CHILDREN’S TALK
Good morning children of God!
Now – a couple of questions…why would I call you “children of God”? Because you are!
Why are we the children of God? Because God has made us his children. That’s what he calls us!
How do we know this? Because God tells us so in his word.
We’ve just started the church season of Lent. Lent is the season of preparation for Easter. Lent is a time when we give special thought to how we need God’s grace for every moment of our lives, and how Jesus suffered and died for us on the Cross to win for us the forgiveness of sins and freedom from death and the devil.
Lent begins 40 days before Easter. The 40 days are a reminder of the 40 days Jesus was in the desert, hungry, without food. We hear about this in today’s Gospel reading.
There was a battle between Satan and Jesus. Satan wanted to stop God’s plan of salvation through Jesus. It was a battle of words. Satan tempted Jesus with wealth and power if he would worship him. Jesus defended himself and overcame the devil, by staying true to what the bible says. Jesus said: “It is written: “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
We are also tempted by Satan. And we also have God’s word to guide us and overcome the devil’s temptations. Let’s pretend the person in this picture is a child of God. And this pen is the devil’s temptation. The devil wants to change you, by not listening to God, and doing bad things. He wants to make you look like a child of his, instead of a child of God. So you need protection.
We have the bible. Now with the bible, the picture is protected. The devil cannot scribble over the picture and change it. You are protected too. It is not the paper in the bible that protects you, but the truth of Jesus. It is the message that tells us Jesus overcame the devil for us. He was tempted in every way we are yet did not sin. He died for our sin and rose again. He loves us and nothing the devil says will change that. You are a child of God because you are joined to Jesus in baptism and have the Holy Spirit to lead you to trust in him.
Let’s pray: Prayer on growing faith at home bulletin insert
SERMON
During this years’ Lenten season, our Sunday sermon series is ‘Episodes in Lent”. Each week the Gospel readings draws us in to watch on from where we are sitting, presenting two main characters in the frame for us to see, and to listen to their dialogue.
The setting of today’s premiere episode is the harsh, inhospitable wilderness. Shimmering heat haze dances before the craggy rocks. Here and there puffs of dust are blown along by gusts of wind. But our focus is quickly drawn to the centre of the frame, and we see the first of the two characters, Jesus alone. We are told that he hasn’t eaten for 40 days. As the scene zooms in we see he is tired, weak and dishevelled: hair swept across his face by the harsh wind, and lips parched cracked. There is no evidence of any civilization in sight, no shelter, no resources nearby, no one around to help.
When we see the second character enter the frame, we quickly sense this is a horror scene. The silhouette in the distance is dark, black, threatening, growing larger as it moves closer. It is Satan, coming to Jesus. The anticipation of impending doom and the threat to Jesus’ wellbeing grips us, as Jesus simply sits and waits. It is as if he is frozen, paralysed…why won’t he just turn around to see what is behind him before it is too late, so that he could defend himself, or flee? Tension grips us as we watch on. Satan seems to tower over Jesus, powerful and threatening, and a chill runs down our spine as the first character to speak in this episode is Satan:
“If you are the Son of God…”
This isn’t a half-hearted proposition by Satan. The tempter knows God’s word better than God’s own people; he knows that Jesus is the Saviour of the world whom the Law and Prophets testify to. He knows that Jesus is true God from eternity, that through Jesus all things were made; the One who spoke creation into existence out of nothing: “God said, let there be…and it was so” Satan knows exactly who Jesus is. The original Greek can also mean ‘since’, and that is how it is used here: “Since you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.”
Satan knows exactly who Jesus is, which is why he wants him dead. The horror continues as the devil leads Jesus to the holy city to stand on the highest point of the Temple. “Since 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.’”
Look how brazen Satan his. He is so bold that he dares to approach Jesus and manipulate God’s own word to trick Jesus into a suicide mission!
Now let’s just press pause for a moment and come back to the TV later. What has all this got to do with us today? Where are we in the scene before us, of Jesus and Satan in the wilderness?
If the devil came so close to Jesus, we should not be surprised that he draws near to us, to tempt us. Those who are lost and trapped in the most wicked of sin, or who follow idols, or who have no care for the Triune God are of no threat to Satan, in fact they are his allies, for if anyone is not for Jesus they are against him (cf. Mark 9:40). But if Satan can so brazenly draw near to Jesus, then he will certainly draw near to us. Where in the sequence of Matthew’s Gospel did Satan go to tempt Jesus? Right after he was baptised. It was after Jesus came up out of the water and the voice from heaven said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” that Satan came to Jesus and said: “Since you are the son of God…”
I would argue that the devil’s temptation is more frequent in the church than anywhere else. From the moment we are baptised, we too are targets for Satan. He doesn’t want us to be close to God. Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10). That’s why Paul wrote to the Ephesians Christians “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:11-12). Its why Peter wrote to the early church, scattered throughout the Empire: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).
Where is temptation most active? The closer we are to Jesus. And since the church is wherever God’s people are gathered around his word, the strongest temptations for us are not in the relatively harmless things like eating an extra cream cake, another chocolate, or drinking another glass of wine. The most damaging, destructive temptation of the devil is for us to live by bread alone. It is to doubt what God has really said, just like he did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, or to twist scripture so that we are deceived into thinking that what is wrong is right, what is forbidden is permitted, what is evil is good. Satan doesn’t want us to study the scriptures and hear the proclaimed word. He doesn’t want us to receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. He doesn’t want us to grow in our faith, or share our faith with others. He doesn’t want us to pray to God or worship him. He doesn’t want us to reconcile and be at peace with each other. He wants God’s church to be divided, bickering, unforgiving, judging one another.
Does the scene we are viewing this morning mirror your own experience? What are your areas of weakness? When do you have that overwhelming experience of temptation, followed by thoughts, words, and actions you find yourself loathing, again and again? In those times, does Jesus in our image look how you feel—tired, weak, vulnerable, alone? Does it seem that Satan towers above you? How much of a fight did you put up? Was there a fight? Does guilt and shame continue to trouble you and rob you of peace?
Satan knows our weakest areas. He comes to us and gently hisses:
- ‘Don’t forgive them—they really hurt you.’
- ‘Don’t spend time in devotion—you’ve got too much on today.’
- ‘Don’t make a wrong right—they deserved it.’
- ‘Don’t worry about reading the Bible—it’s too hard, and you know what’s right.’
- ‘Don’t worry about going to church—you can be just as close to God in nature’
- ‘Don’t help them—they need to learn how to help themselves.’
In these 40 days of Lent, how do we overcome temptation? All the human effort in the world cannot help us in the face of the devil. If all the people in the church combined our might against him, we would still be hopelessly overpowered. But God doesn’t leave us to our own devices, watching on from afar, hoping we will just try harder.
That’s why today’s Gospel reading is such Good News. In this episode, the good guy wins. We are shown Jesus overcoming Satan. It is not a physical battle, or a war with weapons or an army. Jesus overcomes Satan for you by being faithful to God’s word. Where Eve and Adam fell to the Devil’s temptation “Did God really say” Jesus rebukes Satan: “It is written…” Finally he simply commands him: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
In these 40 days of Lent, how do we overcome temptation? We don’t look to ourselves, but we look to Jesus and his word of truth! His triumph over Satan in the wilderness is yours—and it would foreshadow his ultimate victory for you through the Cross. In Colossians 2 Paul wrote: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the Cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross” (Colossians 2:13-15).
In your baptism, God made you alive with Christ, clothed in him. Marked with the sign of the Cross, you don’t just have the sign of the Cross, but the power of the Cross at work in your life. In with and under Jesus’ victory you are victorious. In with and under Jesus’ keeping of the commandments, it is as if you have lived as perfectly obediently to your Heavenly Father’s will as Jesus himself. Jesus’ own righteousness and perfect obedience are yours. That is why, although the devil accuses Christians before God, day and night (Revelation 12:10) there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). When you are feeling weak, feeling alone, feeling vulnerable in a spiritual wasteland, and Satan comes knocking at your door—send Jesus to answer it.
So as you ponder the scene and hear Jesus command: “Away from me Satan!” and see the devil retreating until his outline disappears beyond the horizon, rejoice and give thanks to your Father in Heaven, who gives you the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). And Next time you are fiercely tempted and feel overwhelmed by Satan’s power, pray for Jesus to rebuke the devil: “Away from me, Satan!” Then the devil will leave you, and angels will come and attend you. Amen.
