March 1, 2020 Sermon: Temptation and Baptism

Sunday, March 1, 2020, is the first Sunday in Lent, and the gospel reading is Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation of Jesus. In writing this sermon, I found helpful this commentary from Elle Dowd, and this devotional from James Boyce.

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.

If this was confirmation or Sunday School, I’d make you look it up and read the story, but for the sake of time, I’ll help you out.

In Matthew 3, John the Baptist appears, preaching that the kingdom of heaven is near, and baptizing 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 the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, today’s reading.

It’s no coincidence that today’s story about Jesus’ temptation comes immediately after his baptism. This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. From the first two chapters of Matthew, 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. For most of us, Jesus’ humanity is not the challenging part of what we believe. 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 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 devil so often works in our lives too? 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 face temptations like this story, with the devil 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, let’s talk 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’re 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 try saving ourselves rather than letting God save 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 how much power we have, 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? 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. Kids, I hope you’re not just singing about the B-I-B-L-E but that you’re actually reading it at home, because that’s what tells you who you really are in God’s eyes.

Jesus answers the devil 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. That’s where the joy down in our hearts comes from.

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 fame, angels at his command. That kind of dramatic display would certainly kickstart his ministry!

A few weeks ago, in a widely-reported quote, a public figure tried to say something was extremely unlikely by comparing it to “the likelihood of Satan running around quoting the scriptures.” Well, that’s exactly what Satan does this time. You can twist the Bible to say almost anything you want. Did you know the Bible says, “There is no God?”

It’s there in Psalm 14:1. Of course, if you read more of the verse, it says, “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’” But you can cherry-pick parts of the Bible to support almost anything, which again is why actually reading your Bible is so important.

But 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 rule the world by force, or will he remain faithful to God and through his human life, serve the world with God’s love? Is our faith about our glory or about God’s glory?

Again Jesus responds from the Bible, with the first commandment: Worship and serve only God.

Beloved of God, when you are tempted, remember who you are.

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, sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ.

May you always find your true identity in God.
Amen