First Sunday in Lent

Pastor Kenneth W. Wieting
Text: Luke 6:1-13

THE WINNER STANDS FOR YOU!

Dear Christians, “By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days being tempted by the devil. Fresh from the water of His baptism, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Satan, the heavy weight from hell, had never been defeated by a man. From Adam onward, whenever he stepped into the ring, the results were the same. There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:12).

Satan too had heard the Father’s words over this man at His baptism, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased”. The devil’s first mighty blow was aimed at the body of Jesus. “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

You know what hunger is like, physical hunger, emotional hunger, hunger for happiness, hunger for healing. You know the power of bodily need. The same satanic mouth that swung at Jesus has dropped doubting thoughts into your suffering heart. If God really made you His child in your baptism, then why doesn’t it always seem so? If you are so loved by Him, why does He allow you to be hungry or lonely, or injured or widowed or to face illness or to suffer pain? Satan lures us to turn from the trustworthy words of our Father to the fickle feelings of our hearts. And too often the devil’s temptations strike home. Like a punch in the mid section can knock the wind right out of our lungs so Satan’s powerful blows can leave us spiritually weak and gasping for trust in God.

But not with this man! Nor more had the blow been launched when it was blocked by the Word of God. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.” Instead of turning stone into bread, Christ stuffed the rock solid Word of God into the devil’s open, tempting mouth. Round one in this desert battle is scored perfectly for the Son of Man.

Circling for another attack, the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time…and said…”if you…will worship me, it will all be yours.” This was a head shot! In the first temptation the devil aimed relief from adversity and pain at the body of Jesus, now he held prosperity and delight before his face. The devil knew that Jesus was attentive to the sufferings that awaited him. As he swung again, he held nothing back. This was not a jab to test for weakness, promising a little here or a little there. It was a powerful roundhouse that offered everything this dying world has to tender. Such love of power or position or money or pleasure or more things often leaves mankind sprawled out, down for the count.

But not this man! Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many, as a ransom for you! And if he came not to be served, certainly he came not to pursue wealth, fame and glory! This roundhouse might have been launched with all the force of hell, but it never landed even a glancing blow. Slipping the punch with unshakeable faith the Second Adam answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Round two of this battle in the desert is scored perfectly for the Son of Man.

Having been defeated in the first two rounds with our Lord, Satan continues the fight in the dirtiest manner of all. In this temptation, the devil is using the very weapon of Christ and seeking to turn it on Him. “Since you claim to be the beloved Son of God then rely on His word, He will protect you. Take His word and take to the air, O wingless Son of God.”

Dr. Luther noted how much havoc the devil has worked with this temptation; the temptation to twist or abandon God’s clear Word. Luther taught that this is Satan’s greatest temptation. With it the outward unity of the Church has been shattered into scores of denominations. With this tactic Satan has tempted countless people to jump from the pinnacle of the truth and strike their feet on the stone of heresy.

But not his man! Is it not beautiful to hear? Satan sought to wrench the sword of the Spirit from the grasp of Christ? Quoting the 91^st Psalm he grabbed hold of Scripture in a bid to use it incorrectly: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” But Jesus never relinquished His hold on God’s double edged sword. Even as Satan grabbed it from the wrong end, Jesus sliced apart his grip on the razor-sharp blade of God’s Word. “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Round three of this battle in the desert is scored perfectly for the Son of Man.

Do you see what our Lord has done in his conquest of Satan with all of his temptations? What the First Adam did not do, the Second Adam did completely. In the beautiful Garden of Eden, the first Adam was defeated by the ancient Serpent. In the barren wilderness the Second Adam fought off every temptation of the evil one. Every fiery arrow shot from Satan’s bow was doused in the water of the Word. Heaven and hell stood toe-to-toe and hell was left lying in the dust. The tempter whom you could never defeat on your own Christ has defeated for you.

All along the way to the cross Satan tempted Christ - through opposition and through praise, through disappointment and through success. The people at times wanted to make Him king and at times wanted to kill Him. His disciples kept trying to turn Him away from the sacrificial death that He foretold. From the Garden of Gethsemane through the shameful, bloody hours of Good Friday the devil threw all of his strength at this one man. But Jesus held steady. It appeared that the serpent’s poisonous fangs had destroyed Jesus on Calvary, but instead, the heel of this one man crushed the devil’s accusing head.

In this season of Lent remember that Jesus died for you. But remember also that He lived and still lives for you! The blood that He shed on Calvary, the blood that He gives you to drink in His heavenly meal is the blood of the risen Lamb without blemish or defect. He never dishonored His parents! He never gave into the pressure of peers on a college or high school campus! He never complained or murmured against God! He never sinned in lust or greed or pride! He never gossiped or worried or envied! He never lacked fear or love or trust in God with His whole heart! He was tempted in all these ways, just as you are. Yet, He was without sin. In Jesus, the devil met a true man who was his better.

Beloved, it’s all yours! By the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). What belongs to the Head belongs to the body and you are the body of Christ. Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.

If you haven’t seen today’s delightful reading for daily prayer in our Lenten booklets, please do so before you turn in tonight. The author recounts Dr. Luther’s thoughts who said, “When I go to bed, the devil is always waiting for me. When he begins to plague me, I say, ‘Devil, I must sleep. That is God’s command. So go away.’ If that doesn’t work and he brings out a catalog of sins, I say, ‘Yes, old fellow, I know all about it. And I know some more sins you have overlooked. Put them down, too. Now begone!’” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the confidence we have in our Lord. His fight in the wilderness was for you. To accuse you the devil must successfully accuse Christ, and that will never be.

“O come let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and finisher of the faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In His Name, Amen.