Comfort from the One who has the key

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Midweek of Invocavit

Genesis 3:1-24  +  Revelation 3:7-13

On Sunday, we saw Jesus standing firm against the devil’s temptations, keeping the word of His Father and not denying His Father’s name, even when it hurt. In the 6th of the 7 letters to the seven churches, Jesus credits the angel of the church in Philadelphia with following in His footsteps. He has no criticism or condemnation in this letter, but only comfort, encouragement, and uplifting promises. Just as we have taken to heart all the rebukes and warnings in the previous letters, let’s also take this comfort to heart.

Jesus begins: These are the words of him who is holy and true. Jesus is holy as both God and Man. He is set apart from the creation as God, and set apart from sin as both God and Man, confirming His sinlessness during His temptation in the wilderness. He is also true, the essence of truth, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Everything He says is true and trustworthy. He never deceives, never fails to do what He promises, never lies. If only Eve had been convinced of that in the Garden, that God was the true One, and that the devil was the liar.

And He has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens. This image is pulled straight from Isaiah 22. Around the time of King Hezekiah, there was a wicked steward over the royal house of David, a scribe named Shebna. We aren’t told much about his bad behavior, just that he managed the royal house and, by extension, the city of Jerusalem with pomp and pride, seeking glory for himself and not caring for the people whom he was supposed to be serving. But God promises to take the stewardship away from Shebna and give it instead to a better man, to a man named Eliakim, whose name means, “God will arise.” God says through Isaiah, ‘Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.

So the Old Testament Eliakim was a type or a pattern of Christ, who has the key of David, that is, the key of the house of David, which is the Church on earth and the Church in heaven, the new Jerusalem. He has full authority over the Church. He is the One charged with letting people in or keeping them out, charged also with distributing the goods of the house to the people of God, where and when He chooses.

Jesus tells the pastor in Philadelphia, I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it. The pastor is already in the Church Militant, the Church on earth. Here Jesus promises him that the Church Triumphant is also open to him after this life, and none of his earthly enemies can keep him out of the Paradise that awaits.

What has this pastor done well? For you have little strength, but you have kept my word and have not denied my name. This isn’t a powerful or influential pastor. But, unlike several of the others, he has kept Jesus’ word and has not denied His name. He’s preached the Word purely and faithfully, both the Law and the Gospel. He has warned the impenitent. He has comforted and absolved the penitent. He hasn’t tolerated wickedness among his members. He hasn’t tolerated false teachers in their midst. He hasn’t grown lazy or loveless. He continues to treasure God’s grace to him as a poor sinner. What’s more, he hasn’t denied Jesus’ name or any of Jesus’ teachings in order to make other people happy or to spare himself from suffering.

Some of those who were obviously trying to get him and his members to deny Jesus’ name were the leaders of the local Jewish synagogues. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but are lying — behold, I will cause them to come and bow down before your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Again in this letter Jesus identifies the Jews who rejected Jesus as not real Jews. The real ones accepted and welcomed Jesus as the Christ who had been promised to Israel, the Christ who gave His life as a sacrifice of atonement on the cross and who was raised back to life, according to all the Old Testament prophecies. The real Jews became Christians. Even those who were not Jews by birth became spiritual Jews when they became Christians, as St. Paul explains in his epistles. But the ones who rejected Christ were viciously persecuting the Christians and lying about them. In the end, on the Last Day, the false Jews will have to acknowledge the true ones, the Christians, and will fall down at their feet.

Now, realize, to say that, even to read these words of Revelation in public, would bring accusations of “anti-Semitism” against you from the world. So understand the difference. There is a sin of “anti-Semitism,” that is, hating a person or mistreating a person or assuming the worst about a person because he or she is of Jewish descent. That’s not what true Christianity has ever taught or practiced. But true Christianity also doesn’t fail to speak the truth: The Jews who reject Jesus as the Christ have made themselves enemies of God and of God’s precious Holy Christian Church—enemies toward us, not we toward them; enemies whom God still calls to repentance and faith in His Son, and who, through faith, would cease being His enemies and be grafted back into the tree that is Christ. Now, the world will still call that statement “anti-Semitic.” But the world doesn’t know what it’s talking about most of the time.

Jesus continues, Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. There are lots of words that can describe or summarize the word of Christ. How often do you think of it as the word of His patience? It’s a word that, first and foremost, describes Jesus’ own patient endurance in suffering. Secondly, it’s a word that describes God’s patience toward sinners, not wanting anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance. Thirdly, it’s also a word that requires patience for Jesus’ sake, a word that tells Christians ahead of time that this life will be full of troubles and hardships and persecutions and struggles against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, and that calls on us to bear up patiently under those things and to “produce fruit with patience,” as Jesus said in the parable of the sower and the seed. And finally, Jesus’ word is that which gives us patience, that which gives us the strength to patiently endure all the troubles of this world.

Jesus promises the pastor and people in Philadelphia that He will spare them from “the hour of trial” that was—or is?—coming on the whole world. The next two hundred years would see some of the most vicious, most horrifying persecution of Christians there has ever been. This promise to spare that church may have been a promise to shield them from it so that it didn’t harm them, or it may have been a promise to bring them out of this world, safely to their heavenly home, before life on earth got really bad. Either way, God promises to “keep” His people, and that gives us reason to hope and to be at peace.

Behold, I am coming soon! Hold onto what you have, that no one may take your crown. Hold on, Jesus urgently calls out. That implies that there will still be temptations to let go of what you have, to let go of His word and of faithfulness to it, to let go of your zeal and of your diligence, of your love and, ultimately, of your God-given faith, which would result in your crown of life being taken away. So hold on! But also, take comfort! Because you are not alone in holding on. You don’t hold on by your own powers. “You have little strength,” Jesus said here. But His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments, are able to keep you holding on.

Finally, we have those beautiful promises made to all who overcome this world, to all who remain faithful until death: The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write upon him my new name. A pillar in God’s heavenly temple, steady, firm, and immovable. And just as, in ancient times, patrons or conquerors would inscribe their names on pillars, so Jesus promises to inscribe several names on those who overcome: the name of His God, the name of the city of His God, the new Jerusalem, and His own name, His “new” name, His name of victory over every enemy, His name as the exalted and victorious Son of God. And so Jesus claims these believers as His own, special people, purchased by His blood, made His own in Holy Baptism, and sealed for His own after they overcome this world, to spend eternity with Him in the New Jerusalem.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. You’ve heard and taken to heart all the warnings that the Spirit has given so far, and you’ll hear another warning next week. But for today, hear the comfort that the Lord Christ is offering to you! I would say that we have relatively “little strength” here, like the church in Philadelphia, but I would also say, humbly, that, so far, we have kept His word and have not denied His name. Now, you and I aren’t sinless. Neither was the angel of the church in Philadelphia, and neither were its members. But keeping Jesus’ word, as they did, doesn’t mean being entirely sinless in this life, for as much as it is our goal and desire to be. It means struggling against sin, and repenting of it when we fall, and trusting in Christ alone for forgiveness, and then abiding in His Word, holding onto all the doctrines of it, including the unpopular ones, including the ones that the world would have us deny in order to fit in better here.

Will we be spared from the hour of trial that is coming on the world? In a way, we already have been for a time. As I’ve often said, it’s like we’re still “flying under the radar,” too small and too insignificant to draw too much of the world’s attention and wrath. But it’s really God’s doing, as He has allowed us to continue here more or less untouched by painful persecution. Will that continue? Only God knows. But if He allows us to be tried, He will also provide the strength we need to prevail.

So keep holding onto Him and His Word! And know that the promises Jesus sets forth here apply to you: An open door that no one can shut, divine help to face the world’s hatred, and a permanent place in the house of God, reserved for you by Him who has the key of the house of David. Amen.

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Each Day in the Word, Wednesday, March 1st

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Tom and Karen Klumb

Luke 10:38-11:13

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

11 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Martha busies herself with meal preparation while Mary busies herself with the word of Jesus. By telling Martha that her sister has chosen the good part that won’t be taken from her, Jesus is not condemning household duties, meal preparation, and the things of this life. He teaching her that “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Martha is worried worried about earthly food at the moment when the the Lord, Bread of Life Himself, is sitting in her home teaching the words of eternal life. Far from diminishing service to one’s neighbor, Jesus teaches Martha to prioritize His Word when it is preached and taught.

At another time, Jesus disciples approach Him and ask to be taught how to pray. Jesus teaches them to ask their Father in heaven for everything they need, including daily bread. However, before He  teaches them to pray for daily bread He teaches them to pray for the good part that Mary chose. He teaches them to pray that God’s name be hallowed, which means that His Word is taught purely and correctly and that they live holy lives according it. He teaches them to pray that God’s kingdom comes—that God give them His Holy Spirit so that they may believe and live godly lives. He teaches them to pray that God’s will be done—that God would strengthen and keep them in His Word and faith until the end. They also ask for forgiveness, the strength to overcome every temptation, and protection from every evil according to God’s will.

Jesus teaches us to prioritize His Word, for we do not live by bread alone, by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. He teaches us to pray for everything we need, especially the Holy Spirit, since it is only by His Spirit that we believe His Holy Word and live holy lives according to it. If we, who are evil by nature, know how to give good things to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father gives us the Holy Spirit through His Word?

Let us pray: Give us Your Holy Spirit, heavenly Father, that we may steadfastly hear Your holy Word, confidently believe it, and live holy lives according to it. Amen

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Each Day in the Word, Tuesday, February 28th

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Tom and Karen Klumb

Luke 10:1-22

10 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Jesus sends the seventy disciples to prepare His way in the cities and places where He was about to go. He gives them authority to heal sickness, cast out demons, and trample on Satan’s agents. The casting out of demons is a visible manifestation that the kingdom of God has come to them. It is also a visible manifestation of what the seventy’s preaching does in the hearts of those who hear and believe. The gospel that the kingdom of God draws near in Jesus frees men from the kingdom and tyranny of the devil. The gospel dislodges demons and brings the Holy Spirit to dwell in men’s hearts. It forgives sins and removes them as far as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). It unburdens consciences, brings peace, and empowers believers to live a holy life.

When the seventy return they rejoice in the fact that the demons are subject to them in Jesus’ name. Jesus tells them what He saw during their ministry. “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Whenever the gospel is preached and believed, Satan falls from his position as accuser of men before God. Those who are freed from the devil’s accusations for their sins can join with the voice which says in Revelation 12:10, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”

The seventy are to rejoice, not in the fact that the demons are subject to them in Jesus’ name, but that their names are written in heaven. Christ has revealed God the Father to them and His will that they believe in Christ and have freedom from the devil and victory over temptation in His name. For as awe-inspiring as the ability to cast out demons is, it is but a picture of what Christ does for them—and all who believe the gospel—each day. Through faith in the gospel Satan falls from heaven and his accusations can harm us no longer.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the gospel so that we may rejoice that our names are written in heaven and be victorious over every temptation. Amen.

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Each Day in the Word, Monday, February 27th

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Tom and Karen Klumb

Luke 9:28-62

28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

37 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. 38 Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. 40 So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

41 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

43 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.

But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, 44 “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

46 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. 47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”

50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Today’s reading covers several events that, at first glance, seem unconnected. After Jesus’ transfiguration His disciples are unable to cast out a demon, argue about who among them is the greatest, complain about those who act in Christ’s name without being of the Twelve, and want to retaliate against those who won’t receive their Lord. Then several double-minded men approach Jesus, desiring to be his disciples.

The thread that connects each of these events is the work of  the devil. A demon possesses a boy and Jesus casts out the demon. The devil tempts the disciples to conceit and puffing themselves up over against their brothers. Jesus destroys this thinking by teaching humility. “He who is least among you all will be great.” The devil tempts the disciples to conceit against those whom Jesus hasn’t called to be His apostles and against those who refuse to receive Jesus. In all these temptations, the disciples forget the manner of spirit they are of. Jesus has called them to a spirit of service , humility, and gentleness. The devil tempted the doubled-minded at the end of the chapter to conceit as well, so that they imagined they could follow Christ on their own terms. But such double-mindedness makes one unfit for the kingdom of God, just as the desire to honor oneself over others makes one unfit for the kingdom.

The spirit of service, humility, and gentleness to which Jesus has called them is the spirit in which He serves us. “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” To save men’s lives from the power of the devil, He will be betrayed into the hands of men. There is no conceit in Jesus. Although He possesses divine glory as God’s only-begotten beloved Son, He humbles himself to the point of death so that He might atone for the world’s sins and destroy the works of the devil in those who repent of their sins and believe in Him. Receiving His humble service offered in the gospel, we put aside the temptation to conceit and humbly serve our neighbors as Christ serves us.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, destroy the subtle works of the devil in us, and create is us a single-minded spirit of service, humility, and gentleness toward others. Amen.

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Lead us not into temptation

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Lent 1 – Invocavit

2 Corinthians 6:1-10  +  Matthew 4:1-11

Today’s Gospel is about temptation. What is “temptation”? Temptation is the act of trying to get someone to sin against God, as the devil did with Jesus in the wilderness. Think for a moment about the very first temptation in human history: when the devil, speaking through the serpent, tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. The devil deceived her, that is, he convinced her that his lies were true. He misled her into false belief, to believe that God was evil, that He was trying to deprive them of something good, and to believe that disobeying God would lead to their happiness and not to their death. And he led her into the great shame and vice of willfully rebelling against God, doing the very thing God had forbidden. And there stood Adam, shamefully choosing to go along with his wife instead of obeying God.

Knowing how cunning the devil is, knowing that the unbelievers in the world won’t stop trying to get believers to join them in their shame, and knowing that we still carry around this sinful flesh that yearns to do the very things God forbids, the Lord Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation.” What does that mean? We learn in the Catechism: God surely tempts no one, but we ask in this prayer that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world and our flesh may not deceive us, nor mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and although we are troubled by these things, that we would, nevertheless, overcome and stand victorious in the end.

Did God lead Adam and Eve into temptation? No, He gave them every needed warning and every opportunity to not eat from the tree in the middle of the Garden. But He did put that tree there to test them, to give them the opportunity either to put Him first or to put themselves first, and Adam failed and ruined things for our human race. And so the Son of Adam (which is the same as Son of Man in Hebrew), our Lord Jesus, came to succeed where Adam had failed, to restore what Adam had ruined, to save our race as the perfect Substitute for our race. And so, in some ways, Jesus’ life had to mimic Adam’s life—and Israel’s life, which we’ll get to in a moment. Just as Adam was given the opportunity to either serve God or serve Himself, so the Son of Adam was also given the same opportunity, to serve God, or to serve Himself. The Father tested Him, even as the devil tempted Him. And the Son of Adam passed the test for us and overcame temptation for us.

Let’s take a closer look at the Gospel account. Matthew tells us plainly that it wasn’t Jesus’ decision to go out into the wilderness and to fast for forty days after He was baptized by John. The Spirit of God, who had descended on Him at His Baptism like a dove and remained on Him afterward—the Spirit led Him up into the wilderness. This was His Father’s will, His Father’s plan. And as a dutiful Son, committed to doing His Father’s will at all times, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much He had to suffer, Jesus went. He went out into the wilderness to fast for forty days, just as Israel was led by God out into the wilderness for forty years, just as Moses was led by God up onto Mt. Sinai, where he also fasted for forty days.

At the end of the forty days, Jesus was hungry. He had dutifully fasted and prayed for forty days, but His Father in heaven, who, forty days earlier, had pronounced Him His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased, had still provided no food, nor given His Son permission to return to civilization. And He certainly hadn’t given Him permission to step outside of His state of humiliation in order to provide for Himself. Jesus humbled Himself when He came into the world, emptied Himself, set aside the use of His divine power so that He could live as one of us as our Substitute, so that He could rely on His heavenly Father to provide for Him, just like the rest of us human beings have to do. It would have been “cheating” for Him to provide for Himself miraculously. It would also have shown a lack of trust in His Father, if He had taken matters into His own hands to provide for Himself in a way that His Father hadn’t authorized.

So the Father was testing His Son, giving Him the opportunity to trust and to wait for His Father, even though it hurt, or to doubt His Father’s goodness and take matters into His own hands, as Adam and Eve had done.

But the Father’s test was, at the same time, the devil’s temptation. The Father wanted to see His Son standing, but the devil wanted Him to sin against God. If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread!” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Jesus didn’t allow Himself to be deceived, or misled into false belief or into shame and vice. Instead, as a mighty Champion, He overcame and stood victorious in the end.

So it is with us. The Father sends various trials and tests our way, giving us the opportunity either to worship Him or to serve ourselves. Meanwhile, the devil tries to take advantage to tempt us to sin, and who can count how many times he’s been successful? But for every time you’ve doubted the Father’s goodness, for every time you’ve stepped outside of His will to avoid suffering or to satisfy your desires, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

It’s the same pattern in the second and third temptations recorded in the Gospel. The Father hasn’t yet sent His holy angels to attend to His Son’s needs. (He will, as soon as the time of testing is over!) The Father is still making the Son of Adam wait for a visible sign of His favor. So the devil tries to take advantage. If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down! For it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you,’ and, ‘In their hands they will lift you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Make God prove His love for you! Sure, He’s told You that He loves You. Sure, He’s shown you countless times in the past that He cares for You. But it’s been forty days, after all! Make Him prove it again! Doesn’t He say in His Word that He will?

That’s called putting God to the test. You see, He is God; we are the creatures. He is allowed to test us as His creatures. We are not allowed to test Him, just as it’s the teacher’s job to test her students, not the other way around. But that’s not how the sinful flesh thinks. By nature, we think exactly what our mother Eve was deceived into thinking: that we should be like God. People think they get to judge God, they get to test Him, they get to approve of Him or disapprove of Him, or dictate to Him what He must do in order for us to consider Him a good God. Such is the arrogance of fallen man. By nature, we worship ourselves as God.

But the Son of Man, who is far superior to all other men, didn’t fall into that trap. The uncreated Son of God had taken on our flesh as the Son of Adam, as a creature like us. And so He humbled Himself before God, as all creatures are supposed to do: Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’”

You shall not test the Lord your God. You can pray to Him. You can ask Him for mercy and wisdom and patience. You can ask Him to show you His favor again, as He has already shown it so many times in the past. But then, you are supposed to wait. You are supposed to trust. You are not supposed to question His word or His goodness. For all the times you’ve given into that temptation, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

And finally, the devil came at Jesus directly. “I’ll give you the world if you just worship me.” At first glance, that may not sound that tempting to you. Worship Satan? Come on! Would it sound more tempting if your mother or father, your husband or wife or child or grandchild were dying, and you could save them with a whisper: “I worship you, Satan”? Well, the devil was giving Jesus the chance to save everyone, and to have earthly wealth and glory and happiness, without having to suffer, without having to go to the cross. Of course, it was a lie. The devil couldn’t actually give those things. But it’s always a lie when the devil tells you that you’ll be happier if you just turn away from God and follow your dreams. And it’s astonishing how many people believe him and worship him, usually not by bowing down to him, usually by simply ignoring God’s Word and pursuing happiness apart from God. To do that is to worship Satan.

But the Son of Adam would have none of it. Jesus said to him, “Get away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ And for all the times you’ve given into that temptation, Jesus overcame and stood victorious in the end. He never stopped trusting in His Father. He clung to His Father’s word and passed the test. For you. For me. For us. Now let His victory for you also serve as an example for you and as strength for you to resist temptation as the Son of Adam did.

The Son of Adam now invites you to share in His victory. By repenting of your sins and trusting in Him to stand in your place before our Father in heaven, by seeking to be judged, not by your obedience, but by His. Behold, this is the acceptable time!, as Paul said in today’s Epistle. This is the day of salvation! To all who repent, to all who believe, God promises the forgiveness of sins. And the Lord Jesus then urges you to pray, among the other petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” so that, when the devil—or the world, or your own flesh—tries to convince you that you’ll be happier ignoring God and His Word, you turn toward God instead of away from Him, and seek His help against those grueling temptations, that He would guard and keep you so that the devil, the world and your flesh may not deceive you, nor mislead you into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice; and although you are troubled by these things, that you would, nevertheless, overcome and stand victorious in the end. With God’s help, you will overcome. You will stand victorious in the end, even as the Son of Adam did. Seek His help. Seek His strength. Seek His Word. And you will be able stand against all the assaults of the devil. Amen.

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