If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
! If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait to not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
or being hated, don't give way to hating, and yet don't look too good nor talk too wise.
If you can dream and not make dreams your master, if you can think and not make thoughts your aim,
if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same,
if you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken, twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build them up with worn out tools,
if you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss,
and lose and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss,
if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone,
and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the will which says to them, hold on.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, if all men count with you but none too much,
if you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run,
yours is the earth and everything in it, and which is more, you'll be a man, my son.
So reads Rudyard Kipling's famous poem, If, penned in 1895.
It's quite a moving poem, isn't it?
The words of a father to a son as he presents his son with the various challenges of life
and exhorts him to face them with courage and wisdom, humility and valour.
The whole poem turns on that one word, if, if, if, if.
It's how the father begins nearly every other line,
as he entertains the possibility that his son might just be able to grow up and perform well.
And if he does, well, yours is the earth and everything in it.
And what's more, you'll be a man, my son.
I wonder if you see the worldview behind Kipling's poem.
It's the worldview of Greek stoicism, the stiff upper lip in the face of life's trials.
It's the worldview of secular humanism, the self trusting itself and exerting itself to achieve mature manhood.
That one phrase is heard throughout,
if you can, if you can, if you can.
And modern humanism chants in the background to the young man,
yes, you can, yes, you can, yes, you can.
But do you see the problem?
If what we saw this morning is true,
then the solution to the problems that plague our humanity do not lie within ourselves.
That's the false gospel of humanism.
The solution to our problems lie outside ourselves in the person of Jesus Christ, the proper man.
The good news of Christianity hangs on the shoulders of the person of Jesus Christ.
And one of the best insights into his humanity are his temptations.
When he faced the hardest tests of his life,
when he faced the biggest challenge of his life,
a fight with the devil himself.
But if we want to understand Jesus' temptations properly,
then we must understand them in the whole context of the Bible.
When Jesus faces the devil here in the wilderness,
there are two shadowy figures from the Old Testament looking on.
To put it in more theatrical terms,
the drama of Jesus versus the devil unfolds on the front stage
with two figures painted into the backdrop of that stage.
In the narrative, Jesus is front stage.
If you look with me at chapter 3, verse 21 and 22,
we'll see that Jesus is front stage.
Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.
So Jesus is affirmed as God's Son, that's obvious enough.
But now look at chapter 3, verse 23.
Jesus, when he began the ministry, was about 30 years of age,
being the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli.
And then it gives the genealogy of Jesus.
Just glance all the way down there, and you come all the way down to verse 38.
The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
This genealogy is not actually needed.
If you read from verse 22,
it flows perfectly right into chapter 4, verse 1.
You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.
Chapter 4, verse 1.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
There is no need to put the genealogy in here.
So the question is, why does Luke put it here?
Why not put it at the beginning of his gospel, as Matthew does?
Or in the birth narrative in chapter 2?
Why place it here, when he has just been baptized,
and he is about to head into the wilderness?
Well, look how it ends.
The son of Adam, the son of God.
Luke wants us to read this story of Jesus' temptations
with Adam in the background.
Adam is a son of God.
And Luke wants us to watch Jesus' temptations
unfold on the front stage,
with the shadow of Adam on the backstage.
Adam, the son of God, forms the backdrop to this drama.
But there's a shadow of another son in the background as well.
I wonder if you spotted him.
Chapter 4, verse 1 and 2.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
for forty days, being tempted by the devil.
And he ate nothing during those days.
And when they were over, he was hungry.
Who's the other son?
Well, what do forty days in the wilderness,
being led by God, remind you of?
It's Israel in the desert for forty years,
being led by God.
And in Exodus chapter 4,
Israel is called God's son.
Moses goes to Pharaoh and says,
God says, let my son go,
that he might worship me.
Israel is a son of God.
And Luke has given us the location,
wilderness, and the timing,
forty days of Jesus' temptation,
so that we watch this drama unfold
with the shadow of Israel in the backdrop.
So that's the drama we're watching on stage.
It's not one son and the devil.
It's three sons and the devil.
Adam, the son of God.
Israel, son of God.
And Jesus, son of God.
In 1975, my parents gave birth.
No, sorry, they both didn't give birth.
They were given a son.
My mother gave birth.
And as they held their first son in their arms
in those early days,
they were, I'm sure, saying to themselves,
what kind of son will he be?
Will he be an extrovert or an introvert?
Will he be studious or sporty?
And then in July 1977, I was born.
And I'm sure they looked at me and said,
what kind of a son will he be?
Will he be like the first son that we had?
Or will he be different?
And then in November 1980,
they had another son.
I'm sure they looked at him and said,
what kind of son will he be?
Will he be like the first one?
Or like the second one?
Or will he be different?
It's what parents do, don't they?
They compare their children.
This one's quiet.
This one's loud.
This one's chilled.
Comparisons go on all the time.
And it's the same as you read the Bible's storyline.
It's a story of three sons.
Adam, son of God.
Israel, son of God.
Jesus, son of God.
And each time you meet each of the sons,
you're asking yourself the question,
what kind of a son is he?
And in the case of Israel and Jesus,
we say,
will he be like the first son?
Well, we saw this morning
that Adam was a disobedient son.
He chose to disobey his father's law
and as a result, he was punished.
He chose to worship a creature, the serpent,
instead of the creator, God his father.
In a garden paradise,
the first son of God failed
and received God's penalty of punishment
and was removed from the garden.
And it's the same with God's second son, Israel.
At Sinai and in the wilderness,
Israel proved to be a disobedient son.
He was given food by God in the wilderness.
Note the same theme of food.
Both sons of God are given food.
And yet he complained.
And when God gave his law to his son,
within days his son had broken the law
by worshipping a creature,
the golden calf,
instead of his father.
So God's first son, Adam,
disobeyed and was punished.
And God's second son, Israel,
disobeyed and was punished.
And now here is Jesus,
God's son,
and he's outside a garden paradise,
in a desert,
being tempted by the devil.
And the question is,
what kind of a son
is he going to be?
Now God,
we've seen in chapter 3, verse 22,
tells us what kind of a son he is.
This is my beloved son.
With him,
I am well pleased.
But while the father may think
he is special and good,
he hasn't really been tested yet,
has he?
It's one thing to affirm something
about your son,
it's quite another to see the evidence.
Parents do this all the time.
We talk up our children
in ways that are exaggerated
and less to do with reality.
There's often more pretense
behind what we say about our children
than there is performance.
Well, God the father
doesn't want to just to be seen,
to talk up his son.
He also wants his son
to prove himself to us.
Did you notice the double reference
to the spirit in verses 1 and 2?
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
was led by the spirit
into the wilderness.
The devil is not the prime agent here.
He is an intermediary agent
in the temptations.
Yes, he is the prime agent
who brings the temptations
because God cannot
and does not tempt.
And yet the whole scenario
is set up by God.
Jesus is led,
not by the serpent,
not by Satan,
into the wilderness.
He's led by the spirit
into the wilderness.
This is a test from God.
Just as Adam was tested
in the garden
to see what was in his heart,
and just as Israel
was tested in the wilderness
to see what was in his heart,
so God tests Jesus
outside a garden,
in a wilderness,
to see what is in his heart.
God tested each of his three sons
to see what controlled
their wills,
to see if they loved him
with heart and soul
and mind and strength.
And in this passage,
Luke shows us
that Jesus does indeed
live up to God's affirmation
in chapter 3.
He shows us this in four ways,
three in this story
and one at the end
of the gospel
that we'll look at.
Number one,
Luke presents Jesus as,
first,
a son who depends
on God wholly.
A son who depends
on God wholly.
Chapter 4,
verse 2 to 4.
He was being tempted
for 40 days
by the devil
and he ate nothing
during those days
and when they were over
he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
If you are the son of God,
command this stone
to become bread.
And Jesus answered him,
It is written,
Man shall not live
by bread alone.
Now Jesus wasn't
Clark Kent.
He wasn't Superman,
that person who appeared
to be like a man
but we know
that he wasn't a man.
Jesus' humanity
was not a foil
for who he really was.
He was God
but he wasn't really
a human being.
That kind of teaching
is what's called
docetism
from the Greek word
docetio
to think,
to seem.
It was an early church heresy.
The idea was that
Jesus was God,
yes,
but he wasn't really a man.
He just seemed
to be a man
in people's eyes.
But we must get rid
of any docetism in us.
Jesus
was truly God
and truly man.
And
he was starving
for 40 days,
hungry,
fasted for 40 days
and at the end
he was quite literally
starving.
Verse 3.
He was hungry.
And the devil says to him,
If you are the son of man,
command this stone
to become bread.
There's the temptation.
He has not eaten
for 40 days.
Now the word
if
can be a little bit
misleading.
It's not a statement
of doubt.
Satan knows exactly
who Jesus is.
That's why he's
tempting him.
It's really
translated,
or better translated,
since,
if it is true,
you are the son of God,
then,
turn stones
into bread.
Satan's not doubting
Jesus' sonship.
He's assuming it
and asking him
to prove it.
Now what could
possibly be wrong
for Jesus
to have a wee nibble
on a bit of granite
come whole wheat
bread?
I mean,
later in the gospel,
doesn't he feed
5,000 people
by multiplying
bread?
So I mean,
come on Jesus,
treat yourself
the wee bit
of granite loaf.
What could be
possibly wrong
with that?
You will use
your power
to feed others.
Why not use your power
to feed yourself?
So the question is,
what is wrong
with turning stones
into bread?
I mean,
come on.
He turns water
into wine?
Well,
it's this.
Satan
is tempting
Jesus to act
independently
of his father
and to provide
for himself
independently
from his father.
Do as you please
when you please.
Are you hungry,
Jesus?
Have some
lime rock
come loaf.
It's a test
of dependence
on God
versus
independence
from God.
Satan challenges
him to prove
his sonship
through independent
thinking
and acting.
For Jesus
to turn stones
into bread,
he would have
to act
independently
from God
instead of
being dependent
on God,
waiting for
his father's
provision.
salvation.
It's exactly
what Adam
was tested
with in the
garden.
He was tested
with a fast
just as Jesus
is tested
with a fast.
That was the
sin of Adam.
God gave him
every tree
to eat from
except one.
God showed
himself to Adam
to be
a God
of abundant
provision
for his creatures.
you can eat
from any
tree
except one.
But Adam
chose to live
not dependent
on God
and on his
provision
but independent
on his own
provision,
the forbidden
fruit.
And in so doing
he made God
look like a
scrooge.
He made God
look tight
and stingy.
That was the
sin of Israel
in the desert,
wasn't it?
Also,
God provided
daily manna
every day
and yet by
grumbling
and complaining
about the
food,
they refused
to live
dependently
on God's
provision.
Israel even
contemplated
returning to
Egypt to
live in their
own provisions.
Their grumbling
was an expression
of not living
dependently
on God.
They made
God look
tight and
stingy as if
he didn't
provide for
his son.
And in each
case the devil
was saying to
Adam and
Israel,
and now to
Jesus,
God's tight.
He doesn't
have your best
interests at
heart.
He doesn't
provide for
his sons.
Act
independently.
Take the
fruit.
Provide for
yourself.
Eat the
fruit.
Return to
Egypt where
we sat
around fires
and what
do they
say?
We ate
lamb from
the pots.
It's all
about food.
It's all
about provision.
Will God
provide for
me or
not?
Well,
Jesus'
response
reveals that
this temptation
is all
about trustful
dependence on
God.
Verse 4,
And Jesus
answered,
It is
written,
Man shall
not live
by bread
alone.
Man shall
not be
dependent
on bread
alone.
The quote
is from
the Old
Testament.
Now,
when there
are quotes
of the Old
Testament and
the New
Testament,
you've got
to,
here's another
picture for
your mind,
you've got to
think of an
iceberg.
Okay?
What do you
see in the
sea when you
see an iceberg?
Well,
you see the
tip of it
coming up
over the
sea,
but what's
underneath?
They say at
least two
thirds or
more is
underneath the
surface.
And Old
Testament quotes
in the New
Testament are a
bit like the
icebergs.
The bit
that's quoted
is the bit
above the
surface.
But there's a
whole bit
below the
surface that
sort of
comes with
it.
That is,
they might
quote a
line from
the Old
Testament,
but actually
what comes
with it is
the whole
chapter,
okay,
or the rest
of the
verse.
And that's
what's going
on here.
All Jesus
says is,
you man
shall not
live by
bread alone.
But we
know if you
go to
Deuteronomy
chapter 8
verse 3,
it goes on
to say,
but on
every word
that comes
from the
mouth of
God.
And by
quoting just
that section,
Jesus means
the whole
thing.
In other
words,
human life
does not
consist in
simple
dependence on
food,
but in
total
dependence on
God's
word.
If you want
to be a
human being,
this weekend,
you can eat
your food
next door,
but you have
not exhibited
true humanity,
if that's all
you do.
true humanity
is exhibited
in total
dependence
on God's
word.
Adam
chose to
act
independently
of God.
He took
the forbidden
fruit.
Israel acted
independently
of God.
They grumbled
about the
given food,
but not so
this son.
He's different.
Here is a
son who
depends on
God
wholly.
Number two,
a son who
worships God
only.
A son who
worships God
only.
Verses five
to eight.
And the devil
took Jesus
up and showed
him all the
kingdoms of
the world
in a moment
of time and
said to him,
to you I
will give
all this
authority
and their
glory,
for it has
been delivered
to me,
and I will
give it to
whom I will.
If you
then will
worship me,
it will
all be
yours.
And Jesus
answered him,
it is written,
you shall
worship the
Lord your
God and
serve him
only.
The temptation
is a simple
one.
In order to
receive all
the kingdoms
of the world,
Jesus must
worship Satan.
There are
echoes in
verse six
of Psalm
chapter two
verse eight
and Daniel
chapter seven
verse fourteen.
In verse six
the word
giving
and I
will give
to you
all the
kingdoms.
Psalm two
verse eight
ask me
and I
will give
you the
nations
as your
inheritance.
And the
reference to
authority
in verse six
reflects Daniel
seven
verse fourteen.
I saw in the
night visions
and behold
with the clouds
of heaven
there came
one like a
son of man
and he came
to the
ancient of
days and
was presented
before him
and to him
was given
authority
and glory
and a
kingdom that
all peoples
nations and
languages should
serve him.
His authority
is an everlasting
authority which
shall not pass
away.
His kingdom
one that
shall not be
destroyed.
So think
about it.
Psalm two
verse eight
Daniel seven
verse fourteen
made clear that
the kingdoms
of the world
would be
given to
God's son.
It was just
a matter of
how he was
going to
get them.
Would he
take the
shortcut here
by worshipping
Satan and
receive all the
kingdoms of the
world or
would he take
the long
course of
suffering and
obedience and
then receive all
the kingdoms of
the earth.
The father's
will is the
long course
Satan's will
is the short
course.
What Satan
is trying to
get Jesus
to do
here is
to grasp
for something
before his
time.
He's trying
in essence
to destroy
God.
He's trying
to get
Jesus to
snatch
something from
his father
before his
father's ready
to give it
to him.
And Jesus
responds in
verse eight
you shall
worship the
Lord your
God and him
only shall
you serve.
A quote
from
Deuteronomy
six verse
thirteen.
Jesus chooses
to worship
God only.
As God's
son Adam
exchanged the
worship of his
father for the
worship of a
creature,
a serpent.
As God's
son Israel
exchanged the
worship of his
father for the
worship of another
creature, a
calf.
As God's
son Jesus
is tempted to
worship Satan
but instead he
worships his
father only.
and because of
his loyalty
he will be
rewarded with
sovereignty.
Adam bowed
the knee to
a serpent,
he was kicked
out of the
garden of
paradise.
Israel bowed
the knee to
a calf and
later to the
beals and he
was later kicked
out of the
promised land.
Jesus refuses
to bow the
knee to Satan
and as a result
he will be
given this
land and
every land
and all the
kingdoms of
the world.
Here is a
son who
worships God
only.
Well Luke is
showing us a
son who depends
on God
wholly, a
son who
worships God
only and
third a
son who
trusts God
completely
chapter 4
verse 9
to 12.
And he took
him to
Jerusalem and
set him on
the pinnacle
of the
temple and
said to
him if you
are the
son of
God throw
yourself down
from here
for it is
written 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.
And Jesus
answered him
it is said
you shall
not put the
Lord your
God to
the test.
Jesus has
quoted the
Bible,
Old Testament
to Satan
twice and
now Satan
tries his
own go at
a bit of
Bible memory
recitation.
He quotes
Satan
quotes
Psalm 91
a psalm
that promises
God's
protection for
those who
trust in
him.
If the
first temptation
was to test
God's
provision
this one
is about
testing God's
protection.
What Satan
is saying to
Jesus here is
let go and
let God.
Let go and
let God.
In a sense
Satan was
saying to
Jesus what
he said to
Adam.
You will
not
surely
die.
Jump off
the temple
you will
not
surely
die.
Won't
your
father
send you
the angels
to protect
you?
And the
reason he's
saying that
is because
of where
Jesus is
standing.
The temple
was a
symbol of
God's
presence.
If God
is going
to rescue
anyone it
will be
his son
whom he
loves and
if he's
going to
rescue his
son anywhere
it will
be on his
front doorstep
at the
temple.
He's
hardly about
to let
his son
die in
his own
home.
But the
problem with
Satan's
quote is
that it's
out of
context.
If you
flick back
with me to
Psalm 91.
Keep your
finger in
Luke 4.
Psalm 91
verse 1 and
2.
He who
dwells in
the shelter
of the
Most High
will abide
in the
shadow of
the Almighty.
I will
say to
the Lord
my refuge
and my
fortress
my God
in whom
I trust.
Do you
see what
Psalm 91
is about?
It's about
those who
trust in
the Lord
for refuge
not about
those who
test the
Lord for
refuge.
Hence
why Jesus
quotes
Deuteronomy
6.16
back in
Luke 4 and
says do
not test
the Lord
your God.
Again it's
not the full
quote it's
like that
iceberg it's
just the
tip and
when you
go and
you read
Deuteronomy
6 verse
16 it
says you
shall not
test the
Lord your
God as
you did
at Massa.
Now what
did Israel
do at
Massa?
Well in
Exodus 17
they said
this is
the Lord
among us
or not?
They were
complaining about
the water
and the bread
and they're
saying is he
with us
or not?
Where's
his presence?
Will he
really do
what he
said he
will do?
Provide for
us.
And that
was Satan's
temptation to
Jesus.
Test and
see if God
is really
with you.
Test and
see if he
is true to
his word
whether he
will be
your refuge
or not.
See if he
is your
father or
not.
But the
problem with
Satan's test
is that God
the father
is not the
one on
probation.
Jesus is.
And Jesus
resists the
temptation.
He trusts
his father's
protection.
He does
not test
his father's
protection.
He trusts
that his
father is
present and
will provide
for him in
due course.
He does
not test
his father's
presence.
Adam in
the garden
tested to
see if God
would do
what he
said he'd
do.
Punish
if they
ate from
the forbidden
tree.
Will we
really die
if we
eat from
this?
Israel in
the desert
tested to
see if God
would do
what he
said he'd
do.
Provide for
them by
being present
with them.
Is the
Lord among
us or not?
And Jesus
at the temple
does not
test if God
would do
what he said
he'd do.
Protect
him.
Rather he
trusts that
God will
protect him
because he
trusts that
God is with
him.
Here is a
son who
trusts God
completely.
So we've
seen that
Jesus has
passed the
test three
times.
A son who
depends on
God
wholly,
a son who
worships God
only,
and a son
who trusts
God
completely.
But this
was not
Jesus' last
temptation.
Did you
notice that
in verse
13?
And when the
devil had
ended every
temptation,
he departed
from him
until an
opportune
time.
When was
that opportune
time?
Well, we
know the
Pharisees were
children of
the devil who
constantly
attacked Jesus.
We have the
incident where
Peter tries to
stop Jesus
going to the
cross and
Jesus says,
get behind
me,
Satan.
But Satan
returns with
his most
forceful
temptation
during Jesus'
passion.
In Luke
chapter 22,
we read that
Satan enters
Judas Iscariot
just before the
Last Supper,
and then Judas
goes out into
the night
to betray
Jesus.
Jesus'
last temptation
is one
long,
extended
temptation
that lasts
from
Gethsemane
till Golgotha.
I want you
to come with
me and let
us see this
temptation.
Luke 22,
verse 39.
And Jesus
came out
and went,
as was his
custom,
to the
Mount of Olives.
And the
disciples
followed him.
And when he
came to
the place,
he said
to them,
Pray that
you may
not enter
into
temptation.
The place
is the
garden
of
Gethsemane.
And he
withdrew with
them about
a stone's
throw and
knelt down
and prayed,
saying,
Father,
if you
are willing,
remove this
cup from
me.
Nevertheless,
not my
will,
but yours
be done.
And there
appeared to
him an
angel from
heaven,
strengthening
him.
And being
in an
agony,
he prayed
more
earnestly,
and his
sweat
became like
great drops
of blood
falling down
to the
ground.
And when
he rose
from prayer,
he said to
the disciples,
he came to
the disciples
and found
them sleeping
for sorrow,
and he said
to them,
Why are you
sleeping?
Rise and
pray that
you may
not enter
into
temptation.
Do you
note the
theme of
temptation?
verse 40,
pray that
you may
not enter
into
temptation.
Verse 46,
pray that
you may
not enter
into
temptation.
Verse 42,
Father,
if you
are
willing,
remove
this cup
from me.
I just
want to
pause there.
we're so
used to
reading the
final words,
but not
my will
be done,
but yours,
that we
skip over
those first
words.
If you
are willing,
Father,
please
take
this
cup
from me.
Do you
see that?
Jesus
Christ
wanted
to walk
away
from the
cross.
He was
in
turmoil.
He was
in
anguish.
He had
convulsive
fear.
As John
Calvin put
it,
in
Gethsemane,
Jesus
trembled
at death.
What he
was about
to go
through on
the cross,
crucifixion,
but more,
far more,
the black
hole of
God's
wrath.
It
brought him
to within
a
hair's
breath
of a
nervous
breakdown.
What
this
perfect
son
saw
in
Gethsemane
was his
father
with the
sword
raised.
So much
so that
God had to
send an
angel from
heaven.
Did you
notice that
in verse
43?
And there
appeared an
angel from
heaven.
Why?
To
strengthen
him.
God
had to
send an
angel from
heaven to
strengthen
Jesus so
that he
would go to
the cross.
He was
that close
to wanting
to pull
out.
And after
the angel
strengthens him,
he continues
in anguish so
that his
sweat is
like drops
of blood
dropping from
him.
This is
surely what
Hebrews 5
or 7 means
when it
says that
Jesus offered
up loud
cries and
tears to
his father.
Here was
a man in
anguish and
turmoil on
the brink of
a breakdown.
Donald
Macleod writes
movingly,
the wonder of
the love of
Christ for
his people is
not that for
their sakes he
faced death
without fear,
but that for
their sake he
faced it
terrified.
And that
is what he
did.
He faced
it.
Not my
will be
done,
but yours.
The final
part of this
one long
temptation
comes on
the cross.
If you
flick over
to chapter
23,
verse 35.
And the
people stood
by watching,
saying,
but the
ruler scoffed
at him,
saying,
he saved
others.
Let him
save himself
if he is
the Christ
of God,
his chosen
one.
The soldiers
also mocked
him,
coming up
and offering
him sour
wine and
saying,
if you are
the king
of the
Jews,
save
yourself.
There was
also an
inscription
over him,
this is
the king
of the
Jews.
One of
the criminals
who were
hanged,
reeled at
him,
saying,
are you
not the
Christ?
Save
yourself and
us.
See the
temptation
three times?
Save
yourself,
save
yourself,
save
yourself.
Yet Jesus
remains on
the cross.
He doesn't
save himself
so that he
can save
us.
And in that
moment he
was treated
by God
like he
was the
greatest
rapist,
the greatest
murderer,
the greatest
porn addict,
the greatest
materialist,
the greatest
idol worshipper,
the greatest
tax invader,
the greatest
blasphemer that
has ever
walked on
the earth.
He remained
on that
cross in
darkness,
receiving the
wrath of
God in our
place.
He resisted
the temptation
to trust to
save himself
so that he
could save
us.
And that is
Luke's final
presentation of
Jesus, a
son who
obeys God
perfectly.
A son who
obeys God
perfectly.
Here is
the perfect
son.
And his
father says
to us this
morning,
this is my
beloved son
with whom I
am well
pleased.
Here is
the perfect
man.
Rudyard
Kipling's
poem was
that he
thought
problem,
sorry,
was that
he thought
his son
could maybe
be a man,
could maybe
attain
mature manhood.
If you
can,
if you
can,
if you
can,
which son
or daughter
of any
father has
ever lived
their life
well enough
to earn
the world
and everything
in it.
But here
is a man
who has
the right
to the
world
and everything
in it.
Here is
the proper
man.
From
conception
to the
cross,
from the
cradle
to the
grave,
Jesus
Christ
was
impeccable
in his
humanity.
Here is
the perfect
Israel.
Here is
the perfect
Adam.
And here
is where
the hope
of the
world
lies.
Not in
the first
Adam,
that great
giant to
whom we are
all hooked.
No,
our hope
lies in
this second
great giant,
Jesus Christ.
Because where
the first
Adam failed,
Jesus,
the second
and last
Adam,
does not
fail.
Where Adam
succumbed
to the
serpent in
a garden
of plenty,
Jesus resisted
the devil in
a wilderness
of scarcity.
Where Adam
failed by
keeping silent
and not
speaking God's
word to
rebuke the
serpent,
Jesus opened
his mouth.
And what
does he say?
It is
written,
God has
said,
and he
rebukes the
serpent.
Where Adam
stood in
a garden
and said,
my will
be done,
not yours
as it is
in heaven,
Jesus knelt
in a garden
and said,
not my will
be done,
but yours
as it is
in heaven.
Where Adam
stood by a
tree naked
and disobeyed
God,
Jesus hung
on a tree
naked out
of obedience
to God.
Where Adam
stood by a
tree alive
and brought
death,
Jesus hung
on a tree
dead and
brought life.
Where Adam
failed to
crush the
serpent's
head by
a tree,
Jesus
crushed his
head on
a tree.
brothers and
sisters,
here is
humanity
par excellence.
The doctrine
of humanity
is the
doctrine of
the person
of Jesus
Christ.
There is
no true
humanity
outside him.
There is
no true
humanity
without him.
Unless you
are connected
to Jesus
Christ,
you are
not
acting,
living
like a
true human
being.
Do you
want to be
truly human?
Then get
connected
to Jesus
Christ.
Because
Jesus saves
us as
much by
his life
as by
his death.
You see,
his death
was only a
sufficient
sacrifice to
God because
it was a
perfect death.
And it
was only a
perfect death
because he
lived a
perfect life.
He saves
us as
much by
his life
as by
his death.
Sinclair
Ferguson
puts it,
it's as if
all the
medals and
honors of
Christ are
pinned to
your chest
and all
of heaven
salutes
you.
You don't
just need
your sins
forgiven
to go and
live with
God.
You need
righteousness
put into
your account.
God
doesn't
just bring
up your
minus 100
to zero
when he
justifies
us.
He also
adds
100%.
He forgives
the minus
100 because
of Christ's
death and
he adds
100% because
of Christ's
perfect
life.
Brothers and
sisters in
Christ,
this is the
gospel.
gospel,
in a
manger,
in the
city of
Bethlehem,
in the
troubled
streets of
Nazareth,
in a
carpenter's
shop,
in a
wilderness,
in the
garden of
Gethsemane,
and then on
a hill
called
Golgotha,
there was
a son
who
perfectly
obeyed his
father so
that his
father might
become our
father and
all heaven
might salute
us.
We're going
to close
by