Transcript Slide 1

Why the Temptation of Christ?
Luke 4: 1 - 13
Temptation – Luke Sets the Stage
Luke 4: 1 - 3
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned
from the Jordon and was led around by
the Spirit in the wilderness for forty
days, being tempted by the devil. And
He ate nothing during those days, and
when they had ended, He became
hungry.
Understated Drama!
• Two giants of the Cosmos
• Converging on a scene of desolation
• Like 2 Boxers circling each other
• One beginning his mission,
– Enemy Territory
– Arriving badly wounded state
• The Other …
– Confident
– Home Turf
– Seized the Initiative
3 Requests
Luke 4: 3 - 8
And the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
tell this stone to become bread”. And Jesus
answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by
bread alone’.
“And he led Him up and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the
devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and
its glory, for it has been handed over to me and I
give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship
before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered
him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord Your
God and serve him only.”
3 Requests
(Continued)
Luke 4: 9 - 13
And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on
the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You
are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here,
for it is written, ‘He will command His angels
concerning You to guard You’, and “On their hands
they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your
foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered, and
said to him, “It is said, “You shall not put the Lord
Your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished every temptation, he left
Him until an opportune time.
What’s the Big Deal?
Satan had 3 requests….
1. Turn a Stone to Bread
2. Offered him all the Kingdoms of the World if He
would bow before him.
3. Jump off a high place to test God’s promise of
physical safety
After all wouldn’t Christ shortly after this…
– Multiply bread for 4,000 and 5,000?
– Conquer death and Rise Again to become King of
Kings
– Far more impressive!
Except for the devils request to worship him, they do not
seem that evil in themselves. Clearly there is something
pivotal occurring in the desert
Historical Views
Gerald Manley Hopkins (British Poet)
“something of a get acquainted session
between Jesus and Satan. In the dark
about the Incarnation, Satan did not know
for certain whether Jesus was an ordinary
man or theophany or perhaps an angel
with limited powers like himself. He
challenged Jesus to perform miracles as a
means of scouting his adversary’s
powers”.
Historical Views
Martin Luther
Speculates that throughout Jesus’ life, he
“conducted himself so humbly and was
associated with sinful men and women and
as a consequence was not held in great
esteem”, on account of which “the devil
overlooked him and did not recognize him.
For the devil is farsighted; he looks only for
what is big and high and attaches himself to
that; he does not look at that which is low
down and beneath himself.”
Why The Temptation?
• Was it simply a “get acquainted session” between
Jesus & the devil?
• Was it so the Devil would “recognize him”?
• Was it a test to see how Jesus would fare with all of
his new human constraints?
• Why not simply put an end to Satan, human
suffering, saving human history from his evil plans?
The Tests
1.“If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become
bread”
• Prove yourself…Dazzle Me…Act Like God would act!
2.“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from
here, for it is written, “He will command his angels
concerning You to guard You”.
• If you have such a great God, He’ll take care of You.
Prove your Trust in God!
3.“I will give to you all this domain and its glory; for it has
been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Therefore if You worship me it shall be yours”
• Your God leads You into the desert…What Kind of a
God is That? Look at the benefits I can offer!
Jesus’ Response
“Man shall not live by bread alone”
“You shall not put the Lord your God to a test”
“You shall worship the Lord your God and
serve Him only”
Jesus response – Only God makes those
decisions, therefore I do nothing at your
command….the Miracle of Restraint!
The Miracle of Restraint
Steadfast refusal to perform miracles
outside of God’s will..…
– Satan suggested
– Pharisees demanded
– I yearn for
Absolute trust in the Father’s Plan
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Power to live as though God does not exist
Spit in his face
Reject Him
Crucify Him
Result of Turning Down the
Temptation
• Put God’s reputation ‘at risk’
• His Plan was based fatally flawed humans
• Allowed Satan freedom to tempt
again…”When the devil had finished every
temptation, he left Him until an opportune
time” (vs. 15)
An Enticing Alternative
Phillip Yancey (The Jesus I Never Knew)
“As I look back on the three temptations, I see
that Satan proposed an enticing improvement.
He tempted Jesus toward the good parts of being
human without the bad. To savor the taste of
bread without being subject to the fixed rules of
hunger and agriculture, to confront risk with no
real danger, to enjoy fame and power without the
prospect of painful rejection – in short, to wear a
crown but not the cross. (The temptation that
Jesus resisted but many of his followers still long
for.)”
An Enticing Alternative
“Jesus had but to give a nod of agreement and
he could have constructed Christendom, not on
four shaky gospels and a defeated man nailed to
a Cross, but on a basis of sound socio-economic
planning and principles…Every utopian dream
could have been achieved. Acclaimed equally in
London School of Economics, and the Harvard
Business School; a statue in Parliament Square
and an even bigger one on Capital Hill and in
Red Square…Instead, He turned the offer down
on the ground that only God should be
worshiped.”
A Contrast
Satan’s Power
Coerce
Dazzle
Forced Obedience
Relentless dependence
on Human Force
Appears Powerful
A Contrast
Satan’s Power
God’s Power
Coerce
Gentle
Dazzle
Restrained
Forced Obedience
Internal
Relentless dependence
on Human Force
Appears Powerful
Relentless Dependence
on Human Choice
Appears Powerless
Pravda
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Mouth piece of Communist Party
Served the “Communist Church”
With Fall, distribution fell from 11 MM to 0.7 MM
Editor-in-Chief
“We don’t know how to motivate people to show compassion….though
we have many of the same ideals of equality, sharing, justice and
racial harmony….We tried to raise money for the children of
Chernobyl, but the average Russian citizen would rather spend his
money on drink. How do you reform and motivate people? How do
you get them to be good”
• Goodness cannot be legislated from the Kremlin or
enforced at the point of a Gun.
• Attempts to compel morality tend to produce defiant
subjects and tyrannical rulers who lose their moral
core.
Jesus Pattern
Rich Young Ruler (Mk 10: 21)
Jesus felt love for him and said to him, “One thing
you lack; go and sell all you possess and give to
the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and
come and follow me.” But at these words he was
saddened, and he went away grieving…
• Did not twist his arm
• Provided the choice and the consequence
• Let him walk away
Jesus Pattern
(Matt. 16:24)
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must
deny himself, and take up his cross and
follow Me”
The least coercive invitation ever given!
George MacDonald
Life Essential, The Hope of the Gospel
“Instead of crushing the power of evil by divine force;
Instead of compelling justice and destroying the wicked;
Instead of making peace on earth by the rule of the perfect prince;
Instead of gathering the children of Jerusalem under his wings whether
they want it or not, and saving them from the horrors that anguished His
prophetic soul….
He let evil work its will while he lived
He contended Himself with the slow unencouraging ways of help
essential; making men good, casting out not merely controlling Satan….
To love righteousness is to make it grow, not avenged it.
He resisted every impulse to work more rapidly for the lower good.”
Why the Temptation?
Hebrews 2:18 / 4:16
“For since He (Christ) Himself was
tempted in that which He has suffered, He
is able to come to the aid of those who are
tempted”.
“Let us therefore, draw near with
confidence to the throne of grace, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to
help in our time of need”.
What Kind of Jesus do You Want?
• Over whelm your doubts with certainty?
• Provide final proof of his Existence / Concern
• More Active in …
– World Affairs. Every Asked, “Why did God do nothing, Sit
on his hands”
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Iraq
Hunger
Disease
Earth Quakes
– Personal Life
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Spectacular answers to prayer
Healing for myself
Safety for Loved ones
God without Ambiguity …One I can point to with Doubting Friends
Personal Application
What should I do when I face my own
temptations?
My prayer is that I will…..
 Thank God that Christ never took the short cut
 Thank God that Christ relied on the Father’s Plan, Care and
Provision
 Seek the Father’s will through His Word & Prayer
 Resist the urge to seize control myself to “Help God”
accomplish his purposes
 Have patience to allow God to work in His slow, gentle way
"Praise You In This Storm"
Casting Crowns
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen",
and it's still raining
I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
if I can't find You
As the thunder rolls I barely hear Your whisper
Through the rain, "I'm with you“
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
who gives and takes away
But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through
the rain, "I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the
God who gives and takes away
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands,
For You are who You are,
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand, You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth