The appeal of the flesh

Pastor Rene's Bible studies

The Gospel of Luke-- Chap 4:3,4

The appeal of the flesh

Last week, we introduced the subject of temptation. This week we will continue with Jesus 1st temptation. We'll look attentively at Jesus' answer to learn about the nature of this temptation and how to apply its principles to our life. All our life, we'll be dealing with temptation. It should be a very important subject to study early in our Christian life.

Why was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted?

Since temptation is part of human experience. For Jesus, to be fully human, and in order for him to understand us completely as our High Priest, he had to face temptation. Also to be qualified as the Perfect Man, to become our representative, he had to overcome satan's temptation. (Heb 2:17-18)
Adam, as man's representative, yielded to the temptation of the devil. Through him, sin entered the whole human race. So now, as Jesus' public ministry is about to begin, he had first, as the last Adam, to resist to the devil's temptation, and become the representative before the Holy and Just God of all who trust in him.
To demonstrate what kind of Messiah he would be, and how he would use his anointing from God.

How was it possible for a sinless Jesus to be tempted?

It was in his human nature that he was tempted. He showed all the feelings of a man. He also was weary, thirsty and after 40 days of fasting, he was very and truly hungry. He knew he was clothed with power to perform miracles. The proposition to turn stone into bread was a real temptation.

How was Jesus tempted?

Luke 4:3 (NIV) The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone.'{[4] Deut. 8:3}"

1st Temptation

Luke 4:2 He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil tempted Jesus when he was tired, alone, hungry.
He will tempt us when we are the most vulnerable. - when we are under physical or emotional stress, feeling lonely, tired, facing important decisions or uncertainties. (Watch out also for areas of strengths, where we are susceptible to pride.

Luke 4:3 (NIV) The devil said to him, "If (Since) you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

Temptation may come under the form of Ridicule

The devil may have used a tone of mockery when he tempted Jesus. He may have said something like: "The Son of God, - hungry (ahh...), ridiculous... since God told you, and you believe you are the Son of God, you don't have to suffer hunger..."
Temptation may appeal to our pride, to our fear of being laughed at, or to our fear of being rejected, etc...

Trying to cause Jesus to fail where Adam failed... (In connection with food consomption) - (3 differences)

Adam ate everyday > < Jesus went 40 days without eating.
Adam had all the trees to satisfy his hunger > < Jesus had nothing to eat.
Adam was living in the paradise (everything was in his favour). > < Jesus stayed in an horrible desert

The tempter tried to destroy the son's confidence in his father's care to sustain him

Tempted to distrust the Father, and take his situation in his own hands. He knew he had the opportunity to use his power on his own behalf.

Luke 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone.'{[4] Deut. 8:3}"

All the mentions of "It is written" used by Jesus are from one book: Deuteronomy.

Look at the context of Jesus' answer to help us understand the real nature of temptation.

Deut 8:3 - It pictures Moses reminding Israel of God's care for his people for 40 years.

Deut 8:3 (NIV) He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

He tested them, and fed them with manna (supernatural provision) to teach them that everything we need proceeds from God's care. (It's a lesson on humility, dependence, trust and confidence).
Look at Deut 8:17, the declaration: "MY POWER, MY STRENGTH HAVE PRODUCED... (expressed pride, and ungratefulness. They forgot the Lord and think that it is through their own accomplishments that they earned what they got.)

Deut 8:18 (NIV) But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

We lear that the Lord was tempted to distrust his Father's care and to use his own power for himself, without regard to his mission.
In Matt 6 - The pagans worry in this way, but the children of God ought to seek the Kingdom of God first)

Matt 6:26 (NIV) Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matt 6:32 (NIV) For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Moses refers to Exodus 16 as the context of his exhortation:

Exod 16:2 (NIV) In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

It happened again. When they met inconvenience, times of discomfort, new challenges, (They complained about a lack of food, about their physical needs. They expressed their frustration and their impatience at God.)
Difficult circumstances often bring stress into our life, and complaining is the natural response.We do not realize we are not trusting God's provision. Instead, we look for the quickest way of escaping the difficult situation, without considering God's care, God's will, God's way of helping us. )

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

God promised He would meet their need for food, but He decided to test their obedience. God wanted to see if they would obey his detailed instructions.
What does come first in our life? Complaining our concern for obedience? How much are we daily filling our life with God's Word in order to equip us to face every day situations? Do we realizw that when we fill our life with daily provision of the Word, we will not be so quick to complain about our carnal desires?

Exod 16:10 (NIV) While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud.

11 The LORD said to Moses,

12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, `At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.

They did not trust him. They complained against him. They did not wait for his provision. (See 1Sam 13 Saul's disbelief)
They didn't see God's purpose. They didn't know how God cared for them. He did not want to destroy them, neither did he wanted to leave then without his presence and his blessings. (He had a covenant with their fathers)
They did not know God's character: His faithfulness, His love, His goodness...
Manna was a gift. It was supernatural. It did not come through man's work, but through God's provision. He loved them, He fed them.

John 6:48 (NIV) I am the bread of life.

49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.

50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

John 6:52 (NIV) Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

John 6:58 (NIV) This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?

John 6:64 (NIV) Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

We can see the real nature of temptation: V.60 - (1) Not to accept God's words, and God's ways and will. (2) Make us think it's too hard, it's not fair etc... (3) V.61 - Make us complain and grumble after God (4) V. 66,67 - finally, make us want to leave the Lord. (5) The basic reason is unbelief: We refuse to believe and to submit to the Lordship of Jesus.

Exod 16:23 (NIV) He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: `Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'"

The Israelites were not to work on the sabbath. God even provided Manna to meet their needs.
God knew that the busy routine of daily living could distract his people from worshiping Him. It is so easy to let work, family responsibilities, and recreation crowd our schedules so tightly that it becomes our excuses not to be able to worship. We have to carefully guard our time with God as precious.
The devil was trying (1) to get Jesus to take a shortcut, to solve his immediate problem at the expense of his long term goals, (2) to seek his own comfort instead of remaining faithful to his purpose to suffer and give his life in sacrifice. (satisfy the flesh using his supernatural power)
satan may tempt us to take action for the wrong reason, to fulfill desires of the flesh outside of God's will.

Exod 20:14 (NIV) "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

(Appeal to the lust of the flesh)

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