Sermon March 8-9, 2025

Title: Tempted and tested; Christ endures for you!
Text: Luke 4:1-13

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13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Over the last 12 years I’ve preached on the wilderness experience of Jesus and his being tempted by the devil after having been led by the Spirit out to this desolate place following his baptism. It seems appropriate and right to do, to see temptation and the trials of life as we enter this time of reflection and repentance.

But today I’d like to look upon it in a different light.

The Old Testament reading in Deuteronomy today focuses on the work of God to bring his children out of bondage in Egypt.

8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Deu. 26:6

And in our Epistle reading for today, the Apostle Paul writes:

11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Rom. 10:11-13

And as Jesus makes clear in one of his responses to the devil in our Gospel reading in regards to his tempting:

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” Luke 4:8

For in all three texts from our readings today the summation is victory!
God delivers from the bondage of slavery in the wilderness to the promised land.
Calling upon his name - for both Jew and Greek alike - brings salvation.
God’s desire is that we shall worship and serve him only.

It seems for this simple-minded pastor that we can reduce Lent down to one weekend, celebrate Christ’s victory over sin and death for us during Holy Week and Easter and return back to the season of Easter and Pentecost and the time of the church!

Simple and Easy, right?

Well, this time of Lent is to help us see the real problem and the real cost.

That sin, affects us all both Jew and Greek or (gentile)

That the price of payment and redemption was costly, and that God himself, in the person and work of his son, our Lord Jesus, was the only hope for we sinners bound in sin and death and without hope. That is our reality.

It seems that the six weeks of Lent is far shorter than it should be, to convey the true depth of our rescue. So we continue.

The work of the devil in the wilderness was to trip up God’s Son, so that forgiveness and redemption would be undermined.

For 40 days Satan was given to this task, knowing that in the veil of his humanity Jesus would be vulnerable to the trials that we all face. With you and me, the devil can tempt us and find victory in 4 seconds, or 40 seconds, or 4 minutes. But, 40 days? We would be overwhelmed early on.

Satan, twists the God’s word to cause Jesus to agree with it, and to follow it, and to bring temptation to the logical conclusion - sin.

With sin the game is over and the devil wins.

For you and me, he is our master, because we live in the sinful flesh of our broken humanity and as sinners, we want to give in to sin because we think that sinful pleasures bring joy. They don’t.

As we spoke last weekend, Moses died and was buried in Moab and was prevented from entering into the promised land that God had promised.

Joshua led the children, over the Jordan into the land promised.

So what entered in, with them? Sin.

Sin is the curse.
There is no hope of escaping it.
Death comes to all.

But the hope begins with God.
It begins with his word.
It is finished with the word of God made flesh, Jesus.

In the wilderness the battle comes to Jesus in the word twisted and misused.

Christ knows the word in fact it is his word and he handles the temptation, though weak in his humanity, with the true word saying:

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
“It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
“It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Temptation in our lives doesn’t tempt God, but you and me who are sinful and weak.
Temptation in our lives doesn’t promise bread when we are hungry,
but joy if we abandon God and his word.
Temptation in our lives doesn’t promise us the kingdoms of this world,
but the kingdom of Satan and death.
Temptation in our lives doesn’t promise you and me prosperity and good life, but the hope of a kingdom prepared for, and an eternity for all who believe.

It is why Paul reminds us in the Epistle today:

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Salvation comes to us, not by who we are, or by what we do, but as a pure gift from the one who is, the way the truth and the life. Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

The word is our only victory and defense.
The word convicts us as those who are born in sin and with death.

It causes repentance.

The word shows us our savior and his victory at the cross being the once and for all sacrifice for sin.

It proclaims forgiveness!

The word shows us the way and the hope that God gives in the sending of his son, to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

And the word is here each week to be read, sung, and proclaimed for your good and the good of all God’s church!

13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

When will the opportune time come again for you or me?

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Cor 10:13

Christ is the one who conquered sin, death and Devil for you.

He took all the Devil could give and though tempted was without sin.

Christ gives this peace to you and me through the working of the Holy Spirit so that his righteousness is yours and your sin has been laid on him at the cross.

In the face of temptation God provides a way out in Christ and by his Spirit so that we can stand, and if we fall, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous one, to whom we can turn, repent of our sin, and be forgiven in his name!

Tempted and tested; Christ endures for you!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit
Amen