WHAT WOULD JESUS DO
When Facing Temptation?
In the Broadway Play, My Fair Lady, one of the characters sings a memorable song.
The Lord above made liquor for temptation, To see if man could turn away from sin, The Lord above made liquor for temptation, BUT, with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck, When temptation comes you'll give right it.
Fortunately, most of us don't take such a flippant attitude toward temptation. As Christians many of us struggle seriously with how to resist it. It’s frightening how often we encounter people whose entire lives are destroyed or forever changed because when temptation came, they gave in. Temptation is no laughing matter. It destroys!
The allurement of sin and the appeal of temptation are seldom viewed in light of their devastating and injurious consequences! Too often the situation is something like this:
1) she doesn’t listen like you do…doesn’t have the looks (use to)…don’t have as good a time as you and I and I don’t think I love her any more—lust after you!
2) Satan is a liar—never keeps a promise (father of lies)…laughs at our gullibility!
3) Won’t hurt anyone…who’ll notice, it is a big thing…if I told the truth I might lose my job or this account…who says its wrong—those bible thumpers!
Jesus faced temptations—just as we do—but He NEVER gave in. We worship Him as the Son of God but we also learn some valuable lessons on how to deal with temptation.
TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Note: Following Jesus’ baptism by John, he faces the devil [the slanderer]. The Spirit of God had descended upon Him and God spoke from heaven: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. The Spirit of God leads Him into the wilderness, where for 40 days and nights he fasted and considered how he would fulfill the divine mission! Matthew 4
1. The first two temptations begin with the words, If you are the Son of God ... [since]
a. The devil is not so much tempting Jesus to question whether he is the Son of God as he is tempting him to fulfill his vocation in a different, easier way—a way contrary to God's will, one which leaves us in our sins.
b. The tempter puts Jesus to the test of disobeying God by trying to get Him to believe things that aren't true.
Stones to bread
2. IF God is going to meet you needs…not starting out very good—hungry!
a. You’ve got the power, make yourself something to eat…your power is more reliable than God’s and you can do it your way!
b. Jesus chose to fulfill his vocation in God's way. In Matthew 26:26, Jesus takes bread, breaks it, gives to his disciples and says, Take, eat; this is my body. Because he didn't turn the stones into bread, he was able to offer himself up as the bread of life. I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35).
c. Jesus quotes from part of Deuteronomy 8:3—God was teaching dependence on him… Jesus learned it; Israel did not.
Jump off the Temple
3. Jesus quoted Scripture to counter Satan, now Satan uses scripture…it is written
a. So you’re going to trust God—here’s a perfect opportunity…see IF He’s really with you in this mission [Ps 91:11,12] -- prove to yourself you are who you say!
b. If He sends the angels…you can stroll into Jerusalem and the mission’s accomplished!
c. Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16—Jesus refuses to force God to prove himself
Bow Down and Worship Me
4. Offer of the ultimate fulfillment without all the pain and suffering—it can be yours NOW
a. Jesus uses Deuteronomy 6:13—Fear the Lord your God, serve him only….
b. If Jesus had given into this temptation and assumed sovereignty on the devil's terms, what kind of world would he be leading? Fact: It would be an unredeemed one.
SEASON OF TEMPTATION WASN’T OVER
Following the resistance of Satan’s tests, the angels came and ministered to Jesus but this didn’t mark the end of the testing…continued throughout His lifetime!
1. Matt 16:22,23—Jesus was preparing the disciples for His coming death and explained how it would happen—find Peter speaking up, saying NO this isn’t right! [didn’t fit into Peter’s understand-ing of Jesus as the Messiah]
a. Jesus heard the words of the temper again—although it was from one who meant well
b. Get behind me, Satan—like a rock out of place, he was a stumbling stone
c. Times when we search for reassurance if something is right or wrong—ask enough peo-ple and you’ll find the answer you desire…BUT is it God’s answer?
2. Matt 26:39—Gethsemane as Jesus asked for another way but yields to the will of the Father
a. vs 40,41—Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak…addressed to Peter but wonder if it isn’t a powerful insight into Je-sus’ own struggle at this moment of his incarnation!
b. It would be ALONE He drank the bitter cup and saved lost humanity…the wrath of God’s judgment would fall upon Him and He would lay down His life for ours!
c. Facing the moment of truth—perhaps could see the torches of those coming to arrest him in the distance…but THIS was why he came and though the way was hard it was the only way!
3. Matthew 27:39,40—those passing by, [not opponents from beginning] saw Him and read the sign [King of the Jews] but this didn’t fit their expectations of the Messiah…helpless/dying
a. Challenge—come down and we’ll believe…He could have but it wasn’t the WAY
b. When he yielded up his spirit—God Himself ripped open the Temple veil and every per-son obtained forgiveness of sin and a way to draw near to God was opened.
c. He was and is the Son of God…it wasn’t in descending from the cross but dying on the cross, the price was paid and Salvation was WON [not nails but love which held Him there]
LESSONS ABOUT TEMPTATIONS
1. Temptations often begin in forms that seem very innocent and subtle.
a. Real problem with temptation—it’s so easy to respond with the phrase, It's no big deal.
b. Initial phase is so subtle and it doesn't come with the face of evil, but with an air of in-nocence…
During the height of the Cold War, a former FBI agent wrote a book about Soviet spies working in Washington, and how the KGB would solicit workers in the FBI and CIA and in the military to work for them. The KGB would never start by approaching an American and asking him or her to steal "top secret" documents. Instead, they would start with something simple, something that was in fact pub-lic information, like an office telephone directory. No big deal. It was something the American worker would justify because it was public information. But it would still be a thrill, and it would put some extra spending money in the American's pocket. It would be enough to hook the American into doing it again. Next time it would be a file. Then it would be something confidential, then it would be some-thing very secretive. But that would come later. At the beginning, it would be nothing more than a telephone directory. No big deal. And so it is with temptation.
2. Facing temptations always involves an invitation to forget who we are.
a. The woman in an act of adultery forgets she is a wife…the athlete who is arrested for soliciting a prostitute forgets he is a roll model…ultimately, any of us who yield to temptation forget we are above all else Christians, children of God who are called to a new way of life.
b. CONSIDER: We tend to think of temptation in terms of being presented with an opportunity to do something we shouldn't but in reality, true temptation has less to do with deciding whether or not to do something we shouldn't, as much as it has to do with forgetting who we are.
c. It is when we forget who we are that we fall…for every one of the temptations starts with that same line. "If you are the Son of God."
3. Don’t ever forget—the Word of God is the greatest power in resisting temptation.
a. Isn’t matter of will power or debate…Jesus simply said: The Word of God says... and quoted it
b. Study of the Word of God is important in giving us the strength to resist temptation.
c. Ps 119:9 asks and answers the question, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." [Biblically illiterate even IF Bible is best seller—not most read!]
d. By immersing ourselves in reading and understanding the Word of God, we are able to be more successful in resisting temptations
Because Jesus faced the real oppressor, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:14). He walked through the fiery halls of temptation. He heard the hiss of the serpent, the same hiss we hear every day but He NEVER gave in to sin or the devil’s temptations!
Regardless of what we face, we can overcome and resist it…I Cor 10:13—No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted be-yond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it. NO EXCUSES, just follow Him, avoid evil and win the victory!
An Autobiography In 5 Short Chapters about Sin and TemptationChapter 1 I walk down the street and there's a deep hole in the sidewalk, I fall in, I am lost, I am helpless, It isn't my fault, It takes me forever to find my way out. Chapter 2 I walk down the same street and there's a deep hole in the sidewalk, I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again, I can't believe that I'm in the same place but it isn't my fault. It takes along time to get out. Chapter 3 I walk down the same street there's a deep hole in the sidewalk, I see that it is there, I still fall in, it's a habit, my eyes are open, I know it's my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter 4 I walk down the same street there's a deep hole in the sidewalk, I walk around it. Chapter 5 I walk down another street
