In Matthew 4 we see that Jesus is the master, the mentor, and the minister sent from God.
Right after Jesus was baptized he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. This is a disturbing turn of events for anyone who thinks that becoming a Christian, being baptized into Christ, will make life easy and take away all our problems. Just look at Jesus, our example! Jesus is the Master, the only begotten Son of God, yet he walked from the waters of baptism where God said, “You are my beloved Son!” into the wilderness of temptation where the Devil tried to get Jesus to prove it.
Think of it, Matthew 3 concludes with the Father’s voice from heaven affirming that Jesus is His beloved Son, in whom God the Father is well pleased. Yet immediately after that, the next verse in fact, Jesus is lead into temptation. The Devil will over and over say, “If you are God’s Son… use your powers to prove it.” But Jesus would only demonstrate the power of God at God’s command, not even at his own will, and certainly not at the whims of Satan. John records Jesus’ spelling this out for the Pharisees: John 5: 19 Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, (DID YOU GET THAT? NOTHING… HOW MUCH IS NOTHING??? HE CONTINUES…) unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. And again in verse 30 " Of Myself I can do nothing. Jesus was just like his Father! Satan’s temptation is to do something for himself as the Son of God. Jesus, if you are the Son of God, you deserve better!
What about you and me?
When we are baptized into Christ and put on Christ, we are also sealed in the Holy Spirit as sons and daughters of God. We begin our new life in Jesus Christ, born of water and the Spirit, washed clean from sin by the blood of Christ, having been made a new creature in Jesus Christ, with our names written in the book of life, God adds us to the church and our sights are set on eternal life in glory with Jesus Christ. But then what happens?
It seems a bit sad that the first steps we take as a Christian right out of the baptistery are often marked with troubles and temptations. Why? Peter calls these trials the testing or proving of our faith, 1 Pet. 1:7. (So how are we doing?) Jesus tells us, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.” Rev. 2:10. In Acts 14:22 Paul visited the new churches as he was returning home from this missionary journey and he gave them these words: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus himself said, “In this world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” John 16:33. The place of peace for us is not in this world but in Jesus Christ himself. The place of life and joy for us is not in this world and following the desires of the flesh, but in pleasing the Father and following the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
Writing to the Romans 8:17-18 Paul told them, “If we are children of God then we are heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.”
It’s a clear trade off. God gave us his Son Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for us to pay for our sins. We come to Jesus and give up our sins and deny our selves and walk in the will of Jesus Christ our Lord even when it hurts, even when we are tempted and tried. Why? Because that is the path to glory. The way of the cross leads home.
Peter agrees and writes: 1 Peter 5: 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
Thus Jesus also was tempted in all ways like we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:15
So we discover in the Gospels that Jesus went up from the waters of baptism and was led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. It was part of his preparation for being our perfect Savior. When we enter the wilderness of temptation, we need to remember that Jesus has been there and he will be with us there if we will trust him and call on him. Will you do that? Do you do that now? Have you been doing that?
So what is temptation?
I think we already know, don’t we? But just in case anyone isn’t sure, here’s what the Bible says about it: James 1: 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
James tells us that God does not tempt us and he is not tempted. James 1:13 So the question arises, “If Jesus is God, how can he be tempted?” The answer is: Jesus is also human, fully and completely. Just as he is divine, fully and completely: John 1:1-3, Col. 1:15-19, Heb. 1:3,9… to mention a few.
Satan’s attacks are to Jesus’ human nature. Jesus has fasted for 40 days and is hungry. Can God be hungry? Jesus is God, but he is also man, and, yes, he is hungry. Jesus got tired, he felt pain, he experienced thirst, heart ache, weeping and even death. Hebrews 5: 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation...
So Jesus goes before us and is made perfect through suffering. This begs the questions: How are you and I made perfect in Christ? Do we get to be like Jesus by an easy path? Do we become formed into the image of God by following fleshly desires? Did Jesus not tell us to take up our cross and follow him? Did he not say that whoever would lose his life for my sake will keep it to eternal life?
The temptation of this world is all around us, telling us that we can be saved by an easier path than the one Jesus walked. This lie is both popular and deadly. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Did Jesus really mean that? I’m convinced that he did.
There is a popular message about God’s grace and love that would have us believe that God’s grace makes obeying Jesus unnecessary, that half hearted commitment is all that it takes. According to this message God’s love means that we can live life our way and still enjoy God’s favor and blessing of eternal life. It is becoming popular to believe that God’s grace and love are a license for sin and that the Christian life is not really a life that looks like Jesus Christ. Hello? Is there anyone who will dare to stand up and say that this is a lie from hell? Satan’s temptation for the church is the same as his temptation for Christ. He smoothly whispers, “If you really are children of God, don’t you deserve better? Are you hungry? Don’t you want to impress people? Just bow to me and I will give you the world!” The Serpent is still talking! His words are oh, so fine and fun filled! His stroking of our selfishness and pride are so rational and so dripping with allure. What’s wrong with a little me time? There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun!
What if Jesus had thought that way? How might the temptation story have changed? But NO! Jesus knew the consequences of listening to the liar. He refused and replied with the Word of God. He resisted the Devil and Satan left him.
What about you and me? How can we stand?
We are empowered to overcome this world by faith that follows the WORD OF GOD… just like Jesus did! Is it painless? No. Is it possible? Of course! Jesus, our Lord has already blazed the trail and is calling us to follow him! In fact, he shares his yoke with us and pulls with heavens strength for us when we lean on him.
Our master is strong and will be with us always even to the end of the age! Matt 28:20. Our mentor is perfect and is able to make us like himself! Phil. 3:21. Our minister is near and willing to aid all who call on him and listen to his voice. Heb. 4:15-16. He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for us. John 10. How will he not also give us all things we need for life and godliness? Romans 8 and 1 Peter 1.
Question: How many of us will commit our lives to become like Jesus Christ?
If that is not what you want, why on earth are you here? What kind of church are you looking for? Is it one that will tell you things you want to hear? Or, is it one that will tell you what God says, whether you want to hear it or not?
Listen to Micah, the OT prophet: 2: 11 If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ’I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ he would be just the prophet for this people!
3: 5 This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim ’peace’; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him. 6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. 7 The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."
Then God describes the punishment he will bring upon his people until they turn and trust him.
Then he says:
Micah 6: 6 With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Jesus came and conquered sin. He defeated death. He triumphed over the grave. He spoiled Satan’s sticky tongued stories and fabrications. His life is our model for life. His victory is for us. His glory awaits all who give up this world and its passing pleasures and accept God’s gift of life and walk by faith through the trials and temptations of this world towards an eternal life in glory that we can not see…yet. As the world mocks our “pie in the sky by and by,” Jesus shows us that this not about pie but patience, not about the sky but the Savior, and not about by and by but about blessings beyond comprehension.
He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to receive what he can not lose.
Jesus, our master, mentor and minister calls us. Who will come?
