Sermon Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus' Ministry

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus' Ministry

March 9, 2014

Today is the first Sunday in the season of Lent. Lent is a time when we engage in spiritual practices including daily prayer, giving alms to the poor, and fasting. Sundays are not included in Lent because we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ every Sunday. Today we will look at the preparation Jesus made to begin his ministry. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

Holy God, as this day surrounds me like a garden with a thousand trees, give me enough knowledge to obey your commandments, and to choose the fruit that gives life: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.¹

Last Friday the Presbytery of New Castle had their March meeting. At the meeting a young woman, Caitlan Quinn became a Candidate for the Ministry of the Word of Sacrament. She had been an Inquirer and had gone to seminary. But now she and the presbytery are seriously discerning God's call on her life. She was very happy at the meeting for several reasons. She is getting married in August. She is serving the children and youth at the Chestertown church. And she has recently passed her ordination exams. These test are very difficult because we hold our pastors to a very high standard. Jesus too had tests he must pass before starting his ministry. And the proctor for these exams is the devil.

Matthew 4 1-11 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus prepared for his ministry on earth just as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter with a 40 day period of prayer and fasting. During this time we are told that he was tested. God sent the devil to administer this test. And the purpose of the test was to see if Jesus truly was ready to begin his ministry. Let's look at the first question and Jesus' answer on the test.

3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

The devil administer the following test. He showed Jesus some stones and told him to use his power to satisfy his own hunger. Now we know that Jesus had the power to turn stones into food. Later in his ministry he will turn water into wine for a wedding and will feed five thousand people with just a few loaves of bread. So the question is not about Jesus' ability to turn the stones into food. He can. The question Jesus is being asked is whether or not he should use his power to satisfy his own needs and desires. Are Jesus' motives selfish, or does he use his power to serve others.

Jesus' response was that he will not use his power for personal benefit. Rather he will do whatever he can do to help others. So too in our ministries. As a church of Jesus Christ we do things not to benefit ourselves but to benefit our neighbors whom we are commanded to love. And Jesus knew that the best thing he could do for others is to proclaim to them the word of God.

Let's listen to the second question and answer on the test.

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

The devil is tempting Jesus to do ministry the easy way. If Jesus would just jump off the highest point of the temple and fly away like Superman, everyone would see this spectacular miracle. And this would bring everyone to belief immediately. Jesus' ministry could be accomplished in a few minutes. I couldn't be any easier.  But Jesus knew it wouldn't work. Time and again throughout the Old Testament God would do the miraculous and people would believe for a while. But then they would forget what God had done and their faith would be gone. Jesus wanted people to have a more lasting faith. So he knew that a miracle would be involved, but not until people were ready. Jesus had to do the long and difficult work of nurturing people in the faith through his teaching and prayers. Then they would be ready for the miracle of his resurrection. So too with us. The church must prepare it's members with preaching and teaching to accept miracles when they occur.

And this brings us to the third question and answer.

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The devil has offered Jesus political power. Jesus could use this power to bring all the kings and heads of state to faith. They could then order their people to be baptized. Constantine did this in the fourth century when he ordered everyone in the Roman empire to go to their nearest river to be baptized at the point of a sword. But Jesus knew that people do not come to faith when told to by government. People come to faith only after a long period of prayer, worship, Bible study, and fasting. Only by engaging in spiritual practices does someone come to faith. Jesus knew that no one could be ordered to believe. He could not enlist the aid of the powerful to make the powerless believe. So instead of using the powerful, he reached down to the powerless and lifted them up. This is our calling as church to reach out to powerless in love.

With this Jesus has passed his test and was ready for ministry. In his ministry he will serve the needs of others. He will avoid the spectacular until people are ready and emphasize the ordinary of prayer and Bible Study. And he will lift up the powerless to faith. So too with the church of Jesus Christ. We are called to serve the needs of others. We are to bring people to faith with worship, prayer and Bible study. And we are to reach out to the powerless. This is our test. Will we pass it?

Let's pray. Father in heaven, we are hungry and tempted to serve ourselves. Help us to serve others in need. We hope that Jesus will come in glory to bring everyone to faith. In the mean time help us to bring people to faith in the ordinary way. We prefer to worship with the powerful. But help us to reach out to the powerless. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 90.