Tabor Baptist Church

• Are you frustrated by sin?
• The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin
• Sin is very serious to God - it sent Christ to the cross
• Christ died as our substitute on the cross
• He can be our substitute as He never fell to temptations, He never sinned
• He overcame where we fall
• When Jesus died He broke the power of sin
• This passage shows how it is possible to break the power of sin
• Example of the England Cricket Club preparing well before the game
• It is important for us to be prepared when temptations come
• Three areas of temptations: (1 John 2:15-16)
1. Lust of the flesh
2. Lust of the eyes
3. Pride of life
• Do not put yourself in the way of temptation
• Only the Christian has true free will, otherwise we live under bondage to sin
• Jesus' temptations:
• Has just been baptised
• Affirmation by God the Father
• Now comes the test
• God is testing Jesus - He leads Him into the wilderness (v1)
• From God's view: Jesus passes the test
• From Satan's view: he is really testing Jesus with all his power
• The passage is important for three reasons:
1. Shows us how wonderful Jesus is in overcoming temptation
2. As our great high priest He can sympathise with us when temptation comes
3. Learn how to overcome temptation

First temptation: (v3-4)

The temptation

• Lust of the flesh
• Jesus is hungry - the temptation is to turn stone into bread
• The temptation is subtle
• "If" you are the Son of God - trying to put doubt into Jesus' mind
• 'If you are really the Son of God, why isn't your Father looking after you?'
• The sin is putting rightful physical needs in front of rightful relationship with God
• Fulfilling our normal natural needs in a way that is contrary to Scripture
• God provides for His people

Jesus defence

• He quotes from Scripture (Deut 8:3)
• We are alive not because of what we eat but because of God
• A parallel to Israel in the wilderness
• Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeds
• We need to learn Scripture to overcome temptation

Second temptation: (v5-8)

The temptation

• Lust of the eyes
• Look at all this - have the inheritance
• The devil is a liar - the kingdoms do not belong to him but to God
• Satan is offering Jesus something that is already His
• The sin is having something that is rightfully His, but now
• Have the inheritance (the kingdoms of the world) but don't go through the cross
• Temptation to bypass the cross
• Have all this now with no pain and suffering, but no glory to God

Jesus defence

• He quotes from Scripture (Deut 6:13)
• Jesus must take up His cross and deny Himself
• We must take up our cross and deny ourselves
• Are you able to wait patiently for The Lord or do you take shortcuts without waiting?

Third temptation: (v9-12)

The temptation

• Pride of life
• Satan is misquoting Scripture (Ps 91:11-12)
• Have glory Jesus, but without the cross
• Brought to the city of the leaders, the big-wigs, the people that matter (capture their hearts and the others will follow)
• The sin is misusing a promise of God
• Of presuming on God
• Of testing God

Jesus defence

• He quotes from Scripture (Deut 6:16)
• The testing of Massah
• Jesus succeeds and overcomes temptation
• The angels come and minster to Him
• It takes and needs the Son of God to break the power of Sin
• How we overcome sin:
• We need to recognise temptation
• We need to know Scripture and to quote it
• Do not be proud - 1 Cor 10:12-13
• God will provide a way out
• Look for the escape root - quoting Scripture, run away (from sin), run towards Jesus Christ
• Example of the dog: we need to look into our Master's eye
• The more we think about the temptation, the more likely we are to fall