+ Lent 1 – March 1st, 2020 +
Series A: Genesis 3:1-21; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11
Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Every so often while we’re reading a book, watching a movie, or visiting a place, we find ourselves thinking, “This sure looks, sounds, or smells familiar.” It’s that strange phenomena we call Déjà vu.
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is one great, big theological Déjà vu. As we read and hear Matthew 4 we get an overwhelming sense of the familiar. Like we’ve heard this somewhere. We’ve read this story before.
Listen to how Matthew begins the narrative. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Jesus is in the wilderness. He’s being tempted. He’s hungry. He’s been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights – now there’s a loaded phrase from the OT. And all of this sounds rather familiar. Because it is.
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is a cover of a classic song; a reboot of an old movie, a reprint of an ancient story. The story of Israel’s Exodus and the wandering in the wilderness. In many ways, Matthew is telling us that Jesus is Israel, repeating history for you. He is also you, true man, enduring temptation as one of us, for us.
Here in the wilderness, Jesus is Israel reduced down to one man. As it happens so often in Scripture, so too in Matthew 4, history repeats itself.
Just as Israel’s identity was God’s chosen son, in a similar yet greater way, Jesus is identified as true and only begotten Son of God, the chosen, anointed, holy one. Just as Israel was saved from death by the blood of the Passover lamb, Jesus comes to offer himself as the final Passover Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Just as Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea, Jesus passes through the waters of the Jordan on his way to a greater Exodus on the cross. Just as Israel was in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus spends 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. Just as Israel was tested and hungered in the wilderness wandering, Jesus endures hunger and temptation.
Here in the wilderness, history repeats itself, only this time with a different outcome. Where Israel failed, time and time again, Jesus succeeds. Where Israel rebelled, Jesus is faithful. Where Israel disobeyed God’s Word, Jesus obeys his Father perfectly. And doing so on your behalf.
As you look at the Old Testament quotations Jesus uses to rebuke and repel the devil, they recall two recurring themes in the Old Testament: Israel’s constant failure, and God’s constant faithfulness.
In his first temptation, the devil tempts Jesus to use his own power to serve himself, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Unlike Israel, who grumbled and complained when they hungered in the wilderness, and did not trust the Lord to provide, Jesus does not fail. Hungry though he was, he did not grumble against the Father or doubt God’s promise to provide. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
In his second temptation, the devil tempts Jesus to doubt the Father’s power, or to misuse that power. “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
Again, Jesus replies, “It is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Unlike Israel, who quarreled with Moses and doubted that God would provide water for their thirst in the wilderness, Jesus does not fail. Unlike Israel, Jesus trusts the Father perfectly. For Israel. For you.
Finally, the devil attempts to turn Jesus away from his worship and service to the Father. So he “took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Again, unlike Israel, Jesus keeps the first and foundational commandment: “You shall have no other Gods.” Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Jesus’ life and ministry, his death and resurrection will be a perfect act of worship and service to the Father. And not for his own sake, but for Israel. For you.
For in many ways we are like Israel in need of rescue and redemption. Like Israel we fail, falter, and fall. Like Israel we grumble and complain; we quarrel and rebel against God’s Word; we doubt his promises and goodness despite all his gracious work for us. Like Israel, when we repeat history we live life in a spiritual version of insanity – doing the same sinful things and expecting different results. Falling into the same temptations they did. Like Israel, when we repeat history, we simply relive and replay our sins over and over and over again.
This is why Jesus is led by the Spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted. For Israel. For you. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
So when you are tempted, know that Jesus has defeated Satan for you. He has wandered that wilderness for you. There’s no place where Satan can take you that Jesus is not already there. There is no temptation that Satan can throw your way that hasn’t already been faced and defeated by Jesus for you.
You see, Jesus’ temptation isn’t a spiritual playbook on how to battle temptation against the devil; and Jesus isn’t out there in the wilderness to be our Jiminy Cricket. Jesus is in the wilderness to succeed where Israel, and we have failed and sinned in thought, word, and deed.
when Jesus repeats history in our place, he redeems our history and rescues us in the wilderness and on the cross.
A blessed season of Lent to each of you as you live in and meditate upon Christ’s victory for you.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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