On this first Sunday in Lent, as we begin our 40-day journey to the cross, we hear about Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. Following his baptism, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus to the wilderness where he faces temptations challenging his identity. Powered by RedCircle
Grace to you and peace in the name of the One who redeems us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Did you catch the first word in today’s Gospel reading? Let me share a trick with you for reading the Bible: Any time a Scripture passage starts with that word, “Then,” that’s a cue you need to take a step back.
“Then” means something came before; something led us here. So, what comes right before these first verses of Matthew 4? Anyone know?
It’s Jesus’ baptism! The other valid answer is Matthew 3. Somebody was thinking it.
I encourage you to go back and read the whole chapter later, but the short version is that at the beginning of Matthew 3, John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven is near. He calls people to repent, and he baptizes all kinds of people, including Jesus.
Here’s the last few verses: “When Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16-17)
Sound familiar? Next verse: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.”
It’s no coincidence that today’s story of Jesus being tempted follows immediately after his baptism. This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. From Matthew’s first two chapters, we the readers know who Jesus is: He’s the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior. God come to earth, born of the virgin Mary. We know he’s God in the flesh. But he’s also a full human being. 100% God; 100% human.
We don’t hear much about Jesus growing up, but he has all the usual human experiences of childhood as a first century Palestinian boy, because he’s human. And for most of us, Jesus’ humanity is not the challenging part of what we’re asked to believe. Obviously he’s human. The challenging part is believing he’s also God.
The first thing we hear about the adult Jesus is that he gets baptized by John. And as he enters the water, God with us, choosing to identify with us sinners, miraculous stuff happens, including God’s voice confirming this Jesus is God’s son.
Then God’s Spirit leads him out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And look at how the devil tempts him. Twice, the temptation begins, “If you are the Son of God…” This is about identity.
Remember, he’s just heard directly from God, “This is my Son.” More than probably any other time in his life, Jesus knows who he is. But the devil is there to pick at his identity, to challenge how he understands himself and his mission.
And isn’t that exactly how the enemy so often works in our lives as well? The Greek word translated here as “devil” literally means the “slanderer.” The devil works by lying to us about who we are.
You and I rarely encounter the devil literally standing there talking. But we constantly face the devil challenging us, slandering our identity as God’s beloved children.
We are claimed as God’s children in the waters of baptism, but for most of us, it’s as a little baby. I have no memory of my baptism. We don’t get the voice from heaven, so it’s tempting to wonder, do you really belong to God? By the way, if you or your child aren’t baptized, here’s your invitation: Find me after service.
The devil works by sowing seeds of doubt in who we are. Are you really faithful enough to be a Christian? Are you really good enough for God to love you? Does God really care about you? You know what you’ve done, the things you’ve thought. Do you really think God wants you?
And of course, those temptations don’t come when we’re at our best. The devil comes to Jesus to tempt him when he’s at his weakest, after he’s been fasting for 40 days and is famished.
We are tempted at our low points. Maybe it’s when we’re caught in unhealthy physical patterns, not caring for ourselves, too busy, sleep-deprived. Maybe it’s when we’re at a spiritual low point, disconnected from the community of faith, out of the habits of spiritual practices like prayer, worship, and reading the Bible.
Or sometimes, maybe the times we’re most tempted to believe lies about ourselves are when we think we’re doing just fine on our own, thank you very much, when we think we’ve got it all together. In those times, the temptation is do I really need God, or can I figure it all out on my own?
It’s the same temptation from all the way back in the garden of Eden, when the serpent convinces Eve and then Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, claiming then they would become like God themselves.
The temptation is always to find our identity somewhere other than in our creator, to do it my way, to try saving ourselves rather than letting God save us. It’s the toddler saying, “Do it myself!” We want to be independent, rather than letting God claim us.
There’s a lifelong struggle for all of us between who God says we are in baptism and all the other identities placed on us. Do we believe we are who God claims we are, or do we believe our worth comes from other things, like the jobs we do, the degrees we hold, our political party or sports affiliation, how hard we work, or what our friends and neighbors think of us?
Do we accept God’s claim on our life and live as God’s beloved children, or do we strike out on our own, trying to build an eternal life out of temporary things in this world?
The first temptation for Jesus is to turn rocks into bread. Again, remember how hungry he is! Will he use his power for his own benefit? Will he sustain his life with earthly things, with food and possessions, putting himself first? We do that all the time!
But Jesus responds from Scripture—and that’s important. He knows what the Bible says. He knows God’s word. If you haven’t opened your Bible outside of Sunday morning for a while, Lent is a great time to start. It’s important, because the Bible is what tells you who you really are in God’s eyes.
Faced with temptation, Jesus answers from the Bible, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The source of our life must be our Creator, not earthly stuff.
Then the devil takes him up to the top of the temple, the highest point in the capital city, and invites him to throw himself down for the angels to catch him. He’s been offered power over things, now he’s offered the chance to ignore the rules of nature, angels at his command.
Satan even throws some Bible verses back at Jesus, which is a good reminder you can cherry-pick parts of the Bible to support pretty much anything you want to say, which again is why actually reading your Bible is so important, hearing the whole message rather than just a few bits pulled out to support someone’s agenda.
Jesus isn’t fooled. He quotes another verse, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” God is faithful, and we’re called to trust God, not to test God as if we’re the ones in control and God needs to meet our standards.
Our faith doesn’t need to be flashy; we don’t need to jump off of high buildings to prove we trust Jesus. Our faith is lived out every day, in our quiet, humble service to our neighbors as the salt of the earth.
Finally, Satan tempts Jesus with power. This time he doesn’t start with “If you are the Son of God,” but it’s still Jesus’ identity and character at stake. He is both human and God. Will he use his divine nature to serve his human nature and seize power, or will he remain faithful and use his human life to serve with God’s love?
Is our faith about our glory or about God’s glory?
Again he responds from the Bible, with the first commandment: Worship and serve only God. Where Adam and Eve yielded to temptation, Jesus rejected the devil’s offers.
Paul says, “Just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” (Romans 5:18) Jesus’ faithfulness becomes our salvation.
Beloved of God, when you are tempted, hold on to your true identity in God. In the midst of all the temptations and labels of this world, remember your identity.
In the waters of baptism, you are claimed forever as a child of God, made righteous, sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ. Remember who you are.
Amen