Let us turn to God's Word again
and in the chapter that follows our reading in Matthew we read
chapter 3 I want to now read the beginning of the fourth chapter
Matthew chapter 4 after the baptizing of Christ
We read, 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 after wood and 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, that 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 showeth 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. Thinking in particular of those
words that we have in verse three, And again, in verse six, the
words with which the devil tempts the Lord Jesus when he says,
if thou be the Son of God. As I say, we have that expression.
on two occasions here in the temptations, in verse 3, and
then again in verse 6. And so we see how in a sense,
in this temptation, the devil is seeking to tempt the Lord
with regards to the truth of his deity. He challenges him
to prove that he is truly divine, that he is God. that He is God
manifest in the flesh, if thou be the Son of God. And yet, although He is being
tempted with regards to His deity, in the temptation we have the
proof of His humanity. We see the reality of that human
nature. We read of that temptation that
is common to man. Remember the language that we
have there in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. There has no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man. We know that God cannot be tempted
with evil. And yet this is God's. Veiled
in human flesh and God cannot be tempted with evil. But here
we see, as I said, the truth, the blessed truth that this One
who is God is also none other than a man and a real man. We have not an high priest, we're
told, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. What a remarkable statement is
that of the Apostle there in Hebrews 4. He is tempted in all
points, it says. In all points as we are, and
yet, he never succumbs, he is without any sin. And in a sense,
during the days of his earthly ministry, he was constantly being
tempted by the devil. We are told how the devil tempts
him and then leaves him. Verse 11, then the devil leaveth
him. It says, And behold, angels came
and ministered unto him. But in Luke's account, in Luke
chapter 4 and verse 13, it is made quite clear that the devil
only left him for a season. wasn't that he was tempted at
the beginning of his earthly ministry and knew nothing more
of temptation subsequent to that. No, the devil leaves him just
for a season. In fact, when he comes to the
end of his earthly ministry he says on one occasion to his disciples,
ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. Or he was constantly being assaulted
by Satan, the great adversary of the souls of men. And how
intense must have been those temptations that came to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember how later he speaks
of the Prince of this world coming? The Prince of this world cometh,
he says, and hath nothing in me. There was nothing in his
human nature that the devil could take any advantage of. We have
a fallen human nature, a sinful human nature. We're the descendants
of Adam and Eve. We see how the sin of our first
parents has come down through the generations. Who can bring
a clean thing out of an unclean? We're asked not one, it's not
possible. We have a sinful nature and the devil can take much advantage
of that. But the Lord Jesus Christ was
conceived without anything. The miracle of his birth, conceived
by the Holy Ghost in the womb of a virgin. And what was it
that was conceived? That holy thing. That holy thing,
that human nature joined to the eternal Son of God. The Prince
of this world cometh, says Christ, and hath nothing in me. But how
intensely must have been those assaults, as the devil did very
really seek to tempt him and cause him to fall, but he was
holy, he was harmless, he was undefiled, he is separate from
sinners, he is ever made higher than the heavens. And here we
see him at the beginning of his earthly ministry. Strange really,
at the end of the previous chapter we have his baptizing, the voice
of the Father from heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. And it's that very statement
of the Father's that of course is being challenged. The Father
had said, this is my beloved Son. And Satan says, if thou
be the Son of God. But there was not only the presence
of the Father there at the baptizing, there also we see how the Spirit
descends upon him in the form of a dove. He is under that blessed
ministry of the Spirit. The Father has not given the
Spirit by measure unto him, but an unction there is now upon
him. And so as he begins his ministry, he is led up, it says,
of the Spirit into the wilderness. to be tempted of Satan. He's in the wilderness. This
is that one who is spoken of as the last Adam. The first man
is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from
heaven. He is the second Adam. And we think of the first Adam
there in Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve, you know the accounts
how they're set in the garden of Eden, they're in the very
paradise of God. And there in paradise the devil
comes by means of the serpent and tempts Eve. And though she
has all the comforts of paradise, she partakes of the forbidden
fruit she gives to her husband or someone with open eyes, he
partakes of that that God had forbidden. or they're in paradise,
they're in the Garden of Eden and there tempted they fall. But here is the Lord Jesus, He's
not in a garden, He's not in paradise, He's in the wilderness
and He's tempted. And yet, how He withstands all
the wicked approaches of that one who is the great adversary
of the souls of men. Later, of course, we come to
the end of his life, the end of his ministry. We see him there
in a garden, not in the Garden of Eden, he's in the Garden of
Gethsemane. And what agony is there, as he
wrestles in prayers with his father. How he cries out, if
it be possible, let this cup pass from me nevertheless, not
as I will, but as thou wilt. How he prays most earnestly.
and he sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground. The hymn
writer says the powers of hell united Preston, squeezed his
heart and bruised his breast. And yet even there in Gethsemane
we see his willingness to do only the will of God. Well, this
is what he desires above everything, that he might be obedient to
all that God has commanded, all that God has purposed. What a
contrast between these two Adams. The first Adam there with Eve
in the paradise that was the Garden of Eden and now here we
have the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let us consider
something of his temptations this morning and three things
I want to mention with the Lord's help first of all how He is tempted
with regards to the matter of His eternal Sonship and that
is the significance of the words that I announced as our text,
if if thou be the Son of God but then also He is tempted with
regards to the veracity of the Word of God And then, in the third place,
he's tempted with regards to God's faithfulness in his providence. Those are the three matters that
I want us to consider. First of all then, how the Lord
Jesus Christ is tempted with regards to the truth of his eternal
Sonship. If thou be the Son of God. Now remember how John declares
quite clearly the truth of that sonship his eternal generation
there in that second epistle of John he says that he is the
son of the father in truth and love and again John says whosoever
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath
not God's either abideth in the doctrine of Christ He hath both
the Father and the Son. What is this doctrine, this teaching,
this truth concerning Jesus Christ? He is God's Son, God's eternal
Son, and if He is not the Son of God, there can be no Father,
there can be no eternal Father. That's what John is saying there
in that second epistle at verse 9. And so we see the significance
of the temptation, and this little word if. If thou art the son
of God, or what an if was there, says Joseph Hart. He is that
one who is clearly eternally begotten of the Father. We've
referred in times past to the language that we find there in
the 8th chapter of the book of Proverbs concerning wisdom. This
is that one of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. It is Christ who is set before
us in Proverbs chapter 8. That's the eternal wisdom of
God. And what does he say? I was set
up from everlasting. From the beginning or wherever
the earth was. When there were no depths I was
brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled
before the hills was I brought forth. Then I was by him as one
brought up with him. I was daily his delight, rejoicing
always before him. He was ever, he was always with
the Father. And he speaks quite clearly as
that one who was brought forth. He says it there in verse 25,
before the hills was I brought forth. when there were no deaths, I
was brought forth eternally begotten. That is the truth that stands
for so clearly the eternal generation of the Son. He is God. He is God of God. He is Light
of Light. He is very God of very God. He
is begotten, not made. Who's going forth? Goings forth
have been of old from everlasting. Oh, He is that, the Eternal Son.
And you remember how that was why the Jews wanted to kill Him.
They sought the more to kill Him, we're told, because He not
only had broken the Sabbath, they said, but said that God
was His Father, making Himself equal with God. See how the Lord
speaks of these things again? there in the language that we
have recorded in the 10th of John. John chapter 10 and verse
30 it says, I and my father are one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good
works have I showed you from my father, for which of those
works do you stone me? the Jews answered him saying,
for a good work we stole and did not but for blasphemy and
because of thou being a man make us thyself God and then the Lord
in verse 36, say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and
sent into the world thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of
God that was the offensive he said I am the Son of God and they said that he made himself
equal with God and he was guilty of blasphemy
and therefore he should be stoned it is quite clear you see that
he is the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father and this is what
the devil is challenging him over, tempting him about And
this is that that is laid against him by the Jews. They say to
Pontius Pilate, we have a law and by our law he ought to die
because he made himself equal with God and so he was crucified. What is the devil doing here?
The devil is challenging the Lord Jesus as he is here in that
state of humiliation. in human flesh but still the
eternal Son of God challenging him with regards to his dietary
seeking as it were to put a doubt in his mind if they'll be the
Son of God and doesn't Satan come and assault us in exactly
the same fashion he tempts believers with doubts and fears Isn't that
why in God's Word we find a multitude of fear nots? Fear not little
flock. It is your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. How often we look about us and
we see many things around that make us afraid. And then the
devil comes and he begins to cause us to doubt. We doubt our
very standing in God. again the hymn writer says that
impious if he does God incarnate through no wonder if he cast
at us and make us feel it if you really are a Christian should
you have these thoughts should you have these feelings how he
will come to us how he will assault us undermine our confidence in
God undermine our belief in Christ as that one who is a complete
saviour. He is the great adversary of
the souls of men. And how important it is that
we're those who have faith. How we have to come time and
again to the Lord and say with that man in the gospel, Lord
I believe, help thou my non-belief. All that sin which doth so easily
beset us, and it is a sin. And the devil's at the root of
it. Without faith it is impossible to please God, we're told. Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. And the devil comes, you see,
with all his ifs and buts and maybes, seeking to undermine
us. And so he does the same even
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Tempted in all points, like as
we are, and tempted here with regards to the truth of His Sonship,
that He is truly the Eternal Son of God. Oh, He is that. When the fullness of the time
was come, we're told God sent forth His Son. He was God's Son
before ever He was incarnate. God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law. God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son. that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish but have everlasting life." And it's interesting,
is it not, that John the Baptist had been told quite clearly that
the Son of God would be revealed at his baptism. That's what we
read in the opening chapter of John's Gospel there in John 1 John 1.29 The next day, John,
that is the Baptist, saith Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold,
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This
is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred
before me. For he was before me, and I knew
him not. but that he should be made manifest
to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water and John
Bear record saying I saw the spirit descending from heaven
like a dove and it abode upon him and I knew him not But he
that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me,
upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining
on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
And I saw, and bear record, that this is the Son of God." There
is John's testimony. He had been told that the one
upon whom he saw the Spirit descending at his baptism that this was
the Son of God, and he bears his own testimony to that truth. I saw and bear record that this
is the Son of God. And that's what we have here,
of course, in the context. At the end of that previous chapter,
when Jesus was baptized, He went up straightway out of
the water, and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him. And, lo, a voice from heaven
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Then
was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
of the devil. And thou is he tempted of the
devil, if thou be the Son of God. if
thou be the Son of God." Oh, what is the devil doing here?
He's not only tempting the Lord Jesus Christ with regards to
the truth of his deity, his eternal Sonship, he is also tempting
the Lord Jesus Christ with regards to the veracity of the Word of
God. Why, what had the Father just
said from heaven, this is my beloved Son, This is my Beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. And remember later on the Mount
of Transfiguration, those words of the Father are repeated again.
This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. We have it there in chapter 17
at verse 5. But what is Satan doing? All
he is questioning. is questioning the very word
of God and of course this is what he does at the beginning
when we go back to that third chapter in the book
of Genesis when the serpent comes and approaches
Eve he comes there with that question, Yah hath God said? He is questioning what God has
said. Yea, hath God said and God had
said quite clearly to Adam with regards to the forbidden fruit
the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die but what
does the devil say to Eve? Ye shall not surely die. He contradicts
the word of God. This is the way of the devil.
This is the way of that awful foe, that great adversary. He
will have us, you see, to question the Word of God, the veracity
of the Scriptures. Now, he's very subtle. He quotes
the Word of God when he comes to tempt the Lord Jesus. Look
at the language in verse 6, If thou be the Son of God cast thyself
down for it is written and then he quotes the word of God always
so clever in the way in which he comes and tempts and tempts
even the Lord Jesus Christ himself but what does the devil do? oh
how we have to be wise, wise as serpents ourselves how we
have to be aware of this terrible foe and not to be ignorant of
his devices You see, when he comes with the scripture, he
misquotes. He misquotes the Word of God. Sometimes he takes away
from the Word of God, and this is what he does here. Now he
is quoting the language of Psalm 91. 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. but there's a clause that he
has omitted because actually if you turn back to the psalm,
Psalm 91 there in verses 11 and 12 it says he shall give his angels
charge concerning thee to keep thee in all thy ways that was
the promise that was given to the Lord Jesus Christ by God
that he would be kept But how would He be kept? He would be
kept in all thy ways. And what were those ways? It was the way of obedience.
When He is born, He is born made of a woman, made under the law.
He is under the Lord of God. He must do the work of God. He must walk in the path of obedience. to the commandments of God. And
as he does that, so he will be kept. But here is Satan tempting
him to come out of that way. And it's
a sign, remember how O'Banion presents it there in the Pilgrim's
Progress. How that Christian is drawn aside
into bypass meadow, out of the narrow way. or we're kept and
we're kept as we walk in that path of obedience. We need to
recognize how subtle Satan is. He'll come sometimes with scripture
but be aware that he will misuse the Word of God and misquote
the Word of God. He takes away from the Word of
God. Sometimes he might even add to the Word of God. It's
interesting that there in the temptation in Genesis chapter
3 He adds those words to him, neither shall ye touch it. Neither
shall ye touch it. Well, that's not what we have
previously when God gives the command. He adds to it. And He's adding to it in order
to undermine it. This is the subtlety of Satan.
And as solemn it is when we come to the end of Holy Scripture
because we're told quite clearly there in the very last chapter
that we must not add to God's words and we must not subtract
from God's Word. Those solemn words of Genesis
22 18 and 19, I testify unto every man that heareth the words
of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written
in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words
of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part
out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and from
the things which are written in this Book. Oh, we're to be
careful then, friends, with regards to the Word of God. We're not
to add to it, and we're not to subtract from it. We simply abide by those things
that are written." It is enough. What does the Lord say? Look
at what the Lord Himself says to the devil, verse 4, He answered
and said, It is written. Again in verse 7, Jesus said
unto him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God. well that's our authority that's
our only authority we are to appeal to the Word of God and
it is enough those things that are written this is where we
should come to God's Word our eyes should be full of the Word
of God and not only our eyes but our ears and then our minds
and our hearts we should be those who would Meditate in the Word
of God. Remember what we are told there
at the very outset of the book of Psalms concerning the blessed
man, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the Lord of the Lord, and in his Lord
doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of waters, that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper. Beyond God we are not so. Or
the blessed man. The blessed man delights here
in the Word of God. It is enough. Now, our God's
Word is assaulted and has been assaulted. Ever, always, the
devil will seek to undermine our confidence in the Word of
God. Back in the 19th century there was the work of the hierocritics. They came, you see, and they
looked at the Old Testament and they spoke in terms of it being
full of myths. The biblical account of creation,
oh that's not true, that's just a myth. What we read concerning
Noah and the flood, that's not historic. We're not to accept
that these things actually happened. How these critics come along,
and they were those sadly influenced by their supposed learning. But they were doing the very
work of Satan. But Satan is ever active, he's
active in our day. Now when we think of scripture,
we think in terms of a multiplicity of versions. Even in our English
language, so many different versions of scripture. Isn't that the
work of Satan? And the man in the street might
say, well, what does God's Word really say? It says that in one
book, it says something else in another Bible. It's all the
work of the devil and he seeks to get an advantage. Or Paul
warns us that Satan should get an advantage over us. We are
to be aware of him, his subtlety, his wicked devices. the way in
which he will undermine our confidence in the Word of God. How he hates
the Word of God. Why? It's the sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God. It's that vital part of the Christian's
armour. And then again, we remember how,
as we have the Word of God in Scripture, So we have the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the incarnate Word, and we sang it just now,
the Scriptures and the Lord bear one tremendous name, the written
and incarnate Word in all things are the same. As we sing these
words, how true they are, how solemn they are, and how we need
to take account of those things that we so often sing. We sang that second verse of
878, revere the sacred page, to injure any part, betrays with
blind and feeble rage a heart, a haughty heart. Oh yes, there
are things here that are hard and difficult for us to understand,
but what do we have to do? We have to ask the Spirit that
He would come and help us. He is the one who has given the
Word. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is
the Spirit who must come and open it up to us and give us
an understanding mind and a believing heart and obedient will. and
apply that word to us. The devil then comes with his
temptations, he tempts the Lord Jesus in terms of his diet, his
eternal sonship, if thou be the Son of God. He tempts the Lord
Jesus with regards to the very veracity of the Word of God.
Why? God had just said that very thing,
this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. But the devil
will undermine what God has said. and then thirdly he tempts with
regards to God's faithfulness in providence questioning not
only the word you see look at the language here in
verses 3 and 4 when the tempter came to him he said if thou be
the son of God command that these stones be my 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. Now he is questioning here with
regards to the providence of God. David says, I have been
young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor received begging bread. What is the Lord to do? The Lord
is to live that life of complete and utter dependence upon God. He is in the Spirit. As I said
here at the beginning of the chapter, Jesus was led up of
the Spirit, it says, into the wilderness. In fact, in Mark's account, and it's always
interesting to to compare the record in each of the Gospels.
In Mark's account it speaks about the Spirit driveth him into the
wilderness. There is a mighty work of the
Spirit here in the soul of the Lord Jesus. The Father has not
given the Spirit by measure, He is under the Spirit, He is
the Anointed One. He has that blessed unction of
the Spirit and the Spirit is leading Him and directing Him.
And then, when he comes up out of the wilderness, after his
temptation, we are told in Luke's account, Luke 4.14, and Jesus
returned in the power of the Spirit, it says. The Spirit has
driven him there, he's overcome the wicked adversary, the tempter,
and now he returns in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. Now, all the time then we recognize
that the Spirit is in these things and the Lord Jesus has been in
the wilderness 40 days and He has eaten nothing and we're told
that afterwards He hungered He had fasted 40 days and 40
nights It says in verse 2, he was after wood and hungered. Now, God had preserved him throughout those days of his
fasting. He had been sustained by God
and now the devil comes as it were with this awful final assault
upon him. He'd fasted. After those days
and nights of fasting, he's hungry and the tempter comes to him
and says to him, if thou be the Son of God, command that these
stones be made bread. And how does the Lord deal with
the temptation? He appeals to what is written,
as I've said already. It is written. That's enough.
But what is the passage that the Lord appeals to. Well it's
a language, we're familiar with it there in Deuteronomy chapter
8 and verses 3 and 4. That man does not live by bread
alone. Now we know the truth of that
of course is that man is not just body, man is soul, that's
spiritual food. God provides spiritual food for
his people. What is a man profited if he
gains the whole world or loses his own soul? What shall a man
give in exchange for his soul, says the Lord Jesus? We need
to be aware of the needs of our soul. And we need the Word of
God. And we need the Word of God to
withstand the assaults of Satan. Isn't that why we must come under
the sound of God's Word when we gather together and we hear
the Word of God being read and being preached? Is it not sustenance
to our souls? how important that is but there's
not just a reference there in Deuteronomy chapter 8 to spiritual
food, there is that but surely there in that passage we're also
reminded of the sovereign providence of God how God had so miraculously
provided for the children of Israel and sustained them through
all their 40 years of wanderings in the wilderness. Then in Deuteronomy 8.3, He humbled
thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which
thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that he might
make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth
man live thy raiment wax not old upon thee neither did thy
foot swell these forty years they were not able to sow they were not able to reap but
they did not want God would normally supply the needs of His people
by the use of means, that's how God works. But God sustained
them there directly, miraculously. He provided for them. And here you see the Lord Jesus
had been sustained during His days and nights of fasting by
the Father. And what is the the devil doing
is tempting him now to doubt to doubt the Father or remember
every good gift every perfect gift cometh from above cometh
from the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness
nor any shadow of turning we have to look to God we don't
look to second courses we look to him who is the great first
course that's the life of faith and as a man the Lord Jesus was
one who was living the life of faith and in that life of faith
his trust is in God and in the faithfulness of God as the gods
of providence why the Lord Jesus would spend whole nights in prayer
unto his God, he lived the life of prayer pleading with God,
praying to God that God would make every provision for him
and so God does it and can we not look back upon our own lives
sometimes we do it and we've never wanted how the Lord has
provided for us well I feel that and then I look to the future
and I'm full of doubts and fears where will it all end and yet
for over 70 years the Lord has made every provision and how
Satan you see can so easily take advantage of us we question God
but the Lord Jesus lives that life of faith Oh, what a man
is this, who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up
prayer and supplication with strong crying and tears unto
him that was able to save him from death and was hurt, in that
he feared, though he were a son, oh, he is the eternal Son of
God, yet learned the obedience by the thing that he suffered. The Lord Jesus is tempted then
here, tempted to doubt the faithfulness of God and so too will you be
tempted to doubt that faithfulness although the Lord has been so
faithful to you he'll tempt you again and again to question God
and the faithful provisions of God or are we not told there
is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but
God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above
that you are able but will with the temptation make a way of
escape that you may be able to bear it that's the faithfulness
of God he doesn't tempt any man but he is sovereign and he watches
over his people and he makes every provision for his people but see the Lord Jesus he is
so sorely tempted so sorely tempted and the devil comes again and
again and again and he comes at us so many times and then
when we fall and we do fall we are tempted and at last he gains
the advantage And we're ashamed. And how can we come, how can
we make our confessions, how can we acknowledge our sins?
Why we've fallen into this temptation before and now we've fallen again.
We're so ashamed we can't cry. You shut some mouths, that's
what the devil will do you, sir. He's the accuser of the brethren,
that's what he does, we've sinned. As he's tempted us. and he returns
and accuses us and our conscience troubles us is he accuser of
the brethren, accusing them day and night before God and now
we see him here assaulting even the Lord Jesus verse 8 again it says again the
devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him
all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them And saith
unto him, All these sins 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. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God. He was tempting the Lord concerning his deity. Now remember
what happened subsequently. There in chapter 14, the Lord
Jesus walking on the water, going to the disciples who are in the
ship, bold, impulsive, impetuous Peter, when he sees it's the
Lord climbing out of the ship, going towards Christ, and then,
conscious of the winds and the waves, and he begins to sink,
and he cries out, Lord, save me, and the Lord does save him,
and they're in the boats. Oh, the Lord rebukes him for
his little fight, but they're in the boats. And then what do
we read? Then they that were in the ship
came and worshipped him, saying of a truth, Thou art the Son
of God. Oh, the Lord says to Satan, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
And He is God, and He readily receives that worship of His
disciples. They're in the boat. He doesn't
rebuke them. He'd rebuke Peter for his lack
of faith, but He doesn't rebuke them when they worship Him. No,
they came and worshipped Him, saying of the truth, Thou art...
Thou art the Son of God. O God, grant us grace that we
might confess Him and acknowledge Him, the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father, our God and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. O the
Lord be pleased and to bless this word to us. Amen.