Into the Wilderness (St. Matthew 4:1-11)

A few years ago I was at America’s Keswick for a conference when the State of New Jersey considered legalizing marijuana — which is now a reality.  

The very thought of that brought a lot of concern to the staff at Keswick — especially it’s President and CEO.

The reason for the concern was centered around the Addiction Recovery Ministry that’s been in existence for over 120 years.  Over 22,000 men have graduated from the program and it’s success is well documented.

During the conference some of the men who were in The Colony of Mercy — that’s what the recovery ministry is called — would give their testimonies.  

The vast majority of them said that their addiction began with pot … and so it was considered a gateway drug … it started these men on their path to a better high … and then addiction.

It is interesting if you look at the photos of past participants in The Colony of Mercy — and in the years past most of the men would look older … grizzled … with the evidence in their faces of those who had lived hard lives.

The pictures from recent years showed a lot younger men … some even teenagers … many of whom started out innocently enough by smoking pot … encouraged by those who say it’s not addicting.

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The temptation to try new things is always out there … whether it be drugs … alcohol … gambling … whatever.

I remember when gambling was approved in Atlantic City … the Atlantic City Rescue Mission saw it’s business “skyrocket” … to the extent that the city had to build a much, much larger facility to handle the increase in business.

This brings us the 2^nd in my series on the meaning and ramifications of this Season of Lent.  

We began last week with The Call to Repentance … saying that this is where we must begin … acknowledging the fact that we are sinners … and believing that Jesus died in our place for our sins … and then turning … repenting of those sins.

The 2^nd thing that I would like us to look at today is the first recorded event of our Savior’s earthly ministry and his journey into the wilderness … and what it means for us today.

It is interesting that my Scripture for today was our Gospel lesson for The First Sunday in Lent — the familiar Matthew 4:1-11 … and our Savior’s temptation in the wilderness … as I said … just prior to the beginning of his public ministry.

So let’s read: Matthew 4:1-11. (READ)

The first thing that we see is stated in verse 1 — ““Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”” 

It is interesting that the first act of our Savior in his earthly ministry was to be tempted by the Devil … literally the adversary or accuser.

Think about the entrance of sin into the world.  How did Satan — the serpent — tempt Eve?

The serpent accused God of not really meaning what He said.

““And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?””

We see that at the beginning the devil raised doubts as to what God had said … which is the same thing that Satan is doing today!

We know the results … ““So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.””

The rest … as they say … is history.

The temptation and disobedience of Eve marked the entrance of sin into the world … which then resulted in the promise of a Savior … who would die for the sins of those who believe.

And in our passage we see the beginning of the fulfillment of those Old Testament promises.

Eve failed the test of being tempted by Satan … but as we read in our passage … Jesus passed the test … which we will see more of in a moment.

We know that every time we give into temptation … we sin … and it is something that we always have to look out for.

I know that when I work in the casinos … I don’t gamble … I walk by the slot machines and the gaming tables … because if I started … I would probably not stop until I lost everything …  and let’s face … they don’t build those casinos with their money!

Peter tell us in 1 Peter 5:8: ““Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.””

A good friend the other day was informed by his son that he was no longer a Christian … this after being raised in a Christian home … going to a Christian college … being active in his church … but now … he says he doesn’t believe!

Satan is alive, well and active … and one of the main reasons for his existence is to tempt us … to turn us away from God.  

We have to be constantly on our guard to look out for the devil and the temptation that he sets before us …

… not just to give in to temptations … such as drugs … gambling … sexual sin … but also to question and doubt what God has revealed in His Word.

Think about what the serpent … Satan said to Eve … “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?””

In other words … did God really mean what He said … or has said to us … in His revealed Word of God??

But thankfully … we have the example of our Savior who did NOT give in to the temptations of the devil.

As we read in Hebrews 4:15: ““For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.””

The result of Jesus being without sin … is that he was then able to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin. … fulfilling the law of God.

In Hebrews 9 we read:

““Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”” 

And then Hebrews 10 tells us this truth:

““For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins … But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,””

ONLY the sinless Christ could offer the one final and perfect sacrifice for our sin … and he did that by not giving in to the temptation of the Devil.

And I repeat … because it’s of the utmost importance …

““For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.””

And it is how he resisted the temptations … that we see the 2^nd thing that is important for us … he did it on the basis of what God has revealed in His word … the same thing that we have available to us.

Remember … Jesus was at his weakest point … he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights … and as the Bible says: ““afterward He was hungry.””

With each temptation … which we looked at last year … we note that Jesus answered from the Old Testament Scriptures.

To the first temptation … of turning stones into bread … which Jesus could have done … and after all he was hungry … he answered from Deuteronomy 8:3:

““that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord …””

We see the 2^nd temptation where Satan tell Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple … 

After all … Satan says … also quoting Scripture … 

““ For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ “”

To which Jesus answers …  “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” which is from Deuteronomy 6:16.

And then the 3^rd temptation … which is really an illegitimate one … because Satan is offering Jesus something that already belongs to him if he would only worship Satan.

So our Savior’s response … “““Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”” … again … quoted from Deuteronomy …

““You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name”” 

and then also Deuteronomy 10:20: ““You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.”“  

God is the only one to be worshiped.  Worship of any other being or thing is a sin … 

But the main thing that we see is that Jesus did not give into the temptation through the power of the written Word of God … which is the same thing that we have at our own finger tips.

We have God’s written revelation … and when tempted … we can rest on what God has revealed in His Word … 

We can answer every temptation with … “it is written …””

… but … in order to do that … we need to read and study God’s Word … so that we know what God has said … and what He requires of us.

You may have sung the childhood song in Sunday School … which went … in part …

“Read your Bible … pray every say … and you’ll grow … grow … grow.” 

SIMPLE! And yet … true!

There’s an old axiom which says … “This book (the Bible) will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.”

The Collect for the 2^nd Sunday in Advent summarizes it for us:

“BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Praise be to God that we have His Word … which He has preserved for us through the centuries … and which we have unlimited access to.

Let us strive to take advantage of the great privilege — which many do NOT have — and read, study and inwardly digest God’s Word … and that will help us to not give in to the temptations around us.

We can answer … “it is written …”

And that leads to the last thing that I would like for us to see today … concerns fasting.

If you read our Bishop’s exhortation which I passed on to you he said at the beginning:

“It has been said that the Christian life is like a three-legged stool.  The legs are Fasting, Prayer, and Alms-giving.   While these works should always be in the forefront of our minds, it has been customary in the life of the church to focus on these during the season of Lent.”

We normally do okay with prayer … and Almsgiving … such as we do in Advent and Lent with our special offerings … but we don’t do too much in the way of fasting.

But Jesus said ““When you fast …” NOT … “if you fast …”

Again … I have to be honest … I have fasted at particular times … for Missions … for church growth … for other specific needs … but not on a regular basis … not in a personal basis … and not even during Lent.

It has not been my habit of giving up something for Lent … but as I read the Bishop’s exhortation I was reminded that it is something that I should be doing … something that we should all be doing in one way or another.

Whether it be intermittent fast … such as giving up one meal a day … or giving up something for Lent … such as alcohol … or coffee … or TV … whatever … it needs to be something that you normally do … that is part of your every day life … and as you do it … you can spend you time in prayer and study. 

I don’t remember who … but someone once suggested that instead of giving up something for Lent … add something that is not part of your everyday life … maybe adding more prayer … more giving … time alone with God.

There’s nothing wrong with that … but whatever you do … Jesus gives us the instruction on how we are to do it in Matthew 6:

““Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.””

In other words … it’s between us … and God!

So … as we progress in this Season of Lent … we see a few things before us.

As noted last week … we start with repentance … confessing the fact that we are sinners … and that we are trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

Then we note that things that I’ve emphasized today … thinking about the temptations that are before us … and how to resist those temptations … by trusting in God and what He has revealed in His Word … which we need to study … learn and inwardly digest.

And we all — my self included — need to think about fasting or giving up something for Lent … being obedient to the example of our Savior.

As our Bishop said … if we haven’t already … it’s not too late to start.

Think about something that we might want to give up … or as I said … something that we should add.

And may our discipline … our spiritual discipline … draw us closer to God and His son … the Lord Jesus Christ … remember what he did for us …. and our salvation.