+ Lent 1 – March 9, 2025 +
Series C: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A few weeks ago our family watched a documentary called the “Toys that Made Us” – the episode featured Star Wars collectible toys. And the story was told how in the early days of marketing the toys, companies would push out “new” toys with a method called “label-slapping”. Pretty simple really. You take stuff like lunch boxes, backpacks, existing toys, and so on and slap the Star Wars label on it and voila…a new toy!
Now, there aren’t any toys in today’s Scripture reading. But Satan tries his hand at a sneaky bit of label-slapping in the wilderness. He repackages the same old lies he sold the first Adam and offers them up to Jesus, Adam 2.0. But Jesus isn’t buying what Satan is selling.
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 man who is tempted for us, yet without sin.
The devil label-slaps the same three temptations on Jesus , hoping he’ll fool him the way he did the first Adam. Food, idolatry, and doubt of God’s Word – but underneath, it’s 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 failed.
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 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. 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.
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 repackaged temptation. He claims to offer Kingdoms. Authority. Power. Glory. It’s a temptation to idolatry. A temptation to satisfy our appetite for control. You can be like God.
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.”
Jesus 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.
Notice that the devil loves conditional worship: “If you worship me, then I’ll give you “this or that.” Not so for Jesus. 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 God’s Word, as he did with 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?
When we flee from Jesus words, what happens? 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.” A new creature. A new creation…
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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