Sermon for Lent 1: "A Tale of Two Adams"

+ Lent 1 – March 10, 2019 +

Beautiful Savior Lutheran, Milton

Series C: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

       

Today Luke’s Gospel tells a tale of two Adams. The man Adam, formed by God from the dust of creation. And the God-man, Jesus, the second Adam, begotten of His Father before all worlds. In the Garden, Adam was tempted 3 times and overcome by Satan. In the wilderness, Jesus, the second Adam, is tempted 3 times and overcomes Satan. The first Adam was tempted to become like God. Jesus, the second Adam is true God, and became man to be tempted for us as we are tempted, yet without sin.

The devil even uses the same three temptations on Jesus as he did on Adam and Eve. Food, idolatry, and doubt of God’s Word - but it’s always the same lie: Jesus’ Word isn’t enough.

Worship your desires. Worship yourself. Worship any word except Jesus’ words.

But Jesus, the second Adam prevails where the first Adam – and we along with him – fail. 

The devil knows Jesus was weak and hungry after his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. And that’s when he attacks. 

“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Beware. He attacks us the same way. Like a virus searching for a weakness in our immune system, Satan looks for our weaknesses – our thoughts, desires, doubts, guilt, grief, pain, anger, pride – any little gap in the armor. Above all, the devil knows our greatest weakness. That we are selfish, and self-serving.

But not Jesus. He denies himself for you. He fasts 40 days for you. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for you. Jesus, the Bread of Life refuses to make bread for himself. 

“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.”

Jesus does what Adam – and we – cannot do. Jesus fights the devil. He resists temptation. He stands firmly on the Word of God. For you. That’s his bread and yours, God’s Word. “It is written.”He knows the Father will provide all He needs. And he promises to provide for you too.

And so, where the first Adam ate and brought death, the second Adam does not eat and brings life. You, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, are filled by His Word of life - in Scripture, water, absolution, bread and wine.  The devil’s lies are no match for the Word. Christ speaks. The devil flees.

So Satan tries a second time: “To you I will give all this authority and their glory...if you will worship me, it will all be yours.”

This too is a regurgitated temptation, the same one that got Adam to bite down on the lie. Kingdoms. Authority. Power. Glory. You can be like God. It’s a temptation to idolatry. A temptation to satisfy fallen man’s insatiable appetite for control.

The devil comes at us this way too. My kingdom come. My will be done. You can have it all your way…if only you bow down and worship me.”

But Jesus doesn’t take the bait. He stands firm: “It is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”

            

For Jesus knows that Kingdom of God begins at the cross. He refuses to be the Superman and instead becomes the Man of Sorrows, the broken, bleeding man, the beggar King who rules by dying and rising. The King of kings whose glory is revealed on the cross for you.

This is why Christian worship isn’t conditional like the devil’s worship: “If you worship me, then I’ll give you “this or that.” It’s the opposite. Jesus serves you. Jesus washes away your sin in Baptism. Jesus pours out his body and blood for you to eat and drink. Jesus forgives you all your sins. Freely.

Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the top of the temple. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Again, the devil twists, misquotes, and warps God’s Word, as he did the first Adam. “Did God really say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”

            

This third temptation - Luther observed is the greatest of all. It’s the temptation to forsake the Lord’s clear Word. It’s a temptation that creeps into our hearts and minds too. Is God’s Word really enough? For my life, my family, my daily bread, my faith, my forgiveness?

Luther was right about us when he wrote, “not strength of ours can match his might.” The first Adam failed. Fell in sin. Died. And so do we.

But not Jesus, the second Adam. Where the first Adam said “yes” to the devil’s lie, Jesus says no, again, again, and again.                

            

The first Adam was overcome by the tree serpent and the tree of the Garden. Jesus our Second Adam overcomes the devil by the tree of the cross for you.  

The first Adam fell and brought us sin and death. Jesus our Second Adam dies and rises to raise us from the dust by His resurrection.

The first Adam was cast us out of Paradise. Jesus our Second Adam brings us through the wilderness to a new creation: “today you are with me in Paradise.”

The first Adam gave us food of the fall by sweat and labor. Jesus our Second Adam, feeds us with his own life-giving food, the Bread of Life in his body and blood.

As we begin this holy season of Lent we rejoice in Paul’s words: “As in Adam we die, so in Christ, our Second Adam we live.” 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.