Deuteronomy 26:1–11
Romans 10:8b–13
Luke 4:1–13
Jesus Christ Is Our Champion Against the Devil
O Lord Jesus Christ, You lead Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the Promised Land. Guide the people of Your church that following our Savior we might walk through the wilderness of this world toward the world that is to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
Jesus Christ, our Champion against the devil, endures and overcomes “every temptation” (Luke 4:13) on our behalf. He worships the Lord His God, and serves Him only by trusting the Word of His Father: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
Jesus’ victory is now ours through His gracious Word, which is not far away but near us – in our mouth and in our heart, in the proclamation of repentance and faith. For “with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10).
From Daniel J. Brege -
Our confession of Christ includes the prayer of faith, which is not disappointed; “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
The Lord is not oblivious to “our affliction, our toil, and our oppression” (Deuteronomy 26:7), but has mercy upon us. He has brought us out of bondage through the “signs and wonders” of Holy Baptism, “with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 26:8), and now He leads us by His Spirit even in the wilderness.
Thank God that the Lord Jesus would be tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Heb. 4:15). He accomplished this for us, that we would know that His victory over temptation is our victory. Be encouraged in this victory of Jesus as you now consider the relationship of our Lord’s temptation to the powerful prayer He taught His people to pray.
We begin the loftiest prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven.” The tempter prefaced his temptation of Jesus by questioning His sonship with the words, “If you are the Son of God, then…” We are now sons of God by faith in The Son of God (Gal. 3:26,27), and the tempter will no less tempt us to doubt our sonship. The universal salvation-work of Jesus along with our individually applied Baptism give certainty that we are sons of God. Hold this up to Satan when you are tempted to think God is not your father.
“Hallowed be Thy name.” The Catechism reminds us that here we ask that the Word of God be taught in its truth and purity. The devil tempted Jesus by misquoting the Word. So too we will each be tempted by abuse and misquoting of the Word of God. May our Lord mature our understanding of His Holy Word, thus sending the Tempter reeling with this properly wielded sword of the Spirit.
“Thy kingdom come.” The usurper of the kingdoms of this world tempted Jesus by offering Him said kingdoms. Do not fall for this temptation to worldliness. By the Holy Spirit we now believe Christ’s eternal kingdom has come to us, the kingdom flowing from the cross and empty tomb. May the Spirit of Christ push aside the unholy spirit so that others come to believe in the Word of Christ’s kingdom.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In the Small Catechism we are wisely reminded that this petition is prayed because the will of the devil is set against God’s will. God’s will, wonderfully summarized in the first two petitions, is constantly challenged by the Tempter. Thank God that His will is done, because our will is woefully wanting in fighting the will of the devil.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Our gracious Father gives us daily bread, for which we give thanks. In Christ’s temptation we are reminded that we have bread beyond daily bread, for we do not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
“And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Overcome by temptation we fall into sin, and often we doubly sin as we fail to forgive those who sin against us. The Lord Jesus not only became sin that such apparent victories of Satan be nullified, but He also empowers us in the midst of our temptations, that we forgive as we have been forgiven.
“And lead us not into temptation.” The catechism reminds us, “God indeed tempts no one.” But we pray this petition so that we who are in Him who was led by the Holy Spirit to conquer temptation, be guarded from the tempter’s temptations to misbelief, despair and other great shame and vice.
“But deliver us from evil.” This concluding petition can be translated, “But deliver us from the evil one.” Indeed, while we yet reside in the foreign and fading realm of the evil one, we will be tempted by evils of body, soul, property and honor. Empowered by Christ’s Spirit may we be faithful to the Lord Jesus unto death, and thus exit this veil of tears and receive the crown of life, eternally delivered from evil.
Luke 4:1-13 -The Temptation of Jesus
The order of the temptation is different in Luke -
Luke 4:1
Ἰησοῦς δὲ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, καὶ ἤγετο ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
4:1 – Jesus, full of the Spirit is lead by the Spirit - led into all the misery of our lives...see Hebrews 4:15...He is led into temptation where we can't make it He can...our status as children means we will suffer...glory is always seen in the cross and suffering.
Jesus’ genealogy states Jesus is God's son...His temptation asks, "if you are the son of God...”
Luke 4:2
ἡμέρας τεσσεράκοντα πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου. καὶ οὐκ ἔφαγεν οὐδὲν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ συντελεσθεισῶν αὐτῶν ἐπείνασεν.
for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
Luke 4:3
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ διάβολος· Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰπὲ τῷ λίθῳ τούτῳ ἵνα γένηται ἄρτος.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Luke 4:4
καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Γέγραπται ὅτι Οὐκ ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος.
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Luke 4:5
Καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου·
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,
Luke 4:6
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ διάβολος· Σοὶ δώσω τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἅπασαν καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐμοὶ παραδέδοται καὶ ᾧ ἂν θέλω δίδωμι αὐτήν·
and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
Luke 4:7
σὺ οὖν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ, ἔσται σοῦ πᾶσα.
If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Luke 4:8
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Γέγραπται·Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις.
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
Luke 4:9
Ἤγαγεν δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἔστησεν ἐπὶ τὸ πτερύγιον τοῦ ἱεροῦ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, βάλε σεαυτὸν ἐντεῦθεν κάτω·
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,
Luke 4:10
γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ τοῦ διαφυλάξαι σε,
for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
Luke 4:11
καὶ ὅτι Ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου.
And “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Luke 4:12
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Εἴρηται· Οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου.
And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Luke 4:13
καὶ συντελέσας πάντα πειρασμὸν ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι καιροῦ.
And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
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The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘Satan tempts Jesus’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
LCMS Lectionary notes © 2016
Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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