The Lord Delights in Those Who Are In His Son
In our study of the Gospel of Luke over the last several weeks we’ve seen how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to make their hearts ready by repenting of their sins. We’ve seen Jesus come and get baptized by John, and we saw this incredible statement in chapter 3 where the Father says to the Son, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased” (v. 22).
This is an unambiguous statement of the Father’s pleasure and delight in the Son. An implication of this is that the Father loves and is pleased with those who are “in” his Son, those who are “in Christ” through faith. If that’s you, God loves you, not in some abstract, generic way, but with delight and joy. He’s pleased with you and even likes you.
The Old Testament prophet Zephaniah says that God sings over his people: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (3:17).
A lot of us know we’re saved by grace, but over time we start thinking that we have to perform well for God to keep loving us. But God loves us where we are, he’s pleased with us right now, not some future version of us. He loves the unedited version of us, the us behind the masks we all wear, the us that we work so hard to hide. He knows what’s in us and loves us the same.
God’s Delight Doesn’t Negate Satan’s Schemes
However, those who’re in Christ shouldn’t think that the Father’s love and pleasure in them means that a bed of roses awaits them. Our text this morning is going to teach us that, although God is pleased with his Son, trials and temptations come on him nonetheless. The Father loves his Son, but love doesn’t mean no suffering.
In the same way, God will lead us down roads marked with suffering because he loves us and wants to bring us back to himself and teach us to rely more fully on him. God the Father infinitely loves and delights in his Son, and yet at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, he leads him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
In Luke 4:1-13, we see the One in whom God delights suffer at the hands of Satan. The main point for us is that God’s delight in us doesn’t mean Satan won’t come against us. Jesus is fully accepted by God, so everyone who’s with Jesus is also fully accepted by God. And Jesus is attacked by Satan, so it stands to reason that everyone who’s with Jesus will also be attacked by Satan.
Planned, But Not Carried Out By God
I want to make six observations from this text. First, Jesus’ temptations were planned by God but not carried out by God (vv. 1-2). Notice the “by” and “by” in these verses. Jesus was “led by the Spirit….being tempted by the devil.”
God was in charge of this event, not the devil. This is very similar to the story of Job, where God allows Satan to put God’s righteous servant to the test (1:8).
This corrects two errors we often have about temptation. First, we shouldn’t blame God for temptation. James 1:13, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” Second, we should never give the devil credit for acting independently of God. He’s on a leash, only doing what God allows him to do.
Jesus’ testing/temptations are analogous to what many of us have experienced. As soon as Jesus “went public” by being baptized by John, the heat was turned up and he was immediately led into the wilderness.
After we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, we can also expect trials and temptations to come. Or maybe right after or right before God has done something really significant in your life, you’ve experienced increased testing or temptations. Take heart, you’re not alone. Jesus was there too. The devil loves to come after those who’re truly following Jesus, so be encouraged. If he’s coming after you, then you’re doing something right!
God will allow these testings or temptations to come no matter where we’re at in our journey with the Lord because God intends to refine our character, strengthen our faith, and increase our joy in him. As one pastor says, “Gold is refined through fire, not by being thrown into a pile of marshmallows.”[1]
Jesus Was Tempted When His Flesh Was Weak
The second observation is that Jesus’ temptations came when he was weak (vv. 1-2). Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days without eating and was understandably hungry. The devil came when Jesus was physically weak.
Peter compares the devil to a lion seeking his prey (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan is a predator and he’s really good at what he does. He’s been studying humanity for thousands of years, so he’s had lots of time to refine his strategy. Like any smart lion, his most efficient approach is to attack the weak. This is why spiritual attacks often come when we’re physically vulnerable.
Ever wonder why you’re so prone to anger or lust or self-centeredness or apathy at the end of a long day? It’s because you’re probably tired, hungry, lonely, and anxious. Your guard is down and your defenses are weak. And so here comes the lion with temptations to speak harshly toward your spouse or kids or roommates, to seek relief in pornography, to seek comfort in food, to check out completely and just watch videos or game or scroll till you fall asleep. Satan temps us to numb our souls just when we need to replenish them.
Why do you think not getting enough sleep at night is linked to so many issues? Why do you think so many people prefer to live alone in isolation? Because when we’re weak and tired and alone we’re right where the evil one wants us.
Maybe the most spiritual thing we can do is to eat and sleep well and get a roommate (Pro. 18:1). After Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel came after him to kill him. Elijah ran for his life for hundreds of miles, until finally the Lord told him to stop and take a nap and eat something (1 Kgs. 19:1-8). He was weak physically so he wasn’t thinking clearly and was opening himself up to temptation. Just as he did with Jesus, the evil one loves to come at us when we’re physically weak and alone.
Jesus’ Temptations Were Unique and Universal
The third observation is that Jesus’ temptations were unique and universal. We’ve probably never been tempted in a literal wilderness after forty days of fasting by a clear manifestation of the devil. We’ve probably never been tempted to turn stones into bread or to rule the world in exchange for our soul or to jump off a building to see if God would save us. Jesus’ temptations were unique.
But they were also universal because, in these three temptations of Jesus, we learn that he was tempted in the same kinds of ways that we are.
Meeting Legitimate Needs in Illegitimate Ways
In the first temptation, the devil tempts Jesus to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate way (vv. 3-4). Jesus had been fasting for forty days and was hungry. So the devil tempts him to turn stones into loaves of bread. He’s tempting Jesus to use his own abilities to feed himself, instead of relying on his Father. He’s tempting Jesus to meet a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.
We’re tempted in the same way. One of the needs that we’re tempted to meet in unhealthy ways is our need for connection. God literally made us to connect with other human beings: “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). God made us for human interaction and connection and friendship and relationship.
Our technologies are creating the illusion of connection but aren’t giving us what our hearts long for. I’m not saying all technology is demonic! I have an i-phone and listen to podcasts and watch movies and play Mario Kart with my family.
But there’s this unquestioned assumption in our culture that more technology will result in more happiness and connection and it just doesn’t. We’re lonelier and more anxious and afraid and angry than ever because we’re not connected to real life, flesh and blood human beings at a deep level. Does anyone know you, really know you? Do you have deep friendships?
Another area the evil one tempts us to meet a legitimate physical appetite in an illegitimate way is in the area of sexuality. Sex is good and was in the world before sin was in the world. However, in a fallen world, the evil one loves to tempt us to meet this God-given appetite in illegitimate ways. What do I mean by “illegitimate ways”? I mean any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
Lust in your heart, fantasies in your head, pornography, hooking up, “friends with benefits,” living with your boyfriend or girlfriend before you’re married, homosexuality; these are all illegitimate ways to meet a God-given and legitimate physical appetite.
And, by the way, these two things are related. When we act out sexually in illegitimate ways, it’s typically because our longing for connection has gone unmet somewhere along the way. I’m not saying hanging out with people will remove sexual temptation. I am saying that our souls were designed to connect deeply with God and deeply with others, so when that isn’t happening, those desires come out sideways and hurt us and those around us.
The evil one knows this so he’ll do whatever he can to keep us isolated and alone. If you’re struggling here, you’re not weird. This is all our struggle, so reach out and let’s fight against these things together.
A Crown before the Cross
The second temptation is a temptation for Jesus to grab the crown without first enduring the cross (vv. 5-8). Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his allegiance.
This wasn’t an empty offer. Paul says that the devil is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). After sin came into the world, the world “fell” under the sway of the evil one, which is everywhere obvious to us. God is still sovereign and King, but the devil is the prince of this world, ruling it under and according to the sovereign will of God.
The devil knows, however, that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore is the rightful heir of all that is the Father’s. In this temptation, he’s saying to Jesus, “If you’re the heir, the Son of God, why should you suffer? You’re a Son, why should you be a servant?” He’s trying to seduce him with instant power in order to derail him from the track to the cross.
Aren’t we also tempted to go after the things of this world at the expense of our worship of God? The allure of success and money and pleasures and possessions leads us to prefer the American dream over suffering for Jesus. We’re tempted to exchange the cross for a crown, forgetting that we must endure the cross now if we want the crown later.
Putting God to the Test
The third temptation is probably the most difficult to understand because we’re not usually tempted to jump off a tower (vv. 9-12). What’s going on here? The devil is trying to manufacture a situation where God is forced to act in certain ways. The devil is saying, “If you’re really God’s beloved Son, then let him prove that to you by saving you from a fall off the temple.”
The point here is to not experiment with God and his word because it reveals a clear lack of trust. This happens when we’re tempted to twist God’s word around our personal preferences, when we question his plans for us when they don’t go the way we’d like, when we doubt his love for us when something goes wrong, when we ask for signs that he’s still with us when he’s proved his faithfulness to us over and over again. These things reveal a lack of trust in the Lord and his word and a testing of his character. This is why Jesus says, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (v. 12).
Jesus’ temptations were unique, but they were also universal because he was tempted in the same kinds of ways we are (to satisfy a legitimate need in an illegitimate way, to grab the crown without first enduring the cross, and to not trust the Lord and his plans).
Jesus Resisted These Temptations With the Word of God
The fourth observation is that Jesus resisted these temptations with the Word of God. Notice how Jesus responded to each temptation: “It is written” (vv. 4, 8), or “It is said” (v. 10).
Though Jesus was physically weak, tired, and alone, he was spiritually alert. He relied upon the word of his Father to combat the lies and schemes of the enemy.
Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), and so Jesus was certainly wielding the sword skillfully. But perhaps a better way to look at this would be to see him using the word as a shield. Jesus is more on the defensive than on the offensive. By quoting Scripture, Jesus is demonstrating his trust in his Father and in his promises. Every false arrow of the devil is broken on Jesus’ shield of faith in his Father’s word.
You may wonder if you could do what Jesus did – resist the assaults of the enemy with the word of God? Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Our shield of faith is strengthened and grows thicker and thicker and becomes impenetrable as we hear the word of God. So the question becomes, are you immersing yourself in God’s word, whether through hearing sermons from the Bible like this one, reading the Bible for yourself, or studying and discussing it with others?
These Temptations Were Tough But Temporary
The fifth observation is that these temptations were tough but temporary (v. 13). In Matthew’s account of these temptations, Jesus says, “Be gone, Satan!” (4:10). And the devil obeyed Jesus’ command to leave and angels came and ministered to him (v. 11), which actually fulfilled the Psalm that the devil tried to use against Jesus.
Jesus’ temptations were temporary, and they are for us as well. This is one of God’s graces to us. “If you resist the devil, he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “If you say ‘No,’ the devil will go.” Temptations are tough, but they’re temporary. 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
You may have to run out of the room like Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife, but if you can raise up the shield of faith God will provide a way out, the devil will flee, the Spirit will comfort you, and your awareness of and resilience against Satan’s schemes will grow. Don’t misunderstand, if you resist, he’ll flee, but he’ll come back at “an opportune time” (v. 13). The battle continues till we die, but we have hope because Jesus did what we can’t.
Tried and True
And this brings me to the sixth and final observation. There’s a parallel in this account between Israel and Jesus. Specifically between Israel after she went through the wilderness and before she entered the Promised Land. Jesus turns our attention there by quoting from Deuteronomy each time he responds to Satan. Deuteronomy was written after Israel went through the wilderness and right before they entered Canaan.
Both Israel and Jesus were led into the wilderness after going through the water. Israel was in the wilderness for forty years; Jesus for forty days. Both were hungry. Both were tempted. One gave in, one didn’t.
Jesus did what Israel did not do. He perfectly obeyed God while he was in the wilderness. He trusted in the promises of God and defeated the schemes of the devil.
Jesus has done what we could never do. He lived the life we could never live. He died the death we deserve. He rose from the dead to break the curse of death and defeat the devil. He overcame every temptation. Jesus was tried and he proved to be true, the true Israel, the true Son of God, the true Champion over temptation.
Grace Upon Grace
We don’t have to fight temptations alone. There are reservoirs of grace to help us. Jesus has been where you are. He’s not aloof or unsympathetic to your situation. He understands the powerful and seductive and alluring tactics of the evil one, and he has the resources to help you face him and defeat him. Connection with him will steady you as you face off against evil.
Hebrews 4:15-16, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Will you approach his “throne of grace” and humbly ask for his help? Or will you keep convincing yourself that you’re not that bad and that you can change any time you want?
Come to him and acknowledge that he has succeeded where you failed and you’ll receive grace upon grace, grace for your sin and grace to help you fight sin.
[1]Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 84.