Tempted in the Wilderness 

March 9, 2025 

Today we’re starting a new sermon series, Following Jesus on the Road to the Cross. We start today with Jesus tempted in the wilderness. I can really relate to temptation! If there’s candy sitting right in front of me, I REALLY want it. If I put it where I won’t see it, it still calls to me! I bought some of Trinity’s delicious chocolate covered Easter eggs. Ash Wednesday was this week, and it’s a day of fasting, or at least eating less. So, I wasn’t going to eat any sweets. But I had these Easter eggs, and I decided I would eat one. But I couldn’t stop, and soon I had three. On Ash Wednesday! The next day, I shared my Easter egg stash with the ministerium group of local ministers and church leaders. I thought, I hope they didn’t give up candy for Lent. Am I tempting religious leaders?! But they were happy for the eggs! 

There are a lot of temptations out there: alcohol, gambling, spending, phones, etc. These are things that are fine in moderation. But they can take over to where we find it really hard to resist. You think, “I should stop.” But you can’t seem to stop. 

Temptation pulls us in. For example, eating a donut is not a sin. But maybe you decide you want to eat healthy, and you’re not going to eat a donut. And you go to work and there’s a dozen chocolate frosted donuts there. You walk by, and it’s hard to walk by. And you look at one. But then you walk by! You didn’t give in. You were tempted but kept your intention. But you come back in a little while, and you pick one up and smell it. That’s pretty dangerous! If you lick the chocolate off the top, you crossed the line. You know nobody wants a donut with the frosting licked off. So, you figure I better eat the donut. And you give in. 

Temptation pulls us in. But there is hope. There must be a reason that, first thing as Jesus starts his ministry, he goes out into the wilderness to be tested. He doesn’t start by teaching or preaching. He doesn’t begin with miracles and healing. He starts by being tested by the devil. He needs to go through testing. We need to know, Jesus was tested like us, and he overcame temptation. We can call on him when we’re tempted. 

What is temptation? Temptation is anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of obedience to God. Jesus was both human and God. Because he was human, like you and me, he was vulnerable.  

If Jesus was tempted, it’s a warning to you and me: we’re not immune to temptation! The Apostle Paul warned in 1 Cor. 10:12-13, “If you think you’re standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” We’re human. We get tempted. We sin. 

So often there are people who think, “I would never get addicted,” and they’re the people that fall the hardest and the fastest. We’re human. You’re never above temptation. 

We need to understand we’re human, so we’ll be tempted. But God does not leave us there. Sometimes we give into temptation. Then we give up. We might excuse it away: this is just the way I am. I can’t overcome this. But God calls us to follow him, not by our own power. Instead, he leads us. If we surrender to God, He can save us. I want you to know that every temptation is an invitation to depend on Christ. 

When you’re tempted to do whatever is disobedient to God, that temptation is an invitation for you to return to and depend on Christ.  

After Jesus was baptized, Luke 4 says he was full of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit sent him into the wilderness, to be tested. The best translation is that he was tested, not tempted. The devil tests Jesus, the way the devil tested Job in the Old Testament. The devil is testing to find out, how strong is Jesus? Will he rely on God? 

Jesus is in the wilderness and doesn’t eat for 40 days! For the first test, the devil says to Jesus, if you’re the son of God, “make these stones into bread and break your fast.” Jesus hasn’t eaten for 40 days, so he’s pretty hungry! But he says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” There’s more to life than food! Jesus turns out to have good self-control. 

For the second test, the devil leads Jesus to a high place and shows him all the kingdoms of the world. The devil says, I’ll give you all power, I’ll make you king of the world! Just bow down and worship me. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be all powerful! But to get that power, Jesus would have to worship the devil. Jesus replies that the Scripture says, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” When we see the words, “the Lord your God,” we think it just means, “God.”  But the Lord, which is Yahweh in Hebrew, means the God of mercy. When we see “your God” we think it just means God. But it means Elohim, the God of justice. So, Jesus is saying, we’re to worship our just God, who acts with mercy. We don’t worship a God of power. God is all powerful but not power hungry. Jesus refuses the devil. 

For the third test, the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and has him stand on the highest point of the temple: 100 feet high! The devil says, if you’re the Son of God, throw yourself down from here! God’s angels will keep you from harm. 

The devil is offering Jesus the chance to be above everything and show that nothing can harm him. Which goes against what Jesus came to do: to suffer and die on the cross for us and for our salvation. Jesus came as God, but also vulnerable and human. Jesus refuses the devil’s offer.  

And with that, the devil leaves! Jesus passed the test. He relied on God and stayed faithful. Every temptation is an opportunity to depend on God. 

God always offers a way out of temptation. If you try and fail to overcome temptation, God will pick you up and give you a way out again. Maybe your way out comes when you look in the mirror and say “I cannot overcome this myself. I’m a vulnerable human. I need the help of Jesus.” The way out can come when you realize your need for God. Every temptation is an opportunity to depend, not on ourselves, but on God. 

God offers a way out when you’re stuck in temptation. The way out might come when you confess your problem. Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” So, you confess, you tell a counselor or friend, “I need help.” I remember many years ago I went to a doctor, who told me she thought I should see a counselor. I didn’t think I needed to, but I didn’t want to be the person who says, I don’t have a problem, and I won’t see a counselor.” So, I wasn’t happy about it, but I went for help. The counselor was very helpful. It helped to confess “I need help” and to get help. 

The way out for some is rehab. You might need detox and some deep therapy and time to come back from addiction. God always offers a way out. 

Your way out might be to give away some of your chocolate covered Easter eggs to your friends. God always offers a way out! 

My challenge for you this week is to think about your last temptation and ask, what way out does God offer? 

We all get tempted. Temptation can hurt us and cause us to hurt others. Temptation can cause us to turn from God. But temptation is also an opportunity to depend on Christ. We’re not all powerful. We are vulnerable human beings. Jesus knows what it is to be tested and tempted. He chose to be weak and limited rather than to worship the devil or serve himself. Jesus overcame temptation. He offers us compassion, mercy, and help when we turn to and depend on him. Amen.