Lent 1

Matthew 4:1-11

Today's Gospel began: "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

While it may appear innocent, the first word of this sentence, “Then,” is significant. It reveals a time-based transition, meaning what occurs in today’s Gospel is part of a more extensive sequence of events. So, what just happened before the Gospel today?

St. Matthew wrote, 

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

All right, so now we have some context for today’s events. Jesus was baptized, and “Then” He was “led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Not exactly what one might expect to occur immediately following baptism, is it? Wilderness, temptation, and the devil.

However, this context also reveals how we must examine the chapters and verses before and after a reading to get the full context of what often occurs in a reading.

But first, for today, who leads Jesus into the wilderness? It’s the Holy Spirit who descended upon Jesus from above. 

Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the Wilderness?

Well, there is a parallel in the Old Testament to what is occurring here today. Reflect on when God brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt; where were the people led? Into the wilderness. These Israelites struggle mightily, though. They grumbled for food; they often lacked trust and faith in God. They even chased after other gods.

So here we are; Jesus has been led into a similar wilderness.

What is a wilderness?

A wilderness is often seen as an uninhabited region or locality, desert, grassland, or wilderness. But for the individual who resides in one of these regions, let’s face it, a wilderness is a place of isolation.

Isolation is, of course, the action of being disconnected and cut off from others. It’s the feeling of loneliness. Isolation is a bad place for man; heart disease and stroke increase, immune systems are weakened, and there’s immense cognitive decline, which increases the risk of depression and anxiety. All of these factors lead to reduced life expectancy, too.

But are you indeed ever alone in the wildernesses of life? Jesus wasn’t, the Devil, or as the Greek translates his name, διαβολος, was there too.

Now, διαβολος, or the Devil, engages in slander and makes false statements with the intent to lead the hearer away from the truth. He desires to use temptation to entice and deceive man.

He did this in the Garden of Eden as he led Adam and Eve into temptation, ate from the forbidden tree, and sinned. We read in Genesis,

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:13)

Did you catch that? Eve said the Devil “Deceived” her.

Deception is the act of seducing, deluding what one knows to be morally right, to lead them away from the truth. This is who the Devil is and who Jesus is now led to engage in the wilderness and do battle. 

This is why “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil,” for Israel and for you.

As Jesus said to Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Yes, the Devil will twist and misuse God’s Word with every temptation, but with every engagement with Jesus, He does what Adam, Eve, Israel, and you do not – He clings to His Father’s Word.

As Jesus says regarding the Devil in the Gospel of John, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

But the Father’s Word is truth. (John 17:17)

At its core, the Gospel today is about truth. While the Devil tempts, seduces, and lies, by the words and actions of Jesus, He is the truth that sets man free. (John 8:32)

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians,

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Ultimately, the cross is where Jesus would ultimately be led, abandoned, and left alone. But His death is the final word of victory and deliverance against Satan’s temptations.

You see, there is a pattern of the Christian life present for us today. Jesus was baptized, His Father speaks, and He is then led into a wilderness of temptation for you.

While God does not tempt you, your Baptism into Christ does lead the Devil to assault you. As Martin Luther wrote regarding Baptism,

Remember, then, that it is no joke to take sides against the devil and not only to drive him away from the little child, but to burden the child with such a mighty and lifelong enemy. Remember too that it is very necessary to aid the poor child with all your heart and strong faith, earnestly to intercede for him/her that God, in accordance with this prayer, would not only free him from the power of the devil, but also strengthen him, so that he may nobly resist the devil in life and death.

In short, if you were not baptized, the Devil would not need to assault, deceive, and attempt to lure you away from Christ. But also, do you see how your life follows the pattern of Jesus’?

You, too, were baptized; your Father in heaven speaks over you, and in many ways, as you depart this church, you too are led into wildernesses, but not by the Spirit of God.

What is your wilderness? Where are you most isolated from the world and God?

This past week, we at Good Shepherd have discussed technology quite a bit, for good reason. Smartphones, tablets, and computers are excellent gifts to the world. They even give us the idea of community. However, they often isolate us from the people and world around us.

Just look at the family or couple out to eat. Are they conversing with one another, or are their eyes glued to a screen?

But man was created from the beginning to be in fellowship, to dwell, communicate, and live with one another, just as Christ became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)

Sadly, research has revealed the isolation we are experiencing in the palms of our hands today also brings a reality of loneliness; it affects our overall health as we are not as active as we ought to be, and our cognitive abilities are not increasing but decreasing. Depression and anxiety are skyrocketing too, and if that’s not enough, it’s not just our physical life expectancy that’s shortening; it’s your spiritual life that is suffering due to the ease of online gambling and the seduction of pornography.

Today, we invite the tempter and his deceptions into our lives and homes.

But how can you defeat such a powerful enemy and addiction?

You can’t.

That’s why Jesus came in the first place. To be your victor.

Today’s Gospel is a reminder that temptation will come in this life and does. It’s not a moral example of how we are to defeat the Devil; that victory belongs to Christ. But we are given and instructed to hold onto God’s Word firmly, for it’s His Word that delivers us from temptation and ultimately leads us through the valleys of this pilgrimage to everlasting life.

The season of Lent is often a time of deep spiritual conflict—or at least it should be if you’re doing it right. In the days to come, examine where the Devil is tempting you. Where is he leading you into a wilderness of isolation and sin?

Is it found in the use of some form of technology? Are you gaming too much? Are you gambling not only your income but your relationships away? Is pornography seducing you and wrecking your marriage and family?

Or do you speak with one another as you used to? Do you pray as you ought? Do you read the mighty weapon of God’s strong and powerful word?

If not, return and be led by the Holy Spirit to your Baptism, confess and drown these sins, so that a new man may arise this Lententide—a forgiven man whose very life is found and united in Christ Jesus. 

Because only as we live in Christ and hear His word can we begin to be brought out of our wildernesses and united, brothers and sisters living and dwelling among one another as God ordained it.