WEBVTT 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:15.199 As I mentioned, we'll be starting a series in the temptations of Christ that'll go the least next three weeks. 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:17.359 And so there's just so much to say here. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.359 I'm thankful to have a few weeks to do it. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:26.160 But this, what we're gonna study this morning, Matthew chapter 4, the first part of it, is one of the most significant passages in the Bible. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:35.280 I know every word of the Bible is inspired, every word is from God's mouth, every word is to be believed and cherished and trusted, and every word is an ocean of truth behind it. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.799 But some passages are where lots of those oceans come together. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:48.960 There's a confluence of truths and themes throughout the Bible that just have certain junctures in certain places, and this is one of those passages, the temptation of Christ. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:52.960 This is the showdown that was prophesied at the very beginning of the Bible. 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.159 If you remember, God created the universe good. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:01.520 He created earth in particular good and sinless and perfect. 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:07.359 It was very good indeed, and yet it had the capacity to change, and it changed through sin. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:13.359 Satan snuck into the garden, and when I say snuck into the garden, I don't mean he snuck in away from God's knowledge. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:18.719 Of course, God is sovereign and omnipotent and omniscient and knew Satan's whereabouts at all times. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.840 Of course, God decreed, in a sense, all that would happen. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:24.159 He decreed redemption from before he made the earth. 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.480 He knew the fall, he ordained the fall. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:28.480 So this is not a surprise to God. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:33.280 But the devil snuck into the garden and snuck in reference to Adam and Eve. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:39.280 He came in the form of a serpent so he could sneak up to them, and he introduced sin. 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:48.640 He introduced sin by causing them to question God's word, question the truthfulness of God, causing them to doubt the truth of what God had said. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:53.680 And of course, Adam and Eve believed the doubt, believed the lie, and fell into sin. 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.120 And so the world was marred. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.519 And Adam and Eve were exiled to the wilderness. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:03.519 But before they could make it to the wilderness, God prophesied, the first prophecy of the Bible. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:10.560 And God said that a descendant of Adam and Eve would come and crush the head of the serpent. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:17.360 But he said the serpent would strike out and strike the heel of the Savior. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.000 So that's the prophecy back in Genesis chapter 3. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:28.639 Now, for the rest of the Old Testament, there is a tension mounting about who the Savior will be and when that cosmic showdown will happen. 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:32.960 You recognize that the devil is no match for God as God is reigning on his throne. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:40.719 You see that in Job chapter 1, where the devil goes before God and God directs him to test Job. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:50.639 You see this in 1 Kings, the end of 1 Kings chapter 22, where the Lord summons a demon from his presence and sends him to be a lying spirit in someone's mouth. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:52.719 So God is obviously sovereign over Satan. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:57.280 Satan can't latch out at God with any real threat. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:58.960 And so there's this tension. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:00.560 Where will the showdown happen? 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:09.360 Where will Satan finally come face to face with the descendant of Adam, who the descendant of Adam we know will crush the head of Satan, but when will that showdown happen? 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:14.000 Will they meet each other for the first time here in Matthew chapter 4? 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:19.360 For the first time, Jesus in his humanity, truly God and truly man, on earth. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:22.479 Of course, the devil has afflicted him before at his birth. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:31.039 The devil, uh, through demonic activity, inspired Herod to slaughter all of the infants that were born in Bethlehem. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:35.039 And that's clearly, I think, demonic and has lashed at him in that sense. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.680 But the devil's not using an intermediary here. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:44.479 Here, the devil is going face to face in some kind of physical appearance against the Lord himself. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:51.360 This is the great showdown that has been hanging in the background of the Bible ever since Genesis chapter 3. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:52.319 It takes place here. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.879 It's going to take place over three different temptations. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:58.560 With all three of these temptations, the devil attacks Jesus. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:04.000 All three of them, by the way, are given to us because they're the same way the devil attacks us. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.080 There's a progress through them. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:07.919 We're going to see that in a second. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:12.800 Every one of them Jesus resists, and every one of them, the devil tries a different approach. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.599 He changes the physical location every time. 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.240 He changes what Jesus is looking at every time. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.800 He changes the motives behind the temptation every time. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:23.920 The devil has a multi-pronged attack here. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:26.000 It's not always the same thing. 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:35.600 And that's so helpful for us to know as we study the devil and understand how to strike back against him, how to stand against his attacks on us. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.639 As I mentioned, this temptation takes place in three acts. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:40.000 There's three different temptations. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.319 We'll look at them over the next three weeks. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:47.120 The first is the temptation about the bread, and I'm sure you're familiar with these. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:51.759 The first is the temptation about the bread, where Jesus demonstrates that he is the true Israel. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:05:01.759 The second is the temptation where Jesus is offered to have the angels wait on him and catch him, and that demonstrates that Jesus is the true Adam. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:08.160 And the third is the temptation where he looks at the kingdoms of the world, and that demonstrates that Jesus is a true God. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:09.120 The true God. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.839 And the three temptations have different approaches behind them. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.600 The first is an attack trying to appeal to the lust of the flesh. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.399 The second is an attack that appeals to the pride of life. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:22.000 And the third is an attack that appeals to the lust of the eyes. 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:26.399 1 John chapter 2 says these are the same ways the devil attacks us. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:31.360 So he has multiple tricks in his bag, multiple schemes, multiple traps. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.560 Snare is the word that Paul uses in 2 Timothy 2. 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:37.759 The devil has snares that he lays out for people. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:40.160 But he doesn't have an infinite number of them. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:42.720 He preys on people in the same way. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:47.040 We'll look at the first of those attacks this morning, which will show that Jesus is the true Israel. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.240 I'm going to call our outline this morning just temptation's trail. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:58.480 Temptation's trail, so you can follow the way temptation works from the baptism of Jesus all the way through the first temptation will be the trail we'll mark out. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:06.399 Of course, to follow this temptation's trail, I want to remind you that God had a son before Jesus. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.680 It was a son who was in slavery in Egypt. 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:17.920 It was a son who, though in slavery of Egypt, God sought and rescued and delivered him from slavery, called him out of Egypt. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:34.560 He called him out of Egypt through the waters, through the waters into the wilderness, where the son went through 40 years of a trial through food, 40 years of depending upon the Lord for the food. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.240 And a trial, of course, that the son failed spectacularly. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:40.720 The Bible refers to Israel as God's son. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:46.399 It says in Hosea chapter 11, out of Egypt I called my son, a reference to this fact. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.519 God had appointed Israel to be his son. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:07:03.360 Israel was in slavery in Egypt, and God summoned Israel out of Egypt through the waters into the wilderness, where they, first of all, Moses fasted for 40 days, followed by Israel failing. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:05.759 Moses comes down from the mountain. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:07.519 Remember, he had fasted for 40 days. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:09.920 He received the law from the Lord. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:11.839 He comes down from the mountain. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:17.920 By the time he gets down from the mountain, he already finds Israel breaking three of the Ten Commandments, at least. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:22.800 He enters the camp and they are worshipping another God. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:24.079 There's commandment one. 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.279 They've made an idol. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:28.639 There's commandment two. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:30.319 They're calling that idol Yahweh. 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:31.680 They're taking Yahweh's name in vain. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:32.639 That's commandment three. 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:36.399 If it happened on Saturday, that'd be the first four, but I don't know when it happened. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:41.120 Israel failed the test. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:46.879 As a consequence of that, they were spending 40 years in the wilderness. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.720 And that was the test. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:56.160 Now we turn to the New Testament and we see Jesus, who was called out of Egypt, by the way. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.920 You remember this in Matthew chapter 2, out of Egypt I called my son. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:06.639 Through the waters that happened in Matthew 3, where he was just baptized in Matthew 3 through the waters, launching his ministry. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:09.279 And of course, Egypt waters wilderness. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:10.639 That's the pattern of Israel. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:12.720 And that will be the pattern of Jesus as well. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.800 He finds himself in the wilderness for the first stop on Temptation's trail. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:18.000 It's the leading here. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:19.759 Every word in verse 1 is significant. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:20.959 Every word is important. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:25.519 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.399 The then, this is happening after his baptism. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:30.560 He's baptized. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:34.879 The voice from heaven declares, This is my son with whom I'm well pleased. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.279 The Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.039 This is a Trinitarian testimony. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:45.840 Father, Son, and Spirit, all three, same place, same time, with the same testimony. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:49.360 That the man, Jesus Christ, is the eternal Son of God. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.120 The Father is well pleased with him. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:54.480 The Holy Spirit is setting him aside for ministry. 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:56.480 That is what's happening in chapter 3. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:06.159 It is after that that the Holy Spirit leads him to the wilderness for the purpose of being tempted. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:09.039 This raises a lot of questions. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:19.679 Doesn't the Bible command us to pray to God, asking God to lead us not into so? 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:26.960 I mean, Jesus is going to teach that prayer next. 00:09:27.840 --> 00:09:29.840 Maybe he just hadn't prayed it yet. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:31.919 I mean, what's going on? 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:36.000 How come the Holy Spirit is leading Jesus into temptation? 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:38.960 Well, I said every word is important here. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:40.960 It is the Spirit who is leading him. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:43.360 The Spirit is the agent here. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:45.519 It is God who is, of course, leading him. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:48.960 Here it's the Spirit taking on that function. 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:57.440 And there's nothing hidden in the word leading here because Matthew or Luke says that Jesus went to be tempted when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:01.279 So it's not just the Holy Spirit led him, the Holy Spirit led him from inside. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:09.440 The Holy Spirit filled Jesus at his baptism, and then through compulsion, is leading him into the wilderness. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:10.799 So he's not leading him by the hand. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:15.840 The Spirit is indwelling in Christ, as he indwells in every believer, by the way, starting at Pentecost. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:26.240 So this is a pre-Pentecost indwelling of the Holy Spirit, empowering Jesus for ministry, and God, through his indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Jesus, is compelling him to go into the wilderness. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:29.679 Mark uses an even different word. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:36.320 Mark says the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, drove him from the inside. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:47.279 So God is drawing, driving, leading, filling, and compelling Jesus to get into the wilderness for the purpose of temptation. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.360 But God doesn't tempt anyone. 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:50.399 We know this. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.200 And so Satan's presence here is significant. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:55.919 God wants Jesus to be tested here. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.879 It's God's desire for Jesus to be tested, but it is the devil that will do the tempting. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.720 And you cannot confuse those two. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:07.039 Do not call the work of the devil the work of God or the work of God the work of the devil. 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:09.039 That's a pretty catastrophic error. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.240 And so it's significant that God in his sovereignty ordains this. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:16.559 God in his eternal plan ordains this. 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.919 God in his sovereignty makes it happen. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.559 He decreed it, he drives it, he drew it up, and he's enacting it. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.240 But it is the devil who will do the tempting. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:37.919 Moreover, in the Old Testament, you may know this in Greek, in the New Testament, the word for tempt and test is the same word. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:42.639 In the Old Testament, testing is something that God often does. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:56.000 And the Hebrew word for testing that is happening in the Old Testament, it's a word that has two people in a covenant relationship with each other, and one is testing the other person to see their commitment to the covenant. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.240 That's how that word is used in the Old Testament. 00:11:58.480 --> 00:11:59.600 A very specific word. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:07.120 Two people in a covenantal relationship, and one is testing the other to see their faithfulness in the covenant. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:10.320 You can probably think of some of the uses of this word in the Old Testament. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.159 The most famous, of course, is Abraham is going to be tested by God. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:21.120 God tells Abraham, I'm going to test you, and commands him to go up on the mountain and sacrifice Isaac. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:23.440 And Abraham obeys. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:32.240 And then God stops the knife and says, Now that I've tested you, I've seen that you do love me, you do trust me, you do have faith. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.320 Of course, the test is not for God's benefit. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:35.120 You know this, right? 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.519 God, he's seen the answer key. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.919 Like he knows how the test is going to go. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:44.559 So God doesn't test Abraham to find out what's really going on in Abraham's heart. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:46.799 The test is for Abraham's benefit. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:50.960 So God is testing Abraham's commitment to the Abrahamic covenant. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:53.279 Abraham exercises faith in God. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.120 And of course, God gives Abraham the faith. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.519 Abraham exercises the faith that God gave him. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:00.879 Abraham passes the test, and this helps Abraham. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.440 It strengthens Abraham's faith. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.679 The fact that he passed the test. 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.000 You see people in the Old Testament fail the test. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.320 Deuteronomy chapter 8. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:24.000 God tells Israel, I put you in the wilderness for 40 years, and I tested you with manna to see if you would be committed to me and my covenant. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:26.960 And of course, Israel failed to test Deuteronomy. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:29.519 They grumble throughout their whole wilderness wanderings. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:30.720 They hate the manna. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:32.480 They want the onions from Egypt. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:33.919 They want the quail from the sky. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:38.799 So God chokes them with quail and they go back to complaining about the manna again. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:46.639 Hezekiah, two chronicles, was tested by God to expose what was in his heart. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.080 Is he committed to the Davidic covenant or not? 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:54.559 So again, it's a word that's used to demonstrate people's commitment to the covenant. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.799 There's one example that I really like is the Queen of Sheba tests Solomon. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:02.399 And you think, how are the Queen of Sheba and Solomon related in the covenant? 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:08.399 The Queen of Sheba is testing Solomon's commitment to his covenant with Yahweh. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:11.600 That's a reference in Deuteronomy chapter 4. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:17.759 That if Israel obeys the Lord, there will be wisdom and the people will be wise, and poverty will be driven out of Israel. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:23.679 The Queen of Sheba arrives and tests Solomon and Solomon's people and finds out that they passed the test. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:25.919 Solomon is wise, the people are obedient. 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:28.559 Silver is as common as stones on the grounds. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:29.919 And she says, I can't believe it. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:30.799 It takes her breath away. 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:32.080 That's where that expression comes from. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.519 She's astonished about how well Solomon passed the test. 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:45.600 So here, the Holy Spirit is driving, leading Jesus into the wilderness so that he will be tested. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:48.879 Now, what covenant is being tested here? 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.320 What's the covenantal relationship that is being put to the test? 00:14:52.399 --> 00:15:06.159 Of course, this is the, I would say this is the covenant, the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son, the covenant of redemption, the plan of salvation enacted before time, before the world was created, Jesus is described as the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the earth. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.799 This is the eternal plan between the Father and the Son. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.039 The Son would go to earth, take on a human nature. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.600 He would leave the glories of heaven. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.600 He would set aside the riches of heaven for the rags of this earth. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:22.159 He would humble himself. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:27.279 He, being rich, became poor for our sake. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:31.120 He, knowing all things, had to learn how to speak. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:33.919 He knowing all things had to learn how to walk. 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:39.440 He who made all things had to be dependent upon his parents for food and sustenance. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:40.639 That's the humility. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:41.759 That's what happened. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.799 That was what was planned before the foundation of time, that Jesus would come be the Savior. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:49.120 And of course, his death is planned as well. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:52.639 The eternal Son of God will become a human son. 00:15:53.519 --> 00:16:01.759 With a human nature, a human desire for food, human body in full humanity. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:06.639 And now he's there. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.799 And now he's experiencing it. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.840 His family will turn against him. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:17.840 His father is probably died by now. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:23.440 He's experiencing what life in Nazareth is like. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.240 He's drawing his disciples to himself. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:30.879 He's starting his ministry. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:34.639 Is he committed to this? 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:37.279 So that's the test. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:39.919 That's why God is enacting this test. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:42.480 Now, whose benefit is this test for? 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:46.879 Who is this designed to demonstrate something to? 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:56.799 I think in one sense, you could say to Jesus, in the same way that God tested Abraham, he's putting Jesus, the man Christ Jesus, to the test. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.360 But I think in even bigger ways, he's putting this test on for our benefit. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:02.799 That's what Paul says in Hebrews. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:04.880 This is happening for our benefit. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:10.079 So we would look at Jesus and see him tempted in every way like we are tempted. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.319 So Jesus endures our temptations. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.880 Temptations that we endure, he endures in every way. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:28.079 Now when it says in Hebrews that he endured every temptation, that doesn't mean he endured every single temptation that we endure, like Jesus was never tempted to watch too much Netflix. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:33.839 There's temptations unique to being elderly that Jesus was never subject to. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:37.680 There's temptations unique to being a parent that Jesus was never subject to. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.160 There's categories of temptation that Jesus didn't experience in that sense. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:18:03.759 But he experienced every kind of temptation, namely the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, that boastfulness, the desires of the eyes, covetousness, wanting things, wanting people to esteem you, wanting things for your own body, like food. 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:07.119 He experienced those temptations. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:15.599 Now here's where you need to understand in the New Testament, the word for testing and temptation is the same word, which makes it confusing. 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:21.279 Testing is the word that's used when you pass the test. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:26.799 Tempting is the word English word that you would use when you fail the test. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:29.440 So you understand this? 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:31.279 You're tempted to sin in some way. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:33.200 Alright, you're tempted to sin. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:46.240 You want to sin, you justify it, you rationalize it, you're like, I deserve to sin in this way, I really want it, and I deserve it, and so I'm gonna do it, but then you fight back and you're like, no, I'm not gonna see you. 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:47.200 Remember your memory verses. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:48.400 I've got memory verses for this. 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:50.240 Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:52.160 Not today, Satan. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:56.160 And you resist sin and you walk away from sin. 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.559 Isn't that a great feeling when you walk away from sin? 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:01.839 And it happens in your heart, you know, it's not really with your feet. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:10.880 Sometimes it might be with your feet you walk away from it, but most of the time it's in your heart where you're tempted to it, and then your heart you land the plane, you're like, not gonna do it, boom, and the temptation's over, and you're like, yes. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.200 Take me to heaven now, Lord. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.319 That's great. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:17.039 So that's a test. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:23.599 You passed it, and it demonstrates your commitment to the Lord, which strengthens you, right? 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:27.359 But what about when you fail it? 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:33.440 You're tempted to sin, you justify it, you rationalize it, and then you do it. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:37.200 Did God make you sin? 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:38.640 No. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:45.519 The Lord is not tempted himself by able, nor does he tempt you with evil, but each one of you is tempted. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:52.799 When you plant a seed of a wrongful desire in your heart, and then you water it, and then you grow it, so you did that. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:58.720 You put that desire in your heart, you fed that desire, you watered it, so don't turn around and blame the Lord for it. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:19:59.920 You did it. 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:10.319 You have a fig tree for five years, you put fertilizer on it, you water it, you put a little jacket on it in the winter, and then one year suddenly it grows figs, and you're like, whoa. 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:12.720 I didn't see that coming. 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.440 Well, you fed it and you watered it for five years. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:17.039 What did you think would happen? 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:19.759 That's how it is with temptation. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:24.079 So when you give into sin, you can't blame the Lord. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.480 Do you know if it's a trial or a temptation or a test? 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:31.200 Before no. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.000 That hinges on how you respond to it. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:36.079 If you fall into sin, that's on you. 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:39.759 If you stand strong, that's that's thanks to the Lord. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:42.079 So that's the difference. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:49.039 Here in Matthew 4, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit to be tested. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:56.559 He's going to do what happened to Israel in the Old Testament, where Israel was called out of Egypt, Jesus is called out of Egypt. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:05.119 Israel went through the water, Jesus goes through the water, Israel goes to the wilderness where they're given the restrictions on manna, and Israel spectacularly fails the test. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:08.240 And now Jesus is right back there again. 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:09.680 Look at verse 2. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.839 After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:15.920 And you're allowed to laugh when you read that. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:20.079 That's like Mathian understatement right there. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:22.640 He went 40 days without food. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:23.200 Oh. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:25.599 And he was hungry. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:29.920 Now Jesus here is truly human. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:32.400 Of course, God wouldn't be hungry. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:34.160 God owes the cattle on a thousand hills. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.000 God doesn't hunger or thirst. 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:38.000 He makes water and he makes food. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:43.680 But Jesus, in his humanity, he's operating in his humanity here, is hungry. 00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:51.440 It's important that he's operating in his humanity because when the devil tempts him, he could operate in his deity and banish the devil to hell. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.359 That would be under his authority to do that. 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:55.359 He has prerogative to do that. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.759 But he is being tempted like we are in his humanity. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.559 It would not be encouraging to us if Jesus withstood the devil by falling back on his deity. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:05.119 You know what I mean? 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:06.400 Like that wouldn't encourage you. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.920 Like, of course, Jesus could endure temptation because he was God. 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.160 No, he's operating in his humanity here. 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:15.519 And that's why it's significant. 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.359 It starts with the lust of the flesh. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:19.759 It starts with the desire for food. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:23.359 Jesus is sinless. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:25.279 He's never sinned. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:31.119 So this tells you a very critical thing about what it means to be truly human. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:37.440 Do you understand that sin is not an essential part of humanity? 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:41.440 When God made Adam and Eve, he didn't make them with sin. 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.599 To be truly human does not involve sin. 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:48.000 Sin is an alien. 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:52.720 Sin is snuck into your life through Adam's sin. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:54.319 We'll look at that more next week. 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:58.240 To be truly human does not mean to be a sinner. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:01.119 Because Jesus is truly human. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.680 But you know what is a true part of humanity? 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.359 Hunger. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:11.200 And so that's where Jesus finds himself. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.759 Tempted in this regard with hunger. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.799 You see next to the line. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:24.319 You see next to the line that Jesus is approached by the devil here. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:33.039 It's interesting that the devil seizes the moment of hunger for his attack because people are weak when they're hungry. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:39.119 You know, if you miss lunch, you get grumpy. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:51.200 If this sermon goes late today, you know you have a flight that's delayed. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:24:01.039 You don't want to buy airplane food, so you're just gonna eat lunch when you land, but then the flight's delayed by 30 minutes, and now you're hungry, and now you don't want the airplane food, and now it's like you get angry. 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:04.880 You're angry at the gate agent, she's not flying the plane, don't get angry at her. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:10.480 You're at a restaurant and you order the food a certain way, and it comes wrong. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:15.519 You wanted the dressing on the side, and the dressing's all over it, and I don't deserve this, and that dressing is gross. 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:18.319 And I said clearly on the side, can't you listen? 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:24.720 And you get angry at the waiter because you ordered it a certain way, and that's not what you got, and you're obnoxious to the people at the table. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:34.799 They got all their food the right way, and they don't seem concerned that yours is wrong, and people get so upset about food. 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:40.720 And Jesus has gone 40 days without it. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:46.559 And that's where Satan launches his attack. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:51.200 All who are led by the Spirit are, of course, sons of God, the Bible says. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:55.759 Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness for the devil's attack. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:25:00.480 The tempter, it says in verse 3, and that I love how Matthew calls the devil that. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:01.119 The tempter. 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:03.200 That's who he is, that's what he's doing. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:11.119 He came and said to Jesus, If you are the Son of God, and you can just stop reading there. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.200 This is the way the devil attacks. 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:15.119 Learn this well, my friends. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:18.160 The devil attacks with conditional clauses. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:20.240 He attacks with the if-then. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:23.119 That is classic devil temptation. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:26.400 If then, with a logical fallacy right in the middle. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:28.960 You don't even need to know what the then is. 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:29.759 That doesn't even matter. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:31.039 That's irrelevant. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:38.319 The devil structures the if, and the if is often true, followed by with a then, and the then is not true. 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:40.400 And you fall for it. 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:44.480 If God loved you, he would let you eat from that tree. 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:46.319 Adam and Eve. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:48.400 Well, of course God loves us. 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:50.960 So of course we can eat from the tree. 00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:52.559 They believed the lie. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:00.319 If you're the son of God, then X. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.119 Do you see the temptation then? 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:06.079 Jesus is the Son of God. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:08.400 So then X, right? 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:12.720 And when you think that way, you fell for it. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:15.839 Now, is Jesus the Son of God? 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:16.640 Yes. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:18.640 And why does the devil start here? 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:21.759 We'll talk more about this next week, but it's interesting to think why the devil starts here. 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:31.440 Because what happened yesterday, well, 40 days ago yesterday, was the baptism of Jesus, where the voice from heaven said, This is my son. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:35.279 The voice of God him said, it's no ambiguity. 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:39.839 God's own voice said, This is my son, and that's where the devil attacks. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:43.279 If what God said is true, then do this. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:45.359 And so you can see the temptation. 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:49.359 If you don't do this now, you think, well, that means what God said isn't true then. 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:52.160 Real life examples. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:27:01.039 I hear people say, if God loves me, he would want me to be in a better marriage. 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:09.200 And God loves me, therefore I can leave my obnoxious husband. 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.519 Because God wants me to be happy. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:16.400 I deserve a better grade in class than I'm getting. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:17.759 I deserve it. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.480 And if I deserve it, then I should get a better grade in class so I can cheat. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:27.599 God loved me. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:30.240 He knows I deserve more money than this. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:35.440 And so I'm just going to lie on my taxes. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:46.640 I'm going to say I gave this much to church instead of that much, because after all, I would want to give that much to church, and that increases my or lowers my tax liability by that much money, and there, boom. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:49.440 I'll call that a business expense. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:55.920 It wasn't a business expense, but God loves me and God would want me to take that deduction on my taxes. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:27:59.680 That's the way people operate. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.559 And it starts with the lie. 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:07.200 If God loved me, then that should happen. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:09.839