In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

On Ash Wednesday, we pondered how Jesus is the world’s servant. He came to serve as our Redeemer and Savior. But, Jesus could not have saved us if he had sinned even once. If Jesus had succumbed to even one of the devil’s wicked temptations, he would not have been able to save us. Today’s gospel shows us that the devil was certainly after Jesus. He would try his very best to do with Jesus what he did what Adam and Eve. But Jesus was ready and able to defeat the devil. Today, we are glad to learn that...

{1-2} Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. It was God’s will that Jesus be here in the wilderness. He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights. By this time, Jesus was very hungry! Maybe you have tried one of those low-calorie diets, and you know what it feels like to be hungry. Maybe you have fasted before and have felt hunger pangs. Jesus was definitely weakened and hungry. And Satan probably licking his chops.

{3-4} The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" The devil is called the tempter here. He came to tempt Jesus. His first temptation was rather subtle. He knew that Jesus was hungry an d tried to use that to his advantage. Satan said, “IF you are the Son of God...” Do not overlook that little word “if.” Sometimes the whole temptation is in those little words! IF you are the Son of God, he says. He tries to lead Jesus to doubt his heavenly Father’s love. Look, Jesus, he led you out here to starve! Maybe you really aren’t the Son of God. Prove it! If you are the Son of God, prove it to me... tell these stones to become bread.

Many of us might wonder what would be the big sin in just doing this. I mean, he had the power to do it. He did it in the feeding of the 5000 and then the feeding of the 4000. But the situation was different. Satan was demanding this, and Jesus wasn’t going to take his direction from the devil. Behind Satan’s temptation was the attempt to lead Jesus to doubt. And, Jesus would not doubt his heavenly Father’s care.

Here, we notice for the first time how Jesus parries every attack of the devil. He quotes the Bible. Jesus said, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” It is not food that keeps us alive, but God and his will and word. JESUS WOULD NOT DOUBT GOD. He refused to turn stones into bread. And so, Jesus remained sinless.

{5-7} Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” This was quite a trick. The devil knew that Jesus was beating him by quoting the Bible, so the devil misquoted a Bible passage and twisted it cleverly to make it suit his purpose. It almost sounds good, if you don’t know God or the Bible very well.

The devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand at the peak of the temple. Again, he begins with those sniveling words of doubt, “IF you are the Son of God...” This was his premise, and he was not giving up on it. He wanted Jesus to take a dive. He told Jesus to jump from this high place. And he claimed to have Scriptural proof. He pointed to a passage in the Psalms about angel protection. He said, “it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" It almost sounds like he has a point here! But, he doesn’t.

Jesus answered him with another Bible passage, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Don’t tempt God! God never said, go ahead and jump from the Sears tower, the angels will catch you. That was not the point of the passage. It would be tempting God to take a dive from the top of the temple. Jesus refused to do it. JESUS WOULD NOT PUT GOD TO THE TEST. And so, Jesus remained sinless.

{8-10} Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. {9} "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." {10} Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Sometimes, I am amazed at how foolish the devil can be. To think that Jesus would bow down and worship him is, for me, absolutely unthinkable. I can’t imagine it. I am not sure what the devil must have been thinking, but I can come up with many guesses. His first two temptations were rather subtle. Maybe he just decided to go right at it. Or maybe this was like in a football game when you just throw the long pass at the end of the game hoping it might work. Well, this temptation did not work at all.

Satan showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” But Jesus wasn’t particularly interested in all that stuff. As true God, Jesus owns it all anyway. The devil claimed he would give it to Jesus, but that was quite a stretch of logic. He assumed it was his to give. But, Jesus could reclaim all of it at any moment as true God. And the deal was that the devil would give “all” the wealth to Jesus “if” he would just bow down and worship the devil. Come on!

Once more, Jesus sent the devil packing with a Bible passage. This time he said, “Away from me.” Get out of here, Satan! The Bible passage Jesus chose to quote was this one, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” This is really the First Commandment. Jesus had won. He did not sin. He would remain sinless. The devil had failed in this epic struggle. It had never even been close. Jesus won a resounding victory. We still have one verse to read.

{11} Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. The devil left, until an “opportune time,” St. Luke tells us. He would be back. But, he was gone for now. He left a loser, a miserable loser. And angels helped to strengthen Jesus for the journey ahead. I hope that you will join us this Wednesday to learn what comes next. The road was long and arduous. The journey leads all the way to the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus had come to defeat the devil for us. He came to live a PERFECT and SINLESS life. And at this critical juncture, Jesus proved himself. He remained sinless. He would go to the cross to pay for our sins, and rise having won our forgiveness. Because Jesus did all of that, you are forgiven in God’s sight. You can go in peace, knowing that Jesus beat the devil out of the devil for you! Jesus is your Savior and mine. Believe in him, and you will go to heaven.

So, we close out this epic battle, and here is the box score. JESUS - REMAINS SINLESS! Amen.