“Trusting God” Luke 4:5-8

“The Temptations of Jesus”

A Sermon Series

“Trusting God”

Luke 4:5-8

Introduction

One of the largest freshwater turtles is the alligator snapping turtle. Found primarily in the southeastern United States, these massive turtles have been known to weigh close to 250 pounds. They are carnivorous, and while their diet is primarily fish, they have been known to eat almost anything else they can find in the water—even in a few cases small alligators! The alligator snapping turtle relies on a uniquely deceitful method of foraging for fish.

The turtle will lie completely still on the floor of a lake or river with its mouth wide open. At the end of the turtle’s tongue is a small, pink, worm-shaped appendage. The turtle wiggles the end of its tongue so that it looks like a worm moving through the water. When a fish comes to eat the worm, the turtle’s jaws rapidly close, trapping the fish so that it cannot escape.

Similarly to the snapping turtle’s lure, temptation comes in the guise of something desirable, but it always carries destruction with it in the end. If we could see the end result rather than the tempting part, it would be far easier to resist. But Satan knows this, so he cleverly disguises what is deadly in the guise of something pleasurable.[1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLX_Hm5nJBg starting at 0:47

 The Second Temptation (vv. 5-8)

(v. 1) “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. . .”

“5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”[2] 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

(v. 5) “And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world,” In some supernatural way, that is not explained, the devil allowed Jesus to see all the kingdoms of the world, “in a moment of time,” Like the hands on a clock ticking by in seconds, the clock stops and in one of those seconds Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world.

“I will give all this authority,” – Mathew’s account says, “all these things,” Satan claims to have been given authority over all the kingdoms of the earth – this is an authority that Jesus does not have. Later Jesus will call the devil, “the ruler of this world.”[3] Paul calls him, “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and “god of this world.” It is true that the devil has limited, derived, sovereignty of this world.

(v. 6) “for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” This world has not been given to Satan, which would require him to worship the Lord. Instead, he has usurped it, and his reign is representative of all who rebel against God. Currently, the world is fallen because of its rebellion against God – Satan leads the way in this rebellion.

He convinces the world through lies, deception, and sin to rebel against God. This helps us to understand why there are such evil leaders in the world in all of history. Luke 2:1 “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” It would seem that all of the world is under the control of Rome, but here we zoom out to the spiritual realm to see the wizard behind the curtain.

Satan gives the authority to those who rule as he wants them to rule. This doesn’t mean that all of the world is all bad. It means that because of the fall sin is in the world which leads to oppression, injustice, exploitation, hate, violence, and evil – all orchestrated by the devil.

(v. 7) “If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours,” – worship is stated (ingressive aorist) “Just bow the knee once up here in my presence.” The original language indicates that it would only have to be one single act, bow down. “It was His lust for worship that belongs to God alone that led to Satan’s downfall and expulsion from heaven (Isa. 14:13-14). He still desires to be worshiped, and proliferates false religions that ultimately are all some form of worship given to him (1 Cor. 10:20; Rev. 9:20).”[4] Satan’s goal has always been to be worshiped and to have a thrown above God’s.

The promise is that following Jesus’ worship of the devil, Jesus would receive the authority over the earth. It would be a recognition of authority rather than of personal merit.[5] “Satan offers to turn over all the keys of world power to Jesus.”[6] As the father of lies, he will lift the veil and allow the world to see the truth, he will release the minds of humans, and stop his schemes of deception – whereby humanity will be able to see the truth.

“Satan’s proposition is this: God has turned all these kingdoms over to him, and he is willing to turn them over to Jesus if, as Satan is under God, Jesus will place himself under Satan. Satan thus offers to make Jesus the Messiah-King just as God wants Him to be King.”[7] God has already promised to give Jesus the kingdoms of the earth, Psalm 2:8 says, Psalm 2:8 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” One of the best ways to fight temptation “is to realize we may receive what tempts us in a holy way if we wait on God’s timing, trusting him.”[8]

Jesus could have the crown with one small act, just bend the knee. There would be no need for shame, agony, the scourging, or the cross. There would be no need for Jesus to die, just bow the knee and could all be over.

Don’t Doubt God’s Plan For You, Especially When Times Are Difficult.

How would Jesus accomplish the salvation of the world? Satan, as an enemy, wanted recognition that he holds the power and could give it to Jesus without the battle. If the Father, wants them back, then the Son would have to kneel to get them. Recognize Satan’s power and how they can’t be won, unless he releases them.

But as soon as Jesus bows His knee, and worships the devil, he joins in the rebellion against God. Yes, he main gain the world, but he has lost His soul (His purpose) – and they would still be in rebellion against God. How would their rebellion against God be paid for? Jesus as the lost Savior, would hold the keys to a lost world, forever separated from God because of their sin. Later in Luke 9:25 Jesus will even say, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

The devil opens up his playbook and pulls out another old play. It’s the same as the one in the Garden, the devil says to Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” God has told the couple not to eat of the fruit and in order to follow this instruction they have to trust God and His plan for them. Instead, they place themselves equal with God in determining the best plan for their lives which including the “knowledge of good and evil” which God didn’t want them to have.

Why did Judas betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver? Because after listening to all the sermons and teachings, and seeing all the miracles, and having traveled all the miles with Him, Judas determined that Jesus was not doing it right. He was not acting like the Messiah he wanted. Jesus kept talking about a spiritual kingdom, suffering, and his eventual death. Judas (influenced by Satan) didn’t want to follow Jesus – he wanted Jesus to do what he wanted. Judas thought he would at least get something out of all these wasted years so he betrays him for thirty pieces of silver.

James 1:14 “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” If you are not obeying and following God, if you do not consider the Word of God and its’ authority over your life – it is not the devil making you do it, it is your own wicked heart being manipulate Everyone like Adam and Eve, and Judas want to direct our own lives, make our own decisions, and have our own morality.

You Cannot Improve God’s Plan (by making it easier).

Jesus’ “temptation was threefold; 1) to gain a temporal, not a spiritual, dominion; 2) to gain it at once; 3) and to gain it by an act of homage to the ruler of this world, which would make the self-constituted Messiah the vice-regent of the devil and not of God.”[9]

You are baking a cake for your child’s birthday – but you don’t add all the ingredients, it’s missing sugar. The you put it in the oven for two minutes It’s not baked through and through, it has a gross doughy center. No one eats it, so it goes to the dog to be eaten. You cut corners, hurried the process, and the end result is not what was originally intended.

Jesus returns to Scripture as His attack against the devil, ““It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,” You cannot worship both God and Satan, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:10-14 where Moses is warning the people that they would be attracted to idolatry. “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, . . .”

Exodus 20:3 “you shall have no other gods before me.” This is the first of the ten commandments. Jesus was fully God and fully man – and serving as the Messiah he has to keep the law. Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Jesus has to keep the law fully /perfectly in order to save mankind. Jesus would defeat Satan as a man by keeping the law.[10]

You cannot worship both God and Satan, you have to make a choice whom you will serve. To serve anyone or anything other than God is idolatry. For Jesus, a split second of idolatry would result in no atonement, no real forgiveness from God, no righteousness.

The end does not sanctify the means.

In true worship there is fear and reverence expressed. There is a weight in understanding whose presence you are in, you are coming before and conversing with God. Believers in humility and honor bow down before our God. Matthew 27:27-31 “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.” (there was no fear or reverence shown by these soldiers.)

In a person’s worship of God there is a trust in God’s Word. God’s Word reveals to us His will and direction. In order to follow God, I have to know the direction Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

In worship there is also service, Duet. 6:13 (the verse that Jesus quotes) says, “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve . . .” to bow the knee to God in true worship will lead to a life of obedience to him and service. Obedience, for Jesus, will involve suffering.

Jesus in facing this temptation knew that it would cost him his life. It was a horrific, agonizing, and torturous death, where the wrath of God was poured out upon the Son while He hung on a cross. Jesus embraced the cross and refused the easy way.

Jesus’ call to His disciples is to embrace that same cross, Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” To follow the easy way, to forsake God in idolatry (to bow down to another path intended for you), is to worship a false god. The devil still tempts those who seek to follow God’s plan for their lives with shortcuts – but to take the shortcut is to rebel against God.

Remember what Satan offers Jesus what will ultimately be His anyway (God has promised it). What Satan tries to do is derail the Father’s will and plan to accomplish it. Satan promises that you will have the end goal you want if you follow his proposed easy plan (but what you end up with is his plan for your life).

God’s grace leads to a changed life.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a theologian and pastor who was hanged because of an attempt to assassinate Hitler and for his helping Jews escape Nazi Germany. He wrote a book entitled, The Cost of Discipleship and is a study on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and focuses on the concept of “cheap grace” versus “costly grace.” Bonhoeffer asserted that salvation will radically change a person’s life and that a faith without obedience is no faith at all (see James 2:17).

Bonhoeffer wrote, “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. . . . Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Bonhoeffer defined costly grace, in contrast, as “the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.”

Bonhoeffer’s message sometimes causes controversy because of its emphasis on works and his perspective that it is Christ’s weakness and suffering, not His strength, that saves us. Of course, we are not justified by works (Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:28), and Christ is all-powerful (Colossians 1:17). But without the suffering of Christ there can be no salvation (2 Corinthians 13:4), and Jesus called for the radical sacrifice from His disciples’ to “take up your cross and follow Him.”

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[1] https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-deceitfulness-of-sin

[2] This temptation, In Matthew’s account, is given third (not second).

[3] John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11.

[4] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Luke 1-5 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Publishing, 2009) 259.

[5] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures In the New Testament, Volume II (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press; 1930) 51.

[6] Robertson, 51.

[7] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Luke’s Gospel (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Augsburg Publishing House, 1946) 234.

[8] Thabiti Anyabwile, Christ Centered Exposition, Luke (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Publishing, 2018) 75.

[9] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures In the New Testament, Volume I (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press; 1930) 33.

[10] Lenski, 236.