With last Sunday being Homecoming, I haven’t had a chance to preach since the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. It has been such a hot topic that it’s hard to ignore. These debates have always attracted a lot of attention. About 67.1 million people watched the Trump-Harris debate. That sounds like a lot of people, but it was not a record audience. In fact, the very first debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon back in 1960 garnered an unbelievable 70 million American viewers. But, that wasn’t the biggest audience for a debate. The record number of viewers for a presidential debate was set in 2016 when 84 million viewers watched Trump and Hillary Clinton “duke it out.”[1] Yes, presidential debates are important. But, do you know what was the most significant debate in human history? Well, it wasn’t on television. And yet, it is reported in the best-selling book of all time: The Bible.[2] Who were the two opposing parties in that epic biblical debate? Well, it wasn’t a member of the Republican party or the Democratic party. The contrast between the participants in this “Greatest of All Debates” was as different as Light is to Darkness or as Good is to Evil. For in this contest, the “debaters” were (and remain today) none other than Jesus, the Son of God, and His wicked adversary, the devil, a/k/a Satan. All three of the Synoptic Gospels tell of this monumental debate. This morning, let’s take a look at Matthew’s version as it describes what happened.
Matthew 4:1-2 gives us the setting for this debate as follows: 1 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights, He fasted and became very hungry.” The confrontation between Jesus and the devil did not take place on an air-conditioned stage, with good lighting, a fancy sound system and sturdy podiums to lean on. No, the setting was not quite so cozy. Rather, this debate was in the “wilderness.” In other words, it was in the deserted highlands area east of the Jordan River.[3] Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into such a desolate place? Well, the Holy Spirit knows the best locations in which these great contests should take place. They can be those places that try the human heart. Typically, such places are less likely to be pleasant and comfortable. Rather, those difficult times of life that are unpleasant and sometimes painful are where you are tested—just as Jesus was being testing in this passage.
Keep in mind that it was no accident that this “debate” happened after Jesus had been in the “wilderness” for “forty” days. The “wilderness” is where God tests those He loves. For example, after He freed His people from Egyptian slavery, God tested them in the wilderness. During the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites wandered for forty years. They strayed aimlessly in the desert for such a long time because they were often unfaithful and failed the tests the LORD placed before them.[4] Before Jesus was tested, He endured forty days without food even though He was sinless. Why did God the Father put Him through that? Well, the Bible is clear in teaching that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet HE DID NOT SIN.”[5] In other words, Christ was not tempted to see whether He would give in to sin. Simply stated, it was impossible for the Son of God to sin. For as Peter said of Christ: “He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.” 1st Peter 2:22 (NLT2) The reason the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness was to show us how we can withstand the temptation to sin if we rely upon Him. In this regard, the Book of Hebrews encourages us to look to Jesus as the model for overcoming our temptations: 18 “Since He Himself [i.e., Jesus] has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.” Hebrews 2:18 (NLT2) [6]
So, during those times when we may feel the weakest, we can still endure by imitating Christ. The Bible teaches us this again and again. James tells us: “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” James 1:3 (NLT2) This endurance is essential in the life of a Christian, for as Paul reminds us: 4 “Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” Romans 5:4-5 (NLT2)
Today, when we look around and see all the evil that is being accepted and promoted by our society in ways we never thought possible, Paul further reminds us: 1 “In the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT2) It is not hard to see that we are living in those “last days” Paul wrote about. Yes, the people of this country are living in a wilderness of sin. So, how do we, as Christians, deal with these difficult and trying times. The answer is: WE FOLLOW JESUS AND HIS WORD! Let’s do that right now as we follow His examples in the verses that continue in Matthew’s Gospel.
This is what happened next: 3 “During that time the devil came and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 4 But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT2) What can we take from this portion of Scripture? Well, here, we can learn a valuable lesson through the way that Jesus handled this initial temptation by Satan. Jesus had a dire physical need. He had fasted for forty days and nights. He was extremely hungry. In fact, Jesus was on the verge of starvation. He had the power to change those smooth, oblong stones (that looked so much like warm, freshly baked bread) into mouthwatering food. Why didn’t He do so? What would have been the harm in doing that? The answer lies in the fact that Jesus was confronting the human urge to selfishly “look out for number one.” It is the worldly desire to put yourself first and everyone else last. One day when James and John were tempted by that same urge and gave in to it, Jesus warned them and the rest of His disciples. He told them whenever anyone gives in to the urge to “look out for number one” that is the way of the world. Jesus taught them: 43 “But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45 (HCSB) In reflecting upon this teaching, New Testament scholar, George W. Knight, states: “Jesus Himself was the ultimate example of service. No one deserved to be served more than the divine Son of Man, but His life and ministry were acts of SELF-GIVING SERVICE TO OTHERS.”[7]
Bear in mind that, every time you sin, you are confronted with a similar temptation. Either you will obey God and stay close to Him, or you will chose to obey Satan and step farther into the dark wilderness. You will be tempted to serve your own selfish needs that will distract you from seeing to the needs of others. In the process, you will start to see yourself, or worldly things, as the only source for satisfying your needs. As that continues to go on in your life, the Word of God will fade from memory, as will your reliance upon Him. It is the typical way that Satan uses your sin to separate you from God. But, in His reply to the devil, Jesus tells us how to overcome those worldly temptations. Jesus said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (NLT2)
When Jesus said this, He had in mind specific Scripture from the Old Testament. Again, it relates to the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness. In Deuteronomy 8, Moses was addressing God’s people and said: 2 “Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey His commands. 3 Yes, He humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE; RATHER, WE LIVE BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (NLT2) What are Moses and Jesus telling us here? They want us to realize that the real bread of life is not baked in ovens. Rather, it is found in a Book—in other words The Bible—The Word of God. When you are tested during those trials of life, look for guidance, comfort and strength, not from worldly resources, but from the Scriptures. Why? A wise man once explained it this way: “A Bible that’s falling apart probably belongs to someone who isn’t.” [8] You won’t “fall apart” when your spiritual diet is the Word of God.
Now, let’s move on to the second temptation of Jesus. Matthew continues by saying: 5 “Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect You. And they will hold You up with their hands so You won’t even hurt Your foot on a stone.’ 7 Jesus responded, ‘The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” Matthew 4:5-7 (NLT2) To understand the significance of Jesus’ response to Satan, again—the location of this temptation should not be overlooked. This was apparently a vivid, visionary experience whereby Jesus was whisked to the very top of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was there that Satan quoted from Psalm 91 and urged Jesus to throw Himself off the towering heights of the Temple and force God to have His angels catch Him before He hit the ground.[9] Satan’s request was very clever because it played into the Temple’s imagery as being a place that assured those who are faithful of God’s protection and provision. In fact, the Temple itself was symbolic of God’s very presence among His people. So, the devil was suggesting that the Temple would be a great place to put God’s protection on display. But, Jesus saw through Satan’s plan on two levels.
First, Jesus knew that what Satan really wanted Him to do was to force God’s hand. He wanted Jesus to condition His faithfulness to God upon God being faithful to Him. Again, the Israelites’ wilderness experience loomed in the background. During the Exodus, the Israelites gave way to a similar temptation that Satan had laid before them. Water to drink was in short supply in the parched desert of the wilderness in which the Israelites roamed. At a place called “Massah” (which means “to test”[10]), the people complained to Moses that God was a poor provider. Moses reminded them of their sinful, hardened hearts and of their unfaithfulness when he later told them: “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16 (NASB) This was the exact response that Jesus gave to Satan when He refused to jump off the Temple and, thus, “put God to the test.” Here, Jesus is teaching us that the “Temple” was a place where God revealed His Plan to humanity—not a place where human plans can be forced upon God. In other words, Jesus wants us to know that our faith in God cannot be anchored upon our attempts to manipulate Him into “protecting us” in the ways we want. As New Testament scholar, Larry Chouinard, put it: “As God’s ideal Son, Jesus is resolved to be faithful and trust even if it means a path of suffering and death.”[11] Human plans typically avoid anything having to do with “suffering and death.” And yet, it is through the “valley of the shadow of death” that we learn to rely upon the Good Shepherd’s rod and staff to provide us with comfort, hope and healing.[12]
Now, Jesus could also see a second thing that Satan was trying to accomplish as they stood there upon the heights of the Temple. Jesus understood that Satan’s main goal was to derail God’s Plan of salvation. It was the Plan that would have Jesus walk up the Hill of Calvary and be nailed to the Cross. The “highest point of the Temple” is symbolic of the connection between Man and God. We can see this in Jesus’ comment to the Jewish leaders who opposed Him when He said: “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John’s Gospel explains: 21 “But when Jesus said ‘this Temple,’ He meant His own body. 22 After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered He had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.” John 2:19-22 (NLT2) You see, Jesus is the Temple—He is that connection between all of humanity and God. The question was: What kind of Temple would He be? Would Jesus be obedient to God’s Plan? Or, like the Israelites in the wilderness, would He be disobedient and pursue a different plan?
God’s Plan wasn’t for Jesus to bring glory to Himself through some showy display of pride and selfishness by jumping off the top of the Temple. God’s Plan was for Jesus to bring glory to Him by dying on the Cross. It was history’s greatest example of selfless sacrifice for humanity and commitment to God’s will. Jesus—the True Temple—is where we learn what it means to say, “THY will be done,” instead of “MY will be done.” So, all of this was Satan’s way of trying to upset God’s Plan of salvation for you and me. But, Jesus wasn’t about to let that happen. We will see this again, in the devil’s third, and final, temptation of Christ.
Matthew goes on to tell us about the third temptation: 8 “Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. 9 ‘I will give it all to You,’ he said, ‘if You will kneel down and worship me.’ 10 ‘Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only Him.’ 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.” Matthew 4:5-11 (NLT2) Luke’s Gospel states the latter part of this Scripture as follows: “Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed him IN A FLASH all the kingdoms of the world.” Luke 4:5 (NET1) In other words, Satan displayed in a vision ALL the mighty, glorious worldly empires that would ever exist throughout ALL OF HISTORY. This was a glorious panoramic view spanning from the Kingdom of Nimrod and his Tower of Babel, to King Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, to the Acropolis of the Greek empire, to the grandeur of Imperial Rome, to the Statue of Liberty of America today, and beyond. The devil promised that all the worldly kingdoms, throughout history, would bow down to Jesus if He would only worship Satan. Make sure that you understand what Satan was offering here. He was claiming that Jesus would not need to be crucified. In other words, He could save the world without having to go to the Cross. Instead of the pain, agony and death of the Cross, Jesus could painlessly sit upon a throne and the world would be saved because all the people who ever lived would bow down to Christ. All He had to do was worship Satan. The devil was offering Jesus a supposedly “better plan”—in much the same way he offered one to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
How could the devil make such an outlandish claim that all the worldly kingdoms belonged to him? Well, Satan is like that—he loves to tell lies and half-truths.[13] And yet, in a manner of speaking, the kingdoms of this world at the present time do belong to Satan. Paul acknowledged as much in his letter to the Church in Corinth, Greece, when he said: “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” 2nd Corinthians 4:4 (NLT2) But, the devil’s grasp upon this world is only temporary. Satan’s reign is going to end! In fact, his defeat was initiated when Jesus died on the Cross and God raised His Son from the dead. Very soon, Jesus is coming again and will complete the defeat of Satan when Christ takes the throne and rules over this world. He’s not going to be riding on a donkey as He did when entering Jerusalem before His crucifixion. No—the next time Jesus comes, He will be riding a powerful white stallion. The Apostle John, in the Book of Revelation reports the future as if it has already happened and promises this: 11 “Then I saw Heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider [referring to Jesus] was named Faithful and True, for He judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns. . . 16 On His robe at his thigh was written this title: KING OF ALL KINGS AND LORD OF ALL LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-12, 16 (NLT2) And, with a trumpet blast, all of Heaven will proclaim: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 (NLT2)
For this to become a reality, Christ had to die on the Cross. The world could not be saved from its sins except through the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Under God’s Plan, there were no shortcuts around the Cross. Satan knew that. But, in this third temptation, he tried to convince Jesus this devilish plan could allow Christ to take a wide and easy path. Satan was encouraging Jesus to avoid the narrow and hard way that involved suffering and death. But, Jesus knew differently—for as He would soon proclaim: 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to Hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT2) With all this in mind, Jesus answered Satan by again quoting from Scripture. This time, He drew from Deuteronomy 6:13 and proclaimed: “You must worship the LORD your God and serve only Him.”[14]
What wonderful examples Jesus gives us as He responded to each of Satan’s temptations. Three times, Jesus turned to the Book of Deuteronomy where God had given the Israelites commands to follow when they were in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 6:13, 16; 8:3). Each time, Jesus shows us that God’s Word provides the answers to worldly temptations. When you are wandering in the “wilderness” of this world, with all its difficult times and sorrows, remember that Jesus was tested too. And so, you have a choice to make. You can follow God’s Plan for your life by following Christ’s examples. Or, you can get lost in that worldly wilderness like those faithless Israelites did so many centuries ago. Satan wants you to take the easy way out. The thing is, when you follow his way, you only become further lost. But, take heart—Jesus came to save the lost![15] If you are genuinely searching for a way out of the wilderness and are willing to take hold of Jesus’ hand, He will lead you out of the darkness and into His Light.[16] And when you come into the Light of Christ, there is no power in this world that can separate you from Him if you will just persevere and remain faithful to Him.[17] And, while it is true that Satan can, and will, target those who have allowed the Holy Spirit into their hearts, the truth remains that the devil is powerless against those who arm themselves with God’s Word and surrender completely to Christ.[18]
The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness—not to get Him lost—but in order for us to see the way out of our wilderness. Throughout this country, there are a lot of people today who consider themselves to be Christians. Many of them are mowing their lawns, weed-eating or raking leaks this morning. Many are standing in line at Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Food Lion. Some of them are even sitting in church pews this morning sipping their lattes and being entertained. They live their lives trying to turn worldly stones into bread, instead of relying upon Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life. Yes, today there are many “wilderness Christians” wandering around who don’t even know they are lost. The writer of the Book of Hebrews has a warning for them when he asks a series of questions: 16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard His voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when He took an oath that they would never enter His rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed Him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter His rest.” Hebrews 3:16-19 (NLT2) And, what is “God’s rest”?—it is the peace and joy that comes, even during the trials and suffering of this life, when you truly surrender your all to Christ. Jesus said: 28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you REST. 29 Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find REST for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT2) If you don’t know God’s “rest” this morning, if you have been lost in the wilderness for too long now, it’s time to come forward and rededicate your life to Jesus Christ.
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
September 22, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Melissa Cruz, “Gaffes, insults, a well-timed joke: The best moments in US presidential debate history,” USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/05/15/best-presidential-debate-moments/73698508007/ (May 15, 2024). Gary Levin, “How many people watched the Harris-Trump presidential debate?” USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/09/11/harris-trump-presidential-debate-tv-ratings/75180950007/ (September 11, 2024).
[2] “Top 10 Best-selling Books of All Time,” All Top Everything, https://www.alltopeverything.com/top-10-best-selling-books-of-all-time/ (May 18, 2024).
[3] David Abernathy, Exegetical Summary of Matthew 1-16, An, (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2013), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 75.
[4] Larry Chouinard, Matthew, ed. Jack Cottrell, Ph.D. and Tony Ash, Ph.D., (Joplin, Missouri: College Press Publishing Co., 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 77.
[5] Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (NIV)
[6] “Why did Jesus need to be led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted (Matthew 4:1)?” Got Questions Ministries, https://www.gotquestions.org/led-into-the-wilderness-to-be-tempted.html [accessed September 17,2024].
[7] George W. Knight, A Simplified Harmony of the Gospels, (Nashville, TN: Homan Bible Publishers, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 178.
[8] Edythe Draper, “Bible,” Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 35.
[9] Psalm 91:11-12 11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.” (NASB)
[10] Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, ed., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), s.v. “MASSAH,” WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[11] Larry Chouinard, Matthew, ed. Jack Cottrell, Ph.D. and Tony Ash, Ph.D., (Joplin, Missouri: College Press Publishing Co., 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 79.
[12] Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” (KJV)
[13] John 8:44 [Jesus said regarding the devil:] “He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (NLT2)
[14] Deuteronomy 6:13 “Honor the LORD your God, worship only Him, and make your promises in His name alone.” (TEV)
[15] Luke 19:10 “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (TEV)
[16] John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” (ESV)
[17] Romans 8:35-37 35 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’ 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT2)
[18] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding, ed. Arthur Farstad, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 1214.
Topics: Temptations
