The Everlasting Covenant - 15.0 Wilderness Temptation

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15.0 The Wilderness Temptation
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, March 2009

Topics:
The Fullness of Time
At the Jordan
In the Wilderness
The Temptation
What is Temptation?
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The Fullness of Time

(The following events are put in story form because of the depth of feeling in what happened.)

As Jesus worked in the carpenter shop, He thought about the past eighteen years. He had learned much during his visit to the temple when he was twelve. He always knew that God was His Father. At that passover He learned more of what that meant. By putting together the prophecies of the Messiah and the meaning of the sacrifices, He learned what His lifework must be.

   “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” (Daniel 9:27).
   “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).

Daniel 9:27? He could not get that verse out of His mind. That time had to be now! That prophetic “week” had started.

His brother James came bustling in, “Have you got that chair finished yet, Jesus?”
“Almost, James. I’m just sanding down a few rough spots. This is for Julius, the centurion, and you know how picky he is.”

“Good job, Jesus.” James inspected the work being done. “You’ve probably heard about John, your cousin. He is preaching down at the Jordan. I hear he is a powerful preacher, and he doesn’t mince words when he talks about sin. Even priests, rabbis, and Roman soldiers are going down to hear him. Those who believe are baptized as a sign of beginning a new life.”

They worked in silence for some time. The carpenter shop had provided a good income for the family. Since Joseph, the father died, Jesus, James, and Joseph the son continued to work in the shop. It was well known for quality.

James took a little break. “The people think John might be the Messiah himself, or Elijah, or that prophet who is to come. John himself denies all this, saying that he is ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make this paths straight’” (Matthew 3:3; John 1:23).

Joseph frowned, and kept on working. His younger brothers did altogether too much talking.

Jesus turned and faced His brothers, “Joseph and James, I must speak. The time has come, and I must be about my Father’s business. I am going to the Jordan to see John.”

“Good! Good! Good! You need a little break. But why so serious? Are you coming back? We have more work than we can do now. We get good money for this work, you won’t find a better job anywhere else.” They were both speaking at the same time. They said a lot more, but you get the idea.
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At the Jordan

Jesus had been traveling for two days. It was hot and dusty, and it was refreshing to see the Jordan valley with the river, the trees, and the green fields nearby. In the distance he could see a crowd and a roughly dressed man speaking to them. The man’s voice carried well and Jesus could hear him. The crowd listened attentively.

By this time Jesus was closer. He could hear him say, “but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Luke 3:16).

As Jesus got closer, John suddenly looked up and with a loud voice said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Everyone turned and stared. All they saw was an ordinary looking man, tired and dusty from his travel. They quickly lost interest.

Next day, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him” (Matthew 3:13). As they stood by the water’s edge, John objected: “I have need to be baptize of thee, and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:14). Jesus quietly said, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented (Matthew 3:15 NIV).

   “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

   “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
   “and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21-22 NIV).

This event was critical. It marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the beginning of the “week of Daniel 9:27.” At this time Jesus received the testimony of John the Baptist, the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18, 19) and the testimony of the Father. The next day two men joined Him as His first disciples. See John 1:35-37. Jesus needed this confirmation, for His faith would soon be tested.

Jesus and John conferred as they had time. It was a pleasant visit between cousins who had much in common. John said, “Jesus, I know you are the Messiah who is the hope of Israel. Why don’t you work with me here? Together, we could do much more than either of us alone.”

“Thank you John, I know you are asking that out of love. But I cannot stay. I must seek the Father to know His will.” With that, Jesus took leave of John and His two new disciples and set out for the wilderness.
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In the Wilderness

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1). Why would Jesus go into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil? During His life on earth Jesus met the devil at every turn, but never sought him out. Matthew 4:1 is just telling us what happened, not His purpose in going into the wilderness.

Moses was in the mount with God forty days and forty nights with neither food nor water, when the law was given on tables of stone (Exodus 34:28). Now the time had arrived for Israel to complete their work. The Messiah had arrived to confirm the covenant with many.

Jesus fasted forty days, praying and communicating with the Father. In His ministry Jesus continued an active prayer life (Luke 6:12), often going into the mountain to pray and sometimes praying all night.

How can a person pray for forty days, or even all night? Most of us have a hard time praying for ten minutes. Jesus was not new to prayer. He had been praying all his life. A large part of His prayers were made up of praise and thanksgiving for what God had done. He spent time meditating and listening for the still small voice of God. And most of all, Jesus’ life was so fully focused on the will of God; their purposes were so inter-twined, that they needed this time together. Jesus as Messiah, was also prophet, priest, and king. As a prophet, the Father would give Him practical information for His ministry.

Jesus is our example. We may not be called to fast and pray for forty days, but can we spend an hour a day in prayer? What would it do for you, for the church, for the world? We draw the curtain over this precious time spent with the Father. After the forty days it is time for Jesus to begin to work.
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The Temptation

After the forty days, Jesus felt dry and weak. He looked around. There was no food in the wilderness. As He thought on these things, an angel appeared. “Am I glad to see you,“ Jesus said.

“God sent me to help you. Your fast is at an end. If you are the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” The angel’s face was crafty and without love. His eyes shifted from one thing to another, but never looked Jesus full in the face.

Jesus was appalled. An angel? Didn’t he know? God Himself had said, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Spirit had rested on Him. The testimony of John, the two new disciples. . . . If this was an angel, it was a fallen angel—the devil himself.

Jesus’ answer was terse, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus refused to do a miracle to satisfy His own hunger, or to prove his divinity to a doubter. He came to earth as a man, and as a man He must live.

The “angel” took Him to a pinnacle of the temple. Now exposed as Satan, he said, “You are wise. You must do the will of God. Your ministry is just beginning. The people must know who you are. If You are the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written,

   “He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee:
And in their hands they shall bear Thee up,
Lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11,12).

He continued, “The people seek a sign. This would be a wonderful sign to show them that you are the Messiah, and many people will believe!”

Using Jesus method, Satan quoted from the Bible, but he left out “to keep thee in all thy ways.” Jesus refused to force God to come to His rescue. Instead He responded, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

God had already testified that Jesus was His beloved son. It would be a denial of faith to ask for more proof. But the devil was not through. He took him up into a high mountain and made the kingdoms of the earth pass in review.

    6 “All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
    7 “If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
    8 “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:6-8 ). 
Jesus knew that His mission could be fulfilled only through suffering. Before Him lay a life of sorrow, hardship, and conflict. He would die a sacrifice on Calvary, bearing the sins of the whole world.

Satan offered Him an easy way. But the easy way would not eradicate sin from the lives of men or restore men to the image of God. Instead, sin would become a permanent blot on the perfection of God’s creation. Jesus refused to do this, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8).
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What is Temptation?

Can God be tempted? Can God get hungry? Does God perform spectacular signs so people believe in Him? Does God make bargains with the devil? The answers are: No! No! No! No!

How then can Jesus Christ be tempted if He was fully man and fully God? (James 1:13). The answer is that when Jesus lived on earth, He laid aside His divine prerogatives and lived as a man (Philippians 2:5-8), who depended completely on God the Father for His work. The life He lived is an example to us of what a man can do, through grace.

As a man He was tempted on appetite. Jesus had reason to be tempted on appetite while Eve did not. Second He was tempted to begin His ministry by a spectacular sign of divine power. It would “make Him look good.” And last, Satan offered to make things easy, he would give Jesus all the kingdoms of this world if only He would worship him (Satan). In these three temptations, Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

    “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]” (1 John 2:16 Amplified Bible).

Jesus refused to doubt the testimony of the Father. When Satan said "if", Jesus knew it was not an angel of God, but the Devil himself. When Satan offered the kingdoms of the world, Jesus knew that Satan was a deceiver and a usurper. Jesus came to take those kingdoms for Himself, but not by the “easy way.” The time would come when even the devil would bow the knee and confess that Christ is Lord!

Jesus answered each temptation with the firm statement from the Bible. “It is written.” This was climaxed by a direct command which Satan was forced to obey, “Get thee hence, Satan.” Jesus faced the devil where Adam and Eve had failed. He won a major victory for mankind, under the most difficult of circumstances. Ahead were His life and ministry and His sacrifice on Calvary. It is said that there are three classes of temptation. Here is a comparison from the record:

             Eden - Genesis 3:6 Wilderness - Matt 4:2-11 1 John 2:16
  Good for food Make stones to bread Lust of the flesh
  Pleasant to the eyes Cast thyself down Lust of the eyes
  Wisdom without effort World on a silver platter Pride of life

1) The temptation on appetite is easily understandable. The Amplified Bible describes this as “the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification].” Appetite is a general term for the normal desires of the body. It is only when these are misused that it is sin.

2) Temptation by appearance requires more thought. The Amplified Bible presents this as “the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind].” With Jesus in the wilderness, He was tempted to demonstrate His divinity to announce His ministry. By a miracle He could gain the attention of the people. But Jesus came to live as a man. He never performed a miracle to satisfy curiosity, to prove His divinity, or to protect Himself. Jesus miracles were always practical miracles.

How does that apply to us today? When a person presents himself as more than he is? Spends money for unwonted show?

3) “A tree desired to make one wise.” There is nothing wrong with wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). The temptation is to find a wisdom that is outside of God. Men, desiring to think “outside the box” will use human reasoning to come up with ideas and concepts that are contrary to the truth of God. This worldly wisdom is based on pride and serves another God!

Jesus came to die to save men from sin. Satan offered Jesus the whole world. He would not have to die. All He would need to do would be to worship him (Satan). It was an easy way out, a wisdom without effort, a fame without substance, and a worship of a false god instead of the true.

The only wisdom that Jesus accepted was wisdom from the Word of God. He answered every temptation with “It is written.”

As a man he got hungry as we do. He would be tempted to use divine power to solve personal problems. Most critical was the temptation to leave man to his well deserved fate. He did not have to “become sin for us.” He did not have to suffer the abuse of the trial and the crucifixion. He did not have to suffer the experience of separation from God.

This last battle with temptation was fought in the Garden of Gethsemane. As a man, Jesus could not see that His mission would be successful. Knowing the holiness and purity of God, Jesus could not know but that in bearing the sin of the world, He would Himself be unacceptable to the Father.

He had the assurance from the Father on two occasions, “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:35). He had a living relationship with the Father. He knew the covenant of peace made with the Father and the Holy Spirit before Creation. On this His faith rested.

Jesus chose to go all the way to Calvary for us (John 10:17, 18). Under the worst of circumstances, abused by men and devils and even “forsaken by God” (Matthew 27:46). His faith held on even when He could not see through to the end. He held on until He could say “It is finished” (John 19:30). This is the “Faith of Jesus” spoken of in Revelation 14:12. Jesus did all this for us as a man. But He was not just a man, He was also God.
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