Introduction: Overcoming the Temptation of Desperation is important because desperation will cause men to act out of character. The desperation of the pandemic and the fear it brings has caused many to hoard up supplies, buy additional guns and ammo, purchase additional alcohol and others intoxicants, and to live in constant fear as if we must take care of ourselves, provide for ourselves, protect ourselves as if God is no longer in charge. Think about this passage from Lu 12:28 – 32 “If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Our lesson is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke. The book of has been called "the most beautiful book in the world. When we turn to the writings of Luke, we turn, to the writings of the man who wrote more of the New Testament than any other of its authors. In the printed Revised Standard Version of the New Testament there are 552 pages. Luke's Gospel takes up 78 pages and Acts 71 pages, a total of 149 pages, which is to say that Luke wrote 27 per cent, more than a quarter, of the New Testament. Paul's letters take up 121 pages, which is quite a few less than the writings of Luke.
Of the three Synoptic Gospels, Luke's is the most comprehensive. Luke has five mira¬cles which are not in any other of the Gospels. He alone, for instance, has the raising of the widow's son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17); the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19); and other healings (Luke 5:1-11 13:10-17, 14:1-6). Luke alone, for instance, has the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37); the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8); the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10); the lost son (Luke 15:11-32); the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31); the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8); and many others. It is only in Luke that we find the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1 10); Jesus trial before Herod (Luke 23:6-12); the story of the penitent thief (Luke 23:39-43); and the walk to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It is easy to see what an immense debt we owe to Luke, and we can understand F. C. Grant when he says that, if he ever did have to choose which one Gospel he would choose to keep, if only one could be kept, it would be Luke.
We know very little about this Luke who was the largest contributor to the New Testament. Tradition says that he came from Antioch, that city in which the Gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, and where the fol¬lowers of Christ were first called Christians. The one thing we do know about Luke is that he was a Gentile. It is an astonishing thing to think that the man who wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else was not a Jew but a Gentile. It may be that we find his Gospel especially attractive, because being a Gentile he speaks the kind of language which we speak, and thinks in the same way as we do. Secondly, we know that Luke was a doctor. It is clear that Luke was a cultured Greek in the way his gospel is written. He uses the kind of excellent Greek of which any Greek might be proud. It may be that it was because he was a doctor that Luke wrote the kind of Gospel he wrote. There is a say¬ing that a clergyman sees men at their best, a lawyer sees men at their worst, and a doctor sees men as they really are. A good doctor can tell what is wrong with a man, and yet he is never repelled or disgusted by ill¬ness; his one desire is to help and to heal. That is to say, a good doctor sees men with clarity and with com¬passion, and that is certainly true of Luke.
Our lesson begins after the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Here in our text, after the blessing of the Holy Spirit descended upon him, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. After the blessing, then comes the trial. Many times, when the soul is richly blessed with great favor, Satan stirs himself to rob us of what we have received. While our Lord was hidden in obscurity, Satan was still; but as soon as Christ comes forth out of the Jordan, he finds Satan waiting for him. The Bible cautions us that having done all to stand, prepare to stand again. God uses tests and trials to prepare us for greater service. Here in the text, even Christ, the last Adam must qualify himself for his office as Redeemer by withstanding the temptations of Satan. Remember, when the first Adam was tried, he and Eve failed the test.
In Genesis 3:15, God made a promise, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
In this wilderness of temptation, Christ, the last Adam overcome temptation and fulfills the promise of God. Not only was Christ fulfilling the promise made by the Father, but at the same time he gave us an example of how to successfully resist temptation, to baffle the tempter, and to overcome when we are tempted. God often leads his servants into great trials of preparation before they are ready to carry out their God-given assignment. Abraham had to offer up his only son, Isaac. Moses was tried on the back side of the desert. Joseph was tempted in an Egyptian prison. And Jesus must overcome the wilderness temptation.
Satan is real and offers real temptations. Satan is the constant adversary of God and mankind. The midst of desperation, Satan entices men with evil desires, suggests wrong motives, and induces men to doubt the love and care of the Father God. This lesson teaches us that if we steadfastly resist his temptations by refusing to conform to them, and instead follow the directions of Scripture, the tempter will flee from us. How can we overcome at the temptation of desperation?
I. We must be aware that God has prepared us for the trial. Jesus was prepared and fitted for it. God knew about the trial, so He furnished Jesus accordingly; for though we may not know what trial may be before us, nor what encounters may be reserved for us. God knows. Jesus faced a great trial, yet the Father provided for him. God does the same for us, and we can have confidence and trust that God will provide for us accordingly, regardless of what we face.
• Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost, who had descended on him like a dove. He had now greater measures of the gifts, graces, and comforts, of the Holy Ghost than ever before. Note, those are well armed against the strongest temptations that are full of the Holy Ghost.
• Jesus had been in communion with the Father. He was newly returned from Jordan, where he was baptized, and owned by a voice from heaven to be the beloved Son of God; and thus he was prepared for this combat. Note, When we have had the most comfortable communion with God, and the clearest discoveries of his favor to us, we may expect that Satan will set upon us (the richest ship is the pirate's prize), and that God will suffer him to do so, that the power of his grace may be manifested and magnified.
• Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, by the good Spirit, who led him as a champion into the field, to fight the enemy that he was sure to conquer. His being led into the wilderness should give us courage to face our trial.
1Co 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
2. God has made us aware of Satan’s advantages. Jesus was there alone, with no friends for support who might have given him prayers and advice. His first temptation is at the bread level. In the hour of temptation, Jesus was hungry, and food was necessary. Jesus was tired and weak, and he knew his own strength; we may not, for who can know one’s own weakness. Satan’s great advantage was knowing the Lord’s hunger. Satan will probable tempt us with something we are hungry for.
3. God has made us aware of Satan’s Approach. Probably, our Lord Jesus after his fast began to look about among the trees, to see if he could find anything that was eatable, whence the devil took occasion to make the following proposal to him. “Command these stones to be made bread.”
Satan tempted Jesus to distrust his Father's care of him. Since your does not seem to care, you need to set up something for himself. Satan tempted Jesus to make provision for himself in such a way as his Father had not appointed for him (Lu 4:3): If thou be the Son of God, as the voice from heaven declared, command this stone to be made bread. De 8:3 "Man shall not live by bread alone. I need not turn the stone into bread, for God can send manna for my nourishment, as he did for Israel; man can live by every word of God, by whatever God will appoint that he shall live by."
Next, Satan tempted Jesus to accept from him the kingdom, which, as the Son of God, he expected to receive from his Father, and to do him homage for, Lu 4:5-7. Satan first tempted Christ to turn the stones into bread, which would be good for food, and next Satan showed him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, which were pleasant to the eyes; but in both these Jesus overpowered Satan.
It is the grand policy of Satan, first to tempt the children of God to doubt their adoption into the family of God; next, even if you are a child of God, you cannot trust God's fatherly care and provision for you, and last of all to use unwarrantable means to help themselves. So, Satan dealt with Christ in the same way he deals with all Christians. You see to work a miracle at Satan's direction, was not a lawful means of Jesus to provide food for himself. If you remember the temptation of Adam and Eve, Satan used the same approach. “Eve, you cannot believe that really cares for you because keeping things away from you.” Satan caused Eve to doubt God’s word, God care, and provision for her.
The written word of God is the only sure weapon to vanquish Satan and beat back all his fiery temptations. The scripture is a major part of God's armory, out of which all our weapons of war must be taken and used to manage our conflict with sin and Satan. We can rest assured that God has prepared us for this trial. You have been equipped for this. We can also rest assured that God has reveal to us Satan’s advantages, Satan’s approaches, and our most successful weapon against his attacks. “If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” Rest assured God will provide exactly what you need.
Ps 37:7 – 9 “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”
