Week 6 January 22, 2012 "The Temptation in the Wilderness"

Introduction =
This passage deals with the temptation or testing of Jesus in the Judean Wilderness immediately after his baptism by John at the Jordan River. The video we shot for this week was taken at about Sea level on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. Just a day's walk from the likely baptismal site. In addition to our regular weekly features, I have added an Appendix at the end of this lengthy post which addresses the question of how we can overcome temptation.
Text = this week we covered Luke 4:1-14 which covers Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and the start of his ministry. We suggest that you read this whole passage and its parallels: Mark 1:12-13 (short); Matthew 4:1-11 (longer).

Other passages to read = Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Psalm 119:9, 50; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 6:13; 7:24-25; 16:24-25; 26:41; John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 2:17 - 3:1; Hebrews 4:12, 15-16; James 1:13-15, 25; 4:7; 1 Peter 5:6-10; 1 John 2:14.

Other Resources =

A brief commentary on Luke that has some helpful insights is N.T. Wright’s Luke for Everyone. He uses his own translation and after each passage he includes a very readable discussion providing background, explanations, and suggestions for applying the text to our lives today. This blog article will contain several quotes from this resource.

Points to ponder =

If you are enjoying these points…and pondering on them, then you will want come back each week where we will try to provide comments & answers to the previous week’s “ponderables”. In this week’s passage, you might be thinking about things like this:

• How could Jesus be tempted if he was God and God cannot be tempted?
• Why would God allow Jesus to be tested? What benefit does this provide for us?
• Is there any special significance in the 40 day duration of the testing?
• Why did the devil choose those three temptations/tests for Jesus?
• Was this the only time Jesus was tested?
• Why is the order of the temptations different in Matthew compared to Luke? Which order is correct or can we know?

Questions to ask ourselves = In any Bible study we need to figure out what the text meant in its original context, identify its timeless principles, then apply those principles to our lives. These questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus.

• How did Jesus overcome temptation? Are the same resources available to help us overcome temptation?
• What are three areas in which you are facing temptation/testing? List them.
• Have I given myself permission to fail in these areas, or do I trust God for wholeness?
• What can I do, or believe, to overcome temptation, and pass the test, in these areas this week?
• What part do the Word of God and the Spirit of God play in this narrative from Luke 3-4?
• If we have failed, do we run from God in fear and shame, or do we run to God in confession and repentance? Only the second approach works.

Pastor Randy's Sermon Notes = "In The Face Of Temptation"
Main Text = Luke 4:1-13

1. Temptation – what is it?

Temptation is an exit ramp from the road that God wants you to be travelling on. (I Corinthians 10:12-14)

2. Temptation – how does it work? Temptation works by getting you to make anything other than God, the first thing in your life. 

•  To put yourself first
• Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (4:4b)
•  To compromise with evil
• “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (4:8)
•  To seek your own glory
• “Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  (4:12)

3. Temptation – how can I overcome it? You defeat temptation by being confident in God.

• Confidence in His Victory
• “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”  (Hebrews 2:18)
• Confidence in His Word
• “Jesus answered, "It is written...”  (Luke 4:4, 8, 12)
• Confidence in His Power 
• “Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
• “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ’” (Luke 11:4)
• Confidence in His Love
• “And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
• “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 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. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

What if I do give in to temptation? 

•  “If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  (I John 2:1-2)

Quotes & Commentary =
N.T. Wright in his commentary, Luke for Everyone, wrote,

"Jesus responds to the devil, not by attempting to argue (arguing with temptation is often a way of playing with the idea until it becomes too attractive to resist), but by quoting scripture." (p, 44)

He goes on to make an important point about our need for discernment in the battle,

"We are unlikely to be tested in exactly the same way as Jesus was, but every Christian will be tested at the points which matter most in her or his life and vocation. It is a central part of the Christian vocation to learn to recognize the voices that whisper attractive lies, to distinguish them from the voice of God, and to use the simple but direct weapons provided in scripture to rebut the lies with truth." (p. 44)

It seems that too often we make our battle with temptation some kind of sanctified self-help and preach self-discipline to our own souls. That only works for so long since we will always follow our passions. So the key is to make God our passion, and to remember what he is like and how he looks at us in love and acceptance. Wright seems to agree as he says,

"...At the heart of our resistance to temptation is love and loyalty to the God who has already called us his beloved children in Christ, and who holds out before us the calling to follow him in the path which leads to the true glory. In that glory lies the true happiness, the true fulfillment, which neither world, nor flesh, nor devil can begin to imitate." (p. 45)

Jesus is seen to be the True Israel as this narrative parallels the wilderness wanderings following the Exodus. But here, unlike Israel, Jesus does not sin. He is seen neither grumbling nor complaining as he suffers great need in the desert, but rather trusting God and holding tight to God's Word. He knows who he is and what the Father thinks of him and it is key in carrying him though the test. It is important for us to know these things about our own life as well.

Previously on Ponderables...
Last week we suggested several things to ponder (to think, meditate on) as you read. What answers to you come up with?

What is it that John tells those who ask, “What then shall we do?” The answers were simple yet specific. It reminds me how important it is to apply what we know to be true from the Word of God to our lives on a daily basis. Those who came to John were still in a mindset of earning their way into God's kingdom, which we know from Jesus' later teaching is impossible...yet we need to become more focused on transferring principles into practice.

Why did Jesus insist on being baptized by John, since he certainly had no need to repent? Two reasons: He was identifying with the sinful people he came to save. And secondly it was how God chose to reveal him to John the Baptist and to the nation of Israel.

The genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Luke goes all the way back to Adam and does not stop at Abraham as it does in Matthew. This is intentional....actually it goes all the way back to God as the Creator of humanity. The point here is that beyond national and cultural pedigree that might have been stopped at David or Abraham and been sufficient, Luke is showing that Jesus' connection is not merely with Israel but with all of humanity. He comes as Jesus for Everyone! Jesus is shown to be doubly God's son...traced back to creation through the genealogy, and revealed to be a special miracle through the narrative of chapters 1-2. The reader of Luke is a party to privileged information. Whereas people assumed (wrongly) that Jesus was the son of Joseph, Luke's audience knows better...that Jesus is the Son of God! It would probably be helpful to note that there are several theories that explain the differences in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke. One explanation is, as N.T. Wright puts forth, that it is possible within closed societies to trace bloodlines back along multiple paths to a common ancestor. Another common explanation is that Matthew records Jesus' legal ancestry back through his adopted father Joseph, while Luke traces his human ancestry back through Mary.

Appendix 1:

How Can We Be Victorious Over Temptation?

The following answer to this important question is from a series of Bible Expositions entitled, "Do You See Him?" that we have used in our Institute curriculum...

"This study would be incomplete if we did not deal with the question, "How can we be victorious over temptation?" There are several scriptural ingredients in the recipe for overcoming temptation successfully. Let's consider them together...

A) Pray
The first ingredient in personally overcoming the temptations we face is prayer. We need to be in constant relationship with our Deliverer, the One who makes a "way of escape." We petition the Lord to lead us away from temptation, as it is written,
Matthew 6:13"And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one."

Not only is it to our advantage to pray when faced with temptation, but it is a command. It is written,

Matthew 26:41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (also Mark 14:38)

We cannot overcome sin and temptation on our own, rather we must bring all our circumstances and attitudes to Jesus and ask for His help and direction so that we might walk uprightly, without falling into sin. Without the relationship intimacy and the discipline of prayer, we will most likely be "easy pickings" by the temptation of pride and self-reliance.

B) Understand That Our Case Is Neither Unique Nor Unbearable
1 Corinthians10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

The verse quoted above is a treasure house of wisdom regarding temptation and victory over it.

1) Except what is common to man. We must not flatter ourselves that we are "special cases" who are suffering under exceptionally irresistible temptation. The text clearly teaches that we encounter nothing that is not common temptation. This robs us of one of our most popular excuses. We can be encouraged that others have faced and overcome what we are facing right now. We are not alone in our fight, nor are we the sole focus of all the attention of the enemy.

2) God is faithful. In this text Paul raised the shield of faith with all the vitality of a champion! We are reminded that when faced with grave temptation we must believe that God really does care about us! Satan tempted Jesus to believe that God really didn't care or have His best interest at heart (as he had tempted Adam and Eve). Yet, Jesus clung fiercely to the truth that the Father is faithful. So must we, whether we can understand God's plan at all or not. Tied to this concept of faithfulness is the promise that no temptation will come upon us that will be beyond our ability (in Christ) to bear. He will not allow us to face a "must fail" situation, for He desires not that we should fail the test, but has done everything so that we might pass.

3) He will provide a way out. How can we deal with temptation successfully? By using the way out which our faithful Lord provides. Much is said today about both situational and contextual ethics, the main premise being that there are times when you must choose the lesser of two evils. Situational ethics wrongly teaches that the lesser evil is not evil at all for it is the "loving thing to do." Contextual ethics is a little better in that it maintains that what is wrong is wrong, even if it is the lesser of two evils; however, it maintains that making such tragic moral choices is unavoidable. I agree that what God declares to be sin is always sin; however Jesus, our example, was never in such a situation where He was forced to sin. Likewise, we are never in such a situation if we make use of "the way out" which God provides. We find that way out in the Word of God.

4) So you can stand up under it. One last ingredient from this verse that we need to note is that the way out does not necessarily mean the removal of the tempting circumstances. We need to use wisdom and avoid those situations that we know will cause temptation; however, what about situations we cannot change? This verse teaches us that by making use of the way out we can be victorious by endurance and patience while still in the situation. God makes it possible for us to stand up under it!

C) Know, Obey, and Apply The Word Of God
Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."

1 John 2:14b "I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one."

The way in which we come to the place where we can overcome in the midst of a wicked and evil generation is the way of the Word. We must diligently study, meditate on, and search the Scriptures for answers, then obey what it says and trust its promises. If we hear and do what the Word says then we will not fall before the floodwaters of temptation no matter how strong or how sudden their onslaught. As it is written,

Matthew 7:24-25 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall,because it had its foundation on the rock."

James 1:25 "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it‑‑he will be blessed in what he does." 

It is the Spirit that gives the Word life and power for it is the sword of the Spirit. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to quicken the Scriptures to our souls and illuminate the way of escape brighter than any green "exit" sign ever appeared. It is the Holy Spirit who hones the edge of the sword that cuts us free from the temptations.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active.Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Let us make profitable use of the Word of God in our struggle against sin, when the temptation first raises its head, as our Lord Jesus so consistently did.

"Jesus fearlessly used the written Word against the archenemy of souls. We may as confidently use it against all his modern [demons]. 'In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us' (Romans8:37)." [1]

We do well to remember that,

"Throughout these temptations no special resource is open to Jesus. He met temptation in the same way as we must, by using Scripture, and he won the victory." [2]

D) Resist the Devil and He Will Flee
Finally, in our struggle against temptation we need to remember that temptation is not yet sin. Instead of beating ourselves up because some ungodly thought crossed our minds, we need to immediately turn to resist the one who put that thought there--the enemy of our souls. We must resist the devil in the armor which God provides (e.g., Ephesians 6:10-18), submitting ourselves to God's care, as it is written,
James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

It is important to know that in order for us to resist, we need to be on the lookout for the attacks that will come. It is much harder to prepare once you are in the midst of temptation. Let us be wise and prepare ourselves before temptation comes and live our lives watchfully, as it is written,

1 Peter 5:8-10 "Be self‑controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him,standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

We only need to outlast the devil by a fraction of a second, and we will win the victory. "Resist the devil and he must flee!" Jesus was victorious and has made it possible for us to be victorious as well."

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[1] James Smith, Handfuls on Purpose -- Series IV, Eerdmans, 1947, 1971, p.152.

[2] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries -- Luke, Eerdmans, 1974,1988, p.114.