Matthew 4:1-11, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted
forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when
the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command
that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up
into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down:
for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and
in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash
thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him
up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms
of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these
things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then
saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then
the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto
him."
Dearly beloved, today you are invited to take a walk into the
wilderness, to behold, sympathize with, and get instruction and comfort
from a Savior tempted. In the conflict, he approves himself to be God's
beloved Son; and the Father gives demonstrable evidence, that with, and
in him he is indeed well pleased. Let us with serious attention consider
when, where, and how, our great Michael fought with and overcame
the dragon. The Evangelist Matthew is very particular in relating
the preparations for, the beginning, process, and issue of this glorious
and important combat.
"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness, to be
tempted of the devil." In the close of the foregoing chapter we are told,
that the blessed Jesus had been publicly baptized, and was also solemnly
inaugurated in his mediatorial office, by the opening of the heavens, by
the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove, and by a voice from
heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;" and
then it was, when he came from the solemn ordinance of baptism; when he
was about to show himself openly unto Israel; when he was full of
the Holy Ghost (Luke 4:1); even then was he led, with a holy unconstrained
violence, as a champion into the field, to engage an enemy, whom
he was sure to conquer. But whither is this conqueror led? Into a
lonesome, wide, howling wilderness; probably, says Mr. Henry, into
the great wilderness of Sinai; a wilderness, not only lonesome, but
inhabited by wild beasts, Mark 1:13. Hither was our Lord led, not
only that he might prepare himself by retirement and prayer, but
also that he might be alone, and thereby give Satan all the advantages
he could desire. In this combat, as well as that of his last agony,
"of the people, there was to be none with him." Neither does he content
himself with praying, but he fasts also, and that "forty days and
forty nights," (verse 9): as Moses and Elias had done, many years
before, it may be, in the very same place. All these fasts were miraculous;
and therefore, though we are taught hereby, that fasting is a Christian
duty, yet, to pretend, in an ordinary way, to imitate them, by fasting
for so long a term together, in no doubt superstitious , presumptuous,
and sinful; but few people, I believe, need such a caution.
During these forty days, we may suppose, our Lord felt no hunger;
converse with heaven, to him was instead of meat and drink; but "afterwards
he was an hungered:" exceedingly so, no doubt. And now, the important fight
begins. For, then "the tempted," emphatically so called, because he first
tempted our first parents to sin, and hath ever since been unwearied in
tempting their descendants; then the tempter, who in an invisible manner
had been attacking our blessed Lord all the whole forty days, when he saw
him hungering, and in such distressing circumstances, came to him, as it
should seem, in a visible shape, and probably transformed into the
appearance of an angel of light. And what does he tempt him to? To nothing
less, than to doubt of his being the Son of God." "If thou be the Son of
God." What! Put an if to this, Satan, after the glorious Jesus had been
proved to be God's son, and repeatedly too in such a glorious manner?
Surely, thou thyself couldst not but see the heavens opened, and the
Spirit descending; surely, thou didst hear the voice that came to
him from heaven, immediately after his baptism, saying, "This is
my beloved Son:" And dost thou now say unto him, "If thou be the
Son of God." Yes; but Satan knew, and believed he was full well;
but he wanted to make our Lord to doubt of it. And why? Because he
was in such a melancholy situation. As though he had said, "If God
was thy father, he would never suffer thee to starve to death in
a howling wilderness, among wild beasts. Surely, the voice thou lately
didst hear, was only a delusion. If thou wast the Son of God, especially
his beloved Son, in whom he was so pleased, thou wouldst be taken
more care of by him." Thus he attacked our first parents, by suggesting
to them hard thoughts of their all-bountiful Creator: "Yea, hath
God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden?" "Hath he placed
you amidst such a variety of delicious fruits, only to tease and make you
miserable?" And how artfully now does he labor to insinuate himself into
our Lord's affections, as he then did to ingratiate himself with our first
parents. "If thou be the Son of God, says he, come, prove it, by commanding
these stones (a heap of which, probably, lay very near) to be made bread:
this will demonstrate thy divinity, and relieve thy pressing necessity
at the same time." Thus, as in all his other temptations, Satan would
fain appear to be his very kind friend; but the holy Jesus saw through
the disguised enmity of his antagonist; and scorning either to distrust
his righteous Father on the one hand, or to work a miracle to please
and gratify the devil on the other, although he had the Spirit of
God without measure, and might have made use of a thousand other
ways, yet answers him with a text of scripture: "It is written, that
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God." This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3,
and contains a reason given by the great God, why he chose to feed
the Israelites with manna; that they might learn thereby, man doth
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God. This our blessed Lord here applies to himself;
and his being in the wilderness, made the application of it still
more pertinent. Israel was God's son: out of Egypt was he called to sojourn
in the wilderness, where he was miraculously supported. And therefore our
Lord, knowing that he was typified by this Israel, and that, like them,
he was now in a wilderness, quotes this scripture as a reason why
he should not, at Satan's suggestion, either despair of receiving
help from his Father in his present circumstances, or distrust the
validity of his late manifestations, or make use of any unwarrantable
means for his present relief. For as God was his father, he would,
therefore, either in an ordinary way spread a table for him in the
wilderness, or support and sustain him, as he did his Israel of old,
in some extraordinary way or other without it: "For man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God."
Thus is the tempter foiled in the first onset; but he hath other
arrows in his quiver, with which he will farther strive to wound the
immaculate Lamb of God. Since he cannot draw him in either to distrust,
or despair, he will not try if he cannot prevail on him to presume.
In order to effect this, "He taketh the blessed Jesus up into the
Holy City," or Jerusalem, called by our Savior, the city of the Great
King, and here called holy, because the holy temple was in it, and,
we would hope, many holy people. This was a populous place, and therefore,
would greatly befriend the devil's design. And not only so, but "he
setteth him on a pinnacle," a battlement or wing, "of the temple,"
the top of which was so very high, that, as Josephus observes, it
would make a man's head run giddy to look down from it. And some
think this was done at the time of public worship. How the holy Jesus
suffered himself to be taken hither; whether he was transported through
the air, or whether he followed Satan on foot, is uncertain; but
certainly it was an instance of amazing condescension in our Lord,
that he would permit so foul a fiend, to carry or lead his holy body
about in this manner. Well! Satan hath now gotten him upon the pinnacle
of the temple, and still harping upon this old string, "If thou be
the Son of God, (says he) cast thyself down," and thereby show to
this large worshipping assembly, (who will assuredly then believe)
that thou art God's beloved Son, under the special protection of
heaven, and art the Messiah,
"who was to come into the world." This was artful, very artful.
But he seems to improve in cunning: for he brings his Bible with him, and
backs his temptation with a text of scripture; "For it is written,
(says he) he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy
foot against a stone." But is Saul also among the prophets? Does
the devil quote scripture, yea, and seemingly such a very apposite
[appropriate] one too? I suspect some design, without doubt: for
herein, he would mimic our Lord, who, he perceived, intended to fight
him with this weapon; and not liking the sharp edge of it, he thought
that if he quoted scripture, the Lord Jesus would not employ it against
him any more. "It is written, (therefore said he) he shall give his
angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear
thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone: and
therefore, since thou art sure of such protection, thou needst not fear
to cast thyself down." This was plausible, and by the length of it,
one would be apt to imagine, it was a fair quotation; but Satan takes
care, not only to misapply, but also to maim it, purposely omitting
these important words, "in all thy ways." It is true, God had given
charge to his angels, concerning his children in general, and his
beloved Son in particular, that they should keep him in all his ways;
but, if our Lord had at this time, at the devil's request, and to
gratify pride, thrown himself down from the pinnacle, and thereby
unnecessarily presumed on his Father's protection, he would not have
been in God' s way, and therefore, would have had no right to the
promised protection at all. Satan was aware of this, and therefore
fitly left out what he knew would not suit his purpose. But is scripture
the worse, for being abused or perverted by the devil, or his emissaries?
No, in no wise. Our Lord, therefore, lets him know, that he should not
throw aside this important weapon upon this account, but puts by this home
thrust, with another scripture: "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God." Still our Lord quotes something out of the book of
Deuteronomy, and hath his eye upon Israel in his wilderness state.
Originally these words were directed to the Israelites in general, and
accordingly are in the plural number; but here our Lord, as before, makes
a particular application of them to himself: Satan bids him cast
himself down, assuring him, God had promised in his word, to order
his angels to take care of him. Now, says our Lord, "It is written
in another part of his word, that the Israelites should not tempt
the Lord their God, by distrusting his goodness on the one hand,
or presuming on his protection on the other. And, therefore, as I
would not command the stones to be made bread, needlessly and distrustfully
set up to provide for myself; neither will I now presume unnecessarily
upon God's power, by casting myself down, though placed by thee in
such a dangerous situation.
Thus our great Michael comes off conqueror in the second assault. And
doth not the serpent feel his head bruised enough yet? Not at all: on the
contrary, being more and more enraged at such unusual opposition, and want
of success, "He again taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, (what
mountain is not very material) and showeth him all the kingdoms of the
world, and the glory of them," St. Luke adds, "in a moment of time:" which
confirms the common conjecture, that Satan did not show our Lord really
the kingdoms of the world, (for that must have taken up more time)
but only took him up into an exceeding high mountain to humor the
thing, and by exerting his utmost art, impressed on our Lord's imagination
all at once, a very strong, and to any but innocence itself, a very
striking prospect of the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of
them; not the cares: that would not serve Satan's turn. He showed
our Savior crowns, but never told him those crowns were gilded [inlaid]
with thorns; "He showed him, (says Mr. Henry, my favorite commentator)
as in a landscape, or airy representation in a cloud, such as that
great deceiver could easily frame and put together, the glorious
and splendid appearance of princes, their robes and retinue, their
equipage and lifeguards; the pomps of thrones and courts, and stately
palaces; the sumptuous buildings in cities; the gardens and fields
about the country feats, with the various instances of their wealth,
pleasure, and gaiety; so as might be most likely to strike the fancy, and
excite the admiration and affection. Such was this show." Our Savior very
well knew it, only lets Satan go to the full length of his string, that
his victory over him might be the more illustrious. And now, says
the devil,
"All these things ( a mighty all indeed; a mere imaginary bubble!)
will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
He would fain have it taken for granted, that he had succeeded in the
two preceding temptations: "Come, thou seest thou art not the Son
of God, or if thou art, thou seest what an unkind Father he is; thou
art here in a starving condition, therefore take my advice, disown
thy relation to him, set up for thyself, call me father, ask of me
blessings, and all these will I give thee; while all that I desire
in return, is but a bow, only fall down and worship me." Here Satan
discovers himself with a witness: this was a desperate parting stroke,
indeed. It is not high time for thee, O thou enemy of souls, to be
commanded to depart! Filled with a holy resentment at such hellish treatment,
and impatient of the very thought of settling up for himself, or
alienating the least part of his heart and affections from his Father,
or dividing them between his God and the world; "Then said Jesus
unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, (I know thee who thou art, under
all thy disguises) get thee hence, thou grand adversary; for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve; this is the great commandment of the law; this is the
commandment my Father gave unto his Israel of old, and wouldst thou
have me, who came to fulfill the law and the prophets, thus shamefully
be a transgressor of it? Get thee hence, I will bear thy insolence
no longer: thy other temptations were hellish, like thyself, but
this intolerably so; get thee therefore hence, Satan: my heavenly Father
is the Lord my God, and him only will I serve."
And now the battle is over; the important combat is ended; Jesus hath
won the field: Satan is routed and totally put to flight. "Then," when
the devil found that Jesus could withstand even the golden bait,
the lust of the eye and pride of life, in the two last, as well as
the lust of the flesh in the first temptation, despairing of the
least success, and quite stunned with that all-powerful GET THEE
HENCE, SATAN, "he leaveth him."
Hell, we may well suppose, like the Philistines of old, was confounded,
and gave a horrible groan, when they saw their great Goliath, in
whom they had so long trusted, thus shamefully and totally defeated in
no less than three pitched battles. The first Adam was attacked but once,
and was conquered; but the second Adam, though thus repeatedly assaulted,
comes off without the least sin, not only conqueror, but more than
conqueror. Think you not, that there was joy, joy unspeakable in heaven,
upon this glorious occasion? Think you not that the angels, those sons
of God, and the multitude of the heavenly host, who shouted so loud
at our Lord's birth, did not repeat, if possible, with yet greater
ecstasy, that heavenly anthem, "Glory be to God in the highest."
For a while they were only spectators, orders, we may suppose, being
issued out, that they should only wait around, but not relieve their
praying, fasting, tempted Lord; but now the restraint is removed:
Satan departs, and "behold, angels came and ministered unto him;"
they came to administer to his bodily necessities, and to congratulate
him upon the glorious and complete victory which he had gained: some
of them, it may be, had done this kind office for Elijah long ago;
and with unspeakably greater joy, they repeat it to the Lord of Elijah
now. His Father sends him bread from heaven; and by this lets him know,
that notwithstanding the horrid temptations with which he had been
attacked, he is his own beloved son, in and with whom he was well pleased.
And was there joy in heaven on this happy occasion? What equal, and
if possible, what infinitely greater joy ought there to be among
the children of God here on earth? For we should do well to remember,
that our blessed Lord in this great fight with, and conquest over
the dragon, acted as a public person, as a federal head of his mystical
body the church, even the common representative of all believers.
We may therefore from this blessed passage gather strong consolations;
since by our Lord's conquest over Satan, we are thereby assured of
our own, and in the mean while can apply to him as a compassionate
High Priest, who was in all things tempted as we are, that he might
experimentally be enabled to succor us when we are tempted.
Who, who after hearing of or reading this, can think themselves hardly
used, or utterly cast off by God, because they are tempted to self-murder,
blasphemy, or any other horrid and shocking crimes? Who can wonder at wave
being permitted to come upon wave, and one trial to follow upon the back
of another? Who can admire, that Satan follows them to holy ordinances,
and tempts them to doubt of the reality of all their manifestations, and
of their being God's children, even after they have enjoyed the most intimate
and delightful communion with their heavenly Father? Was not our Lord
treated thus? And "shall the servant be above his Lord, or the disciple
above his Master?" No, it is sufficient that the servant be as his Lord,
and the disciple as his Master.
But not to dwell on a general improvement, let us see what particular
lessons may be learned from this affecting portion of holy writ.
And FIRST, was our Lord thus violently beset in the wilderness? Then
we may learn, that however profitable solitude and retirement may be, when
used in due season, yet when carried to an extreme is hurtful, and rather
befriends than prevents temptation. Woe be to him that is thus always
alone; for he hath not another to lift him up when he falleth, or to advise
with when he is tempted. As a hermit in America once told me, when I asked
him whether he found that way of life lessened his temptations: "Dost not
thou know, friend, (said he) that a tree which grows by itself, is more
exposed to winds and storms than another that stands surrounded with other
trees in the woods?" Our Lord knew this, and therefore he was LED BY THE
SPIRIT into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Lord, keep us from
leading ourselves into this temptation, and succor and support us whenever
led by thy providence into it! Then, and then only, shall we be safe amidst
the fiery darts of the grand enemy of our souls.
SECONDLY, Did our Lord by prayer, fasting, and temptation, prepare
himself for his public ministry? Surely then, all those who profess to
be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them the office
and administration of the church, should be prepared in the same
manner. For though the knowledge of books and men, are good in their
places, yet without a knowledge of Satan's devices be superadded,
a minister will be only like a physician, that undertakes to prescribe
to sick people, without having studied the nature of herbs. And hence,
it is to be feared, many heavy laden and afflicted souls have been
sent by certain ministers, to surgeons, to be blooded in the arm,
instead of being directed to apply to the blood of Christ to cleanse
their hearts. Hence, conviction is looked upon as a delirium, and
violent temptations censured as downright madness. Hence, souls that
are truly and earnestly repenting of their sins, and as earnestly
seeking after rest in Christ, have been directed to plays, novels,
romances, and merry company, to divert them from being righteous
over-much. Miserable comforters are such blind guides! Surely, they deserve
not better titles than that of murderers of souls! They go not into the
kingdom of heaven themselves, and those who are entering in they would
by this means hinder. Go not after them, all ye young men who would
be able ministers of the New Testament; but on the contrary, if you
would be useful in binding up the broken hearted, and pouring the
oil of consolation into wounded souls, prepare yourselves for manifold
temptations. For as Luther says, "prayer and meditation, reading
and temptation, make a minister." If now exercised with spiritual
conflicts, be not disheartened, it is a good sign that our Lord intends
to make use of you. Being thus tempted like unto your brethren, you
will be the better enabled to succor and advise those who shall apply
to you under their temptations. What says the apostle Paul? "If we
are afflicted, it is for your sake." And if you are afflicted, it is
only that you may save your own souls, and help to save the souls of those
who shall be committed to your charge. Be strong therefore in the grace
which is in Christ Jesus, and learn to endure hardness, like good soldiers,
that are hereafter to instruct others how they must fight the good fight
of faith.
THIRDLY, Did the tempter come to Christ when he saw him an hungered?
Let those of you that are reduced to a low estate, from hence learn, that
an hour of poverty is an hour of temptation, not only to murmuring and
doubting of our sonship and the divine favor, but also to help ourselves
by unlawful means. "If thou be the Son of God, said Satan, command
that these stones may be made bread." This is what Agur dreaded,
"lest I be poor and steal." Learn, ye godly poor, to be upon your
guard, and remember that poverty and temptations are no marks of
your being cast off by God. Your Lord was an hungered; your Lord
was tempted on this account to doubt his sonship, before you. Learn
of him not to distrust, but rather to trust in your heavenly Father.
Angels came and ministered unto Christ; and he who is Lord of the angels,
will send some kind messenger or another to relieve your wants. Your extremity
shall be the Redeemer's opportunity to help you. Make your wants
known unto him, he careth for you. Though in a desart [desert?],
though no visible means appear at present, yet you shall in God's
due time find a table spread for you and yours; "For man doth not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God."
And may not such among you, who are exalted, as well as those who are
brought low, from Satan's taking the Lord Jesus, and placing him upon a
pinnacle of the temple, learn also a lesson of holy watchfulness and
caution. High places are slippery places, and are apt to make even the
strongest heads and most devout hearts to turn giddy. How necessary
therefore is that excellent petition in our Litany, "in all time of our
wealth, (as well as in all time of our tribulation) good Lord deliver us!"
Agreeably to this, Agur prays as much against riches as poverty; if he
was poor, he feared he should be tempted to steal, if rich, that
he should trust in uncertain riches; and say, who is the Lord?
I charge, therefore, all of you, who are rich and high in this world,
to watch and pray, lest ye fall by Satan's temptation. Those especially
of you, that are placed as on the pinnacle of the temple, exalted
above your fellows in the church of God, take heed in an especial
manner unto yourselves, lest by spiritual pride, vanity, or any other
sin that doth most easily beset persons in such eminent stations,
ye cast yourselves down. This is what Satan aims at.
