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Matthew 4:1-11
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
In Holy Scripture, temptation has two basic meanings. The first is that inward prompting or enticement or lure to sin; in other words, it’s an attack on our conscience. It is either the work of the devil, or the world, or our human flesh and its innate tendency to sin—or a combination of any or all three. The second is some trial or affliction, something that involves those circumstances in life that test faith and courage and resolution. Its intention is to make life holy and build Christian character. Both of these can be seen in the account of the temptation of our Lord, for it was the Holy Spirit who drove Jesus into the wilderness. And it was Satan who tempted Him there.
Our Lord Jesus has taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation…” We should remember that as we consider that He had Himself been led by the Spirit to go where He would face temptation. His own temptation, stretched over a period of 40 days, was wholly concerned with the choice between right and wrong; between whether or not He would be faithful to His Father in heaven, and carry out the redemptive work that had been given to Him. Can we doubt the seriousness of those 40 days of decisive conflict? The whole issue—the hope of salvation for mankind—hung on their outcome.
We do not know all that took place during those forty days. But we do know that our Lord was very much alone during this entire time of solitude and struggle; alone, that is, except for the presence of Satan, the evil one, the slanderer and liar, the murderer of man and their immortal souls. We are probably not told of all that Jesus had to endure and suffer. His tempting was probably nearly continuous, and was deliberately designed to test His faithfulness to His Father.
The first was the temptation of the flesh. “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” It was designed to undercut our Lord’s loyalty to His Father. He was not to use His divine power merely for self-gratification. Jesus was very hungry, to be sure; this temptation was real. But He resisted by proclaiming the Word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
The second was a temptation of His spirit, and it took place at the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. Satan appealed to the holiest of books by quoting—or rather, misquoting—the Psalms. This is a most subtle temptation: surely God would not allow His Son to be harmed just as He was setting out on His work of saving mankind. But does even the Son have the right to force the Father’s hand? But, again, the response of Jesus was direct and unconditional: “Again it is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Jesus would not take an easy way out in the face of the looming shadows of the cross.
The third was designed as a bargain. Jesus could choose to be second-in-command to the prince of this world; all He had to do was bow down to Satan. It would certainly be easier than facing death on the cross. But the price of this bargain was open rejection of the will of the Father. To exchange the whole world for that single act of false worship might sound like a fair exchange, and many in our world seem not at all troubled about making it. But if Jesus made that bargain, He would deny His Father’s exclusive and absolute claim on Him and on the saving task He had sent Him to accomplish. Jesus sent the tempter away; He would endure the cross; He would win the victory. Jesus, the Word made flesh, overcame with the Word of God.
Anyone who would believe in Jesus Christ and desire to serve Him with their lives must prepare for these temptations. They will not necessarily come together or even in the same manner in which they came to Jesus. These are the temptations all men face. And these are, likewise, the temptations of the Church. The Church, as the people of God, must be committed to the Word of the Lord, and not just to the bread that feeds our bodies. We must, as the people of God, never test God or seek to force His hand, but, in all things, pray, “not my will, but Thine be done.”
Of course, it is not the temptation that actually strengthens faith, but God’s grace conveyed to us in the Gospel, through His Word and the Sacraments. And their faithful use is what grants us the strength to withstand and even profit from temptation. And as we more faithfully and frequently use of these instruments of grace, we will all the more relish the forgiveness of sins and the joy of that certainty of eternal life. And it is there that temptation is answered. Christ’s victory over temptation is our victory, and the life and salvation He gained is ours, too! What the Psalmist prayed—and we echoed his words this morning—remains forever true: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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