” with whom the Father was “well-pleased” (Mark 1:11, Matt 3:17).
In 1 Cor. 15 :45 Paul declares that Jesus is the last Adam. The first Adam was the perfect man- created by God in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam also faced the temptation of Satan, but the first Adam failed. And because he failed sin entered the Universe. And with sin came death, not just physical death but eternal separation from God.
Consider the contrast between Adam and Jesus: the last Adam. The first Adam was in a beautiful garden and Jesus - The last Adam was in a barren forsaken desert. The first Adam ate freely of all things except one (the forbidden fruit) Jesus the last Adam ate nothing for 40 days. The first Adam failed the test, he gave into the temptation and as a result plunged all of humanity into a lost and hopeless situation. Jesus the last Adam was triumphant over every temptation. And In doing so He revealed to us who He is - The one who conquered sin!
Others will fail you: whether we talk about your parents, your spouse, your friends, even you Pastor’s will fail you, but not Jesus, He will never fail you! So first of all the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted so that He could reveal to us who He was – the conquering one. To show Him off so to speak!
Jesus Was Tempted not only to reveal to us Who He was but…
Second, Jesus was Tempted So He Could Relate To Us As We Are.
In Hebrews 2:17-18 we read, “ Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.(18) For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” Later in the same letter we read in Hebrews 4: 15, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
He is a perfect High Priest who prays for us and is able to relate to us in the trials and temptations that we go through. Jesus came to Earth willingly, and took on human form and allowed Himself to go through the test in the wilderness that He might perfectly relate to us!
Notice He was tempted in Three ways! (Matt 4:1-11)
•1st Temptation - To doubt God’s provision.
(vv. 3-4) “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (4) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
First, Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into to bread; this was in essence a temptation to doubt God’s provision. Jesus had been fasting 40 days. There is no doubt that he was extremely physically hungry. He was at the point that if he did not eat soon he would die.
The temptation then and now, is to believe that God is not going to take care of you. When Satan tempted Eve in Gen 3 he tried to make her believe, “God is holding out on you.” We face that temptation as well; it is the temptation to take matters into our own hands.
Jesus was physically vulnerable, He was tired and hungry. It is often a time of great temptation when one is tired – just plain physically wore out. It when one is vulnerable that Satan attacks.
Yet Jesus faced his tempter with God’s word and said, “It is written man does not live on bread, alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
•2nd Temptation Satan tries to get Jesus to doubt His Father’s protection (vv.5-7)
“Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, (6) and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over
you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ (7) Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”
Satan says, “Throw yourself off the pinnacle!” Having failed to induce Jesus to use His divine powers to serve His own self-interest, Satan proceeded to tempt the Son to put His Heavenly Father’s love and power to a test. Satan was still hoping to undermine Jesus’ relationship to God in His divine Son-ship. Satan again introduced his temptation with the words “If you are the Son of God. Prove to yourself and to the world that you are the Son of God, and throw yourself down.”
Now what is interesting about this temptation is that now Satan quotes Scripture as well, he quotes Psalm 91:11-12, he said, for it is written, “He will give His angels charge concerning You”; and “On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.”
Satan was saying.“You claim to be God’s Son and You claim to trust His Word, so, why don’t you demonstrate you are really God’s Sons and prove the truth of God’s Word by putting Him to a test-a scriptural test?”
If you won’t use your own divine power to help yourself, let your Father use His divine power to help you. If you won’t act independently of the Father, let the Father act. Give your Father a chance to fulfill the Scripture I just quoted to you.”
We are reminded here that Satan knows the Word, but he always twists the word.Psalms 91:11 actually reads, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.”
Literally it says, “In all God’s ways.” Jesus knew this and answered accordingly “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’" Jesus was saying the Father will protect me but I am not going to do something foolish in order to satisfy you or anyone else. I am not going to test the Lord
•3rd Temptation was a temptation to doubt God’s promise. (vv. 8-11)
“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (9) And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (10) Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (11) Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
Satan comes to Jesus and says, “Bow down to me and I will give you the kingdoms of the World.” Notice Jesus didn’t refute this- Why? Because they were Satan’s to give, they belonged to Him.
If you are here today and you don’t know Jesus -you are a part of Satan’s kingdom (perhaps indirectly - but none the less true.) Satan is the god of this world and according to the Bible his goal is to kill, rob and destroy. Satan intends to bring destruction
But Jesus came to redeem the World; that is to pay the price for it. What Satan was offering Him was an easy way out. Satan was saying, “You want the World, well I will give it to you and you won’t even have to die.You don’t have to go to the Cross - just Bow.
What Satan was suggesting to Jesus was, “Why should you have to wait for what is already right-fully yours? You deserve to have it now. Why do you submit as a Servant when you could reign as a King? I am only offering you what the Father has already promised.” You don’t need to go to the cross and suffer and be humiliated - you can have it now!
Satan tempts you and I to do the same thing- that is to take the easy way out. If you think you have a bad marriage. “Just leave, get out - give up!” If you have a bad job that it too tough on you then, “Just quit.” Whatever trial or temptation that you are struggling with just give in, do the easy thing! So Jesus was tempted so He could relate to us when we are tempted to doubt God’s Provision, doubt God’s Protection or doubt God’s promises.
Jesus Was Tempted So He Could Relate To Us As We Are and
Third, Jesus Was Tempted To Reveal To Us How We Can Be Victorious In The Face Of Temptation.
Some practical “take-away truths” to help you overcome Satan’s attack.
•Temptations are to be expected as apart of the Christian experience.
•It’s not a sin to be tempted
Christians sometimes are ashamed because of some of the terrible thoughts they’ve had. Temptation is not sin. Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned. The Bible says, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (15) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:14-15)
•No temptation is irresistible.
Again, I’ve had people tell me they did something bad in their past because the temptation was just too strong. That’s not true, because God’s Word promises, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; [That means your temptation isn’t unique to you—others have faced it and resisted it.] 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.”
•We resist Temptation by Turning to God’s Word.
The Lord demonstrated this for us in each of the three times that Satan tempted Him. Jesus demonstr-ated the need to know our Bibles well; to have God’s Word hidden in our hearts as a resource ready to be used against the Evil One. The Lord Jesus answered Satan every time out of the Word. He did not say, “Well, I think this” or “I believe there is a better way of doing it.” Each time Satan tried to tempt Him Jesus answered with, “It is written!”
• Waiting on God’s provision is always better than settling for Satan’s Substitutes
Did you notice what the Bible says happened after Satan left? Matthew 4:11 in the translation called The Message says, “The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs.” The NIV says the angels “ministered unto him.” That’s a word that literally means they served food to Jesus. After fasting for 40 days, can you imagine what that angelic feast was like?
Tempted, Yet Triumphant
Mark 1:12-15, Matthew 4:1-11
By way of introduction I want you to notice a couple of things with me.
•______________ Jesus was tempted?
Be prepared, because sometimes immediately after we enjoy great blessings we will encounter great challenges.
•___________ this temptation took place!
•_________ was Jesus tempted?
First, Jesus Was Tempted To ______________ To Us Who He Was !
Second, Jesus was Tempted So He Could _____________ To Us As We Are.
Notice He was tempted in three ways. (Matt. 4:1-11)
•1st Temptation – To doubt God’s ________________ (vv. 3-4)
•2nd Temptation Satan tries to get Jesus to doubt His Father’s ______________ (vv.5-7)
•3rd Temptation was a temptation to doubt God’s _______________ (vv. 8-11)
Third, Jesus Was Tempted To Reveal To Us How We Can Be Victorious In The Face Of Temptation.
•Temptations are to be ______________ as apart of the Christian experience.
•It’s Not A ________ To Be Tempted (Hebrews 4:14-15)
•No Temptation Is ______________________ (1 Cor. 10:13)
•We resist Temptation by Turning to God’s _______________.
•Waiting On God’s Provision Is Always Better Than Settling For Satan’s _________________ – (Matthew 4:11
