Temptation Of Jesus

Title: Temptation of Jesus

Theme: Showing how these temptations relate to us.

Text: Luke 4:1-14

Introduction

(1) Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

I believe this is the key to understanding this passage. Jesus was being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. He was taking him through some things to prepare for his greatest ministry.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct [3] your paths.

James 1:13-14 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.

This not a temptation to sin but a testing of strength. God does not tempt us to sin.

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Could Jesus really have given in to this temptation? Yes. What he is doing here is showing us how to over come it.

(2) being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

Here we read of three temptations. I believe that they are a summary of many. We are told he was tempted for 40 days. Wow that is a long time.

Temptation of Performance

(3) And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

If you are the Son of God. He is questioning Jesus identity. He knew who Jesus was. We see that throughout the scriptures there is no doubt. The thing is if he could only get Jesus to doubt who he was.

Temptation: you perform for me.

What is wrong with performance? Once you perform one time you have to perform over and over again. Secondly now you are working for him.

We are tempted to perform for people. Women are tempted to perform for men. They do all kinds of things to attract them. Obliviously men can follow the same pattern but I see women give up so much to be the connected to a man.

Response: “Dependence on God’s approval”

(4) But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' "

Answer: depend on the Lord not just on the physical meeting of my needs

Exercise profited little

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

The devil wanted Jesus to perform. He was trying to get his focus off the Lord and on what he could do.

Temptation of the “Short Cut” – Easy Way Out

There is a lot to lose here.

(5) Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

(6) 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.

(7) Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."

The devil was offering Jesus a kingdom without the cross. Why go to all the trouble and pain to win the world when it can be handed to you on a silver platter. No suffering, No Struggling, No Sacrifice. But a crown without the cross would mean that there would be no forgiveness for our sins.

Biblical – Abraham, Sarah and Ishmael

Compromise is a short cut

The temptation to take short-cuts is the temptation of compromise, and the cost of compromise is your integrity.

Response: worship God only

(8) And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For] it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "

Don’t make permanent decisions on temporary circumstances.

Patience and the sovereignty of God.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

To face the temptation of the “Short -Cut” and compromise is to learn to worship God! - Matthew 4:10 - 11