Chapter # 4 Paragraph # 1 Study # 3
July 9, 2006
Lincolnton, N.C.
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Thesis: Jesus' qualifications to be our Kinsman-Redeemer are rooted in the reality of His absolute commitment to serving the Most High God.
Introduction: Last week we considered Luke's record of Jesus' refusal to heed the suggestion that He turn a stone into nourishment for His perishing body. We saw that He did that because He fully embraced the declaration of Scripture that "Life" is not to be found in sacrificing everything just to keep the body alive. There are two issues involved: first, that Jesus fully embraced the teaching of Scripture regarding the priorities concerning physical life reveals that He is qualified to be our Kinsman-Redeemer; and, second, that Jesus lived by that understanding means that we have a lesson to learn. If we allow our bodies to rule us, the qualities of death will be our enduring experience. We will find that there is a continuous erosion of the joy of life as we enthrone "physical satisfaction".
This morning we are going to proceed to Luke's record of the second attempt by the devil to get Jesus to rebel against His Father. The record is all about a delusional presentation of the idea that one can "be in control".
- I. The Terms of the "Temptation".
- A. The devil took Jesus to a vantage-point where He could "see" all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth.
- 1. There is no such "physical" vantage point.
- 2. The "leading" was a "ploy" to attempt to get Jesus "off guard".
- a. Luke uses a word to describe the devil's attempt that no other author uses (stigma).
- b. The word is rarely found in ancient literature, and is only found twice in the Septuagint.
- c. The word carries two related concepts.
- 1) The first concept is that of a "puncture wound" that creates a lasting bond between the one punctured and the one by/for whom the puncture is accomplished.
- 2) The second concept is that of the "puncturing" being done "suddenly" so that the one "punctured" did not have much time to react beforehand.
- 3) The combination of the two concepts consists of being "blindsided into bondage".
- d. The impact of Luke's use of this term is that Jesus was "suddenly" exposed to all of the kingdoms of the inhabited earth and their glory.
- 1) In a sense, "time" was "punctured" so that its "blood" could spill out its "reality".
- a) This meant that, since the devil could "puncture time", he was in authority over it.
- b) The "reality" that Jesus "saw" was the devil's "authority" over the present time.
- 2) What Jesus saw was "authority" being used all over the world by those who were intent upon imposing their wills upon others.
- e. The devil's use of a "sudden exposure to the extensive dominion he exercised" had a two-fold objective.
- 1) First, he hoped to "blindside" Jesus so that He would "react" out of "instinct" and not have time to think about His reaction.
- 2) Second, he hoped to create the illusion that his temporary dominion over time was a permanent reality.
- B. The devil offered to give Jesus all of the "authority and glory" that He "saw".
- 1. He claimed that it was his to give.
- 2. He hoped that the blindsiding would not give Jesus time to think about whether "time", or "authority" was the "real deal", or not.
- C. The devil made one stipulation.
- 1. Jesus, he said, could have it all if He would "bow before him".
- 2. But, even as he made the offer, he was lying according to his basic nature.
- a. It is impossible to "give the kind of authority Jesus was witnessing" while demanding "allegiance".
- 1) "Allegiance" is a "submission to the will of another".
- 2) One cannot "impose his will upon others" while he is in bondage to one whose will is being imposed upon him...he is simply a "middle-man" imposing another's will.
- b. Again, this was the reason for the "suddenness" of the "vision" -- don't think about it, just do it.
- II. Jesus' Reaction.
- A. Was "knee-jerk".
- 1. The devil's desire to catch Jesus off-guard so that He wouldn't be able to consider was fulfilled.
- 2. Jesus reacted out of His deepest inner motives and understanding.
- B. Was to establish His choice by Scripture [Deuteronomy 6:13].
- C. Was a revelation of His understanding that there is no such thing as the "authority to impose a selfish will upon others" forever.
- 1. Time has been "punctured"; but time is not eternity.
- 2. Even in "punctured time", there is no "reality" to the claim of "authority" (John 19:10-11) because the Most High Executor of Power has already declared that He will turn every use of power into an instrument of "good" (Romans 8:28).
- D. Was a submission to the already present reality that Yahweh Elohim will be served so that any who attempt to subvert His creation by rebellion will be absolutely frustrated in Death.
- 1. This is not the imposition of a selfish will upon others.
- 2. This is the imposition of a will upon others.
- 3. The only ones who "object" are those who wish to be selfish.