1 Sunday in Lent 2/10/96/08 Text: Matthew 4:1-11
1st Sunday in Lent
2/10/08
Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Title:
Today our Gospel reading concerns the temptations of Jesus. Saint Matthew in writing his gospel wanted to prove to his readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Since his readers at the time were for the most part Jews, he had to write his gospel in such a way that they could connect Jesus with the Old Testament prophecies concerning him.
What has been interesting is that since we have started studying the Gospel of Matthew this church year it has become more apparent that not only is Matthew proving that Jesus is the Messiah, but that Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of Israel itself.
Today is no exception. In the first verse we see that Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted. The Israelites were led by God into the desert where they were tempted. They were there 40 years where the moaned and groaned against God. Oh they had their good times, but it appears that they groaned against God more than they rejoiced.
They complained that they did not have food and then when they were given food, they complained that they wanted different food. In his temptation Jesus is hungry after fasting 40 days. He could have made bread if he wanted to, and maybe he wanted to. He could have called on the power residing within himself, and, just like that there would have been plenty of bread.
However, he did not; he did what the Israelites should have done in their desert experience, he trusted in the Word of God. Just as God said he would get the Israelites to the promised land, Jesus trusted that God would get him through his desert experience.
The second temptation is another temptation about trusting in God. The devil was right, that is what God said, but he left off part of the verse, that part where God will protect you in all your ways. The Israelites wanted proof of God's love and it cost them dearly. Jesus just said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” To test God is not a good thing for it shows that one does not believe and trust in God’s promises. Jesus did not have to prove that God would do as he said, he just trusted in him.
In not falling to the third temptation Jesus withstood against that which the Israelites had fallen. Time and time again, the Old Testament text is full of examples, of when the Israelites bowed down and worshiped the things of the world.
Why did they do it? They knew they were God’s chosen people. They knew, at least they should have known, that God would keep his promises to them. But they did not and lusted after the things of the world. Remember when early on in their history they told God they wanted a king they could see. God said you are going to regret it, but if that is what you want have a king. And they paid dearly for their sin.
I think that is why the tempter chose this particular temptation. It had worked before. Israel had bowed down to the foreign gods so they could get the riches of the world, so I think he thought, “Why not give it a shot.”
Jesus in withstanding this temptation, the temptation that his people had fallen victim to, had fulfilled for them what they had found impossible to do, that is trust in God.
You see all of these temptations are about trust. God had called a group of people that had no name and publicly declared them to be his chosen people. He led them through terrible times making sure they would survive. They knew that he would protect them and get them to their destination but they, in the end, did not trust him to do it.
Jesus in his life time, fulfilled what they should have been doing all along, fully trusting in God to keep his promises. In doing so he fulfilled the First Commandment, the one all the rest are based on.
So we see what the temptations of Jesus had to do for the Israelites, but I think we need to know what it means for us today. We can get started by taking a look in Hebrews 4:15, where we are told, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin". And in Philippians 2:7, we read of the Christ who "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness" is subject to every human experience, from birth to death. He experiences hunger, pain, grief, anger, and yes as we see today even temptation. He is 100 % human, fully capable of falling into sin.
Why is that important? You see without Jesus being completely 100% human his ministry is defective. If Jesus cannot fail, his temptation is less than our everyday experience. A savior who cannot endure our everyday temptation cannot save us.
Now I realize that I have just made a bold statement, one that you might not have heard or maybe even agree with, but it is a true one never the less. Think about it for a minute, if Jesus had used a tiny speck of his God abilities to overcome his very human experiences, his death would not have mattered. He had to fully experience the human creation. He had to have the opportunity to sin.
It does not make any difference that we have ways of sinning that were not in existence back in Jesus day. It is not important because Jesus experienced is what we all experience, trust in God to do what he says he will do. How many of us can say that we really trust in God to take care of our physical and spiritual needs? You see it is all about trusting in God, the one thing that Israelites did not do and the one thing that we don't do.
Jesus had to experience the testing of his faith, and, think about it a minute which is what all the temptations of life are about. Every temptation that comes our way is about how much we trust God to keep his promises. It all comes down to this basic question, “Do we trust God or do we trust ourselves and others to do what is right for us?
You would think that we would all trust God, wouldn't you? You would assume that, but I know I don't always trust God's promises, so I know better. I know that no matter how hard I try, I will not always trust God and for that I give thanks and praise to Jesus for his 100% trust in God the Father.
That is why this account of Jesus’ temptation is so important. We can, “Take it to the bank.” God’s Word is true and we need to know it. We need to be in the Word of God, so when we hear that Word preached we can tell what is true and what is not.
When someone quotes a passage to you to prove their point look it up. Read the verses before and after. Make sure that what is said is true is really what the Bible says. Check it out. But in the end when all things are said and done, remember that it is not how much scripture you can recite. It is all about Jesus and his perfect trust in what God had promised. In that perfect trust there was perfect obedience and because of that perfect obedience that led to his death and resurrection we are free of God’s punishment.
2/10/08
Text: Matthew 4:1-11
Title:
Today our Gospel reading concerns the temptations of Jesus. Saint Matthew in writing his gospel wanted to prove to his readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Since his readers at the time were for the most part Jews, he had to write his gospel in such a way that they could connect Jesus with the Old Testament prophecies concerning him.
What has been interesting is that since we have started studying the Gospel of Matthew this church year it has become more apparent that not only is Matthew proving that Jesus is the Messiah, but that Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of Israel itself.
Today is no exception. In the first verse we see that Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted. The Israelites were led by God into the desert where they were tempted. They were there 40 years where the moaned and groaned against God. Oh they had their good times, but it appears that they groaned against God more than they rejoiced.
They complained that they did not have food and then when they were given food, they complained that they wanted different food. In his temptation Jesus is hungry after fasting 40 days. He could have made bread if he wanted to, and maybe he wanted to. He could have called on the power residing within himself, and, just like that there would have been plenty of bread.
However, he did not; he did what the Israelites should have done in their desert experience, he trusted in the Word of God. Just as God said he would get the Israelites to the promised land, Jesus trusted that God would get him through his desert experience.
The second temptation is another temptation about trusting in God. The devil was right, that is what God said, but he left off part of the verse, that part where God will protect you in all your ways. The Israelites wanted proof of God's love and it cost them dearly. Jesus just said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” To test God is not a good thing for it shows that one does not believe and trust in God’s promises. Jesus did not have to prove that God would do as he said, he just trusted in him.
In not falling to the third temptation Jesus withstood against that which the Israelites had fallen. Time and time again, the Old Testament text is full of examples, of when the Israelites bowed down and worshiped the things of the world.
Why did they do it? They knew they were God’s chosen people. They knew, at least they should have known, that God would keep his promises to them. But they did not and lusted after the things of the world. Remember when early on in their history they told God they wanted a king they could see. God said you are going to regret it, but if that is what you want have a king. And they paid dearly for their sin.
I think that is why the tempter chose this particular temptation. It had worked before. Israel had bowed down to the foreign gods so they could get the riches of the world, so I think he thought, “Why not give it a shot.”
Jesus in withstanding this temptation, the temptation that his people had fallen victim to, had fulfilled for them what they had found impossible to do, that is trust in God.
You see all of these temptations are about trust. God had called a group of people that had no name and publicly declared them to be his chosen people. He led them through terrible times making sure they would survive. They knew that he would protect them and get them to their destination but they, in the end, did not trust him to do it.
Jesus in his life time, fulfilled what they should have been doing all along, fully trusting in God to keep his promises. In doing so he fulfilled the First Commandment, the one all the rest are based on.
So we see what the temptations of Jesus had to do for the Israelites, but I think we need to know what it means for us today. We can get started by taking a look in Hebrews 4:15, where we are told, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin". And in Philippians 2:7, we read of the Christ who "emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness" is subject to every human experience, from birth to death. He experiences hunger, pain, grief, anger, and yes as we see today even temptation. He is 100 % human, fully capable of falling into sin.
Why is that important? You see without Jesus being completely 100% human his ministry is defective. If Jesus cannot fail, his temptation is less than our everyday experience. A savior who cannot endure our everyday temptation cannot save us.
Now I realize that I have just made a bold statement, one that you might not have heard or maybe even agree with, but it is a true one never the less. Think about it for a minute, if Jesus had used a tiny speck of his God abilities to overcome his very human experiences, his death would not have mattered. He had to fully experience the human creation. He had to have the opportunity to sin.
It does not make any difference that we have ways of sinning that were not in existence back in Jesus day. It is not important because Jesus experienced is what we all experience, trust in God to do what he says he will do. How many of us can say that we really trust in God to take care of our physical and spiritual needs? You see it is all about trusting in God, the one thing that Israelites did not do and the one thing that we don't do.
Jesus had to experience the testing of his faith, and, think about it a minute which is what all the temptations of life are about. Every temptation that comes our way is about how much we trust God to keep his promises. It all comes down to this basic question, “Do we trust God or do we trust ourselves and others to do what is right for us?
You would think that we would all trust God, wouldn't you? You would assume that, but I know I don't always trust God's promises, so I know better. I know that no matter how hard I try, I will not always trust God and for that I give thanks and praise to Jesus for his 100% trust in God the Father.
That is why this account of Jesus’ temptation is so important. We can, “Take it to the bank.” God’s Word is true and we need to know it. We need to be in the Word of God, so when we hear that Word preached we can tell what is true and what is not.
When someone quotes a passage to you to prove their point look it up. Read the verses before and after. Make sure that what is said is true is really what the Bible says. Check it out. But in the end when all things are said and done, remember that it is not how much scripture you can recite. It is all about Jesus and his perfect trust in what God had promised. In that perfect trust there was perfect obedience and because of that perfect obedience that led to his death and resurrection we are free of God’s punishment.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 2:36 PM
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