The Temptation of Jesus

• The Temptation occurs in the three synoptic Gospels but we will focus on Luke

• We will spend two weeks on this so that we can look not only at Satan, but at temptation and the Demonic

• We will try deal with some modern questions.

Texts

• Matthew 4:1-11

• Mark 1:12-13

• Luke 4:1-13

• 2 important theological preliminary thoughts: Baptism and Context

2 Important Preliminaries• 1. The temptation follows the

baptism of Christ.• Each of the Evangelists place the

two events in chronological sequence

• It was the Spirit who led Jesus to be tempted

Important Preliminaries (Cont.) • Both the baptism and the

temptation refer to the identification of Jesus as the Son of God

• This shows that the temptations were not directed at Jesus as an ordinary human being.

Important Preliminaries (Cont.) • Israel's Exodus is called a baptism in I

Corinthians 10:2

• The three passages Jesus quotes come from three sins of Israel:

• Complaints about lack of food (Ex. 16)

• Putting God to the text by expecting him to produce water from a rock

• Worshiping a golden calf

Important Preliminaries (Cont.)

• Notice how these three sins are the exact same temptations that Jesus overcomes in the wilderness after being there for forty days.

Luke 4:1-13• Luke 4:1-4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned

from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"

    •  Luke 4:5-9 5 And he led Him up and showed

Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 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. 7 "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 9 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;

• Luke 4:8-13 SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 9 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; 10 for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,' 11 and, 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

The 3 Gospel Views of the Event

• Mark’s view is very short• Mark 1:13 13 And He was in the wilderness

forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

• Mark has the strange little comment about being with the wild beasts

• Mark does not tell us how many, what, etc.

The 3 Gospel Views of the Event• Matthew and Luke’s view are much longer• They both tell us that there were three temptations• Matthew and Luke exchange the order of the last

two temptations• This implies that one of the two found editorial

reason to change the order not that one was mistaken.

• Both tell us about the use of Scripture to drive the Satan away

Important Notes

• The Greek text of Luke and Mark seems to indicate that Jesus was being tempted not just at the end of the temptation, but all during the temptation.

• Each of the three temptations are an attempt to call Christ away from the created plan of God

The First Temptation• Luke 4:3-4 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You

are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'" .

Theological Point of the Temptation

• The evil one does not doubt the validity or reality of Jesus’ powers

• Jesus is tempted here to use his powers to his own end instead of for the plan of the father.

• Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 which reminds us of the event in Exodus 16; complaints about the lack of food.

Deuteronomy 8:3

• Deuteronomy 8:3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Second Temptation

• Luke 4:5-7 5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 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. 7 "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."

Jesus’ Answer• Luke 4:8 8 Jesus answered him, "It

is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"

• Deuteronomy 6:13 "You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.

• Reminds us of the event in Exodus 32 where they worshiped the golden calf

Significance of Temptation• The devil offers to Jesus the authority

represented by all these kingdoms together with the glory that would accrue to their ruler.

• He is the “God of this world.” (2 Cor. 4:4)

• Ultimately the devil’s claim is not true nor is his word to be trusted.

Third Temptation• Luke 4:9-11 9 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; 10 for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,' 11 and, 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"

Jesus’ Answer• Luke 4:12-13 12 And Jesus answered and

said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

• Deuteronomy 6:16 16 "You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.

Theological Points• The devil quotes Scripture here Psl. 91:11ff

• Jesus repels him with Scripture that reminds us of the event that took place at Massah and is recorded in Exodus 17. They tested God, expecting him to produce water from a rock.

• The devil is finally overcome for the final time and slinks away.

Important Application• This should not be seen as a normative

temptation.

• Temptation can take place over long periods of time.

• Temptation is providential (Christ was driven into the wilderness)

• The Savior and the Scripture are the keys to overcoming temptation.

Helpful Suggestions• More book suggestions, sermon MP3s, as

well as handouts from the last weeks are available on my website:

• www.drsamlam.com

• Click on the right hand “Sunday School” link for easy access