Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00005B
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00:01 We're back in the Gospel of Mathew,
00:02 exploring Chapter 4, seeking to understand, 00:06 more of the insights that we can gain 00:08 from the temptations of Jesus. 00:10 Ranko, as we look at these temptations, 00:12 we see some things about the work of the devil. 00:15 He quotes scripture, so we can't just assume 00:18 that anyone who refers the Bible 00:20 is necessarily following God's will. 00:22 And he misquotes it and he seems to get out issues. 00:26 Now, how can he say here, 00:28 you know, in the third temptation, 00:30 you know, I'll give you all these kingdoms of the world. 00:33 Where they his? They were. 00:36 Can I just before we deal with that to finish 00:38 the subject that--that we as is though. 00:41 We're dealing with, first, three temptations of Jesus. 00:45 If Jesus failed at this point, 00:48 we would not have the cross. 00:51 We would not have the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:53 We would not have the four Gospels. 00:56 So this was the most decisive battle. 00:58 And I want to assure the readers, 01:01 what we have here, is the reversal 01:03 of the appearance of sin at the beginning of Genesis, 01:06 where Adam failed Paul said. In those three areas. 01:10 Because Jesus won the victory, 01:11 so can you remind us one more time, 01:14 the three aspects of the temptation? 01:15 The lust of the eyes. 01:18 The lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 01:21 This is exactly how the sin came into this world. 01:25 Glenn, can you open Genesis 3:6? Genesis Chapter 3. 01:30 We can't understand what is going on. 01:32 Otherwise those temptations, they you know, 01:34 do not have too much significance. 01:37 So you're suggesting that 01:38 Jesus succeeds where others have failed. 01:40 Yeah. Jesus, actually, we have a reversal here, 01:43 of the coming of sin into this world. 01:45 With the human beings where Adam, actually failed, 01:48 Jesus won the victory 01:50 in order to save His people from their sins. 01:51 And you know, we better say hallelujah. Oh, yes. 01:54 You know, without this, this is our hope. 01:55 Can you read 3:6, Genesis? 01:57 Genesis 3:6. All right. 02:00 So when the woman saw that, the tree was good. 02:02 She saw that the tree was good. 02:04 She saw. That was pleasing to the eyes. 02:07 So the first was good for food, to eat. 02:10 What is that, the lust of the flesh? The next one. 02:13 It was pleasing with the eyes, 02:14 and a tree desirable to make one wise. 02:16 The pride of life and pleasing to the eyes, 02:19 it's the lust of eyes. 02:21 And she took of its fruit and ate it. 02:23 How did the first sin come? 02:25 Through the lust of eyes, 02:27 the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. 02:31 So, now Jesus comes, 02:33 this is His first step to save His people from their sins. 02:37 It is exactly where the first human couple failed, 02:42 opening, okay, the door for sin 02:46 and temptation in this world. 02:47 Jesus had to win the victory. 02:49 So we have first temptation that you mentioned. 02:52 If you're Son of God, 02:54 say to these stones to become bread. 02:56 What is this? 02:58 It's the lust of the flesh, okay. 03:02 Then after that Jesus put, sorry, 03:05 the devil put Jesus on the top of the mountain. 03:08 And he shows him all the kingdom of this world. 03:10 I will give it to you all these things, 03:13 okay, whatever you see. 03:15 Actually, these words are really the lust of the eyes. 03:18 And after that he said to Jesus, 03:20 and he put him there on the pinnacle of the temple. 03:23 Jump down, throw yourself, 03:25 when you jump down from the temple, 03:27 people will applaud to you 03:29 and tell you 'Jesus the Messiah'. 03:31 This is 'Superman,' this is 'Hero'. 03:33 You know, this is the Son of Man from the Book of Daniel. 03:36 You know, coming with the clouds, 03:38 nothing can happen to him. 03:39 Actually, this was the pride of life. 03:41 This was actually, the three aspects of the temptations 03:45 that Jesus had to go through in order to save 03:48 His people from their sins. 03:50 And not only the first couple have failed, 03:52 but we have all failed. Yes. 03:53 What does this portrait of the temptations of Jesus 03:56 tell you about Jesus as our sin-bearer as the sinless one? 04:01 What picture should we be sure that we have of Him? 04:04 Actually that's what the Bible says, 04:06 that Jesus took all our sins upon Himself. 04:10 You see, we are tempted, 04:11 and I would like to tell the viewers 04:13 and I am not saying to you, 04:15 but I'm saying also about myself. We're all sinners. 04:18 We all have different temptations in our life, 04:21 and believe me so many times, 04:23 I'm asking God always for guidance. 04:25 There's so many times, I feel sorry, 04:26 because I did not succeed, etc. 04:29 But Matthew Chapter 4, give me 04:31 that strong assurance that my Savior. Yes. 04:36 Overcame those temptations. 04:38 He told me, that the victory 04:40 over sin is possible, that's number one. 04:44 And number two, he showed me 04:46 how the victory is possible. How? 04:50 Relying not on my method, on my own way, 04:55 the way how I think that I should succeed in life. 04:57 It's only relying and trusting God. 05:00 Putting my trust in God. 05:02 Never should be an excuse for us to just live in sin. 05:06 And yet there is a tremendous joy, 05:09 tremendous reassurance, to know 05:11 that Jesus has succeeded in every place. 05:14 Actually, I reminded, I think I heard 05:16 that Martin Luther said it, he said, 05:19 when I look at myself, I cannot believe that 05:23 I can be saved and be victor or save. 05:28 But when I look in Jesus, 05:29 I cannot imagine that I'm not saved. Yeah. 05:33 This is the beauty, the beauty of Jesus. 05:35 How can we be lost if we have a Savior like this, 05:37 unless we choose to just ignore Him. 05:39 What a wonderful Savior? 05:40 We wanna go a little bit further in Matthew Chapter 4. 05:44 It says that He went out from there, 05:47 what takes place next? 05:50 Actually, now Jesus begins His public ministry. 05:53 You see his Sonship was pronounced at the baptism. 05:57 His Sonship was tested. 06:00 Now, He has proven what kind of Messiah He would be? 06:04 But the way, do you notice here something. 06:07 What was the purpose of this temptation 06:09 that Satan was doing, 06:10 trying to prevent Jesus to go to the cross? 06:16 You don't need to go to the cross. Sure. 06:19 Do this following things. Take the easy way. 06:21 And I will give all this to you and ever. 06:24 By the way, from this moment on, 06:27 up to the end of Jesus ministry, 06:29 Satan is doing everything to prevent Jesus to the cross. 06:33 Do you remember? 06:34 In Mathew, you will come to that Matthew Chapter 16, 06:36 He even use His beloved disciple by name of Peter 06:40 to prevent Him to go the cross. 06:42 And Jesus had to call Peter, 06:44 go behind me Satan because Jesus saw Peter, 06:48 being used by Satan to prevent Jesus to go to the cross. 06:51 When even Jesus finally was on the cross, 06:55 Satan tried to pull Him down 06:57 from the cross. Come down, come down. 06:58 People were shouting come down and we'll believe in You. 07:02 That was a constant, constant effort, 07:05 effort to prevent Jesus to go to the cross. 07:08 Once, Jesus won the victory over that first temptation, 07:12 where the human beings failed at the beginning. 07:15 Now, Jesus is ready to go 07:17 and to start His public ministry. 07:19 So we see a victorious, triumphant Savior coming forth. 07:22 It says that, let me just read Chapter 4:12. 07:26 "Now when Jesus heard that John was put in prison, 07:28 he departed to Galilee and so forth." 07:31 What's the significance of that He went to Galilee? 07:33 Is this just about geography? 07:34 Please, you can read up to verse 17. 07:37 Okay. Please. 07:38 "And leaving Nazareth, he came to dwell in Capernaum 07:42 which is by the sea, 07:43 in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali 07:45 that it might be fulfilled what was spoken, 07:47 by the prophet Isaiah." 07:49 Saying verse 15, "The land of Zebulun 07:52 and the land of Naphtali by the way of the sea, 07:55 beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 07:58 The people, who sat in darkness, 08:00 have seen a great light, 08:02 and upon those who sat on the region, 08:03 and shadow of death light has dawned. 08:06 From that time Jesus, began to preach and to say, 08:09 repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 08:12 Actually, Glenn, are we aware, that from this moment, 08:17 when Jesus made the first step in His ministry, 08:19 trying to preach the Gospel. 08:22 Or, up to the time, 08:23 just few weeks before His crucifixion. 08:26 All the time, almost three-and half years, 08:30 Jesus ministry was confined to Galilee, 08:33 except when Jesus made short trips to Jerusalem, 08:37 or to other territories. 08:39 It was just very short trips. 08:41 Actually, Jesus mission was completely there-- 08:43 there in Galilee. 08:45 But we have then to understand-- What's Galilee? 08:49 About Galilee. Actually, let me just illustrate little bit. 08:53 You know, Galilee had the north and had a south. 08:57 South was Judaea; north was 09:00 the territory of two tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali. 09:03 We're talking about territory around the Sea of Galilee; 09:08 down was Dead Sea and Judaea, etc. 09:11 If you go there down to Judaea, 09:14 you know, rocky area, Judean desert. 09:17 If you go to the north, around Sea of Galilee, 09:20 it's a fertile ground. 09:23 Farmers, actually all these oranges, etc, 09:26 you know, that were coming from Israel, 09:28 would come from that part of the world. 09:30 But the problem was, that people who lived in Galilee, 09:34 they were not really Jews. 09:35 They were not descendants of Abraham. 09:38 You know, with those 10 tribes-- Yes. 09:40 were deported from Palestine, the king of Assyria hided it. 09:45 After that, the king of Assyria 09:46 brought these pagan people, nations, 09:49 and he settled them there into the territory. 09:52 Okay, so people, who lived in the territory 09:54 were not really the descendants of Abraham. 09:57 It was few decades, before Jesus is, 10:00 that Alexander by name, one of the Jewish kings, 10:06 he forcibly circumcised those people around Shechem, 10:10 so make them to be-- to be Jewish. 10:13 But the problem with these people, 10:14 they were not, never accepted 10:16 by the Pharisees to be Jews. Sure. 10:18 They were outcast, they were rejected. 10:21 Another thing is, they were there in the north. 10:24 Whenever, the enemies of Israel would come to invade Palestine, 10:29 who was the first target? Galileans, okay. 10:33 They were the first target. 10:34 When the enemies were cut, leaving Palestine. 10:37 Who was the last group that actually, 10:40 they express their anger against? 10:42 They were Galileans. 10:44 But something else? 10:46 Since, it was a fertile ground. 10:48 They took about farmers. 10:50 Romans imposed heavy taxes on those people. 10:54 So Romans would take taxes. 10:57 Herod, who made all those building projects, 11:01 another taxes and then tax collectors 11:03 who were collecting those taxes, 11:06 were stealing money from those people for themselves. 11:08 Can you imagine that? 11:10 Those people suffered, so much in that--that area. 11:17 And Jesus came to those people to preach the Gospel. 11:22 So in the text of Isaiah, we read that actually people 11:26 who were sitting in darkness, they saw great light, 11:29 that light came to him and they responded to light. 11:32 Jesus was rejected in Jerusalem, 11:35 but if people embrace to Jesus, they founded Him. 11:38 They recognized him, the great Savior who came, 11:41 when the light shown, people responded to that light. 11:44 Ranko, you're suggesting that God 11:47 came to those who rejected. Those who are outcast. 11:50 He's still doing the same thing today, isn't He? 11:52 You see, Jesus does not have elite, 11:56 a special people that He favors. 11:58 All those people who need the Savior, 12:02 who need Jesus Christ, Jesus come to them. 12:05 And that's why, the beginning of Jesus ministry 12:08 and almost the conclusion of His ministry 12:11 actually happened there, there in Galilee. 12:14 What a Savior? What a Savior? 12:17 He comes to those who need him most. Yes. 12:21 Ranko, as we wrap this up, 12:23 it's the repentance, is the kingdom of heaven. 12:26 How do you see Jesus in these two scenes here? 12:29 Yes. I would like to make the final word to the viewers. 12:32 May be you say, you recognize yourself and say, 12:34 I am the one sitting in darkness, 12:36 on the valley and the shadow of death. 12:39 I feel like Galileans. 12:41 Praise God, that's why we need the Savior 12:43 and the Savior came to save just as one, of you and me. |
Revised 2014-12-17